Well, if you read the August 17th issue of "time" magazine...you might begin to think so.  Well, before you cancel your gym memberships and trash your running shoes...I would like for you to consider a few things.

Bottom line, daily exercise is going to help you avoid many age related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes or chronic depression.  Daily exercise is EXTREMELY important to your OVERALL best health.  Whether your goal is to lose a few pounds, help balance menopausal emotions or simply be able to get the enjoyment out of a fulfilling life like you deserve to... EXERCISE IS VITAL!!

That being said...exercise, however IS NOT THE MAGIC DIET PILL!  Exercise ALONE will not guarantee you that lean body and ideal weight you may be striving for.  The "Time" article suggests that one reason exercise can make you fat is that it induces more hunger...ok, sometimes!  But, it's not the exercise that makes you fat...it is us making poor choices & eating the wrong foods.

How many of you have watched the same people, day after day, at the gym..working out like animals...sweating...working at a very high intensity...yet, week after week, month after month, their body compositions never change.  For some, genetics may come into play.  For most however, it is due to eating too much of the wrong foods...period!!  For some, they simply may not have a good understanding of how to best nourish their bodies..there IS a lot of misleading & conflicting information out there.  For others, which again the "Time" article makes reference to, they use high sugar, high fat foods as a reward for working out ...aaaugh!  I have heard so many fellow exercisers joke about that being the main reason they exercise in the first place.... so they can eat poorly...and "get by with it".  Well, even if they "get by with it" on the scale...eating a high fat, high sugar diet will have long term effects on your health.  Plus, it is amazing how long you have to work out to burn the 200+ calories in a candy bar or the 400 calories in that bag of fries!

If we truly want the best for our bodies & our health..for the long haul...we have to take a "lifestyle approach" to exercising & eating.  We have to look at it as our "job".  How can anything else be more important than our own health...And in many ways YOU have the majority of the control over it. (The latest research indicates that 85% of age related disease can prevented through lifestyle changes!)  If you want to be at your optimum weight...lean, fit & feeling terrific for a lifetime...you must make a lifestyle change.  If your workout makes you hungry...great!...eat!  But eat smart.  Consume good quality protein immediately after your workout...a protein shake, some egg whites or tuna are all good choices.  This will enable those well-worked muscles to recover and develop effectively from your training.  Don't pollute that well-trained body with high fat, high sugar foods that are going to kibosh most of the benefits from your exercise.  Don't compensate & use the fact that you exercised today to eat junk.  Show some respect for yourself...be proud of your accomplishments.  Instead, use your accomplishments as a springboard to make better choices regarding food that does your body good.

If you belong to a health club, make sure they have a nutrition consultant to help get the most from your exercise program.  Exercise DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT!!  YOU are in control of what goes in your  mouth! YOU are in control of being the BEST YU CAN BE!!

BELIEVE...AND YOU WILL ACHIEVE!!

I can't believe HOW many times I've heard people, when discussing thier lifestle approach to nutrition, feel it is acceptable to "cheat" (themselves!!) one day a week.  In fact, many "diet" (yuck!) promoters, suggest this to be a positie approach.  My question has always been...if you drie safely and according to the law all week long..do you take one day and drive recklessly & endanger yourself and others.  If you live by the standard of never doing illegal drugs, do you take one day and indulge...NO!!  Why would you take a day and do damge to yourself when you have been doing so well?  I believe most people see proper "nutrition" as being worlds different than reckless driver and drugs...But, truth be told, poor nutrition has health risks of its own...right?   Mot feel, however that ONE bad day...or ONE bad meal won't hurt...right?

Well, new research says otherwise.  One bad meal - a cheeseburger, fries, & a soda...fried chicken & biscuits...a slab of chocolate cake and ice cream--can do damage to your body.  On the flip side (yeah!!), eating just one good healthy meal can start repairing the damage.

The reason this happens is when you eat, your body breaks down the food into glucose (sugar), lipids (fat) and amino acids (the building blocks of protein). As soon as you finish a high fat, high sugar meal the sugar causes a spike in your blood-sugar (and insulin) levels...which over the long term can lead to an increased risk in heart attacks & increase the risk of diabestes.  There are also short term (imediate) responses by your body, for example:1) Your tissues become inflamed 2) Your blood vessels constrict & tighten up 3) your body produces more free radicals (linked to causing cancer) 4) your blood pressure will raise to a higher than normal rate  5) The spike in insulin, then drop, will leave you shaky & hungry.

Eating healthy foods, such as fresh fruits & vegetables, lean proteins & whole grain/high fiber items will help keep that blood glucose & blood pressue at a healthy level.

Many people I counsel can' even imagine living without the fast foods they have become accusomed to.  Junk food does not work well with your body..it doesn't fuel it the way it was meant to be fueled.  Have you ever noticed..the more junk food you eat..the more you want?  Well, junk food actually distorts the hormonal profile of our bodies in a way that causes us to  continue to crave the high fat/high sugar diet.  The best way to get on the right track to better health is cut the junk food COMPLETELY from your diet.  Stick with healthy fruits, vegetables, lean protein & whole grains.  Everyday more and more research is showing this is the best approach to overall better health.  You CAN make those changes--you will be healthier & happier...Don't cheat yourself..

Believe...and you WILL achieve!

Marianne