FFF Diva Article Research: "Fueling on a Budget: Making Smart Choices on the Cheap"

"Fueling on a Budget: Making Smart Choices on the Cheap"
By Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD
For Active.com

Athletes get hungry. Hungry athletes need to eat ... a lot!
For some people, this means consuming 3,000 to 4,000+ calories per day. For those with limited food money, the question arises: "Where can I buy the most amount of healthful calories for a reasonable amount of money?"

In this day and age, when few athletes prepare and pack their own food, the standard practice is to fill up on fast 'n' fatty foods that do indeed conquer hunger--but also clog arteries and leave muscles poorly fueled.

Given that only carbs get stored as glycogen in the muscles (and glycogen depletion is associated with fatigue), fast-food frequenters can sabotage their performance and experience needless fatigue. (That is, unless they over-consume soda pop--a source of carbs with no health value other than fuel.)

Let's say you are a 150-pound athlete who needs about 3,000 calories per day (1,000 calories per meal). You can buy the following 900- to 1,000-calorie fast food specials for a reasonable price, but they may well cost you the gold medal because about half of their calories from fat, and fat is inexpensive:

3 chocolate frosted cake Dunkin Donuts: 1,080 cals @ $2.15
2 servings Nachos Supreme from Taco Bell: 900 cals @ $3.40
Big Mac and medium fries: 1,060 cals @ $4.45

As an athlete who shows responsibility by training hard, you'll miss the boat if you are irresponsible with fueling your hard-worked body. You'll better reach your performance goals by investing in a daily diet based on wholesome carbohydrates: multi-grain breads, bran cereals, rye bagels, fresh fruits, orange juice, colorful vegetables.These foods not only fuel your muscles but they also offer health-protective vitamins and minerals.
Sometimes, for only a few more pennies, you can buy wholesome fast food carbs. For example, orange juice at McDonald's might cost you 8.5 per ounce; a soda, 8 per ounce (based on a medium size). A wheat bagel from Dunkin Donuts costs $0.89; only 18 more than a doughnut--but more carbs, less fat, similar calories.

More often, good nutrition costs more. If you want to buy chicken instead of beef, you'll pay the price. A Big Mac (600 calories) is $2.79; a Chicken McGrill, $3.89 (400 calories).

So what's a hungry athlete on a budget to do? Where are the sports nutrition bargains? The purpose of this article is to help you identify some of the better bets among fast foods; choices that offer a decent amount of carbs for a reasonable amount of money.

Breakfast Suggestions

The best food bargain is to eat breakfast at home or, when traveling, in your hotel. Simply pack along a plastic container with wholesome cereal, raisins (and a spoon), then buy milk at the corner store. (Note: buying store brands of cereal saves money: Kellogg's Raisin Bran costs $1.73 per 1,000 calories; the store brand only $1.25 per 1,000 calories.)

Another breakfast option is to pack a cooler with multi-grain bagels, yogurt, and orange juice. You'll get 1,000 calories of premium nutrition for less than $3. If you insist on eating fast food, two decent options for under $3 are: Dunkin' Donuts Honey Bran muffin + small low-fat latte (600 cal), McDonald's Hotcakes + Small Fruit and Yogurt Parfait (750 cal).

Lunch and Dinner

The most nutritious sources of carbohydrates are fruits, juices and vegetables -- but they tend to be costly for the amount of calories they provide.

Fruits and veggies cost at least $4 per pound at a salad bar -- and may offer inadequate calories (until smothered with salad dressing, that is.) A money-saving option is to buy apples, oranges, raisins, dried apricots, figs, juices (in boxes, plastic bottles) at a supermarket and pack them in your gym bag.

Use them to supplement the following fast food best bets:

Burger King: Chicken Whopper (without mayo), Veggie Burger
McDonald's: McGrilled Chicken, Vanilla Cone, Egg McMuffin
Wendy's: Chili, baked potato (only a little topping), Frosty
Taco Bell: Burritos, soft tacos, gorditas, frajitas (w/o sour cream)
Papa Gino's: Spaghetti or penne with tomato sauce, bread sticks
Cost/Calories

Here's a calculation of cost per 1,000 calories of some fast foods. Value meals aside, the best fast food bargains can be found at Mexican (bean meals) and Italian restaurants (pasta).

Taco Bell wins first prize (among the fast-food places profiled here)! There, you can enjoy 1,100 (mostly healthful) calories from three bean burritos for only $3.30. Notice that supermarket snacks are a wise way to inexpensively boost your carbohydrate intake and supplement fast-food meals.

Food/Calories/% fat/Cost per 1,000 cals

Dunkin Donuts
Bagel: 350/12%/$2.57
Honey Bran Muffin: 490/26%/$2.42
Double chocolate cake donut: 310/49%/$2.29
Latte, small, whole milk+sugar: 160/33%/$11.19

McDonald's
Big Mac: 600/50%/$4.65
Chicken McGrill: 400/36%/$9.72
Chicken McGrill without mayo: 300/18%/$12.97
Supersize Fries: 610/43%/$3.43
McFlurry, M&M: 910/33%/$2.86
Hotcakes, with syrup, no butter: 510/12%/$3.58
Orange juice, medium (16 oz): 180/0%/$8.61

Taco Bell
Bean Burrito: 370/24%/$2.95
Gordita baja, steak: 230/27%/$6.05
Soft Taco, chicken: 180/20%/$8.28

Papa Gino's
Pizza, 1/2 lg: 1,000/24%/$4.50
Spaghetti: 650/15%/$6.55
Spaghetti + 2 meatballs: 905/29%/$5.83

Supermarket snacks
Yogurt, Columbo Cherry, 1 cup: 220/8%/$3.40
Granola bars, Nature Valley: 180/30%/$2.77
Teddy grahams (24 pieces): 130/27%/$2.55
Fig Newtons, 2: 110/20%/$2.42
Banana, large: 150/0%/$2.35
Burrito, frozen microwavable Tina's: 340/24%/$1.32

Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) counsels casual and competitive athletes in her private practice at Healthworks, the premier fitness center in Chestnut Hill MA (617-383-6100). Her Sports Nutrition Guidebook, new Food Guide for Marathoners, and Cyclist’s Food Guide are available at www.nancyclarkrd.com. Also see www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com for information about her online workshop.

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FFF Diva Mo's Final Word:

When shopping on a budget for healthy fruits and vegetables I try to support local farmers by purchasing my foods at farmer's markets or the local flea market. For example I bought 3 plastic bags of veggies (bell peppers and onions) for only $3. What a steal! Also, if you CANNOT make it to a farmer's market, grocery store Trader Joe's is the NEXT BEST THING. The last thing you want to do is go to Whole Paycheck, I mean Whole Foods.

Happy shopping!
<3 FFF Diva Mo

FFF Diva Article Research: 9 Reasons Your Body Thinks its Hungry

9 Reasons Your Body Thinks It's Hungry
By Brynn Mannino, Woman's Day
Thu, Dec 02, 2010

A staggering 63 percent of Americans are overweight. The most common cause? We eat more food than we need—and we're all guilty of doing it: mindlessly munching on a bag of pretzels during a reality TV marathon or treating ourselves to a second helping when the first was plenty. But boredom and indulgence aside, why else are we reaching for a snack when we should feel full? Some of it can be blamed on habit, while other triggers have more to do with our body's hunger signals. Check out the list below to find out the most common overeating pitfalls and simple solutions for avoiding these traps.

1. You didn't get enough sleep last night.
Lack of rest stimulates two faux hunger triggers: energy deficiency, to which our natural reaction is to nourish our bodies, and appetite hormone confusion. "When our bodies are drained, levels of leptin—a hormone produced by our fat cells that controls our appetite—decrease, while levels of gherlin—a hormone produced by our stomach that stimulates our appetite—increase," explains American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Karen Ansel, RD. That's two hormones working against you. "Getting eight hours of sleep a night is the easiest thing you can do to prevent overeating." If you do fall short on zzz's, be sure to load up on nourishing, naturally energizing foods—such as fresh fruit, complex carbohydrates and lean proteins—throughout the day to help your body feel satisfied.

2. You're taking medication that causes hunger as a side effect.
If you felt ravenous the last time you were taking an antibiotic to tame an allergic reaction, joint inflammation, acne or a bad cold, the medicine may be to blame. "Medication that contains mild steroids, like prednisone, a corticosteroid, ramp up hunger big time," says Milton Stokes, RD, owner of One Source Nutrition, LLC. "If you've already eaten a normal-size meal, ignore the drug-inflated hunger," says Stokes. Instead, try an oral fix like chewing gum, sipping warm coffee or brushing your teeth, he suggests. If you're on long-term steroid therapy, consult a dietitian to devise an eating plan that will help you feel more satisfied throughout the treatment.

3. You're thirsty or dehydrated.
The symptoms of dehydration (sleepiness, low energy) closely mimic those of being overly hungry, which may lead you to think you need food to increase your energy level, explains Sandon. When you're thirsty, your mouth becomes dry, a symptom that eating will temporarily relieve, notes Sandon. She suggests drinking a tall glass of water or cup of herbal tea before eating and waiting for your body's hunger signals to adjust (about 10 minutes). "Doing so could save hundreds of calories."

4. It's "mealtime."
As creatures of habit, we tend to eat on autopilot. While some regularity is encouraged so that you don't become overly hungry, which could lead to bingeing, it's also important to listen to hunger signals, says Ansel. "Next time you sit down to eat, ask yourself: 'Am I really hungry?' If the answer is 'no,' either eat a smaller portion or put off the meal for an hour—though no longer than that," suggests Ansel. This also applies to situations you associate with eating, like flying. "We've been conditioned to associate an airplane ride with eating," Ansel says. The solution: "Pay attention to timing," recommends Lona Sandon, MEd, RD, assistant professor of nutrition at University of Texas Southwestern. "Know how long the flight is and plan satisfying meals around it." Also, take advantage of the free (hydrating) beverages, she adds, as the enclosed space leads to hunger-causing dehydration.

5. You just worked out.
We are conditioned to feed ourselves after exercising. And, after a particularly strenuous exercise session like a spinning class or interval-training workout, we tend to feel ravenous. But that doesn't mean your body needs extra calories. "It means your body needs a specific kind of nourishment," says Marissa Lippert, RD, a nutrition consultant and dietitian in New York City. Opt for roasted chicken or other lean meats (protein will replenish your muscles) and brown rice or other whole grains (complex carbohydrates take a while to break down) to help your body recover faster and fend off hunger longer.

6. Not enough time has passed since you finished your meal.
You've just eaten lunch only to wonder: "Why am I still hungry?" Before you assume you didn't eat enough, consider that maybe you ate too quickly. "Appetite hormones need time to tell your brain you're full," explains Sandon. To prevent post-meal hunger pangs, keep these pointers in mind: Eat slowly, putting down your fork between bites; choose flavorful and satisfying foods; and include a combination of fat, protein and carbohydrates in every meal. If you're still hungry, try sucking on a mint to ward off your cravings.

7. The women around you are eating.
A joint study out of Duke University and Arizona State University found that women tend to mirror other women's eating habits. "When one overdoes it, the rest often follow along," Ansel confirms. To avoid this copycat effect, Lippert suggests taking a quick minute to reassess your own eating habits—or, if all else fails, grabbing a pal and evacuating the scene of the food. A more permanent fix? Be the one who sets a healthy example for your girlfriends to follow. Their waistlines will thank you! "Just as obesity is contagious, so are healthy habits," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of The Flexitarian Diet.

8. You smell or see food.
"We tend to eat with our senses more than our stomachs," says Ansel. When we smell or see food—even if it's in a photo, advertisement or TV show—our mouths water, which stimulates our appetite. Onset factors can include smelling a batch of cupcakes baking, seeing snack food laid out on the counter or watching a cooking show. The clear-cut solution: "Out of sight, out of mind." Leave the room, hide the candy jar, turn off the TV—and the craving to eat will likely subside, says Ansel.

9. You're stressed out.
"Studies show that when people recognize they're stressed, they are more likely to turn to high-fat, salty or sugary foods," says Sandon. "These foods both are comforting and feel good in the mouth," she adds. But it's not all about emotional eating. Sandon notes that your body's chemical reaction to stress could also cause hunger pangs. "Increased levels of the stress hormones cortisol and insulin may be associated with triggering appetite." Either way, appetite control boils down to decision-making. Before reaching for the ice cream tub, try quickly clearing your mind.

FFF Diva Article Research: 25 Best Nutrition Secrets

25 Best Nutrition Secrets
By David Zinczenko
Men's Health
Sep 02, 2010

Sarah Palin is on a diet. So is Barack Obama, Glenn Beck, Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Peyton Manning, the pitching staff of the Texas Rangers, all the judges on America’s Got Talent, and the entire cast of Glee. In fact, from Chris Rock to Kid Rock to The Rock, everyone you can name is on a diet.

And so are you.

How can I be so sure? Because a “diet” isn’t something you go on and go off of, like a prescription. A diet is what you eat, day in and day out, whether you planned to eat that way or not. So when people ask me what kind of “diet” they should follow, I always tell them to follow the one they’re already on—the way you like to eat is the way you should eat. In researching the Eat This, Not That! book series and seeing people lose 10, 20, 30 pounds or more effortlessly, I've learned that if you want to make big changes to your health, forget about following somebody else’s diet. Just make a bunch of little changes to the diet you’re already following. Believe me, it’s the best way to get results. Below, I’ve listed the 25 best new nutritional tweaks you can make that will improve the way you look and feel—fast and forever!

1. Drink a second cup of coffee. It might lower your risk of adult-onset diabetes, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

2. Keep serving dishes off the table. Researchers have found that when people are served individual plates, as opposed to empty plates with a platter of food in the middle of the table, they eat up to 35 percent less!

3. Think before you drink. The average person drinks more than 400 calories a day--double what he or she used to--and alone gets around 10 teaspoons of added sugar every single day from soft drinks. Swap out sweetened teas and sodas for no-cal drinks and you could lose up to 40 pounds in a single year! (To see more proof of how wayward beverages can utterly destroy your diet, check out the 20 Worst Drinks in America. Many of these drinks contain more than a day's worth of calories, sugar and fat!)

4. Practice total recall. British scientists found that people who thought about their last meal before snacking ate 30 percent fewer calories that those who didn't stop to think. The theory: Remembering what you had for lunch might remind you of how satiating the food was, which then makes you less likely to binge on your afternoon snack.

5. Eat protein at every meal. Dieters who eat the most protein tend to lose more weight while feeling less deprived than those who eat the least protein. It appears that protein is the best nutrient for jumpstarting your metabolism, squashing your appetite, and helping you eat less at subsequent meals.


6. Choose whole-grain bread. Eating whole grains (versus refined-grain or white bread) has been linked to lower risks of cancer and heart disease.

7. Think fish. Consuming two 4- to 6-ounce servings of oily fish a week will sharpen your mind. Among the best: salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, and trout. They're high in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which may reduce your risk of Alzheimer's. Study participants who had high blood levels of DHA also performed better on noverbal reasoning tests and showed better mental flexibility, working memory, and vocabulary than those with lower levels.

8. Sign up for weight-loss e-mails. Daily e-mails (or tweets) that contain weight-loss advice remind you of your goals and help you drop pounds, researchers from Canada found. We're partial to our own Eat This, Not That! newsletter, and to the instant weight-loss secrets you'll get when you follow me on Twitter here.

9. Cut portions by a quarter. Pennsylvania State University researchers discovered that by simply reducing meal portions 25 percent, people ate 10 percent fewer calories—without feeling any hungrier. Serving yourself? Think about what looks like a reasonable portion, then take at least one-quarter less than that. (By the way, studies show today's restaurant servings are 2 to 5 times bigger than what the government recommends!)

10. Turn off the TV. Scientists at the University of Massachusetts found that people who watch TV during a meal consume, on average, 288 more calories than those who don't eat with the tube on.

11. Put your fork down when you chew. Or take a sip of water between each bite—eating slowly can boost levels of two hormones that make you feel fuller, Greek researchers found.

12. Choose rye (not wheat) bread for breakfast toast. Swedish researchers found that rye eaters were more full 8 hours after breakfast than wheat-bread eaters, thanks to rye's high fiber content and minimal effect on blood sugar. As a result you'll want to snack less and eat less for lunch.
13. Eat a handful of fruit and vegetables a day. In one study, people who ate four or five servings scored higher on cognitive tests than those who consumed less than one serving. (Remember: Salad isn't always the healthy choice. Check out 20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper to see what I mean. You'll be shocked.)

14. Sip green tea. It might help you build a strong skeleton, say researchers in China, and help protect you from broken bones when you're older. And one study found that it helps fight bad breath, too.

15. Work out before lunch or dinner. Doing so will make the meals you eat right afterward more filling, according to British researchers—meaning you'll eat fewer calories throughout the day.

16. Hung over? Choose asparagus. When South Korean researchers exposed a group of human liver cells to asparagus extract, it suppressed free radicals and more than doubled the activity of two enzymes that metabolize alcohol. That means you'll feel like yourself again twice as quickly.

17. Sleep 8 hours a night. Too much or too little shut-eye can add extra pounds, say Wake Forest University researchers. Not there yet? Try these 7 simple strategies for longer, deeper sleep.

18 Discover miso soup. Brown wakame seaweed (used in miso soup) can help lower your blood pressure, especially if your levels are already high, say researchers at the University of North Carolina.

19. Drink two glasses of milk daily. People who drink the most milk have about a 16 percent lower risk of heart disease than people who drink the least. (I recommend nonfat or 1 percent milk.)

20. Take a zinc supplement. Just 15 milligrams of zinc a day (the amount found in a Centrum Ultra multivitamin, for example) will motivate your immune cells to produce more of a protein that fights off bacterial infections.

21. Go ahead, eat your favorite foods. Good eating doesn't need to be about deprivation—it's about making smart choices. Why eat a 1,000-calorie cheeseburger if a 500-calorie burger will satisfy you just the same? The bottom line: Eat foods that you enjoy, just not too much of them.

22. Choose foods with the fewest ingredients. There are now more than 3,000 ingredients on the FDA's list of safe food additives—and any of these preservatives, artificial sweeteners and colorings and flavor enhancers could end up on your plate. Do you really know what these chemicals will do to your waistline or health? Of course not. Here's a rule of thumb: If a 7-year-old can't pronounce it, you don't want to eat it.

23. Snack on popcorn. In a 2009 study, people who ate 1 cup of microwave popcorn 30 minutes before lunch consumed 105 fewer calories at the meal. Just choose the kind without butter.

24. Or snack on walnuts. Eating a handful of walnuts each day may boost your HDL (good) cholesterol fastest, while lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol.

25. Scramble your breakfast. People who ate eggs in the morning instead of a bagel consumed 264 fewer calories the rest of the day, according to a Saint Louis University study. That’s because protein is more filling than carbs.

Bonus Tip: Don't let all of your hard work go down the drain: Avoid this shocking list of the 20 Scariest Food Creations of 2010!

Baring It All: The Barefoot Running Trend

Baring It All: The Barefoot Running Trend.
by Susan Rinkunas, RUNNER'S WORLD

Have you seen the alien shoes spotted on celebrities recently? Matthew McConaughey and girlfriend Camila Alves wear them to work out, actor Channing Tatum runs in them, and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George sports them for beach football.

Just what are these funky, rubber glove toe socks? They’re Vibram FiveFingers—shoes that are meant to mimic the experience of running without shoes, yet protect your feet from dirt and debris. Why would people want to run without their cushy trainers? Running without shoes can strengthen your feet, ankles, and lower legs and improve balance. Some say modern running shoes are to blame for injuries. And one man wrote an immensely popular book that concluded as much.

Vibram started making the five-toed shoes in 2006, but the trend really picked up steam last year, following the publication of Christopher McDougall's book “Born to Run.” The book describes how Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians have become some of the greatest long-distance runners in the world despite running barefoot or in sandals fashioned from tire rubber. McDougall chronicles an ultramarathon race in Mexico’s Copper Canyons attended by a group of Americans including “Barefoot Ted” McDonald, who either ran sans shoes or in FiveFingers, in case of sharp rocks. The author argues that we’d be better off without the souped-up shoes marketed to us by giants like Nike and Adidas, which he says have done nothing to prevent injuries. The book made “The New York Times” bestseller list, and now TMZ is photographing celebrities in their very own lizard shoes.

According to CNN, the FiveFingers have become so popular that the company is having a hard time keeping them in stock—and stopping counterfeiters from selling knock-offs online.

Some barefoot devotees simply like the sensation of feeling the surface they’re running on while others swear up and down that ditching traditional running shoes has helped them prevent injuries. While there’s no scientific evidence to support the latter claim, we do know that running barefoot or in barefoot-style shoes like the FiveFingers or Nike Free changes one’s running mechanics. When runners aren’t wearing shoes with built-up soles, they tend to land in the middle or toward the front of their feet rather than on their heel and researchers believe that such midfoot or forefoot striking results in less impact on the body. But as Susan Paul, M.S., exercise physiologist and program director for the Orlando Track Shack Foundation says, “To date, there are no studies indicating that running shoes contribute to injury or, conversely, that barefoot running reduces injury or makes you run faster.”

If you’re thinking about shedding your shoes, consider these guidelines:

1.Barefoot training is not for people who are just starting to run or returning from a long layoff—it’s something to slowly incorporate into an existing running regimen.
2.If you have persistent or serious foot problems, consult your podiatrist first.
3.Ease in slowly. Paul advises starting with a few minutes on a flat, relatively forgiving surface once a week. Grassy fields, smooth roads, and soft trails qualify. Running on sand might be tempting, but barefooting newbies should stick to wet sand at first as the unstable soft stuff puts a lot of torque on your joints and is much harder to run on.
4.Listen to your body. “Barefoot Ken Bob” Saxton, founder of runningbarefoot.org and finisher of more than 70 barefoot marathons, says, “Luckily, your feet are sensitive, which is a good thing. Listen to them and they'll keep you from doing something stupid.”
Has anyone run barefoot or in minimalist shoes like Vibrams? What did you think? If not, would you ever try it? Why or why not?

Susan Rinkunas is an associate editor at Runner’s World, a magazine (and website) that informs, advises, and motivates runners of all ages and abilities—and we mean it. Her blog on Yahoo! Shine offers tips on running technique, nutrition and weight loss, shoes and apparel, and balancing fitness and life.

FFF Diva Article Research: A 6-Step Plan to Speedy Marathon Recovery

A 6-Step Plan to Speedy Marathon Recovery

By Coach Jenny Hadfield
For Active.com

Congratulations, you’ve finished the marathon! Now what? Complete marathon recovery can take anywhere from several weeks to several months, depending on the intensity of your race performance and your race-day recovery strategy. Truth is, post-marathon recovery is inevitable, but the speed at which you recover can be drastically improved by following a few simple post-race tricks.

Six Steps to Speedy Marathon Recovery
Marathon recovery begins the minute you cross the finish line. Keep walking at least 10 minutes after you cross the finish line to allow your body to return to its resting state gradually. Get your medal, take your photos, pick up your gear and keep walking. It will allow your heart rate and blood flow to return to its normal state as well as reduce the risk of blood pooling in your legs which can cause fainting. Get up and walk around 10 to 15 minutes every few hours for the rest of the day.

Refuel depleted muscles as soon as possible with a meal that includes carbohydrates, protein and sodium. Fuel is most efficiently absorbed in the first 30 to 60 minutes post-race. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, banana and sports drink is one example. If you struggle with eating post-race, try a liquid recovery drink. Recovery drinks are formulated with everything you need to refuel your body--carbohydrates, protein, electrolytes and fluid. A good ole can of V-8 or chocolate milk works well too.

Within a few hours of finishing, soak your body in a cold bath, lake or ocean. Fill the tub with lukewarm water, add ice and soak for five minutes. Just like a baseball pitcher’s arm post-game, a cold water bath will aid in decreasing inflammation, thereby speeding the recovery process. Avoid hot tubs post-race. Although they sound like a lot more fun, the heat can impede recovery.

Sip fluids throughout the day to replenish fluid losses. Monitor your urine for adequate hydration levels. If your urine is pale yellow like lemonade you are adequately hydrated. If it runs dark, continue to hydrate. If it is clear, hold off on fluids as you may be over hydrating. Continue to replenish fuel and electrolytes (sodium, potassium) by eating small, frequent meals throughout the day.

Schedule a massage two or more hours post-race. Massages too soon to finishing the race can create more soreness. Massage can have a dramatic effect on post-marathon recovery times, and they are a wonderful reward for finishing a long season of training and all 26.2 miles. You can also perform your own massage with some of the products on the market like "the Stick" and foam rollers. They are great for deep tissue massage for hamstrings, calves, thighs and hips.

Actively rest with lower impact activities like swimming, cycling and yoga for seven to ten days post-marathon. Give your body and mind a full week off the demands of running, and it will reward you with an efficient recovery. Running too much, too soon post-marathon is the quickest way to an injury.
Follow a reverse taper when returning to your running regimen. That is, start with a few 30- to 40-minute easy paced runs and test the waters. If things feel good, gradually increase the duration and frequency of the runs. Keep the running intensity easy for at least three weeks post-marathon. And most importantly--listen to your body. If there are lingering aches and pains, consider taking a few more active rest days and let things heal completely.

Coach Jenny Hadfield is the co-author of the best-selling Marathoning for Mortals, and the new Running for Mortals and Training for Mortals series. Coach Jenny has trained thousands of runners and walkers with her training plans.

FFF Diva Article Research: "Phys Ed: Your Brain on Exercise"

July 7, 2010, 12:01 am

Phys Ed: Your Brain on Exercise
By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS
NEW YORK TIMES

Jim Wehtje/Getty ImagesWhat goes on inside your brain when you exercise? That question has preoccupied a growing number of scientists in recent years, as well as many of us who exercise. In the late 1990s, Dr. Fred Gage and his colleagues at the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute in San Diego elegantly proved that human and animal brains produce new brain cells (a process called neurogenesis) and that exercise increases neurogenesis. The brains of mice and rats that were allowed to run on wheels pulsed with vigorous, newly born neurons, and those animals then breezed through mazes and other tests of rodent I.Q., showing that neurogenesis improves thinking.

But how, exactly, exercise affects the staggeringly intricate workings of the brain at a cellular level has remained largely mysterious. A number of new studies, though, including work published this month by Mr. Gage and his colleagues, have begun to tease out the specific mechanisms and, in the process, raised new questions about just how exercise remolds the brain.

Some of the most reverberant recent studies were performed at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. There, scientists have been manipulating the levels of bone-morphogenetic protein or BMP in the brains of laboratory mice. BMP, which is found in tissues throughout the body, affects cellular development in various ways, some of them deleterious. In the brain, BMP has been found to contribute to the control of stem cell divisions. Your brain, you will be pleased to learn, is packed with adult stem cells, which, given the right impetus, divide and differentiate into either additional stem cells or baby neurons. As we age, these stem cells tend to become less responsive. They don’t divide as readily and can slump into a kind of cellular sleep. It’s BMP that acts as the soporific, says Dr. Jack Kessler, the chairman of neurology at Northwestern and senior author of many of the recent studies. The more active BMP and its various signals are in your brain, the more inactive your stem cells become and the less neurogenesis you undergo. Your brain grows slower, less nimble, older.

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But exercise countermands some of the numbing effects of BMP, Dr. Kessler says. In work at his lab, mice given access to running wheels had about 50 percent less BMP-related brain activity within a week. They also showed a notable increase in Noggin, a beautifully named brain protein that acts as a BMP antagonist. The more Noggin in your brain, the less BMP activity exists and the more stem cell divisions and neurogenesis you experience. Mice at Northwestern whose brains were infused directly with large doses of Noggin became, Dr. Kessler says, “little mouse geniuses, if there is such a thing.” They aced the mazes and other tests.

Whether exercise directly reduces BMP activity or increases production of Noggin isn’t yet known and may not matter. The results speak for themselves. “If ever exercise enthusiasts wanted a rationale for what they’re doing, this should be it,” Dr. Kessler says. Exercise, he says, through a complex interplay with Noggin and BMP, helps to ensure that neuronal stem cells stay lively and new brain cells are born.

But there are caveats and questions remaining, as the newest experiment from Dr. Gage’s lab makes clear. In that study, published in the most recent issue of Cell Stem Cell, BMP signaling was found to be playing a surprising, protective role for the brain’s stem cells. For the experiment, stem cells from mouse brains were transferred to petri dishes and infused with large doses of Noggin, hindering BMP activity. Without BMP signals to inhibit them, the stem cells began dividing rapidly, producing hordes of new neurons. But over time, they seemed unable to stop, dividing and dividing again until they effectively wore themselves out. The same reaction occurred within the brains of living (unexercised) mice given large doses of Noggin. Neurogenesis ramped way up, then, after several weeks, sputtered and slowed. The “pool of active stem cells was depleted,” a news release accompanying the study reported. An overabundance of Noggin seemed to cause stem cells to wear themselves out, threatening their ability to make additional neurons in the future.

This finding raises the obvious and disturbing question: can you overdose on Noggin by, for instance, running for hours, amping up your production of the protein throughout? The answer, Dr. Gage says, is, almost certainly, no. “Many people have been looking into” that issue, he says. But so far, “there has not been any instance of a negative effect from voluntary running” on the brain health of mice. Instead, he says, it seems that the effects of exercise are constrained and soon plateau, causing enough change in the activity of Noggin and BMP to shake slumbering adult stem cells awake, but not enough to goose them into exhausting themselves.

Still, if there’s not yet any discernible ceiling on brain-healthy exercise, there is a floor. You have to do something. Walk, jog, swim, pedal — the exact amount or intensity of the exercise required has not been determined, although it appears that the minimum is blessedly low. In mice, Mr. Gage says, “even a fairly short period” of exercise “and a short distance seems to produce results.”

FFF Diva Article Research: 27 Ways to Run Better Every Day Run Consistently

27 Ways to Run Better Every Day Run Consistently

By Runner's World editors

Runner's World

Mark Covert doesn't have to think about his run today. It's a given; he's going to do it. After running for 12,480 days in a row (through September 30, 2002), Covert isn't about to miss today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after.

You, however, probably need a plan for today's workout. Without a plan, it's just too easy to skip a run. You've got pressures in the office, errands to do, classes to take, things to deal with at home.

And more. Always more. Which makes it tough to put together a consistent training program.

Yet consistency is the most essential piece of every training program. It's the one thing—perhaps the only one—that every coach, physiologist, and medical expert agrees on.

Without consistency, you aren't going anywhere. You're not going to get faster. You're not going to run farther. You're not going to lose weight, lower your blood pressure, finish that marathon, or achieve your other running goals.

With a consistent training program, on the other hand, the sky's the limit. You'll feel better and run better every day. So let's get with it. Here are 27 ways to add more consistency to your running.

1. Run with others. To make sure you do a workout, there's nothing like the social pressure of knowing someone else (or a group) is waiting for you. Bonus: It's often more fun than running alone, especially if you're doing a long run, or a speed workout on the track.

2. Try something new. The fitness world is full of new and fun-filled events, and they don't all require a 3-week trip to Borneo and a survivor diet of grubs and lizards. Don't let yourself get bored with an endless string of 5-K and 10-K races. Cary Stephens, an attorney in Corvallis, Oreg., found himself drawn to "scrambles," an off-road running adventure. (To learn more, visit www.bigredlizard.com.)

3. Run like a tortoise. We can't lie to you. This isn't a sport of instant success and miracle shortcuts. Patience pays off, often in a very big way. At the beginning of a marathon training program, many participants can't imagine themselves running more than 5 miles. Twelve to 16 weeks later, voilà: the cheering crowd and unbelievable exhilaration of reaching a marathon finish line. Stick with the program. Repeat: Stick with the program. Prepare to be amazed.

4. Take a break. To every thing, there is a season. You don't have to run every day, every week, or even every month. Many top runners visualize their training year as a mountain range. It has peaks and valleys—recovery periods when they let their running taper off, so that they can build all the higher in their next training period. For healthy, consistent training, your body needs regular—that is, weekly, seasonal, and annual—recovery periods.

5. Eat a healthy breakfast. We can't emphasize this one enough. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because it fuels you for the entire day. To skip breakfast or eat a skimpy one is like failing to rehydrate and refuel after a marathon. You wouldn't do that, would you? Well, your night's sleep is like a marathon to your body, because you don't get any fuel while you're sleeping. So carbo-load at breakfast. And add a little protein.

6. Get cozy with frozen vegetables. This isn't a nutrition tip. It's an injury-prevention tip. If London Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe can take ice baths after a hard race, you can stand a bag of frozen peas against your sore knees for 15 minutes. Nothing reduces inflammation and holds injuries at bay like ice. Result: You stick to your training program. Don't like veggies? Fruit works, too. Try a small bag of frozen blueberries or strawberries. Or one of the many commercial ice wraps, often with handy Velcro straps. (You can find a good one at www.contourpak.com.)

7. Find a coach. Maybe the kind who yells at you every once in a while. (But probably not.) Point being, a coach's first job is to motivate you in a way no one else can. Second job: To lay out your training program. Third job: To prevent you from straying from the program, probably by running too much or too fast. You can find a coach by asking around, calling running stores, and checking the Internet.

8. Join the "X" revolution. Despite the many proven benefits of cross-training, we still know too many runners who only run. C'mon, folks. We love running, too. We know all about the "specificity-of-training" rule, but we still skip the occasional running workout to get in some cross-training. Mainly strength training, bicycling, elliptical training, yoga, stairclimbing, pool running, rowing, and walking. Why? Not because we think these routines will make us faster in our next half-marathon, but because they make us fitter and less prone to injury.


9. Keep a log. Your training log is a great source of the kind of motivation that builds consistency. It beckons to be filled in, reveals the secrets of your training and racing successes, and provides lots of inspirational quotes and useful tips. At least it does if you're using the new Runner's World Training Journal, available at www.rodalestore.com. Check it out.

10. Enter races. You don't have to race to be a serious runner, but, geez, there are so many good reasons to enter races. Jeff Galloway, RW columnist, says that entering races, especially marathons, "scares" people into training the way they should. That's a good one. But we also like the sense of community you get from races. They help you realize that you belong to something big, and that there are more people than you imagined who share your running and fitness goals. Besides, it's good to go for the burn every now and again.

11. Pay attention to your shoes. Some things should be obvious, and this is one of them. But it's worth repeating, if it keeps even one of you from getting injured. Most shoes wear out after 300 to 500 miles. You often can't see the wear, but, your knees, hips, back, and Achilles tendons know it. Give your old, worn shoes to a local Salvation Army or similar group, and get yourself to a running-specialty store for a new pair. (While you're there, buy some reflective gear. The days are getting shorter. Make sure you're visible on the road this winter.)

12. Run early. You want to get something done? Do it early in the day. Everything gets tougher later in the day when various tasks and responsibilities start ganging up on you. In a recent Runner's World Online survey, the two most popular workout times were 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.

13. Practice good posture. Not just when you're running, but all the time. This is especially important if you've got an office job, and are sitting at a computer all day (like us). Make sure your keyboard and monitor are properly positioned, and sit straight but comfortably in your chair. Some of us have recently started sitting on those large Swedish exercise balls, which encourages good posture because you have to use your legs and stomach muscles to keep from falling off. Good posture can improve your running efficiency and decrease injury risk. Ergo, better consistency.

14. Use the fridge. In two ways. First, be sure it's always stocked with those key foods you rely on for healthy nutrition and snacking: sports drinks, low-fat yogurt, fruit, nuts, carrots, etc. Take your pick. Second, put something inspirational on the outside of the fridge: a picture of you and friends at a race, a training plan, a great quote.

15. Schedule it. You've got your Microsoft Office calendar, your PDA, your Day Planner, your napkin with the scrawled list of stuff you absolutely, positively have to get done today. Be sure to write in your workout. Carve out an hour in your day. The experts all agree: Your exercise is one of your most important daily activities. Make it happen. The President of the United States exercises almost every day. You should, too.

16. Subscribe to our free e-mails. We send out several free e-mail newsletters each week, and they're guaranteed to inform and inspire you. Go to www.runnersworld.com/newsletters, where you can pick the one or the several newsletters that most appeals to you.

17. Get your clothes ready. And your shoes. Root through your closets and drawers the night before a morning run to select and organize the running gear you need. Another good trick: Have a complete bag of running gear (and a dry shirt and towel) always at the ready in the trunk of your car. You never know when you'll be able to use them.
18. Run on different surfaces. See how many different surfaces you can run on in a week: Asphalt, gravel, trail, grass, track, treadmill, beach. Each stresses your leg muscles in a slightly different way, helping to prevent overuse injuries. (If possible, avoid concrete, the hardest and least accommodating surface for runners.)

19. Take a trip. Reward your training and racing successes with a special running vacation. Take in an exotic international marathon; many runners have had good luck with a trusted provider, Marathon Tours (www.marathontour.com), which can offer guaranteed entry into those difficult-to-enter events. Or, organize your running partners into a relay team, and enter an exciting and fun-filled road relay like Hood to Coast (Oregon), the Hana Relay (Maui), the Lake Tahoe Relay (California), the Cabot Trail Relay (Nova Scotia), or the Lake Winnipesaukee Relay (New Hampshire).

20. Stay flexible. We like that word—it has so many important meanings. Here, we're talking about a regular stretching program to keep your legs limber and injury-free. Or yoga and Pilates routines, both of which are enjoying a huge surge in popularity. Pick the approach that works best for you. You need to prevent injuries if you want to improve your training consistency.

21. Run before you get home. If you can't run in the morning or at lunch, at least try to run before you get home from work. Stop at a favorite park or trail on your way home from the office, and do a workout there. Or arrange to meet some friends for a run at 5:30 p.m. Once you're at home, it's hard to get out the door again for a workout.

22. Stay hydrated. Eat your fruits and vegetables. Get plenty of sleep. We know: You've heard all this stuff before. Okay, we'll stop. But just remember that the simplest, most basic advice often makes the biggest contribution to improved consistency.

23. Adopt a runner. Sometimes, the most motivating and rewarding thing you can do is to reach out to someone else. It could be someone close: at work or even in your family. Or your club might receive occasional calls from new runners, or those who want to begin. Offer to help. Beginners don't need a mentor with a Ph.D. They need encouragement, a personal connection, and the kind of basic training, nutrition, and injury-prevention experience you already possess.

24. Start a running streak. We don't mean that you should run every day like. In fact, we don't advise that for most runners. But we like the idea of running the same road race every year, like Jack Kirk, who has completed the Dipsea Race in Mill Valley, Calif., for 67 years in a row. Or you could run one marathon a year, every year. Or you could "collect" states by racing in a different state every year.

25. Join an online community. Many running Web sites, including ours, have forums or message boards where runners exchange information, opinions, and greetings that develop into digital friendships. Often, these blossom into "encounters," where the online friends agree to meet at a particular race. Along the way, they encourage each other's training, and lend a sympathetic ear when that's what you need most.

26. Establish a prerun routine. You warm up at the start of a race, and at the beginning of a workout, but it's also helpful to warm up for your warmup, so to speak. Follow a routine. Sixty minutes before your run, reach for a bottle of sports drink. At run-minus-30, get up and take a 3-minute stroll to loosen the legs. At run-minus-10, listen to a favorite psych-up song. Include any other short activities that work for you. Psychologists say these routines help us develop the healthy patterns we want.

27. Don't obsess about it. Hey, we wish every day went as planned, and every run fit perfectly into the scheme of things. But stuff happens. Life has a way of playing tricks on all of us, both the unexpectedly happy variety and that other kind. Don't worry about the runs you miss. Sometimes the best advice is simply to run with a smile on your face, and to enjoy and appreciate every workout. Come to think of it, that's always the best advice.

FFF Diva Article Research: "3 Reasons It's Better to Work Out in Groups"

3 Reasons It's Better to Work Out With a Group
By Joe Decker
For Active.com

It seems like almost everyone is getting involved in group exercise today. On any given day in a warehouse, in a park or at the gym you can find people exercising together. There's everything from Running Clubs, Active X, and Roller Striders to Boot Camp classes. So why exactly are so many people jumping the 'lone wolf' ship to work out with others in a group setting? What is the big attraction?

I've been involved in fitness for 25 years now and have belonged to power lifting and running clubs, but I've also been that solitary figure in the gym and on the road. I do feel this has given me a pretty good understanding of the appeal and the dynamics of both. Years ago I started my own outdoor fitness company, Gut Check Fitness, which recently got voted "A-List Best Boot Camp" San Diego and Competitor Magazine, "Hardest Workout." This is where my passion lies.

Whether you join a workout group or get your own group of friends together for a workout, here are three reasons more is merrier for earning your fitness gains.
Motivation

Unless you're that rare person that can jump out of bed at 5 a.m. and hit the ground running, odds are that getting and staying motivated are difficult for you. You are not alone. The majority of the people I've worked with over the years have had the same problem. That's one of the great things about the group setting. Many people who attend a class will show up exhausted from the ups and downs of everyday life. But once they join the group, they become re-energized. With a friendly fitness instructor there to light a fire under you rear, it can't get any better.

Not only are you more motivated to get out of bed and exercise, but there's the motivation to improve your current fitness level. If you work out with people who are faster, stronger or fitter than you, you are probably going to get in better shape. There's an old saying that goes, "The lead dog sets the pace for the rest of the pack." Think about it.
Accountability

Remember when you were a high schooler and your mom would wake you up in the morning to go to school? She was holding you accountable. If you were anything like me, you probably wouldn't have graduated without her wake-up calls. Thanks Mom! A workout group can do the same thing for your exercise routine. I've had countless clients over the years at Gut Check Fitness say, "I wouldn't be there in the morning if I didn't know that Kim, Ron, Nancy, etc. were going to give me a hard time for not showing up."

The fear of group teasing gets them out of bed. Hey, it works!

Plus, there's the friendly instructor again that keeps track of your tardiness. I take a daily roll at my classes then each week I look to see who's been playing Harry Houdini. If I haven't seen someone for a week or two, I'll generally send them a friendly reminder with the threat of numerous burpees. This usually does the trick.
Group Camaraderie

Human beings are social creatures. Yes, a few are hermits and recluses, but the majority of us love to be around other people. We love to laugh, joke and have fun. I feel this is one of the greatest products of a group workout setting. Nothing brings people closer quite like misery and physical suffering. If you've ever done a boot camp or similar class, you'll understand what I'm talking about.

Many people sign up to get more fit and along the way become friends through this mutual ritual. Many become lifelong best friends. My classes not only work hard together, but they play hard together. We regularly have happy hours, wine tastings, and sports days where we do races and events together. We sincerely enjoy one another's company. It's truly one of the best ways to meet people like you and develop a common bond while getting into the best shape possible.

Joining a workout group can keep you motivated, hold you accountable and help you develop a sense of group camaraderie.

Finally, in a world where we've become so dependent on email and texting, working out with a group offers that human interaction that is slowly disappearing. We can do just about everything today virtually without ever talking to a person. That is outside of a group fitness setting. With group fitness, you have to get involved. You can try to escape to the back of the pack, but a good instructor will integrate you into the group whether you like or not. That's why it's called group dynamics, and that's why technology will never replace the good 'ol fashioned group workout. Get out of your cubicle, your car or your house and go meet other people that have a common interest just like you. You never know, you might just meet some real friends instead of the ones you find online.

Active Expert, Joe Decker isan ultra-endurance power athlete and renowned fitness trainer who hashelped thousands of people get into shape. He has completed many of theworld's toughest endurance events, including the Badwater 135, and theGrand Slam of UltraRunning. In 2000, Joe broke the Guinness WorldRecords® Twenty-four-hour Physical Fitness Challenge to help inspireand motivate people to get fit. He is recognized as "The World'sFittest Man." Visit his website at www.joe-decker.com .

FFF Diva Article Research: "Evidence That Little Touches Do Mean So Much"

February 23, 2010

Mind: New York Times

Evidence That Little Touches Do Mean So Much
By BENEDICT CAREY

Psychologists have long studied the grunts and winks of nonverbal communication, the vocal tones and facial expressions that carry emotion. A warm tone of voice, a hostile stare — both have the same meaning in Terre Haute or Timbuktu, and are among dozens of signals that form a universal human vocabulary.

But in recent years some researchers have begun to focus on a different, often more subtle kind of wordless communication: physical contact. Momentary touches, they say — whether an exuberant high five, a warm hand on the shoulder, or a creepy touch to the arm — can communicate an even wider range of emotion than gestures or expressions, and sometimes do so more quickly and accurately than words.

“It is the first language we learn,” said Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of “Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life” (Norton, 2009), and remains, he said, “our richest means of emotional expression” throughout life.

The evidence that such messages can lead to clear, almost immediate changes in how people think and behave is accumulating fast. Students who received a supportive touch on the back or arm from a teacher were nearly twice as likely to volunteer in class as those who did not, studies have found. A sympathetic touch from a doctor leaves people with the impression that the visit lasted twice as long, compared with estimates from people who were untouched. Research by Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute in Miami has found that a massage from a loved one can not only ease pain but also soothe depression and strengthen a relationship.

In a series of experiments led by Matthew Hertenstein, a psychologist at DePauw University in Indiana, volunteers tried to communicate a list of emotions by touching a blindfolded stranger. The participants were able to communicate eight distinct emotions, from gratitude to disgust to love, some with about 70 percent accuracy.

“We used to think that touch only served to intensify communicated emotions,” Dr. Hertenstein said. Now it turns out to be “a much more differentiated signaling system than we had imagined.”

To see whether a rich vocabulary of supportive touch is in fact related to performance, scientists at Berkeley recently analyzed interactions in one of the most physically expressive arenas on earth: professional basketball. Michael W. Kraus led a research team that coded every bump, hug and high five in a single game played by each team in the National Basketball Association early last season.

In a paper due out this year in the journal Emotion, Mr. Kraus and his co-authors, Cassy Huang and Dr. Keltner, report that with a few exceptions, good teams tended to be touchier than bad ones. The most touch-bonded teams were the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, currently two of the league’s top teams; at the bottom were the mediocre Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Bobcats.

The same was true, more or less, for players. The touchiest player was Kevin Garnett, the Celtics’ star big man, followed by star forwards Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors and Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz. “Within 600 milliseconds of shooting a free throw, Garnett has reached out and touched four guys,” Dr. Keltner said.

To correct for the possibility that the better teams touch more often simply because they are winning, the researchers rated performance based not on points or victories but on a sophisticated measure of how efficiently players and teams managed the ball — their ratio of assists to giveaways, for example. And even after the high expectations surrounding the more talented teams were taken into account, the correlation persisted. Players who made contact with teammates most consistently and longest tended to rate highest on measures of performance, and the teams with those players seemed to get the most out of their talent.

The study fell short of showing that touch caused the better performance, Dr. Kraus acknowledged. “We still have to test this in a controlled lab environment,” he said.

If a high five or an equivalent can in fact enhance performance, on the field or in the office, that may be because it reduces stress. A warm touch seems to set off the release of oxytocin, a hormone that helps create a sensation of trust, and to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

In the brain, prefrontal areas, which help regulate emotion, can relax, freeing them for another of their primary purposes: problem solving. In effect, the body interprets a supportive touch as “I’ll share the load.”

“We think that humans build relationships precisely for this reason, to distribute problem solving across brains,” said James A. Coan, a a psychologist at the University of Virginia. “We are wired to literally share the processing load, and this is the signal we’re getting when we receive support through touch.”

The same is certainly true of partnerships, and especially the romantic kind, psychologists say. In a recent experiment, researchers led by Christopher Oveis of Harvard conducted five-minute interviews with 69 couples, prompting each pair to discuss difficult periods in their relationship.

The investigators scored the frequency and length of touching that each couple, seated side by side, engaged in. In an interview, Dr. Oveis said that the results were preliminary.

“But it looks so far like the couples who touch more are reporting more satisfaction in the relationship,” he said.

Again, it’s not clear which came first, the touching or the satisfaction. But in romantic relationships, one has been known to lead to the other. Or at least, so the anecdotal evidence suggests.

FFF Diva Article Research: "Should Sick People Stay Active?"

Should Sick People Stay Active?
Active While Sick

David Crary
Associated Press

Maybe Andrew Speaker, flying abroad despite a dangerous strain of tuberculosis, took things too far. But many people push the limits by staying active when they're sick. Depending on circumstances, the choice can be seen as laudable, inconsiderate--or downright criminal.

At the office, coughing and sneezing workaholics might earn a thank you from a boss for their dedication, but dirty looks from co-workers worried about catching the bug. Athletes who compete while sick are sometimes praised for grit, but may risk infecting teammates.

And then there are people who know they are HIV-positive, yet press ahead with unprotected sexual encounters with partners who've been kept in the dark.

Speaker, now quarantined at a Denver hospital, knew he had a drug-resistant strain of TB before he flew to Europe for his wedding and honeymoon last month, but says he was advised before departure that he wasn't contagious.

Dr. John Chan, an infectious disease expert at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, says that in more routine TB cases it is often very difficult for doctors to determine how contagious a patient might be and when he or she could safely return to work.

"That's a very tough question to address, even when you treat the patient effectively," he said. "There's no one clear-cut answer."

Employers--whether an investment firm or a military base--try to walk a fine line when it comes to ailing workers. They don't want staff staying home for trivial reasons--a mild headache, say--nor do they want to create pressures that would prompt contagiously ill employees to bring germs into the office.

The investment firm Merrill Lynch confronted this issue last month when it announced new "attendance guidelines" reducing to three the number of sick days that employees can take without documented excuses. Company spokeswoman Selena Morris stressed that the move was aimed at abuses, adding, "I don't think in any way we were saying, 'Come to work sick.'"

In past decades, many employers oversaw some sort of "perfect attendance" policy rewarding workers who never missed a day over an extended period of time. Kim Stattner, an absence management expert with the consulting firm Hewitt Associates, said those policies are fading from the scene.

"They don't want to promote the kind of thinking that could encourage sick people to come to work," Stattner said. "If you're sick, that's why they give you the sick time. But it's not there to be abused."

In big-time sports, of course, the pressures are different. There is a time-honored tradition of athletes playing with the flu--or worse--especially in important games.

Now-retired quarterback Cade McNown, for example, lists as one of his career highlights a game he refers to as "The Breakfast." It involved "playing while sick, vomiting on the field, and coming back to throw for 202 more yards" while leading UCLA against Oregon in 1998.

When New York Ranger center Michael Nylander was playing with the flu early in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs, hockey fans praised his determination. "This is the time of year that only a severed limb would keep players out of the lineup," said a commentary about him on one fan website.

But even coaches need to be wary. Experts in sports medicine say the initial praise that a sick athlete may hear for coming to practice could switch to criticism if other team members soon show similar symptoms.

The ethics of being ill are of particular importance in regard to HIV-positive people. Though medical advances now enable many to lead long, productive lives--and to pose no public health threat--there is nonetheless a persistent problem created by a subgroup that engages in unprotected sex while keeping their status secret from their partners.

One study by Brown University researchers of 203 HIV-infected individuals--a mix of gays and heterosexuals--found that 40 percent did not disclose their status to sexual partners. The study also found that the non-disclosers were just as likely as the disclosers to engage in unprotected sex.

Many states have passed laws making it a crime to knowingly infect someone with HIV. One of the most infamous cases involved Nushawn Williams, an HIV-positive man who admitted trading drugs for sex with girls in upstate New York during the 1990s.

He knowingly infected at least 13 women with HIV and was sentenced to serve four to 12 years in state prison.

The bottom line, for health authorities and employers, is to persuade sick people to think of others as well as themselves.

"You want to be encouraging the right behavior, not the wrong behavior," Stattner said.

FFF Diva Article Research: "8 Tips for Your First Race"

8 Tips for Your First Race

By Bruce Fordyce with Marielle Renssen
Running & FitNews ®
American Running Association

If you're getting ready for your first race, here are some pointers to help you get there successfully:

1. Enter with a friend of similar fitness and ability. It will be less intimidating and more fun with a companion.

2. Make sure nothing you wear is new. Everything on your body, from socks to a headband should be road-tested.

3. Line up with runners of similar ability. If you run a nine-minute mile find the part of the pack that runs your pace, and that won't be at the front. Being swept into a pace that is too fast will be a bad experience and, of course, isn't fair to the faster runners who will have to navigate around you.

4. Always begin slowly. The easiest mistake for a beginning racer to make is to respond to the exuberance of the race and head out too fast. Doing so begs for an injury or at best a rotten finish because you spent your energy too early in the course.

5. Use the water stations. Keep yourself well hydrated. Sports drinks can help keep your energy up. Some marathons provide Vaseline, Band-Aids, and even masseurs.

6. Don't be disheartened when other runners pass you during the race. There will always be runners in front of you--and behind you.

7. Know when the cutoff time is for your race so that you can pace yourself accordingly. It is depressing to finish without a finish line and an official time. For a 10K, the cutoff is usually 1:30; for 15K, from 1:40 to 2:00; for some marathons, as much as 6:00.

8. Tuck some tissues in a baggie pinned to your shorts, just in case you need an emergency pit stop--it happens.

Adapted from Marathon Runner's Handbook, by Bruce Fordyce with Marielle Renssen, 2002, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, $19.95, 160 pp.

Running & FitNews, Vol. 20, No. 8
Copyright, The American Running Association

American Running Association, empowering adults to get America'syouth moving. For more information or to join ARA, please visit www.americanrunning.org.

FFF Diva Article Research: 10 Ways to Slow Down and Still Get Things Done

10 Ways to Slow Down and Still Get Things Done

Rush Hourby Lori Deschene

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” ~Gandhi

Both the industrial and digital revolutions promised increased productivity, meaning people could work less and live a more balanced life. We all know that’s not how history has played out.

Even as technology advances, we work longer hours than ever—and ironically, struggle financially and accrue more debt with each passing year.

If you haven’t noticed adverse effects on your personal relationships or the other areas of your life, you’ll likely keep plowing full-steam ahead—and only stop when you have a compelling reason.

So here’s my proposition: work as often as you damn well please! It’s your life; these are your moments to fill and hopefully enjoy. But if you find yourself feeling stressed or detached from the present moment—if you sense life is passing you by as you complete spreadsheets and eat at your desk—you may benefit from one of these ideas to slow down throughout the day:

10. Eat slowly.

This is a tough one for me. I devour food—always have. But I’ve found that eating more mindfully can be a meditative practice. Chew every bite more, analyze tastes like you’re a foodie, and generally savor the experience. It likely won’t add more than 10 minutes to your meal time, yet it will give you the chance to seep into the moment.

9. Do nothing for 15 minutes after waking up.

Have you ever opened your eyes and immediately pulled out your iPhone or laptop? Or how about this: do you roll out of bed two seconds after waking, having already created a 10-item to-do list in your head? Taking 15 minutes to just lay with your thoughts allows you to ease into your day without such a sense of urgency.

8. Stare at a photo online instead of reading an article.

We’re knowledge seekers, which is a great thing. The more we learn, the more we understand and grow. However, the digital era presents a unique challenge: with so much information available it’s tempting to seek knowledge far more often than you apply it. Instead of learning something new on your lunch break, kick back and appreciate a beautiful image. Stillness is the answer to many of the questions you’ve been asking.

7. Choose an activity you usually multi-task and do only that.

(Previously mentioned in 8 Ways to Stay Present & Focused in a Tech-Driven World). Choose one task to complete mindfully today, and maybe add to that tomorrow. My favorite is folding laundry. It’s warm, clean, and most importantly done. Since I have an overactive mind, I need to tell myself certain things to stay in the moment: Enjoying this moment is my only task; there is nowhere to get to—only right now to be; nothing exists but this laundry in front of me (obviously not true, but it keeps me grounded.)

6. Stare at your turned-off-TV for 10 minutes before turning it on.

A lot of us fill our downtime catching up on TiVoed favorites. Absorbed by external stimulation, you miss out on the opportunity to connect with yourself—and before you know it, an hour’s gone by, and you have to get back to work. Or your kids. Or dinner. Before you get to your show, take a few minutes to just sit there and breathe. Use the screen as a canvas for visualization. Project your daydreams onto the tube, and sit with that for a few.

Slow Down

5. Block a half-hour of unplanned time in your planner.

Don’t plan to take a walk or meditate (although those aren’t bad ideas). Instead, plan to do whatever you end up doing. Get up, walk around, and see where that takes you. Maybe you’ll end up helping your neighbor wash his car, or playing jump rope with your niece. Nothing makes you feel present like spontaneity.

4. Write Parkinson’s Law somewhere you can see it often: “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”

Maybe you really need 10+ hours a day to get everything on your to-do list done. Or maybe you’re stretching your work to fill longer hours because society associates so many positive things with busyness. This saying reminds me to limit my work and still get it done so I can then focus on other things.

3. Notice the sights when you drive.

Have you ever watched a frantic driver bob in and out of traffic, passing and merging, only to find him right beside you at the red light? If road rage saves time, it’s generally not much—and it usually isn’t worth the stress it creates. Play some soothing music, notice license plates, bumper stickers, and the scenery, and allow yourself to enjoy this time.

2. Metaphorically toss your phone in the ocean for a half-hour every day.

I love the classic movie scene where the overworked protagonist tosses her phone into the ocean, or a fountain, or out the window and reclaims her sense of freedom. It’s not easy to disconnect from our always-on world, but the benefits of being unreachable make it worth the initial discomfort.

1. Say no.

Saying yes can open you up to new possibilities, but saying no can gives you a chance for me-time: an hour when you don’t have to keep any commitments or please anyone else; or a half-hour when you can just kick back and do absolutely nothing.

—

Small changes throughout your day can slow down your pace without killing your productivity. Go ahead and keep getting things done–just remember you don’t need to do it all in a panicked state of stress. If you find a more peaceful process you’ll likely be both happier and more effective.

FFF Diva Article Research: "Your Guide to Tune Up in Front of the TV"

Your Guide to Tune Up in Front of the TV

By Karen Asp
Prevention
Channel surfing burns few--if any--calories, yet the average American woman watches nearly 5 hours of TV daily, reports Nielsen Media Research. And the risk of packing on pounds rises by 23 percent with every 2-hour increase in daily viewing, according to a Harvard study of more than 50,000 women.

But you can stay slim while you watch your favorite shows with this TV-friendly circuit designed by Cindy Whitmarsh, star of the exercise video 10 Minute Solution: Target Toning for Beginners. The half-hour workout alternates between moderate cardio moves during the show and high-intensity cardio bursts and multimuscle strength exercises during commercials. To get started, you'll need 3- to 5-pound dumbbells, a sturdy chair, and a mat. Breaks can vary, so you may need to adjust the times slightly. Repeat the circuit if you're watching an hour-long show.


Set 1

Showtime Cardio
March (not shown): Lift knees to a comfortable height and march in place. Continue until commercial break.

Commercial Break #1
1. Quick feet (not shown): Spread feet wider than hip-width and take quick running steps for 30 seconds, barely lifting feet off floor and keeping hands in front.



2. Lunges with curls: Stand with feet together, holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms forward. Step right foot forward about 2 feet. Bend right knee and lower left one straight down toward floor. (Keep right knee over ankle; if it's not, take a bigger step.) As you lower, bend elbows and raise weights toward chest, keeping elbows next to body. Press into right foot and stand back up, bringing feet together and lowering weights. Alternate legs for 2 minutes, taking breaks as needed.


Set 2

Showtime Cardio
March with a kick (not shown): March in place, right, left, right. Next, kick to the front with left leg. March another three beats (left, right, left) and then kick with right leg. Kick at a comfortable height so you don't hunch over. Continue, alternating left and right kicks between marches.


Commercial Break #2



1. High knees:Jog in place, lifting knees as high as you can for 30 seconds.





2. Push-ups with a row: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, kneel with weights on floor and body extended to form a straight line from head to knees. (a) Bend elbows to sides and slowly lower body as close to floor as possible. Keep abs tight. (b) Hold for a second, push back up to starting position, and do a row with right arm, squeezing shoulder blades, bending elbow, and lifting dumbbell toward chest. Hold for a second, then slowly lower weight. Do another push-up followed by a row with left arm. Alternate arm rows for 90 seconds, taking breaks as needed.


Set 3

Showtime Cardio
Step touch (not shown): Step right foot to side about 2 feet and tap left foot next to right. Then step left foot out about 2 feet and tap right foot next to left. Continue stepping side to side.


Commercial Break #3



1. Jumping jacks: Stand with feet together, arms at sides. Hop feet apart, raising arms overhead. Then hop feet together, returning arms to sides. Continue for 30 seconds.



2. Wall squats with side raises: Hold a dumbbell in each hand, press back against wall, point toes forward, and slide down wall until legs form 90-degree angles, with knees directly over ankles. (Scoot feet farther away from wall, if needed.) Bend arms at 90-degree angles so dumbbells are about waist height in front. Slowly lift arms out to sides until dumbbells are at shoulder height. Hold for a second, then slowly lower. Repeat for 45 seconds.



3. Wall squats with shoulder presses: Maintaining the wall squat (you can stand if this is too hard), position dumbbells slightly above shoulder height with palms facing forward and elbows out to sides. Slowly press dumbbells overhead until arms are almost straight. Hold for a second, then slowly lower. Repeat for 45 seconds.


Set 4

Showtime Cardio
Kickbacks (not shown):Step right foot to side about 2 feet and kick left foot up behind you toward butt. Then lower left foot out to side and kick right foot up behind you. Let arms swing forward and back as you alternate sides.


Commercial Break #4



1. Ski jumps: Jump from side to side, as if you were hopping over a line. Keep feet together, and bend knees when you land. Jump for 30 seconds.



2. Triceps dips:Place hands on sides of a sturdy chair, feet flat on floor, and bend knees 90 degrees. Bending elbows behind you, slowly lower body until arms form 90-degree angles. Hold for a second, then press back up. Repeat for 45 seconds.



3. Dumbbell twists:Sit with legs bent and feet off floor. Hold a dumbbell in front of chest. Rotate torso (and dumbbell) slowly from side to side for 45 seconds. (If this is too challenging, keep feet flat on floor with knees bent.)

FFF Diva Article Research: "Fitting Healthy Into Your Hectic Life"

Hello FFF Diva fans and followers!

I know it's been awhile since I have posted a blog about my progress in my 90 day challenge competition with my cardio boot camp. I promise...later this week I will update! Sooooo many great realizations and milestones this last month!

Anyways this article below really represents who I am: a "healthy" busy person. If this is your first time to my blog or even if you have been a long time reader you know that I AM A COMMUTER (apologies for those who aren't familiar with the Bay Area, California in advance).

What do I mean?

I am 24 years old and live in South San Jose. I wake up M-F at 5:30am to attend a 6am cardio boot camp (OPERATION BOOT CAMP) at an outdoor park RAIN OR SHINE. Then I either run 1-2 miles after camp or do 30 min of cardio on the elliptical. Next, I am on the road for my 45 minute commute north to San Mateo for my full-time job. Even though my office is in San Mateo, the school site I work at are 20-25 min further north in Pacifica and Daly City. Did I also mention that I am a graduate student in an MBA program? 1-2 days a week I drive 45 min from San Mateo to Marin County (right across the Golden Gate Bridge) to my college in San Rafael for class from 6-9pm. Then I drive all the way back home to South San Jose which is 1 hour and 15 min away south. Usually I get back around 10:30-11:00pm depending on traffic, which I still go straight to the gym for 30 min to an 1 hour of cardio. I have a goal of running 1,010 miles in 2010 and (even though I am NOT a fast runner) I have managed to run at least 20 miles a week since January 1st.


P.S. I didn't even add Filipino family obligations, church, choir, friends, clubs, organizations, my alumni work for my college, volunteering, traveling, and more.

What's my point?

I am a busy person but I still make time for exercise and good eating (through proper planning ahead of time) AND SO CAN YOU!

Everyone has different lives and things going on. I get it. However, this past spring I lost motivation and gained HALF of the WEIGHT I ORIGINALLY LOST in 6 months! This is why I started running and why I started writing this blog to hold me accountable. I used to weigh 320lbs in May 2007, then dropped about 96 lbs a year and a half later, then gained 45lbs of it back in Spring '09. Since August '09 I dropped 50 lbs and am in my 230s. It's about finding what inspires and motivates you and getting out of a slump.

Anyways I will get off my soap box now. Thanks for reading my rambles folks!

Committed to health & change,
FFF Diva Mo


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"Fitting Healthy Habits Into Your Hectic Life"

13 Tips to Get More Nutrition and Fitness into Your Day
-- By Life Coach Mary Guarino, Ph.D.

There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything you need to do. And it can feel like an added stressor when you are trying to integrate healthy habits into your already hectic schedule. But if you make time for healthy habits, you’ll find yourself with extra reserves of energy that will lower your stress and help you get through life’s challenges.

Here are a few things you can start doing right now to make healthy habits a relatively painless part of your routine:

1. Drink water throughout the day. You don’t hear this nearly enough: water is an all-purpose wonder-substance. It’s great for your skin, your digestive system, and circulatory system, and aids in weight loss and cellulite reduction. If you feel fatigued during the day, it’s often because you aren’t hydrated properly. Drink water throughout the day, sipping from a large bottle or glass. If you have it nearby, it’s easy to remember. If you don’t like the “taste” of water, keep a supply of lemon so that you can add a slice to your water – it cuts any bitterness, adds a bit of vitamin C and makes it taste more festive!
2. Cut back on the amount of soda and coffee you drink. Sugar and caffeine dehydrate you and create energy rushes followed by crashes, which are ultimately energy-depleting. Substitute with drinks like green tea or 100% fruit juice.
3. Replace high-sugar foods with low-sugar versions. Cutting back on the amount of refined sugar you consume helps reduce calories and weight gain and also helps you avoid the energy slumps that come from sugar withdrawal. Items high in refined sugar include most soft drinks, cereals, baked goods, and of course, candy and ice cream. Look for low-sugar or no-sugar versions of these, or simply opt for healthy snacks instead.
4. Stock up on healthy, portable snacks. When you are grocery shopping, pick up bags of baby carrots, string cheese, nuts, fresh and dried fruit, single serving packs of applesauce, yogurt, wholegrain crackers, peanut butter, turkey jerky, etc. Having healthy portable snacks around will help you avoid bad vending-machine, convenience store and fast-food options. Read some more portable snack ideas.
5. Take the time to plan healthy meals for the week. Spend 15 minutes or so to map out your meals. Keep it simple. Then, when you shop for groceries, make your purchases based on the meals you will make during the week. This will help you avoid relying on less healthy take-out or fast food choices. Learn even more grocery store tips.
6. Purchase frozen, ready-to-cook ingredients. Frozen fruits and vegetables have high vitamin and mineral content because they don’t sit around losing these nutrients for long before they are preserved. Although you’ll want to keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables around, it’s great to have frozen produce available for quick meal additions and smaller servings. Also, some grocery stores offer frozen boneless chicken breasts and a wide variety of seafood items in re-sealable packages. These are great for quick, healthy meals.
7. Pack your lunch the night before. You'll have given yourself the gift of extra time in the morning and you will assure that you have a healthy meal during the day. Don’t forget to pack snack items so you can avoid the vending machine.
8. Cook double batches of whatever you’re cooking. When you prepare dinner, especially on weekends, cook extra and freeze to use for another dinner or lunch. Then, you'll have a healthy meal ready to go when you are.
9. Give yourself some slack. If you are stressed out about preparing healthy meals every day, use what some experts call the "80/20" rule in your eating. If 80 percent of what you eat is healthy, then allow yourself to take it a little easier for the remaining 20 percent. You and your diet will survive.
10. Fit in exercise whenever you can. Experts recommend that adults exercise a minimum of 30 minutes three times per week. Aim for this amount, but don’t kick yourself if you can’t meet this goal. Any amount of exercise is better than none. No time to go to a gym? Build a stock of exercise tapes – many have routines that you can complete in 20-40 minutes. Use hand weights or do crunches, leg-lifts and lunges while watching television. Or invest in an exercise bike – you can pedal while catching up on your reading. Think of what would be most interesting to you and what best fits your schedule and budget.
11. Take a walk break during the day. Even 20 minutes can make a difference in your energy level, plus it gives you time to clear your head. If you walk with a friend or colleague, it also gives you time to socialize.
12. Whenever possible, walk. Increase the amount of time you can walk, versus sit or drive. It doesn’t take that much extra time to park a bit farther from the store entrance, or to make a personal visit to a colleague rather than phoning, instant messaging or e-mailing.
13. Get enough sleep. Even if you gain more time in your day by cutting back on sleep, you will be less effective throughout the day, as your energy level and cognitive functioning will be reduced. Insufficient sleep also makes you more susceptible to illness. By getting enough sleep, you become more efficient during the time you are awake.

Begin integrating some or all of these habits today. Make them part of your normal routine. You’ll be surprised at how little time is involved and how much better you’ll feel!

FFF Diva Article Research: "How to Track Your Weight Loss"

"How to Track Your Weight Loss"

By M. Nicole Nazzaro

Runner's World

Despite all the miles we log, races we run, and fudge brownies we forego, runners can still gain weight. When we decide to shed those extra pounds, we typically track our progress by stepping on the bathroom scale. But sometimes seeing our weight flash up at us day after day can be more of a hindrance than help—especially if those figures have barely budged.

On the bright side, runners like numbers (think of all those personal records, marathon pace charts, and meticulously timed interval workouts). And there are plenty of other stats out there that can give us a more complete picture of our overall health and help us lose weight. By tracking numbers that gauge changes in our fitness level, heart health, nutrition habits, and body measurements, you'll not only slim down, but also take your running to the next level. So forget about pounds for a while and kick-start your weight loss by following these numbers instead.

Set realistic resolutions and you can shed pounds for the long run.

Body Measurements
Keeping tabs on your body composition can help you assess your weight-loss and fitness progress in a way that the scale (which measures only pounds) can't duplicate. These numbers will help you focus on losing fat, gaining muscle, and getting leaner — the best indicators of improved health and fitness.

Body Fat
Many runners get frustrated when they step on the scale after weeks of exercising only to discover they're the same weight. What they're forgetting is that they very likely have gained muscle and lost body fat — arguably a more positive health change than losing pounds. You can use inexpensive calipers like those from AccuMeasure Fitness to track body-fat changes. Take the measurement about one inch above your right hip. The calipers come with a chart you can then use to find your body-fat percentage. Levels for fit athletes range from about five percent to 17 percent for men and 13 percent to 24 percent for women.

Tape Measurements
Taking your waist, hip, and thigh measurements on a weekly basis will help you quantify exactly how many inches you've lost. And a smaller waist is not only a marker of weight loss but also decreased cancer risk; the American Institute for Cancer Research notes that men are at a higher risk of cancer when their waist is 40 inches or larger; for women, the number is 35.

Belt Holes
Counting the extra belt holes you cinch up is an easy way to get daily feedback on your weight. "It was always a minor triumph when I realized my usual belt hole wasn't working anymore," says Jason Logue, a 36-year-old runner and attorney from Pittsburgh. In fact, many other runners interviewed for this article first noticed their progress when they had to pull their belts tighter — or buy a smaller one.

Holy Grail Pants
Take that old pair of jeans you wore when you were at your desired weight and try them on periodically. Once they fit, you'll know you're at a healthy weight. Shanti Sosienski, author of Women Who Run, followed a similar approach. The Idaho-based runner used clothing sizes to measure progress. She went from a size 14 to a size eight — and dropped 15 pounds along the way.

Looking to shed pounds? Follow this exclusive online runner's guide to weight loss.

Compliments
Okay, this isn't exactly a measurement, but it is a sign your hard work is paying off. Logue didn't realize how much he'd lost until friends started to tease him. "They called me David Byrne, after the Talking Heads singer with baggy suits," he says with a laugh. He bought new suits, new belts — and inspired a few friends to shed their extra pounds.

Heart Health
Tracking numbers that assess your cardiovascular condition will give you a clear picture of your overall fitness. The stronger your heart, the harder you can exercise. And the harder you can exercise, the more calories you'll burn during your workouts. But there's another reason to monitor your heart health. As you become fitter, your body will build more muscle. A pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat, so increasing your muscle mass allows you to burn more calories at rest. You can easily measure all of these numbers with a heart-rate monitor. In some cases, the rate at which the numbers change over time matters more than the actual figures.

Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
Once a week, take your pulse for one minute first thing in the morning the day after a rest day. Compare the number weekly. You'll start to see trends (for example, a slightly higher RHR may indicate you're dehydrated). If your resting heart rate gradually decreases over time, it means you're getting fitter.

One-Minute Heart Recovery Rate
Tracking how quickly your heart rebounds from a serious physical effort can help you benchmark your cardiovascular strength. Chris Crowley, coauthor of the Younger Next Year book series (written with Henry S. Lodge, M.D.), explains: "It's a common-sense correlation between your recovery rate and what kind of shape you're in." The faster your heart recovers, the fitter you are. To measure yours, warm up thoroughly, then run hard or do a hill repeat for one to two minutes. Stop and watch your heart rate monitor. As soon as your rate drops one beat, start timing. After 60 seconds, see how many beats per minute it has dropped. In general, a one-minute recovery rate in the 30s is good and 40s is great. The bigger the number, the fitter you are.

Lactate Threshold
This is the point at which your body can't clear lactic acid as quickly as it's being produced. In other words, it represents the highest aerobic effort that you can sustain for a prolonged period of time — and you can improve your lactate threshold if you train hard and smart. Dr. Lodge (of the Younger Next Year series) explains a way to test yours: "Pick a day when you haven't run hard for two or three days, warm up for 10 minutes, then run the hardest pace you can sustain for half an hour, ending as strong as you started." Your average heart rate for the last 20 minutes of your run will roughly correspond to your lactate threshold. If you try the test a month later and can run it at a higher average heart rate, you've increased your lactate threshold — and your fitness.

Nutrition
When it comes to losing weight, exercise alone won't cut it. "You can eat your way through any level of exercise very easily," says Dr. Lodge. The key to losing weight and still running your best: Eat fewer calories than you burn, and consume high-quality, nutrient-rich foods. These numbers will help you do that.

Hunger Scale
Rating your appetite can help you reduce your calorie intake and lose weight by preventing overeating. In his book The Blue Zones, author Dan Buettner explains that the Okinawans of Japan (who live very long lives) adopt the concept of hara hachi bu ("Eat until 80 percent full"). The hunger scale is similar: On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is ravenous and 10 is stuffed, eat when you're at a 3 or 4, and stop when you reach a 6 or 7. Never get too hungry (or you'll eat more than you need) or too full (which means you may have consumed too many calories).

Follow these eight nutrition rules for healthy eating and shrink your waistline.

Servings of Fibruous Vegetables
Eating at least five to six one-cup servings of fiber-rich vegetables a day can really boost your weight-loss efforts. How? They're less energy-dense than most other foods. That makes them a good choice if you're trying to eat fewer calories. Fiber also makes you feel full and more satisfied. So by eating lots of high-fiber veggies, you can reduce your total intake without feeling hungry. Leafy greens (like spinach and kale) are especially low in calories and rich in fiber.

Servings of the "Not So Healthy Stuff"
The number to aim for here: as few as possible. Refined grains, products with added sugar, fast food, sodas, and processed foods tend to be high in calories but provide very little nutrition. The more you can cut back, the easier it will be to trim your total calorie intake and lose weight. The key is to not feel like you're depriving yourself; start by substituting a healthier option (a half-ounce of dark chocolate instead of a bowl of ice cream) and reduce how frequently you indulge (from three cans of soda to one).

Running Performance
As you exercise harder and become faster, you burn more calories. If you also watch what you eat, burning all those calories will lead to weight loss. John Colver, a fitness coach in Seattle, gives his clients "milestone" workouts each month to test how their running is improving, and notes that the workouts themselves often lead to weight loss. "Speedwork in particular has the added benefit of increasing an athlete's metabolic rate, which increases the rate of weight loss," he says.

One-Mile time Trial
Once a month Colver's athletes run a mile on a marked track. "It's a surefire way to see accomplishment over time," he says. You can do a time trial on any course you regularly run — for example, a loop around a lake or a point-to-point running trail.

Treadmill Test
Daniel Forman, M.D., director of the exercise testing laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, suggests wearing a heart-rate monitor while doing the exact same treadmill workout every few weeks. For example, run at a five percent incline at 6.5 miles per hour for 10 minutes, and record your average heart rate. Do the same test every month and compare the results; as your fitness improves, your average heart-rate for the same exercise will decrease.

Race Times
Research shows that healthy runners can expect to race about two seconds per mile faster for every pound they lose. Jason Logue started tracking both his race times and his weight loss in 2006. He got fitter, faster — and lost weight, too. His performances in Pittsburgh's Great Race 10-K speak for themselves: In 2006, he ran 53:57; in 2007, 52:26; and in 2008, after losing 60 pounds, he ran a far speedier 49:26.
Endurance
Increasing how long you can run will help you burn more calories and boost weight loss. Jared Reeder, a creative director in Atlanta, built up his endurance by counting the minutes he could run before he was out of breath. When the then-overweight Reeder first started, he could only go three minutes, but slowly built up to 20. Now he's run four marathons — and is 55 pounds lighter.

Bad Math
Some numbers won't help you lose weight. Don't bother focusing on these three figures

Body Fat Measured on Scales
Your hydration level and even the room temperature can affect the accuracy of these devices. Calipers or even the "Holy Grail Pants" test will give you a solid idea of your progress for less money and fewer headaches.

Your Max Heart Rate Compared to Anyone Else's
It doesn't matter if your max is 180 and your buddy's is 200. Everyone is different.Your max is determined mostly by age and genetics — not by how hard you train.

Body Mass Index
Healthy BMI ranges are quite large (a 5'4" woman could weigh anywhere from108 to 145 pounds and still be in an "acceptable" range), so it's only useful if you're significantly over- or underweight. And the formula doesn't hold up with very muscular athletes. A 5'10" 209-pound man, for example, with just10 percent body fat is actually considered overweight by BMI standards.

Running the Numbers
3: Ounces of whole grains you should eat every day. That's equivalent to about one cup of high-fiber cereal, one slice of wholegrain bread, and half a cup of brown rice.

5 to 6: Servings of meat, beans, and nuts you need daily for the right amount of protein. Many runners mistakenly assume they need more. Mix up your carbs and add nutrients to your diet with these tasty pasta alternatives.

25 to 35: Grams of fiber you should eat every day. Get it from legumes (a cup of lentils has 16grams), vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.