Welcome back to "Rock Your Body," The State News' fitness and nutrition column. Each week, we hit up our local experts with some questions and pass on their wisdom to you.
But before we get to the goods, we thought we'd tell you a little bit about who'll be giving you advice.
Jim Pivarnik: Jim is a professor of kinesiology and epidemiology. Trained as an exercise physiologist, his specialty is in physical activity and exercise on chronic disease risk. He is also director of MSU's Center for Physical Activity and Health.
Tom Ostrander: Tom is the owner of Powerhouse Gym, 435 E. Grand River Ave. He is one of Michigan's top amateur bodybuilding competitors. Tom is a personal trainer with experience ranging from professional athletes to stay-at-home moms.
This week we asked:
SN: Fad diets such as Atkins seem to be so popular nowadays. What are your feelings about them? What kind of diet do you advocate?
Jim: A few years ago, low-fat foods and diets became popular. The idea was if one wants to lose fat, one should eat less fat. The idea certainly makes sense on the surface, and I know few registered dietitians or other nutrition experts who would argue with eating fat in moderation.
The problem was that the fat in food usually makes it taste better, particularly to many Americans. In addition, eating fat tends to reduce the appetite. Many low-fat foods were not very tasty, nor did they make one feel full. To combat this, many food manufacturers simply added sweet carbohydrate calories to low-fat foods to increase their taste.
The end result was that some individuals gained weight by eating low-fat foods because, overall, they were taking in more calories than before they went on this diet. Bottom line, low fat did not mean low calorie.
This opened the door for the most recent "low-carb" (high fat and high protein) diet phenomenon, such as the Atkins diet. A major reason why some people achieve weight loss success from low-carb programs is the opposite of what occurred with the low-fat diets. Since fat is a more prominent ingredient in these diets, many people eat fewer total calories, because they feel full. They usually lose weight in the short term.
Unfortunately, there is not a great deal of research on the long-term health effects of such diets, and what is out there is very mixed. In my opinion, there is still no diet that has been proven (using good science) to be, overall, better than a well balanced plan meeting U.S. Department of Agriculture recommendations.
Tom: Fad diets such as Atkins and South Beach are just that - fads. Any time you have a diet that totally eliminates anything, you're asking for trouble.
Think about this, if you choose to embark on one of these diets, do you plan to stay on it forever? Of course not. So what happens to your body when you reincorporate carbohydrates into your diet? Your body blows up faster than you can say "low carb."
When your body has been without something, it becomes hypersensitive to it. Your body acts like a sponge, soaks up the carbs and expands twice as fast as before.
Low-carb diets are misleading. People think that because they aren't eating many carbs, they can eat and drink as much protein and fat as they want. This is not so. Not all calories are created equal. One gram of fat has more than twice the calories as one gram of carbohydrate, or protein for that matter.
The bottom line is you must be in calorie deficit to lose weight.
Low-carb diets also promote unhealthy fat consumption. The problem most people run into is they eat way too many bad fats simply because the item falls under low carb. Take bacon, for example, sure, it has nearly zero carbs, but the amount of saturated fat in bacon is enough to start clogging arteries.
On the positive side, fad diets have taught the general public to read labels, be aware of their eating habits and have some sort of structure to their diets.
I recommend a more balanced diet consisting of about 40 percent complex carbohydrates, 40 percent protein and 20 percent fat, along with lots of water and a basic multi-vitamin. You'll feel better on this type of diet and be healthier as well.
Above all, remember that the best type of diet is one you can be most the consistent with.
SN: What is core strength? Why is it important?
Tom: Core strength relates to the core or center of your body meaning your abdominal, lower back, hips and to, some extent, buttocks. Because those muscles are the center of gravity for your entire body, a strong core translates into a strong body.
Many problems people face today, such as lower back pain, misalignment, poor circulation, osteoporosis and joint problems, could be solved with core strength training.
Everyone needs to incorporate core strength training into their lifestyles. A great source is Pilates.
Many times, core strength training is called lifestyle enhancement training or functional training.
Consult a personal trainer before starting any core strength training.
Jim: Core strength is important for injury reduction, performance improvement and cosmetic appearance enhancement.
Many experts say core strength training should be as sport specific as possible. To do this, one may need to analyze the sport movements and muscles involved. Examples such as the golf swing and tennis serve come to mind. Good core strength enhances the power one can generate when performing these activities. Core strength can help prevent injuries that may occur when practicing these movements over and over.
Whatever the ultimate goal, muscle balance remains key to any core strength-training program. This will help insure success and minimize the risk of imbalance injuries. As with all muscular fitness programs, a purposeful core program should be progressively more difficult, so the body will continually be challenged to adapt. Furthermore, core musculature should be trained two-three non-consecutive days per week.
MSU Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Tim Wakeham and Olin Health Center Nutritionist Ronda Bokram contributed to Jim's responses. If you would like to have your questions answered, please e-mail them to msandu@msu.edu.
