I’m hearing a lot about the dangers lurking in certain foods and keep seeing mycotoxins on the list. What are these, where are they, and what’s the risk? I’m going crazy trying to avoid contaminants! It seems nothing is safe.
– Karen H.
No foods are truly 100% safe or non-perishable. Although we typically think of spoilage and rotting from visible bacterial growth and pest infestation, contamination of food can also be hiding from the naked eye. It’s said that mycotoxins are present practically everywhere in trace amounts and are unavoidable.
According to the World Health Organization, “mycotoxins are toxic compounds that are naturally produced by certain types of molds (fungi).” Health effects from these toxins range from acute poisoning to immune deficiency and death. Mycotoxin-producing molds can grow on numerous foods such as cereals, dried fruits, corn, peanuts, coffee beans, nuts and spices. Fox News reported in 2015 that “in the United States aflatoxin contamination is most common is the Southeast in peanuts and corn products.” Aflatoxins are a type of mycotoxin known to cause liver cancer. Other major mycotoxins include citrinin, deoxylnivalenol, fumonisins, ochratoxin, patulin, trichothecenes and zearatenones.
The good news: Contaminated foodstuffs (either visibly or tested) are not permitted in developed countries’ marketplace. The FDA has set very strict tolerance levels for certain mycotoxins present in crops.
The bad news: In the U.S., agricultural products kept within state lines and animal feeds are not subject to FDA limits. Additionally, through the food chain, the consumption of even tiny amounts of mycotoxins can have a cumulative effect. This is evident in livestock, eggs and dairy products.
How to avoid mycotoxins, then? You can reduce mycotoxin exposure by obtaining your raw food (whether conventional or organic) from trusted sources that adhere to federal and state safety testing and from local farmers’ markets (short storage periods). Of course, it could also be that reducing consumption of animal products, corn and peanuts may reduce your chance of exposure.
Additional sources:
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
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Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute (BPM) while at rest.
Considering your heart is the most important muscle in your body, it is important to know that it’s functioning properly. You want your heart to beat in a rhythm; not too fast, not too slow, and not too erratic.
Typically, an adult’s resting heart rate is between 60-100 beats per minute1. Monitoring your heart rate from time to time is a good idea to know your normal heart rate and to take measures if it becomes abnormal.
Resting heart rate is an indicator of physical fitness. When you first start a training program, it’s likely that you will want to know your resting heart rate. A lower resting heart rate may indicate a sign of good health and a higher degree of being physically fit.
Depending on your age, gender, or medications you are taking, your resting heart rate changes. People who are physically fit generally have a lower resting rate than those who do not exercise regularly. Resting heart rate will typically increase as you age and will be much faster in infants.
The best time to find your resting heart rate is in the morning after a good night’s sleep and before you get out of bed1.
If your range is outside the typical resting heart rate, consult a doctor. Although there is a wide range of normal, an unusually high or low resting heart rate may indicate an underlying problem.
Make Time for Regular Exercise
Avoid Sitting for Long Periods of Time
Avoid Smoking
Reduce Stress
Take measures to improve your heart rate by exercising or leading an active healthy lifestyle. Keep your heart happy!
For more on heart health, listen to our podcast on 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Heart Health. To access our monthly blog post highlights, subscribe to our newsletter today!
SOURCES
1. American Heart Association. Getting Active How do I calculate my heart rate? October 2016
2. The Active Times. Sitting is the New Smoking – 7 Ways a Sedentary Lifestyle is Killing you The research on the sitting epidemic and the results aren’t good. September 2014
3. Smokefree.gov Benefits of Quitting The health benefits of quitting smoking can help most of the major parts of your body: from you brain to your DNA
Hello! I would really like to know what I can do to keep my hair from falling out. I seem to have had thinning hair that falls out easily for as long as I can remember. What is the best nutrient for hair regrowth, and how can I prevent it from falling out in the first place? Thank you!
-Melanie K.
There are several nutrients necessary for healthy hair, the fastest growing tissue in the body. What action to take for re–growing hair would depend on the cause of the hair loss. Rarely due to a nutritional deficiency, alopecia often results from stress, medications, hormonal changes, and certain medical conditions. Thinning of head hair is associated with genetics and aging. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends seeing a clinician to determine the cause of hair loss and offers tips on preventing loss.1
If a nutritional balance is to blame, the likely culprits are a deficiency of iron, zinc, or protein. Additionally, niacin deficiency, sudden weight loss, over supplementation, and essential fatty acid deficiency may be suspect.2 The best sources of problem nutrients include beef, pork, lamb, shellfish, fatty fish, poultry, eggs, beans/legumes, oatmeal and avocados. See our previous Healthy Living Blog article on targeting certain foods for hair growth.
Providing adequate essential nutrients will help stimulate hair follicles but focus on food first.3 Don’t supplement without first knowing that you need to. Toxicity of minerals and fat-soluble vitamins more readily occurs via supplements than from food. You can actually promote hair loss with too much vitamin A!
References:
1) “Hair Loss: Tips for Managing” https://www.aad.org/managing-tips
2) Guo EL, Katta R. Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use. Dermatology Practical & Conceptual. 2017;7(1):1–10. Published 2017 Jan 31. doi:10.5826/dpc.0701a01
3) Jessica Levings. Hair Growth Supplements. Today’s Dietitian. Sept, 2017; 19 (9): 40
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
Are you searching for “kickboxing near me”? Stop the search party because you’ve struck fitness gold with Kickbox Cardio classes at LA Fitness. These classes aren’t just a workout, but an experience. With classes designed to kick, punch, bob, and weave your way to...
Incorporating cardio exercises between sets, also known as ‘cardio-acceleration’, is a revolutionary way to maximize your workout efficiency. This technique involves performing short bursts of cardio exercises, usually lasting 30-60 seconds, in between your...
In today’s fast-paced world, finding balance and maintaining mental and physical health can be challenging. However, combining exercise and mindfulness offers a powerful approach to achieving holistic well-being. Let’s explore how these practices complement each...
Evidence Based
Dancing is not just a form of expression, not just reserved for the artistically inclined, and not as difficult to start as you might think. We invite you to challenge your thoughts of “I can’t do it” or “it’s not for me,” so you too can enjoy the benefits of this versatile form of exercise.
Dancing extends across the boundaries of physical movement. You can dance for your fitness, for physical therapy, for cognitive therapy, to enjoy a social activity, or to take time alone. Today we will focus on the physical and cognitive benefits of dancing.
If you already have the dance bug and just want to dive in, browse our website to learn about our many dance style Group Fitness Classes. We host a variety of classes like Belly Dancing, Cardio Jam, Hip Hop, Latin Heat, Zumba, and Yogabeat. Be sure to search by zip code to learn which classes are available at the LA Fitness clubs closest to you.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the physical and cognitive benefits of dancing!
Every move you make as you dance is deliberate; there’s no laziness here. You need to engage your legs and core to keep your body stable, and your back and shoulders to carry your posture. As your muscles learn to move your weight in new ways as you step, lift, drag, kick, and flick to the beat, they will get stronger. This functional strengthening is what promotes better balance and overall posture.1
You may still be thinking of dance as just another cardio type exercise, and it can be excellent for your heart, but did you know dancing also benefits your bone strength? Think about it this way: your muscles are attached to your bones; and when you strengthen your muscles, it’s like you’re reinforcing the bones.
One article on The Health Benefits of Dance states that “the side-to-side movements of most dance steps help to strengthen the weight-bearing bones such as the femur, tibia, and fibula.”2 That sounds a lot like the steps you would see in Latin dances like the Cha-Cha-Cha, Merengue, or Salsa. If you’re looking to add some focus on your lower body, our Latin Heat or Zumba classes might be just what you’re looking for!
When it comes to heart health, “dance can be as beneficial as jogging around a track, biking, swimming, or running on the treadmill.”2 We know that cardio is excellent for exercising your heart, and that when you exercise your heart you benefit your whole body. One study confirmed that Zumba participants who had high blood pressure, effectively and significantly lowered their blood pressure after only 2 months of Zumba!3
Not only are you benefiting your heart and improving your blood pressure, you are burning calories with every step. Burning calories can help you shed the pounds, especially if you are also mindful of your nutrition.
Depending on the level of intensity, your range of motion, your physical condition, and more, “the continuous motion of dance… [will allow you to] burn anywhere from 200 to 500 calories during a 1-hr session.”2
Because dancing is a total body exercise, you can expect some total body toning. “Some dance forms,” like Belly Dancing and Hip Hop, “have repetitive movements such as hip drips, figure eights, circles, and shimmies, which can put the lower back and hip joints and ligaments through full range of motion that increases muscle tone and improves posture.”2 Strengthening these particular parts of your body can aid in the prevention of lower back problems.2
Now that you know about the physical benefits, let’s get into how great dancing is for your brain.
Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to form and optimize synaptic connections. This basically means that it is capable of growing, adapting, and changing. This is a very good thing because it means your brain can adapt to new situations and recover from old ones.
Consider that most dancing requires you to learn a specific series of movements in a specific order for a specific amount of time. This prompts your brain to develop new neural pathways to allow this complex learning to take place.
In fact, research has found that expert dancers have structural differences in their sensorimotor networks and in physical parts of the brain like the hippocampus (the part of brain responsible for emotion, memory, and your autonomic nervous system).1
In general, physical exercise, especially aerobic exercise, has been shown to decrease the risk for neurological disorders, especially for cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s.1 To a lesser extent, there is also evidence to support that physical exercise can reduce your risk for Parkinson’s Disease and Strokes.1,4,5
Dancing, however, has more benefits for the brain than repetitive physical exercise.6 A study on neuroplasticity in older adults found that, because dance requires constant cognitive and motor learning, it can counteract age-related cognitive decline.4 When it comes to brain health and function, the complexity of dance beats plain physical exercise.
Never get called a clutz again. Dancing can improve your coordination because it, itself, requires a great deal of coordination. Have you ever tried to rub your belly with one hand and tap the top of your head with the other hand? It takes a certain amount of concentration, doesn’t it?
With dancing, not only do you need to coordinate between the different limbs of your body, but you must do the same between other dancers on the floor, and hone-in on your timing and spatial awareness.7
Coordination exercises have actually been shown to improve attention and concentration, even more so than simple aerobic exercises.1
We know there’s a lot of research here so let us leave you with some simple takeaways:
For more on brain health, read our registered dietitian’s article on These 7 Foods That Promote Brain Health. Or, check out her article on The 8 Best Foods for Your Heart. To access our monthly blog post highlights, subscribe to our newsletter today!
Fat has long been regarded as the foe of the weight conscious, except for those on a ketogenic diet. The goal for keto diets is to consume enough fat to force the body into ketosis and use fat for fuel instead of carbohydrate (glucose). Can a supplement of a certain type of fat also promote a shift in body composition? Fingers point to MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil as the magic bullet that can boost metabolism, burn fat and build muscle.
What a Triglyceride is: Most fats we eat are triglycerides which have three fatty acid chains (if you must know — one attached to each hydrocarbon of a glycerol backbone). Mainly we eat triglycerides with long fatty acid chains (12-18 carbons), which may be saturated or unsaturated. Short chain fatty acids (4 carbons), on the other hand, are predominantly produced by gut bacteria.
So, what exactly are MCTs? Medium chain fatty acids have 6-10 carbons in length. They are found in coconut (16%) and palm (8%) oils, and to a lesser extent in dairy products. When they are cleaved off and reassembled to glycerol in a lab — Voila! — a medium chain triglyceride (MCT) without long fatty acids is made. So isolated MCT isn’t found in nature but is man-made. MCT oils generally contain either caprylic acid (C8), capric acid (C10) or a combination of the two, and to a lesser extent, caproic acid.
MCTs are metabolized differently than the long chain triglycerides found in most foods. MCTs are digested more rapidly (and transported to liver for oxidation) than long chain triglycerides, which take longer to metabolize and get stored as fat in the process. Providing 10% fewer calories compared to other fats, MCT oil is a lactose-free, gluten-free, vegan, pareve rapid fuel. Weak evidence supports replacement of LCTs with MCTs for promoting weight loss while there’s insufficient research on other metabolic effects and Alzheimer’s disease.
Because it’s man-made and lacks long chain fatty acids found in natural foods, MCT oil does not provide essential fatty acids (linoleic an omega-6 fatty acid, linolenic an omega-3). Medium chain fatty acids are always saturated, a concern for cholesterol levels and heart health. Ingestion of large doses of MCT oil may cause significant gastrointestinal distress. As one major manufacturer indicates: “Use of MCT as part of a ketogenic diet requires medical supervision.” Supplementing can get costly with an average MCT oil price of $1 per fluid ounce, compared with coconut oil at 50¢ per fl. oz.
Doses of 5 to 48 grams per day (as much as 9 teaspoons) were shown in clinical studies to yield enhanced results. For best tolerance, start with 1 teaspoon (5 mL) 3 to 4 times a day. Slowly (over a week or more), increase to a maximum of 1 Tablespoon (15 mL) 3 to 4 times a day. Food products with MCTs will show “modified coconut and/or palm kernel oil (medium chain triglycerides)” in the ingredients list – check the Nutrition Facts panel for grams of saturated fat.
Don’t take MCT oil on an empty stomach. Like other oils, MCT oil may be mixed into beverages such as juice or milk, or into sauces, salad dressings, and other foods. Colorless, flavorless and odorless, MCT oil is easy to incorporate into dishes but won’t impart more taste. Because of its low smoke point, you shouldn’t cook with MCT oil in high heat. Wholesome fats for Keto diets include coconuts and unrefined coconut oil, avocados and avocado oil, nuts, nut and seed butters, flax seeds, hemp hearts, chia seeds, olives and cold pressed olive oil, cacao nibs, full fat Greek yogurt, fatty fish, whole eggs, butter, and cheese.
For a ketogenic diet that’s already based on an extremely high percentage of calories from fat, substituting MCT oil for other oils in cold food preparation may provide a slight body composition benefit. As an oral supplement, taking undiluted MCTs without food may not be tolerated. You’ll still need to incorporate healthy whole plant fats in your diet for essential fatty acids.
Sources