I am so excited about some of my upcoming blogs that I wanted to tell you some of the things that you can look forward to:
1) An Interview with Cynthia Sass the sports dietitian for the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays and former sports dietitian for the Phillies.
*Cynthia was great! I asked her for advice for my new program that I am doing with a High School baseball team. She gave me great advice and tips that the team and other people can use.
2) The "Change-Up" Program
* I am beginning a program with a High School baseball team to educate them about eating healthy and how it can enhance or impair their game. The program targets the varsity baseball team to get them ready for strict collegiate athletics departments. I will be documenting the progress of the team once we begin.
I look forward to the program and thanks to Cynthia Sass for her time and words of wisdom. Also a special thanks to Leslie J. Bonci for her great book: Sports Nutrition for Coaches that I have read about three times over already! Look forward to blogging!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
5 Steps Towards a Healthier You...
This year I have many things going on: I have just started this blog, created a program targeting High School athletes and their diet (with help from Leslie J. Bonci's book: Sports Nutrition for Coaches) and just landed an internship with a governmental agency for nutrition students Through my endeavors and research whether it be personal or for school I have come up with 5 steps towards a healthier you that can make a big difference. The steps are listed below:
1) Switch your drink of choice to water
- Did you know that if you drink 1 8oz. cup of 120 calorie drink a day for a year that can = 15 lbs.?
- Staying properly hydrating also encouraged weight loss. Our bodies are made up of 60% water and increasing your daily intake can influence the loss of water weight.
* As per the USDA http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=3&tax_subject=256&topic_id=1342&level3_id=5140 you can see the recommended intakes for individuals.
Males 19-30 y.o. = 3.7 L a day
31-50 y.o. = 3.7 L a day
Females 19-30 y.o. = 2.7 L a day
31-50 y.o.= 2.7L a day
** Refer to the table above or http://www.usda.gov/ for other recommended daily intakes.
2) Choose whole grains rather than refined grains
- "Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins" from the USDA website: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/grains.html
- Whole grains are things like brown rice, whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta that can contribute these nutrients to our diets and promote a healthier diet.
** To make the transition easier mix the two at first (ex: 1/2c whole wheat pasta and 1/2c regular) until you can switch fully to the whole grains.
3) Try to use "reduced-sodium" or "low-sodium" products
- As per the USDA every American should make sure that they keep their sodium intake under 2,300mg per day.
- Most of us don't realize the sodium intake when we read the nutrition facts label. We are more interested in the calories but although foods can have a low caloric level it could be very high in sodium. Always make sure to read the label properly.
** Refer to the USDA's choosemyplate website for helpful hints to reduce sodium at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet14SaltAndSodium.pdf
4) Make more active choices
- Instead of driving places, walk, engage in activities whether it be walking, dancing, jogging, something to keep you active.
- The theory behind weight gain is that our calories in supersede our calories out (burned) therefore if you increase that number that more you can help balance out your diet.
5) Increase your vegetable consumption
- "people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases." - http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/vegetables_why.html
- Vegetables can make you feel fuller and prevent overeating as well as provide you with proper daily nutrients.
**These are just 5 steps that I have come up with from research, schoolwork and personal experience. I am not a Dietitian, but a student studying dietetics. To find out more about your personal diet and all of the things I have spoke about please check out the USDA's website: www.choosemyplate.gov that provides plenty of helpful hints, tools and information!
1) Switch your drink of choice to water
- Did you know that if you drink 1 8oz. cup of 120 calorie drink a day for a year that can = 15 lbs.?
- Staying properly hydrating also encouraged weight loss. Our bodies are made up of 60% water and increasing your daily intake can influence the loss of water weight.
* As per the USDA http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=3&tax_subject=256&topic_id=1342&level3_id=5140 you can see the recommended intakes for individuals.
Males 19-30 y.o. = 3.7 L a day
31-50 y.o. = 3.7 L a day
Females 19-30 y.o. = 2.7 L a day
31-50 y.o.= 2.7L a day
** Refer to the table above or http://www.usda.gov/ for other recommended daily intakes.
2) Choose whole grains rather than refined grains
- "Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins" from the USDA website: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/grains.html
- Whole grains are things like brown rice, whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta that can contribute these nutrients to our diets and promote a healthier diet.
** To make the transition easier mix the two at first (ex: 1/2c whole wheat pasta and 1/2c regular) until you can switch fully to the whole grains.
3) Try to use "reduced-sodium" or "low-sodium" products
- As per the USDA every American should make sure that they keep their sodium intake under 2,300mg per day.
- Most of us don't realize the sodium intake when we read the nutrition facts label. We are more interested in the calories but although foods can have a low caloric level it could be very high in sodium. Always make sure to read the label properly.
** Refer to the USDA's choosemyplate website for helpful hints to reduce sodium at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet14SaltAndSodium.pdf
4) Make more active choices
- Instead of driving places, walk, engage in activities whether it be walking, dancing, jogging, something to keep you active.
- The theory behind weight gain is that our calories in supersede our calories out (burned) therefore if you increase that number that more you can help balance out your diet.
5) Increase your vegetable consumption
- "people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases." - http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/vegetables_why.html
- Vegetables can make you feel fuller and prevent overeating as well as provide you with proper daily nutrients.
**These are just 5 steps that I have come up with from research, schoolwork and personal experience. I am not a Dietitian, but a student studying dietetics. To find out more about your personal diet and all of the things I have spoke about please check out the USDA's website: www.choosemyplate.gov that provides plenty of helpful hints, tools and information!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Interview with Kettleworx Creator & Celebrity Personal Trainer: Ryan Shanahan
I have become an avid fan of a workout that my Mother introduced me to about a year ago, Kettleworx.
What is Kettleworx?
"KettleWorx Ultra starts with the "Six-Week Body Transformation," an easy, 6-week, step-by-step personal kettle bell training program of 6 DVDs: Intro, Cardio, Core, Resistance, Fast Abs, and Fast Fat Burn." - From the kettleworx website.
The most amazing thing about kettleworx is the convenience. All DVD's are only 20 minutes and should be repeated three times throughout the week. Not only was it convenient, but thorough. Within days I felt a difference: I felt stronger, leaner and all around better about myself.
After using Kettleworx for a long time I can honestly say that I found a workout regimen that fits into my busy schedule and has become a part of my everyday routine. Since I love the workout so much I wanted to reach out to its creator: Ryan Shanahan for an interview. Ryan is a personal trainer to celebrities, athletic trainers and more.
10 Questions with Ryan Shanahan: Creator of Kettleworx, the #1 selling kettle bell DVD program
Me: Was there any particular reason that you became a personal trainer?
Ryan: I knew from very young that I was born to burn body fat.
Me: What is your personal motto that you live by?
Ryan: Every morning before arising from bed I say out loud “Stronger Today” and my day immediately starts in a new direction.
Me: Who is someone that inspires you?
Ryan: People like you that display the 3P’s: Passionate, Positive and Proactive.
Me: What is your typical workout routine like?
Ryan: During the summer months, I like to get outside and do a 30-40 minute bike ride or put on my Kangoo Jumps. I have also rediscovered the importance of practicing yoga. During the fall and winter months my routine consists of 90% kettle bell workouts and 10% experimenting with the new training methods. Jessica, wait until you try the workout I have created next, it’s the best AB workout ever!
Me: What is your favorite food and guilty pleasure food?
Ryan: I love to cook! For most dinners I’m preparing new recipes I see in fitness magazines. Some work, some don’t. As for guilty pleasures, I prefer to treat myself on Wednesdays and Saturdays to gelato or a slice of pizza. It’s very important to not feel guilty about eating these types of foods because guilt for eating 1 cookie usually causes more guilt and the next thing you know you’re eating a dozen cookies. To avoid this from happening my recommendation is drop the guilty and enjoy your pleasure foods once or twice a week.
Me: When and why did you create kettleworx?
Ryan: I’ve personally been using kettle bells since 1999. Believe me kettle bells back then were not considered as cool as they are now. I got a lot of strange looks just carrying a “kb” while walking on the sidewalk. It took me 10 years to educate one by one: athletes, trainers and clients on the benefit of kettle bell training. Kettleworx was actually my third kettle bell DVD that I released. Now after 3 years, kettleworx has reached the #1 selling kettle bell DVD program and that’s up against competition such as: Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. The reason people love kettleworx is because it works!
Me: What is it you want to teach people through kettleworx?
Ryan: From the thousands of testimonials that “KW” users have sent me I can say Kettleworx has definitely fit fitness back into people’s busy schedules and has empowered people to open their closets and be in shape enough to wear whatever they want to wear without any sucking or squeezing.
Me: What is the hardest part about your job?
Ryan: Jessica, I get to meet aspiring fitness professionals, like yourself, I get to hang out with movie stars, I get to be on TV and I get people thanking me on the street for changing their lives, I absolutely love my career.
Me: What changes have you made in your life since becoming a personal trainer?
Ryan: I've been a fitness trainer since I was 15 that’s getting close to 25 years of experience. So I would say that the most important aspect of being a fitness trainer would be leading by good example.
Me: What advice would give someone who is looking to make healthy changes in their life?
Ryan: Set off some “TNT”: start today not tomorrow. Instead of waiting to start exercising on Monday start today by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or get off the bus a stop early and walk home 5 minutes of exercise is better than 0 minutes of exercise.
You can find fitness tips and free workout videos at the Ryan Shanahan Workout group on Facebook. Click here:
Special thanks to Ryan Shanahan for doing the interview and to find out more about kettleworx, Ryan or purchase the workout visit:
Friday, September 9, 2011
Interview with Pittsburgh Steelers Dietitian: Leslie J. Bonci
Since this is the first week of football season I figured what better way to kick it off than an interview with a well renowned sports dietitian. I decided to reach out to Leslie J. Bonci, who just so happens to be the sports dietitian for my favorite football team- THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS!!!
Not only is Leslie the sports Dietitian for the Pittsburgh Steelers but the Pirates, Penguins, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh ballet theater and the University of Pittsburgh Athletics Department. She is also very involved in the NCAA, WNBA and member of the United States Olympics committee's sports nutrition network. Among her many accomplishments Leslie has also written books such as: Sport Dietitian for Coaches, Human Kinetics 2009 and Co-author: Run Your Butt Off, Rodale 2011. Leslie is still very active in the American Dietetic Association and somehow still finds time to run in marathons.
I am very interested in pursuing a career in sports dietetics and Leslie is the epitome of everything I want to be. A special thanks to her participation in this interview.
Me: What drove you to the field of dietetics?
Leslie:My undergrad degree is in Bio psychology. I pursued a master's in public health- took a nutrition course and was HOOKED and knew I wanted to get into the dietetics field.
Me: Why did you decide to pursue sports nutrition?
Leslie: My first dietetics job was in Wheeling at the Wheeling Hospital Wellness Center which had a wonderful on-site exercise facility for patients and provided a lot of opportunities to do active programming so the seed was planted and when I moved back to Pittsburgh, I approached the University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics about working with the athletes and they said YES!
Me: How did you become involved with the Pittsburgh sports organization and how long have you been with them?
Leslie: This is my 18th year with the Steelers, When the Athletic Trainer and Strength coach were hired by Coach Cowher they asked if he would be open to having a nutrition consultant and they cam to me through an athletic trainer at Pitt, The athletic training staff and strength staff were also my contacts for working with the Pirates and Pens as well as Pitt: 7th year with the Pirates, 3rd year with the Pens, 20th year with Pitt, 12th year with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
Me:What is the biggest challenge that you face working with athletes?
Leslie: Biggest challenge- time considerations for them, eating is not always a priority, they want results overnight, many of them are culinary challenged and do not know or care to know how to do their own food preparation, and for the student athletes, the need to juggle classes, practice, social life and eating, and of course drug, alcohol and supplement issues are big for all athletes.
Me:What is the difference between diets for a football player, baseball player and hockey player?
Leslie: Football the biggest difference is that they are so HUGE so their calorie needs can be quite high, that being said, the quality of the diet is important and varies by position. Baseball calorie requirements are less and my focus is getting them to eat more regularly and shift away from the energy drinks and choose food more and hockey calorie requirements are enormous as well as the challenge of maintaining optimal energy levels through the regular season and into the playoffs
Me: The Steelers are known for monstrous defensive players like Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley. How does their diet contribute to their game?
Leslie: Yes our Steel Curtain is amazing and is a mix of both speed and strength so for these guys to be able to deliver the hit, they have to get to the player and that means not carrying extra baggage. So we work very closely on optimizing the diet to provide the power and speed within a calorie cap
Me: Does a professional athletes diet change during off-season?
Leslie: Not all professional athletes work out to the same degree of intensity in the off season, and if their expenditure declines and intake remains stable they typically gain weight so we work hard on modifying the intake to match the output
Me: Are there any particular meals that the Pittsburgh Steelers eat before games?
Leslie: We offer all types of pregame foods: smoothies, eggs, steak, grilled chicken, cereal, French Toast, waffles, fruit, salad, and pasta. I want my players to eat what feels comfortable to them but I stress the importance of eating something before games to optimize performance
Me: What is something you have learned about yourself while working with professional athletes?
Leslie: I have learned that I can be as tough as they are ( maybe not physically, but I can hold my own) I have become more assertive, more persistent, and also believe in being fairly compensated for the service I provide although I don't think a signing bonus is in the cards!
Me:What advice do you suggest for aspiring athletes?
Leslie: Advice for aspiring athletes? Keep on training- eat well to train well, consider fueling and hydration your internal equipment and practice, practice, practice
Me: Do you have any advice for aspiring dietitians?
Leslie: Advice for aspiring dietitians: Try every aspect of this field, you never know where your passions might be. Do love food, talk about it, cook it. Learn how to laugh at yourself and be open to critique, To me LESS is MORE< I would rather provide less info in a way that it resonates than leave my athletes drowning in concepts. Most of all SMILE and HAVE FUN!
Leslie Bonci, MPH,RD,CSSD,LDN
Director of Sports Nutrition
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Sports Dietitian:
University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
Milwaukee Brewers
Consultant to:
NCAA
WNBA
Author:
Sport Dietitian for Coaches, Human Kinetics 2009
Co-author: Run Your Butt Off, Rodale 2011
Not only is Leslie the sports Dietitian for the Pittsburgh Steelers but the Pirates, Penguins, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh ballet theater and the University of Pittsburgh Athletics Department. She is also very involved in the NCAA, WNBA and member of the United States Olympics committee's sports nutrition network. Among her many accomplishments Leslie has also written books such as: Sport Dietitian for Coaches, Human Kinetics 2009 and Co-author: Run Your Butt Off, Rodale 2011. Leslie is still very active in the American Dietetic Association and somehow still finds time to run in marathons.
I am very interested in pursuing a career in sports dietetics and Leslie is the epitome of everything I want to be. A special thanks to her participation in this interview.
Me: What drove you to the field of dietetics?
Leslie:My undergrad degree is in Bio psychology. I pursued a master's in public health- took a nutrition course and was HOOKED and knew I wanted to get into the dietetics field.
Me: Why did you decide to pursue sports nutrition?
Leslie: My first dietetics job was in Wheeling at the Wheeling Hospital Wellness Center which had a wonderful on-site exercise facility for patients and provided a lot of opportunities to do active programming so the seed was planted and when I moved back to Pittsburgh, I approached the University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics about working with the athletes and they said YES!
Me: How did you become involved with the Pittsburgh sports organization and how long have you been with them?
Leslie: This is my 18th year with the Steelers, When the Athletic Trainer and Strength coach were hired by Coach Cowher they asked if he would be open to having a nutrition consultant and they cam to me through an athletic trainer at Pitt, The athletic training staff and strength staff were also my contacts for working with the Pirates and Pens as well as Pitt: 7th year with the Pirates, 3rd year with the Pens, 20th year with Pitt, 12th year with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
Me:What is the biggest challenge that you face working with athletes?
Leslie: Biggest challenge- time considerations for them, eating is not always a priority, they want results overnight, many of them are culinary challenged and do not know or care to know how to do their own food preparation, and for the student athletes, the need to juggle classes, practice, social life and eating, and of course drug, alcohol and supplement issues are big for all athletes.
Me:What is the difference between diets for a football player, baseball player and hockey player?
Leslie: Football the biggest difference is that they are so HUGE so their calorie needs can be quite high, that being said, the quality of the diet is important and varies by position. Baseball calorie requirements are less and my focus is getting them to eat more regularly and shift away from the energy drinks and choose food more and hockey calorie requirements are enormous as well as the challenge of maintaining optimal energy levels through the regular season and into the playoffs
Me: The Steelers are known for monstrous defensive players like Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley. How does their diet contribute to their game?
Leslie: Yes our Steel Curtain is amazing and is a mix of both speed and strength so for these guys to be able to deliver the hit, they have to get to the player and that means not carrying extra baggage. So we work very closely on optimizing the diet to provide the power and speed within a calorie cap
Me: Does a professional athletes diet change during off-season?
Leslie: Not all professional athletes work out to the same degree of intensity in the off season, and if their expenditure declines and intake remains stable they typically gain weight so we work hard on modifying the intake to match the output
Me: Are there any particular meals that the Pittsburgh Steelers eat before games?
Leslie: We offer all types of pregame foods: smoothies, eggs, steak, grilled chicken, cereal, French Toast, waffles, fruit, salad, and pasta. I want my players to eat what feels comfortable to them but I stress the importance of eating something before games to optimize performance
Me: What is something you have learned about yourself while working with professional athletes?
Leslie: I have learned that I can be as tough as they are ( maybe not physically, but I can hold my own) I have become more assertive, more persistent, and also believe in being fairly compensated for the service I provide although I don't think a signing bonus is in the cards!
Me:What advice do you suggest for aspiring athletes?
Leslie: Advice for aspiring athletes? Keep on training- eat well to train well, consider fueling and hydration your internal equipment and practice, practice, practice
Me: Do you have any advice for aspiring dietitians?
Leslie: Advice for aspiring dietitians: Try every aspect of this field, you never know where your passions might be. Do love food, talk about it, cook it. Learn how to laugh at yourself and be open to critique, To me LESS is MORE< I would rather provide less info in a way that it resonates than leave my athletes drowning in concepts. Most of all SMILE and HAVE FUN!
Leslie Bonci, MPH,RD,CSSD,LDN
Director of Sports Nutrition
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Sports Dietitian:
University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
Milwaukee Brewers
Consultant to:
NCAA
WNBA
Author:
Sport Dietitian for Coaches, Human Kinetics 2009
Co-author: Run Your Butt Off, Rodale 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Survery of Construction Workers
This past Summer I spent working on a local construction site in Queens. While doing so I noticed one very disturbing thing: most construction workers seemed out of shape and very unhealthy. Although I am no doctor after seeing their meal portions, choices and weight my diagnosis didn't seem too inaccurate. So I decided to take a survey and find out if my prediction was an accurate one.
First I figured out what I wanted to test and that is if construction workers are overweight. My hypothesis was that they will be overweight because they don't have access to the healthier foods and are predominately smokers.
Next I came up with the surveys. The questionnaire was very short consisting of four questions: age, height, weight and smoker or non-smoker. They were short because the longer the survey, the less the participants. With this information I could calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI).
According to the Center for Disease Control website cdc.gov:
"Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems."
**Below is the BMI chart provided by the Center for Disease and Control website at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html
My next task consisted of getting participants. In order to encourage people to be honest and participate I made the survey anonymous. I decided to survey only men because they were not enough women. And I was ready to begin, the results are as follows:
Sample size: 150 Men
Underweight: 0%
Normal: 15%
Overweight: 52%
Obese: 33%
Smokers: 21%
Non-Smokers: 79%
The Average man was:
-42 years old
-5'10
- 202 lbs.
- BMI of 29= overweight
The ages varied from 21 years old to 69 years old. Not only was the average man considered overweight, but one point away from being obese. This is a very scary statistic, considering that a combined 85% of the participants were overweight or obese.
Although most of my hypothesis proved true, the one thing that I was wrong about was the smoking. Only 21% of the participants were smokers. This could be for a few reasons:
1) The job site was a non-smoking one that could have encouraged people to quit
2) They might have quit on their own because of how educated we are about tobacco and it's affects
3) They were lying
Originally I thought that smoking would influence the average man to be overweight but after seeing the results realized that it might have had the opposite affect. Cigarettes are a known appetite suppressant and after quitting have a tendency to trigger weight gain. My theory is that some of the men in my survey were previous smokers and gained weight as an after affect. Either way I was satisfied with that statistic and hope it continues to decrease.
One flaw I found in my study was that there were some exceptions to the BMI rules. There were a few participants who were very muscular and in shape but were categorized as overweight or obese. Although they are apart of those categories they are not considered to have the same health risks as someone who is not physically active.
In conclusion I am very much concerned about construction workers weight, food portions, and choices and believe that their inaccessibility to healthier foods only promotes those choices. I even found myself giving into those bacon, egg and cheese cravings from time to time because of the convenience. So job related accidents are not the only concerns that the government should have for construction workers but their nutritional lifestyle at the workplace as well.
First I figured out what I wanted to test and that is if construction workers are overweight. My hypothesis was that they will be overweight because they don't have access to the healthier foods and are predominately smokers.
Next I came up with the surveys. The questionnaire was very short consisting of four questions: age, height, weight and smoker or non-smoker. They were short because the longer the survey, the less the participants. With this information I could calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI).
According to the Center for Disease Control website cdc.gov:
"Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems."
**Below is the BMI chart provided by the Center for Disease and Control website at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html
BMI | Weight Status |
|---|---|
| Below 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5 – 24.9 | Normal |
| 25.0 – 29.9 | Overweight |
| 30.0 and Above | Obese |
My next task consisted of getting participants. In order to encourage people to be honest and participate I made the survey anonymous. I decided to survey only men because they were not enough women. And I was ready to begin, the results are as follows:
Sample size: 150 Men
Underweight: 0%
Normal: 15%
Overweight: 52%
Obese: 33%
Smokers: 21%
Non-Smokers: 79%
The Average man was:
-42 years old
-5'10
- 202 lbs.
- BMI of 29= overweight
The ages varied from 21 years old to 69 years old. Not only was the average man considered overweight, but one point away from being obese. This is a very scary statistic, considering that a combined 85% of the participants were overweight or obese.
Although most of my hypothesis proved true, the one thing that I was wrong about was the smoking. Only 21% of the participants were smokers. This could be for a few reasons:
1) The job site was a non-smoking one that could have encouraged people to quit
2) They might have quit on their own because of how educated we are about tobacco and it's affects
3) They were lying
Originally I thought that smoking would influence the average man to be overweight but after seeing the results realized that it might have had the opposite affect. Cigarettes are a known appetite suppressant and after quitting have a tendency to trigger weight gain. My theory is that some of the men in my survey were previous smokers and gained weight as an after affect. Either way I was satisfied with that statistic and hope it continues to decrease.
One flaw I found in my study was that there were some exceptions to the BMI rules. There were a few participants who were very muscular and in shape but were categorized as overweight or obese. Although they are apart of those categories they are not considered to have the same health risks as someone who is not physically active.
In conclusion I am very much concerned about construction workers weight, food portions, and choices and believe that their inaccessibility to healthier foods only promotes those choices. I even found myself giving into those bacon, egg and cheese cravings from time to time because of the convenience. So job related accidents are not the only concerns that the government should have for construction workers but their nutritional lifestyle at the workplace as well.
First Post!
Dietitian Ambition is a blog created to document the fun things I learn while studying dietetics and nutrition. I want to apply the things I learn to everyday life to prove that a healthier lifestyle isnt the chore that people think it is. From workouts, experiments, tips, recipes and more I plan on making dietetics as fun for you as it is for me!
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