The good news about this is that CVD risk and cholesterol levels can be moderated through diet and exercise! There are inherited genetic factors that can predispose some individuals to CVD, but for most of the population, preventative steps can be taken.

The average American diet these days consists of 35-40% of total daily calories being consumed as fat. If a person eats 2000 calories a day, they are consuming about 800 of them in the form of fat.  And of those 800 fat calories, 15-20% of those are saturated fat, which is a main contributor to raising cholesterol levels. Saturated fat is solid at room temperature – think of butter, cheese, and meat fat. This manner of eating is why the average American is struggling with weight, cholesterol, and other health issues.

So what can you do to mitigate your risk of high cholesterol, or to lower it if you’ve already been diagnosed?

1. Work at reducing your body weight. Fat stored in the body, particularly in the abdominal region, can increase cholesterol levels. Reducing your caloric intake and exercising to reduce your body fat is a step in the right direction.

2. Modify your diet. Track what you eat, and read the nutrition labels. Aim to eat no more than 30% of your daily calories in the form of fat. Choose foods higher in mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats. These are typically liquid at room temperature and are plant-based (olive oil, nuts, avocados).

Of your fat calories, keep your saturated fats between 7-10% of your total fat calories.  Some ways to do this include choosing a lower-fat ground beef (93/7 instead of 80/20); choosing cheese made from 2% milk; switching to fat-free milk; limiting yourself to one egg a day; and saving full-fat butter for a special splurge and switching to a butter/canola or olive oil blend for daily use. Portion sizes matter  as well! Moderation is important.

3. Make sure your exercise is weight-bearing.  What this means is that you need to support your body weight – walking, running, tennis, hiking, and weight lifting are all good examples.  Weight-bearing exercise has been proven to lower total cholesterol levels by increasing the levels of the “good” cholesterol in the body; aim for 30 minutes a day.  A brisk walk is a great way to start!

Thanks for reading!  Have a healthy week!

But there are some ways to keep it going.  Many people have committed to their own high level of fitness by exercising everyday and eating the right foods.  Regardless of schedules, energy levels or desire, these gym regulars are on a first name basis with club owners.  How do they do it?  What is their secret?  Based on my research and observation, here are the things they do consistently to make exercise a habit:

1. The location of the gym (or other resource) is extremely convenient.  With a gym on just about every other corner these days, this is easy to do.  For most people that use a gym, it is located no further than about 5 miles from home or work, or it is located on their employer’s premise itself so that lunch work outs are easily scheduled.  It also makes it easier when the gym is located between home and work so that you don’t need to pass your house to get to the gym—the temptation of stopping in to grab something ‘real quick’ could easily turn into skipping your workout that day.

If you don’t have a gym membership, it is important to have something in your home to work with like exercise videos or equipment (e.g. treadmill or elliptical machine), or near your home like a walking or biking trail.  The more time it takes to start exercising will lead to finding an excuse not to do it at all.

2.  Exercise first thing in the morning.  A lot of people prefer this since you usually feel refreshed and energized and it is hard to allow other activities to invade on this early timeframe.  For people with children, this time is considered valuable ‘me time’ before the kids wake up and grab your time and attention.  Even if you don’t have kids, you will feel good about the rest of your day knowing that you have already squeezed your workout in.

3.  Do it no matter what.  No matter what! Easier said than done, but necessary.  Without this kind of attitude, you will let any and everything interrupt your schedule and it should be non-negotiable.  Being disciplined is definitely part of the equation since there will be days that you simply don’t feel like doing it but this is no excuse.  If something comes up that is unavoidable (i.e. you get sick or injured), get right back on track as soon as you can.  Ease into it a little slowly if you’ve been down for a while, but make it a priority to get right back into the routine that you set before you stopped.

4.  Tell somebody about your commitment.  Sounds simple, right?  Well it is simple to tell them, but it becomes more challenging to actually do what you said you would do.  By telling someone that you are going to start working out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays every week and then asking them to hold you accountable, you are more apt to actually do it.   For some people, this could be as simple as telling your partner or spouse, a friend or relative.  But for others that have a much harder time sticking with it, a personal trainer could be a viable solution since a trainer needs you to do what you said you would do to comply with your exercise program and get results.

5.  Vary your workouts.  For most people that have been able to make exercise part of their daily activities, variety is important to helping them stick with it.  If you keep walking on the treadmill or jogging on the same path, you may eventually get bored and stop.  So try a new step class or that salsa class.  You are still exercising and having fun in the process.  Keep your workouts fresh and fun and you will find that sticking with it is a lot easier.  Not to mention you should continually challenge your muscles in new ways with different modalities.

6.  Reward yourself.  Whenever you reach a certain milestone, it is important to recognize your progress and congratulate yourself.  These milestones could be as simple as getting through 2 weeks without missing a workout or as big as losing 15 pounds.  Obviously the reward should fit the milestone like buying yourself a massage for small triumphs or a piece of furniture or electronic device for larger ones.  You should be proud of your accomplishments no matter how small they are!

You know yourself better than anyone, so use what strategy you know will work for you.  Perhaps morning is not the best time of day for you to exercise, so choose a different time of day and stick with it.  Or maybe you just love your new elliptical machine and don’t want to change just yet.  That’s ok too, as long as you recognize the first signs of boredom and act promptly.  Doing something is better than doing nothing so stay on that elliptical (or whatever it is that you like) if its working for you.

Just remember that exercise falls into the same category as everything else when it comes to taking 21 days to develop a habit.  And with a healthy activity like exercise, you definitely want it to be a pattern that you can stick with for the rest of your life.   So mark it in your calendar and don’t negotiate that timeframe for something else if you can help it.  Make it a priority and it will become a habit over time if you make it part of your everyday routine.

Happy exercising!

Kim Farmer is a Certified Personal Trainer and Clinical Exercise Specialist working in the Denver metro area.  Visit her website at www.milehighfitness.com or email her at kfarmer@milehighfitness.com

If you are a woman over 18 years old, then you have likely experienced some form of cellulite. Contrary to popular belief, being overweight is NOT requirement for developing cellulite. In fact, over 90% of women get cellulite at some point after the adolescent years and just like many other unwanted imperfections, its removal has sparked a multi-million dollar industry. Lotions, creams, massages and costly treatments promise to get rid of it, but are the promises accurate? Read on to learn more:

1. Research show that cellulite is a unique and distinctive layer of subcutaneous body fat (layered on top of muscle) that is common to females. This means that if the muscles in the hips, thighs and buttocks are weak and flaccid, the surface of the skin will resemble a jelly-like appearance. Heredity, skin thickness, gender, the amount and distribution of body fat, and age can all influence the extent to which cellulite is present or visible.

2. Endermologie is one type of suction massage technique performed using an electrically powered device with two roller components. Patients wear nylon stockings to reduce the amount of friction as the skin is kneaded by two revolving rollers for anywhere between 30-45 minutes. Treatments are expensive and typically 10-12 treatments are required before results are noticeable. Endermologie has been approved by the U.S. FDA for temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite. This technique seems to redistribute fat rather than eliminate cellulite and regular treatments are required in order to keep the effect of the treatment fresh.

3. Mesotherapy is a controversial treatment for cellulite that involves injecting drugs or other substances directly into affected tissue. Herbs and vitamins are often used in the injection cocktails. Usually multiple injections over multiple sessions are required to maintain the results. Even though this type of treatment is administered, most experts feel that this treatment is unproven and risky.

4. The proven way: A calorie controlled diet with a consistent exercise plan is an excellent way to start improving cellulite appearance. Research shows that weight loss contributes to reduced fat cells near the skin leading to reduced cellulite appearance with consistent healthy lifestyle choices. Cardiovascular exercise will help reduce unwanted fat stores and resistance training will strengthen and tone weak muscles. Combine this with a healthy, balanced, low-calorie diet, and you should see reduced cellulite around the areas mentioned above.

You should be very cautious before trying out surgical procedures or other surgical or elaborate techniques of unproven value. While the FDA has approved massage and combined laser therapies, it is important to remember that these costly and time-consuming treatments are approved only for the temporary decrease in the appearance of cellulite. Most require ongoing treatments to maintain any positive effects.

Have a healthy week!

1.     Before starting an exercise session, you must train your muscles and joints for the activity.  Your hip, knee and ankle joints are bearing a lot of your weight, so you need to warm your muscles and joints (especially the ones that you will be using most) for at least 5 minutes before exercising.  Nothing special, walking around or marching in place will do just fine.  This helps prepare the muscles and joints, in the same way you warm up your car in the morning before you start driving.  Be sure to warm up the muscles you will be using the most during your session.  If you are planning to ride your bike for example, make sure you warm up and stretch your quadriceps, hamstring and calf muscles, perhaps by simply riding slowly and with little or no resistance for about 5 minutes.

2.     An estimated 95% of people that lose weight on quick weight loss diets gain back the weight within a year.  In order to see sustained, permanent weight loss, you must make sustained, permanent efforts through exercise and proper nutrition.  Of course when your schedule is busy, there are challenges to overcome.  Just don’t succumb to the challenges that most of us face everyday—your job, your kids, your business, your meetings – - these are things that you won’t be able to do as well anyway if you get arthritis or pain in your knee or hip joints.  So start moving!

3.     One of the keys of weight loss is water intake.  The rule of thumb for water intake is to drink 8-8oz glasses everyday.  But the exact amount is really dependent on your weight, activity level and any pre-existing health conditions.  You may need to drink a little more if you exercise or have an illness that is causing you to vomit or use the bathroom more frequently.  Drinking water will help you control your appetite before and in between meals which leads to your making better food choices and making smaller portions.

Follow these tips for healthy eating ideas to help you with your weight loss efforts:

*If you can’t give up red meat completely, eat it only in small quantities, or choose poultry and fish as an alternative.
*Always cook by steaming, grilling, baking, or microwaving; avoid frying.
*Before you cook chicken or turkey, trim away the fat and skin.
*Instead of eating ice cream that is loaded with calories, eat frozen yogurt instead.
*Replace chips, cookies, cakes and pies with gelatin, fruit salad or fruit with yogurt.

Take charge and Remember that you (and you alone) are responsible for your health! Get in control now.  Get rid of the excuses and get motivated!  Start slow with your exercise schedule and build up as you gain momentum.  Ask for help from a friend if you find yourself slipping back into your old habits.  Make 2011 your year to reach and surpass your health and fitness goals.

Have a Happy Holiday!!!