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You may have heard about sugar alcohols for sweetening and ignored them, if you didn’t want sugar or alcohol in your diet. The name can trick you. Sugar alcohols are a carbohydrate with a chemical structure that’s very similar to both alcohol and sugar, but it’s neither. They aren’t alcohol in the traditional sense and don’t have the ability to make you drunk. They act like sugar in your mouth and stimulate the taste buds the way sugar does, but don’t contain the calories.

Sugar alcohol isn’t digested easily.

Your body doesn’t digest sugar alcohols easily, so they can cause digestive issues if you consume larger amounts. Those problems can range from excess gas to explosive diarrhea. Sorbitol, mannitol and maltitol cause the biggest problems, while xylitol and erythritol cause fewer. However, xylitol can be dangerous for your dog. In fact, it can cause hypoglycemia and even death to dogs. So if Rover is in the habit of sharing your food, with permission or without, make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol. For paw parents that use peanut butter as a treat, xylitol is sometimes added to it. READ LABELS.

Not all sugar alcohols are natural.

Xylitol comes from the lab, but can also be from the bark of the birch tree, agricultural waste that occurs when processing wheat, maize or rice, or in small amounts from fruits and vegetables. The xylan polymers found in these sources are hydrolyzed into xylose. Xylose is then catalytically hydrolyzed into xylitol. Erythritol comes from corn that’s treated with enzymes and fermentation. Mannitol was originally made from the flowering ash and is used both in food products and as medicine. While most sorbitol is made from potato starch, it’s also found naturally in pears, apples, prunes and peaches.

There are some benefits of sugar alcohol over sugar.

Sugar alcohols have fewer calories, but taste almost as sweet as sugar. That can lower calories and help keep blood sugar regulated. When you eat it, there’s no immediate spike and sudden drop later. For that reason, it’s low on the glycemic index. It also is lower in carbs. It doesn’t feed the bacteria in the mouth like regular sugar does, so doesn’t promote carries. Xylitol is often used in toothpaste just for that reason.

• If you’re hunting for the healthiest sugar alcohol to use, opt for erythritol. It has minimal calories, doesn’t affect blood sugar levels, has less potential of digestive upsets and won’t hurt Rover.
• Sugar alcohols are considered more natural than artificial sweeteners, even though they go through a manufacturing process. Artificial sweeteners are chemicals.
• The amount of sweetness of sugar alcohol varies. Maltitol is about 75% as sweet as sugar, with Erythritol at 60 to 80%, mannitol at 50 to 70%. Isomalt from beet sugar is 45 to 65% as sweet, while sorbitol half as sweet and lactitol from milk 40% as sweet.
• Two key phrases will usually direct you to food made with sugar alcohol. The first is that the food is “sugar free.” Once you see that, look for the words, “Please Note: Eating too much can have a laxative effect.” Just read the reviews for sugar free gummy bears on Amazon and you’ll understand.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

Getting healthy involves more than just working out. It means you have to eat healthy. That includes not only the food you eat, but also what you drink. We can help you in both areas at Liv Fitness in Dublin, CA. Clients often ask whether they have to give up all alcohol and just how bad it is for you. The truth is, some types of alcoholic drinks are actually good for you. It depends on how often you drink and how much. Alcohol is high in calories and drinking too much can sabotage your diet, plus damage your liver and cause other negative health issues. What about moderate drinking, one drink a day? Does it matter what type of alcohol you consume?

Alcoholic drinks may be high in calories.

Having a small glass of wine with dinner may help relax you and help your digestion. It offers some health benefits, too. However, it’s also higher in calories. Some mixed drinks are even worse, since they have additional ingredients that are also high in calories. A frozen daiquiri or frozen margarita has between 500 and 700 calories. That can be devastating for your weight loss program. Although frozen daiquiris have no health benefits, the frozen margarita may have some, such as vitamin C from the lime, digestion aid and nutrients from the agave plant that’s the base for tequila could lower cholesterol, boost calcium absorption, increase insulin production and lower the risk of dementia. If you’re drinking a margarita and trying to stay healthy, make it just a shot of tequila with lime and salt on the glass rim.

The healthiest option is a glass of red wine.

The polyphenols in red wine help lower the risk of heart disease and help prevent both diabetes and high blood pressure. Polyphenols have both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that protect cells. Red wine has the most polyphenols, although beer and white wine also have some. The polyphenol in red wine is resveratrol that gives the grapes the red color. Red wine also contains a flavonoid called quercetin. It is also a powerful antioxidant.

Sticking with no more than one drink a day may help prevent diabetes.

While the heart healthy benefits of alcoholic beverages, particularly red wine, is often touted, there may be benefits to drinking alcohol. Several studies looked into whether drinking in moderation had an effect on the development of gallstones and type 2 diabetes. It seems that moderate drinking might be beneficial. Out of the 369,862 participants followed for 12 years, moderate intake reduced the risk of diabetes by 30%.

• One study showed that if tequila is 10% alcohol, it has the potential to kill pathogens such as E. Coli—Montezuma’s revenge—and even salmonella. A French study on cholera indicated those who drank wine were far less susceptible to the disease.
• If you’re trying to build muscle and lose fat, testosterone is beneficial. Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone and growth hormone levels, making it harder to gain muscle and lose weight.
• Having a pre-dinner drink may make you eat more. Studies show that people who had a soft drink or water consumed far fewer calories than those who drank alcohol.
• There is such a thing as a real beer belly. Pounds gained from drinking alcohol mostly accumulate in the belly. If belly fat is your problem, order a glass of water instead of a glass of beer or wine.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

At LIV Fitness in Dublin, CA, we provide personalized diets, but one thing they all have in common is that they contain three macronutrients, fat, protein and carbohydrates. Each diet is personalized, so the types of foods in these groups and balance of nutrients vary. Extra virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest fat, but are there ones that are equally healthy or even healthier? That’s particularly important for anyone that can’t consume olive oil or simply don’t like it.

Don’t freak out when you hear there’s fat in your diet.

Some people try to steer clear of any food that has fat and that’s absolutely wrong. Fats play an important role in a healthy diet, but not all fats are equally healthy. Healthy fats are necessary for many bodily functions. It’s why they’re one of the macronutrients. They help maintain good cholesterol and blood sugar levels, help prevent weight gain, decrease inflammation, improve brain functioning, improve liver health, strengthen bones, improve skin and aid sleep.

There’s more than one type of fat.

Fats are most commonly categorized by the length of their carbon chain, as in long, medium and short chain fatty acids and also by their chemical composition. They’re made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and are classified based on their carbon chain and the number of double bonds present, if any. Unsaturated fats: most polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and some saturated fats are good for you. Trans fats, a form of unsaturated fat that is now in its own category, is bad for you.

Which unsaturated fat and saturated fat is healthy?

Most unsaturated fats come from plants. They’re liquid at room temperature. Olive oil is one, but there are others. Avocado, nuts—almonds and pecans—and pumpkin or sesame seeds contain monounsaturated fat and are quite healthy. Sunflower seeds, flaxseed walnuts, fatty fish and canola oil are polyunsaturated. Omega-3 fatty acids, touted for good health are the polyunsaturated fats that are found in fish, walnuts and soybean oil. Saturated fat can improve brain, cardiovascular, bone, nervous system and immune health.

• Consuming a variety of fats can help you be healthier, as long as you don’t include trans fats. Eight to ten percent of your daily calories should come from sources of polyunsaturated fats. Just switching some of your saturated fat calories to unsaturated ones can improve your health.
• One study showed that switching your carbs to healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats increased the healthy cholesterol—HDL—and decreased the bad type—LDL.
• Beware of the “diet foods” that are low or no fat. The companies remove the fat, but they replace it with sugar, to make it more palatable. Sugar is far more unhealthy than most fats.
• Foods with healthy saturated fat include coconut oil, avocados, olives, butter from cows that are grass-fed, nuts and animals that are raised free-range and natural. The amount you need depends on your body.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

What are pre-workouts and are the worth the extra cost? That’s a question that many clients at Liv Fitness in Dublin, CA, have asked and the answer is simple. Preworkouts are commercially produced products that make getting the extra calories and energies you need more convenient. They’re a combination of protein and carbs to be consumed before working out that provide both the energy for your muscle tissue and a feeling of fullness so you don’t feel ravenous later.

The combination of protein and carbs are important for energy and building muscle tissue.

You could get the same benefit from eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or consuming cottage cheese and fruit before starting your exercise regimen. Using a preworkout is all about convenience. However, you also need to take precautions and read the label. While they’re geared for macronutrients, some contain chemicals, and some contain sugar. Others include vitamins, such as a B complex, while still others may have caffeine, both of which can enhance performance and boost metabolism.

Reading the labels are important for other reasons.

Some preworkouts contain lactose. If you’re lactose intolerant, that can make a difference in your comfort during a workout. Nobody lifts their best when they’re holding in gas or diarrhea. People with IBS need to avoid supplements with carnitine, inulin, creatine or artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners can also bloat others and cause explosive diarrhea. That’s not a good look in the gym.

Preworkouts aren’t regulated by the FDA and some are far better than others are.

The FDA doesn’t regulate preworkouts, so no matter what the label says, it might not be true. Third party groups organizations, like NSF or Informed-Choice certify the quality and purity of supplements. Look for preworkouts that have their certification on the label. Some preworkouts contain super foods, such as beets with high nitric oxide levels. Nitric oxide dilates the blood vessels to increase blood flow to every part of the body. It can increase your endurance, while reducing stress on the heart.

• If you have high blood pressure, tachycardia or digestive issues, avoid preworkouts with creatine or caffeine. Both can cause blood pressure and heart rate to increase, while increasing digestive upset.
• If you don’t have IBS or high blood pressure, creatine and caffeine can boost the body’s ability to build muscle tissue and build strength, while improving your performance in the gym. Make sure you drink extra water.
• Eating a healthy snack an hour to three hours before a workout and drinking a cup of coffee can get the same results most preworkouts provide. You’ll save money and have hunger more satisfied.
• A study in the International Journal of Exercise Science showed preworkouts only accounted for an increase of four to eight percent of strength. Supplements with caffeine gave the biggest boost in performance. It all gets back to coffee and a snack.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

You need warm up exercises to get your muscles warmed up and ready for a tough workout. These are low effort movements that you can do before you start your regular exercise program. Many are dynamic stretches, which gently warm the muscles. Dynamic stretches keep your body moving and unlike toe touching, aren’t held for long. Torso twists are one example. They also prepare your heart for a workout and improve your performance.

Reaching in all directions can help.

One of my favorite warm-ups is super simple. Just stand with feet apart wider than hip-width. You’ll do a propeller move, pivoting on one foot as you swing that arm across your chest and twisting your upper body and torso in that same direction. Then you do it with the other foot and arm. Standing in the same position, lean the body to one side, bending that knee as you do and stretching the opposite arm into the air at a diagonal to your body. Stretch as you make that move and repeat it using the other side.

Pacing is actually the start of a warm-up.

Anything that gets your circulation going is a good way to start. Jogging in place or simply pacing can be beneficial. Mix that pacing with something a little more difficult, like a walking lunge or lunge twist. Like the movement above it’s all about stretching your arms and twisting and you bend down into the lunge. You can do a side lunge and lift your opposite arm above your head and lean to that side, for even more benefit.

Mimic the exercise you’ll be doing, but on a far gentler level.

If you’re running, jog a bit at first. Use those muscles you’ll be using for running and do leg swings or leg pendulums. Just gently swing one leg and then swing the other. Follow that with quad stretches for a few seconds. If you’re lifting weights, warm-ups increase your range of motion, reduce the potential for injury and help you make more impressive and permanent changes. Warm the whole body with short jogs, jumping jacks, squats, push-ups or lunges.

Riding a stationary bike and then switching to arm circles can be an easy warm-up that will address all areas of your body. When you do arm circles, start with small circles in one direction and work toward larger ones, then change the direction of the circles.

Easy body twists can help warm core muscles. Stand with feet wider than hip-width and arms outstretched, at a 90 degree angle to the body. Twist the upper body from side-to-side.

If you’re doing explosive training, the quick bursts of energy of jumping jacks can be an easy warm-up that won’t stress the muscles. Explosive training maximizes your power in a short period of time.

When you’re doing warm-up workouts, start slower and easier, then work up to a faster pace and level of difficulty. Your initial warm-up should gradually move to more difficult and prepare the body for even harder moves of your workout.