If you have nutrition questions, I’d love to hear from you. Email your questions to askjan@myappetiteforlife.com and I’ll post the question and answer on this site.
Q. I am 49 years old and I work out 6 days a week; 4 days of intense boot camp style workouts with strength training and 2 days of cardio. I am so frustrated that after all of this work I am still unable to get rid of my belly fat. Am I eating the wrong things? HELP!
A. Hormonal and metabolic changes that occur with aging may contribute to the increase in abdominal fat that generally occurs during middle age. Getting regular, moderate-intensity cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise at least 45 minutes, 5-7 days a week is vital in reducing overall body fat without compromising muscle. Increasing your cardio workouts and reducing your intense (anaerobic) boot camp workouts may be very effective in tapping into and utilizing fat stores. Nutritionally, a diet high in simple carbohydrates, sugars, processed foods and alcohol will increase the body’s insulin response which is directly associated with fat deposition. This occurs because high insulin levels inhibit the use of body fat for energy. Instead, eat more high fiber foods such as whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables, beans, and nuts/seeds. Add fish, poultry, lean meats and vegetable protein sources (soy/whey) to your meals to maintain muscle mass.
Q. I am trying to make healthier food choices like eating more whole grain, high fiber and low fat foods. However, I am stumped by the question of which is better for you: butter or margarine?
A. Margarine is composed of hydrogenated polyunsaturated oils – usually corn and/or soybean oil, water, salt, food coloring, artificial butter flavoring, and a plethora of preservatives. Butter, on the other hand, has 1-2 ingredients – milk fat and sometimes salt. Butter has created fear in some consumers for being a saturated fat (saturated with hydrogen ions), which has been linked to cardiovascular disease if consumed in large quantities. However, margarine, which was developed as a suggested “healthier” alternative to butter, has been chemically altered to mimic butters texture and spread ability. Meaning, the polyunsaturated oils are hydrogenated, that is, hydrogen ions are pumped into them making them behave more like saturated fats. The result of this process is trans fats (“trans” referring to the configuration of the fat molecule after hydrogenation). Trans fats have been linked to not only coronary heart disease, but to chronic inflammation and cancer. So, natural butter in moderation is the best choice.
