Get your Crossfit on!

Bodycomp has been busy lately with Crossfit body composition challenges. Although your percent fat and muscle mass are not the only measurements of fitness and athletic performance, they definitely play a big role. We all require a certain amount of fat to stay healthy and perform well, but excess fat above the essential levels mostly just slows you down and elevates your risk of disease. This is why we are happy to be involved with Crossfit Bodycomp challenges.

We are going to be performing follow-up scans on 75 fitness keeners at Crossfit.ca (clark & 2nd ave, Vancouver) from December 6th-9th with prizes going to those individuals with the highest percent gain of muscle and also to those with the best percent reduction in body fat.

We also have a January challenge starting with the fine folks at Crossfit BC Yaletown. This challenge will be in a similar format but with 6 months between the baseline and the final scan. This will allow for some more dramatic transformations and prevent people from trying to beat the contest with short term changes. Good body composition requires regular visits to the gym and a consistent diet. We'll be getting started in Yaletown in early january - check in at crossfitbc.com for all the details.

Street racing Vancouver style

This is really more of a rave than a post. This Canada Day I spent my third year in a row at the Yaletown Grand Prix. It’s a criterium racing event that has teams of amazing cyclists using strategy and pure power ripping around an historic section of the downtown core. The event is primarily sponsored by Haywood Securities but there are beer gardens and Mini Coopers a plenty and the entire area around the track has a street party vibe to it.

I think this is the sort of event that Vancouver is going to become more and more famous for. It brings out our best collective behavior cheering on racers in a sport most of us don’t know nearly as much about as hockey, however, Vancouver breeds an incredibly diverse and skilled group of cyclists, not to mention a pretty wild unicyclist as well. The whole event also managed to raise a significant bit of coin for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Vancouver.

The Men’s race was dominated by team Symmetrics with Svein Tuft of Langley taking the first pass over the finish line. The Women’s cat 1/2/3 had a much wider spread among the teams, with Total Restoration Cycling’s Gillian Moody taking first place for the women. Now I’m not saying that we should all abandon the road hockey completely when we’re celebrating the birthday of our country in the sunshine, but I think the Yaletown Grandprix Canada bash is a pretty sweet option for us high density dwellers.

So if you didn't have a chance to make it this year, come and take a look for us next year and see how your body composition stacks up against some of Canada's finest.

Google Maps Pedometer lets you measure your walks runs and rollerblade sessions

I've been playing with the Google Maps Pedometer mash-up a fair bit lately. It allows you to use a google maps interface to track the distance of your walks and other urban treks to get an idea of how far that afternoon jaunt really was. It's also useful for runners in training trying to find new routes that allow them to cover a specific distance. You can find the page here:

www.gmap-pedometer.com

The page also lets you save your work and share the results with other people. You can take a look at my rollerblading route from my apartment downtown, down Georgia Street and into Stanley Park and then back up from English Bay for a sweaty spin up the Hornby Street hill.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1971257

Feel free to post your favourite Vancouver route in the comments.

TopTen Antioxidant Rich Foods

We hear of the many benefits of antioxidants, but which foods provide the best sources and how can we increase the use of them in our daily diet....

Top 10 Antioxidant Rich Foods :

10. Raspberries
9. Prunes
8. Blackberries
7. Artichokes (cooked)
6. Cranberries
5. Blueberries (cultivated)
4. Pinto beans
3. Red kidney beans
2. Blueberries (wild)
1. Small red beans (dried)

Small red beans! Who knew? The small red bean looks like a kidney bean - same colour and shape - except that it's (you guessed it) smaller. It's sometimes identified as a Mexican red bean, but it's grown in Washington, Idaho, and Alberta, Canada.

The list was determined by USDA nutritionists who published the study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. J. Agric. Food Chem., 52 (12), 4026 -4037, 2004.

Raw chocolate and goji berries are two foods that are extremely rich in antioxidants but were not evaluated for the study cited above.

Tip to increase the antioxidant levels in stir fries and soups: Make bean cubes. Process leftover beans with a little vegetable broth in a food processor until it forms a thin paste. Pour into ice cube trays, and then use the frozen cubes to thicken soups and sauces.

Tip to use Goji berries - add a small handful of dried goji berries to your bottled water. After a few minutes they will soften and can be chewed easily as you enjoy your aqua.

And remember berries, fresh or frozen, make excellent additions to smoothies - a favourite on the go, morning meal.

New friends, old friends

You can tell that spring has finally arrived in Vancouver. Those silly little dogs shed their blankets and the urban camping crowd switches to lighter weight sleeping bags. The runners stop looking like locomotives with steam surging from their lungs, and the rollerbladers are venturing out onto the recently dried pavement. Sweeeeeeet spring.

Bodycomp is getting out to some new locations but we're also looking forward to hanging out with some old friends. We just had a scan session for the John Braithwaite Centre in North Van. Thanks to Rob and Jen for getting us up there - we'll be happy to return in the future.

We're heading back to Body & Soul at Alma and 10th on Monday, May 28th - I'm sure we'll measure some impressive body composition results as a result of everyone having trained hard for the Sun run.

The following weekend we are heading back to North Van to the BFIT Personal Training studio on Fell Ave. - we've got some drop in spots available so give me a call if you are in the neighborhood and want to arrange for a scan. We'll be there from 9am-3pm on Sunday May 4th.

We're back to Vancouver the following weekend on Saturday May 10th working with the fun people at Enerchanges. Bookings are being handled through their front desk so give them a call if you want to book a scan or check out their cool facility.

I hope everyone is enjoying getting back outside and working hard in the sun. See you soon.

Body Composition: The most important measurement in your quest for a better body

Ruth and I feel very strongly that high precision body composition measurements, especially serial measurements, play an important role for trainers as they assist their clients in both athletic as well as weight reduction goals. We also appreciate hearing from others that are passionate about the roles of muscle and fat mass in sport, aging and health.

The following is an excerpt from a recent article written by one of our local partners, Craig Bymoen. Craig is the CEO and founder of Edu-Fit Personal Training and trains out of Vancouver, B.C. He can be reached at www.edu-fit.ca

This is because muscle is a metabolically active tissue that will aid us in our quest to rid ourselves of excess adipose (fat) tissue. Muscle burns calories to move your skeleton through space as well as maintain itself. Muscle mass is a contributing factor for the improvement of musculoskeletal health and the enhancement of
movement capabilities.(Murcell, 2003) So we must pay close attention to the amount of muscle that our bodies possess.
During our lifetime our bodies will accrue a specific amount of muscle related to the activities we partake in on a daily basis, the type of nutrition we consume and also genetics. We need this muscle in order to be able to carry out our day to day activities for the remainder of our natural born lives. And in fact, our bodies will already do us a big disservice by losing some of this muscle as we age if we don’t use it. The process has come to be known as sarcopenia or age related muscle loss. In John Berrardi’s book The Metabolism Advantage, he states that, “Researchers have determined that, starting between the ages of 25 and 30, most people will lose roughly 5-10 pounds of muscle with each decade of life.” A recent study in The International Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that, “This can mean a loss of 20% of your total muscle between the ages of only 40-60.” To further compound the situation Berrardi states, “The average person who becomes less active and consequently loses muscle will experience a 20-25% reduction in 24 hour metabolism (measured as the amount of energy your body burns in a 24 hour period) by age 65.” He then goes on to note that, “Scientists have estimated that the RMR (the part of your metabolism that accounts for 60-75 percent of all the calories you burn each day) is highly dependant on muscle mass. In fact, 75-80 percent of your RMR is determined by your muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the higher the RMR. The less muscle you have the lower the RMR.”

You can read the full text of the article at the following link.
Body Composition: The most important measurement in your quest for a better body
by Craig Bymoen of edu-fit.ca (PDF)

A is for Avocado...

I've always loved the creamy texture of avocados but I admit that I used to feel guilty when I enjoyed them... well guilt be gone, I will eat my avocado and enjoy every tasty bite guilt free.

Now I'm sure that some of you know why I felt guilty eating this common Californian fruit, but if you don't understand it's because of the ridiculously high fat content of this tasty treat. Actually avocado shares the dubious distinction of being the fruit with the second highest fat content; the highest being olives! Now most of us have come to accept that olives, or more specifically olive oil, is a healthy choice, but avocados have not grown to the same acceptance in some peoples minds.

Let's look at some fast fun facts about the appropriately nicknamed "butter pear".... avocados have about 10 grams of fat per 100 grams, and they also boast a very high amounts of beta-carotene, avocados are sodium and cholesterol free and on a per weight basis they have 60% more potassium than bananas! So there are a lot of positives about the avocados but some still wonder why they should choose an fruit with fat when nature has made most of the fruits fat free.

Like with olive oil and nuts, we are learning that there is a place in our diets for the right kinds of fats. Medical science has studied avocados because of their very high levels of MUFA's (mono-unsaturated fatty acids). One of these MUFA's, oleic acid has been shown in recent studies to decrease a woman's risk of breast cancer. And there are benefits for the guys too. "In a laboratory study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, an extract of avocado containing these carotenoids and tocopherols inhibited the growth of both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells."

In another recent study published in the March 2005 Journal of Nutrition, scientists looked at the absorption of carotenoids from vegetables when eaten with and without avocado. There are significant increases in the bodies ability to absorb the carotenes, luteins, and lycopenes present in other components of salads and salsa when avocados are present. Lycopene absorption was increased by 4.4 times and luteins absorption was 15 times higher when avocado was ingested as part of the study control meals. So eating a little avocado along with other vegetables and fruits is an excellent way to improve your body's ability to absorb carotenoids while also receiving other nutritional-and taste-benefits.

Now for those avocado virgins out there who want to give these fatty fruits a try here are a few suggestions for use... Add a few diced cubes of a creamy avocado added to your salad and reduce or eliminates the need for a salad dressing or try a little mashed avocado and diced tomatoes eaten with your scrambled eggs is a wonderful taste treat to start your day. So enjoy this creamy green fruit in moderation as a healthy addition to your diet.

Ahh, Avocados - they are a good thing, enjoy then guilt free!

Snack ideas for busy people

Ever have one of those days when you know your going to be busy all day (ever have a day when you don't??) Don't rely on grabbing snacks on the run, plan ahead and pack healthy treats to energize you through the day. Some of these snacks can be kept on hand just in case the day gets a little crazy - I like to keep some almonds in the glove box of my car along with a power bar or two so that if I get caught short and don't have time for a proper lunch I can refuel on something healthy. Here are ten ideas for healthy snacks...

1. Almonds (or any nuts)
2. Grapes and Cheese string or cubes
3. Apple slices with peanut butter
4. Hard Boiled Egg
5. Celery sticks with peanut butter
6. Dried fruit – raisins, apricots, figs, dates
7. Cucumber slices with cream cheese
8. Pumpkin seeds
9. Oranges, Bananas, Apples or any single serving fresh fruits.
10. Popcorn (air-popped)

I have often heard financial advisers (especially during RRSP season) say that if you fail to plan then you are planning to fail. Apply this knowledge to your snacks. Don't just rely on picking something up from the local convenience store. Even with the best of intentions - I will just run in and buy an apple and some peanuts - we are often sidelined by the smells and sights of the fast food world. Avoid temptation - plan ahead. Keep healthy snacks in the fridge at home and remember to stash a few non-perishable items in your desk at work or the glove box of your car. The next time your stuck in traffic, on the way to the grocery store and your stomachs a growling you'll be thankful for those pumpkin seed!

Got any healthy packable snack ideas to share. Respond with a comment....

Health Benefit from Pets

All too often we take Fluffy or Fido for granted. We complain about having to clean the litter box or take them for their evening walk but in reality we should be grateful for their existence as it has been documented that pets are beneficial to our health.

One study found that dog ownership increases the odds for survival in persons who have had a heart attack from 1 in 15 to 1 in 87. And cat owners, don't feel left out, a study of 4,400 Americans, age 30 to 75 found that the risk of heart attack was cut by one third if you owned a cat. Stoking a pet has been shown to reduce your risk of having a stroke too! People with pets have been found to have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels when compared to people who did not have pets, even when matched for weight, diet, and smoking habits.

Along with the measurable benefits such as lowered blood pressure and heart rates, there are the immeasurable benefits of companionship. Just having another heartbeat around the house has been shown to keep seniors healthier and happier. It has also been documented that seniors with pets make fewer visits to the doctor than those without a pet. Many nursing homes as well as some psychiatric facilities have resident pets to keep the spirits of their occupants up.

So yes, they take from you - they need food, shelter, love and attention but whatever you give to your pets you get back in benefits to your own health. So go give Fluffy or Fido a big hug for helping to keep you healthy and happy.

Exercise instead of Insulin for Diabetics

I came across this article on Science Daily, Weight Loss More Effective Than Intensive Insulin Therapy For Type 2 Diabetics. and it grabbed my attention. Why are so many doctors prescribing drugs and health care plans paying for medical treatments that are just adding to the problem? (I'll leave the topic of why many health care plans, universal as well as private, in many cases will pay for expensive medications but will not assist with payments to gyms or personal trainers to those individuals willing to put in a little sweat equity to reduce their risk to another day - but I'll give you a hint, pharmaceutical companies and big money!)

Type 2 diabetes is a scary disease. It is the number one cause of blindness in the 20 to 74 yr old age group. Up to 20% of diabetics will develop kidney disease, many will require daily dialysis or a renal transplant to survive. Heart disease and stroke risk is significantly increased in those with insulin resistance. About half of the amputations done in the USA are a direct result of diabetic neuropathy. And there are many more medical complications which I have not listed.

While it may not possible for all diabetics to avoid complications or get off their medications entirely, a great many diabetics could reduce their risks and decrease their medication requirements by loosing weight. Sounds easy doesn't it! Well, I tell you it is not. Loosing weight is never easy and it becomes more difficult in those with insulin resistance. But this study showed that giving insulin dependant type 2 diabetics higher amounts of insulin just drives the fat molecules into the cells increasing the damage to those cells. “Giving more insulin to an insulin-resistant patient is akin to raising the blood pressure of a patient with high blood pressure to overcome resistance to blood flow. Instead, you would try to reduce the resistance”.
So what is an overweight diabetic to do? Well while it is not easy, loosing weight is a must. It comes down to calories in vs calories out. Making smart choices in food consumption is essential, and a regular exercise routine is a must. Even a small decrease in body weight, as little as 5%, has been shown to decrease the risk of complications in diabetics. It might not be easy, but the hard work would be well worth the efforts if you are facing the prospect of taking a drug that studies have shown will only make the problems worse in the long haul.

Five surprisingly healthy activities

Too often when we think of the words fitness, we picture ourselves slogging away at repetetive motions at the gym or going out into the cold am hours before work for a run. Now those activities can be beneficial to overall fitness, but they don't exactly inspire grins and giggles. Instead, let's look at five activities that are great for the body and actually lots of fun to participate in.

Snow shoeing
We're pretty lucky to have the North Shore mountains in such close proximity to our downtown core. Often we just think of them being the playground for skiers and snowboarders, but snow shoeing is increasing in popularity in Vancouver for a few good reasons. First of all, it is budget friendly. With a trip skiing coming to nearly $100 these days with rentals, $15 for snow shoe rentals or $120 for purchase is a pretty good value. Pack a sandwich, grab a couple of friends and head on up to Seymour Provincial park for a little anti-city therapy. You can snow shoe in the ski resort for a small fee or head up the steep hill into the BC Parks Backcountry Access area for free. Despite the chilly temperatures, you can work up a good sweat fast, so remember to wear wicking layers of cloths and bring lots of water. Conditions can change rapidly on the mountain so be sure to have some safety equipment with you such as a flashlight, extra food and cloths and be sure to let friends know exactly where you are going to be in case you don't end up back at home when you said you would be.
Onto the caloric expenditure - this can vary wildly as it depends upon the speed, inclination, body mass and condition of the participant as well as snow conditions and other variables, but tends to range from 350-1000 calories per hour according to the American Hiking society. That's a pretty good burn for a calming walk along serene snowy trails. In addition the activity is low impact and builds both strength and endurance. So remember, chances are that if it's raining around Vancouver, it's a beautiful day up on the hills. Estimated burn: 600 cal/hr x 2.0 hrs = 1200 calories!

Lunchtime walk
This one should be a no-brainer but it is so easy to let it slip by. Most of us get at least a half hour for lunch - it doesn't really take that long to eat a sandwich or some day old pizza does it? Why not eat lunch quickly and slip outside for a 20 minute jaunt, or longer if you have it. It will help you feel energized for after lunch, burn a few calories, and maybe even help you avoid some annoying workplace gossip. Hey Peter - did you hear who Sam hooked up with this weekend? Nope, I was out having my lunchtime walk. See, it couldn't be easier to stay fit and avoid workplace nonsense. Estimated burn: 172 cal/hr x 0.5 hrs = 86 calories

Rollerblade the Sea Wall
Another benefit of living in Vancouver is access to all of the paved pathways for walking, running, cycling and my favourite - inline skating. Now this might lead you to think of tourists clumsily falling down, scraping their knees and requiring taxi rides back to the rental place. Once one becomes more comfortable on the eight wheels of death, there are considerable fitness benefits to be realized. Inline skates help you develop muscles along the entire length of the leg as well as the lower back and because of the smooth rhythmic stride, there is very little joint impact.
Caloric expenditure can range significantly depending upon speed, inclination as well as the efficiency of the skater but a moderate rate should burn about 570 calories per hour and high speed interval skating burns about 900 calories per hour. Just please mind the tourists.
Estimated burn: 900 cal/hr x 1.5 hrs = 1350 calories!

Night out dancing
This is one of the activities that is rarely considered to be a fitness oriented event, however, if you stick to water rather that beer or cocktails it can produce a reasonable burn. Dancing caloric usage also varies wildly based upon the type of dancing and the intensity, but it seems to average about 150 cal/hr for relatively high intensity forms. Let's say that you go out with your friends at 10pm and dance for most of the four hours until closing with a few 20 minute breaks (for water only!) we can see some great benefits.
Estimated burn: 150 cal/hr x 3.0 hrs = 450 calories!

Nookie
And I thought the estimates of caloric burn varied wildly with the other activities.... let's just say that this was the most fun to research. The variability is due to multiple factors - there is minimal hard research showing precise burn - most values are based upon estimates from other sport activities. Additionally, body weight, duration, intensity and style all contribute to the variation in numbers. But really, if you are going to be just sleeping otherwise, any late night expenditure is better than just resting, and unless you are the type that craves a sandwich afterwards, you are likely to enjoy cumulative benefits if you and your partner participate regularily. Columbia University produces some values based upon a 175 lb person engaging in the carnal sport for 30-45 minutes. Their values are higher than those quoted in "The Handbook for the Carnally Curious" of just 100 calories per session, but you can see the difficulty involved in making precise measurements.
Estimated burn: 400 cal/hr x 0.5 hrs = 200 extra fun calories!

Portion Distortion - How aware are you?

Fast food restaurants have influenced our lives in many ways. Most noticeably we are consuming more calories without thought due to convenience and portion size. Twenty years ago a portion of fries in a fast food restaurant was about 2 ¼ oz and weighed in at just over 200 cal. Today, most fast food restaurants sell a portion of fries that is almost 3 times the size by weight (about 6 ½ oz) and a whopping 600 calories. And the soda pop that you order with those fries has grown too. Soft drink portions have grown from about 8 oz to mega cup sizes that now range up to 32 oz! While consuming four times the volume of soda pop you are consuming 4 times the calories. And soda pop calories are considered empty calories – meaning there is little or no nutrient value with those calories. They are all sugar!

Most of us need a reminder of what constitutes a portion. Of course a portion or single serving varies depending on the food or beverage being consumed. Here are some simple guidelines for assessing the quantity of food being served.

VEGETABLES AND FRUIT

1 cup of salad greens = baseball

1 baked potato = your closed fist

1 med. fruit = baseball

½ cup of fresh fruit = ½ baseball

¼ cup of raisins = large egg

GRAIN PRODUCTS

1 cup of cereal flakes = your closed fist

1 pancake = compact disc

½ cup of cooked rice, pasta, or potato = ½ baseball

1 slice of bread = cassette tape

MEAT AND ALTERNATIVES

3 oz. meat, fish and poultry = deck of cards

3 oz. grilled/baked fish = checkbook

2 Tbsp. peanut butter = ping pong ball

DAIRY AND CHEESE

1½ oz. cheese = 4 stacked dice or 2 cheese slices

½ cup of ice cream = ½ baseball

FATS

1 tsp. margarine or butter = 1 dice

Knowing what constitutes a portion will make it easier to control the calories you consume. Most of us have been fooled by the portion distortion of restaurants and have come to consume a much greater number of calories that we really need. By paying attention to the amount of food you put on your plate or for making a conscious decision about how much to leave for a “doggie bag” when in a restaurant you will be well on your way to cutting back your calories.

Give it a try, size up your meals using the guidelines above and see how well you avoid portion distortion.

Is it worth it to buy organic?

I like good food. I like to cook. I even like to shop for groceries. I can honestly say I love going to the market in the summer months when the tables are overflowing with colourful, earthy smelling, fresh produce. When fruits and vegetables are from local suppliers I usually opt for local over organic. Unless of course we can get locally grown organic produce. Local is generally cheaper, fresher and by buying local I am helping to sustain our local economy. In the winter months, when produce has either been cold stored for months, or trucked up from warmer climates I pay more attention to my organic choices. Storing or shipping foods often necessitates the use of pesticides to help keep the products looking fresh even though they are weeks old. (I'll leave the topic of GMO for another day!)

Price is always a factor, but quality comes first. I have come across organic lettuce that was full of bug bitten holes - not very appetizing! Likewise limp or bruised product doesn't appeal to me whether it is organic or not. I will pay more for fresh looking, fresh tasting produce. I admit that I probably eat more fruits and vegetables in the summer months when my choices are more variable. By this time in the winter I am getting tired of apples and bananas have become a staple for breakfast on the go. Sadly I have worked my way though much of my supply of local frozen organic blueberries that I stashed away during the peak season last year. These tasty morsels I use in my smoothies! Bring on the warmer weather - I need a fresh fruit fix! But I have digressed... back to the question of is it worth the extra cost to buy organic.

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.S. government pesticide test results, researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., have developed the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables, above, that they say you should always buy organic, if possible, because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides. They cost about 50 percent more — but are well worth the money."


The “Dirty Dozen”: Must-buy organic foods are:

Fruit

• Apples
• Cherries
• Grapes, imported (Chili)
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Strawberries

Vegetables

• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Potatoes
• Spinach

Hopefully this has given you some insight into when to spend a little more for your produce.

Before I leave this topic I just want to add a few things about buying organic meats and poultry. I discovered a few years ago that when I bought hormone-free, free range chicken that I ate less to feel the same degree of fullness. This is not just my imagination. The regular supermarket chicken has been plumped up with hormones and often injected with water prior to being sent to market. The water adds weight to the chicken but does nothing for it's flavour. If you compare a highly processed chicken breast to a medication free chicken breast you will notice that the medication free breast is darker in colour - if there is any visible fat it is a deeper yellow. Why pay for water. Choose the free range chicken and enjoy a smaller portion. I have found the same to be true of organic beef. Try it and see if you notice the difference.

Canada Food Guide

Just over a year ago, Feb 2007, Canada's Food Guide was updated. This was the first update in more than 14 years and there are many advantages in this new rendition. Among the most significant change to the new guide was sex and age specific recommendations. Portion size is also addressed. Grains, which had held the top position in the pyramid have now taken second place to fruits and vegetables. As well they recommend eating a variety of foods. The guide is based on a rainbow where green represents fruits and vegetables, yellow is for grains, blue is for milk products and red is for meat and alternatives. The recommendation is that you eat foods from a variety of the different colors at each meal to make the meal complete. Another advantage of the new guide is the inclusion of what constitutes portion size. For many people eating a relatively healthy diet but still unable to loose weight, portion control is often the missing element. The guide gives you a range of how many servings for each food group as well it defines exactly how large a serving is for many popular foods.

Some the tips in the new Guide are:

• Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day
• Have vegetables and fruit more often than juices
• Enjoy vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt
• Have vegetables steamed, baked or stir-fried instead of deep fried
• Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often
• Eat at least two servings of fish each week
• Select lean meat and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat or salt
• Include a small amount - 30 to 45 mL (2 to 3 Tbsp) of unsaturated fat each day.

A personalized guide can be accessed online at: http://27099.vws.magma.ca/mfg_p01_e.php?javascript_enabled=0.
it takes about 5 minutes to work through the program. You choose a variety of foods that you like to eat from each of the different food groups, as well you pick from selected physical activities and the program will produce a printout of Canada's Food Guide customized for you. Print out the pdf and put a copy on the fridge to remind you each day to make healthy, balanced choices.

While many tend to think of Canada's food guide as something taught to children in elementary school, the updated guide in particular provides good information for all of us needing a review of how to eat healthy.

Bodycomp helps you manage your health risks

It seems that barely a week goes by without seeing a new article on the front page of the paper associating too much fat with a host of nasty diseases. It is not a new concept that carrying excess fat is not beneficial to ones health, but what is shocking is the sheer number of types of cancer being associated with too much fat, specifically in the abdominal region. Unfortunately, the mechanism behind the link of too much fat and increased cancer risk is not entirely understood. However, as Dr. David Lau, professor of medicine at the University of Calgary and president of Obesity Canada says, "the leaner we are, the better off we are in terms of health status".

That is a pretty convincing statement that the scientific community associates reduced body fat with reduced risk. Of course, there are lower limits in the healthy range of percent body fat, but a very small number of our clients have a percent fat that approaches this lower level of safety. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that men maintain a minimum of five percent body fat and that women maintain a minimum of fourteen percent body fat. Although we do on occasion scan individuals that are close to these lower limits, the bulk majority of our clients are trying to reduce their fat mass for reasons of health, performance and aesthetics and they do not have immediate concerns regarding this lower limit.

So we have a clear understanding that too much fat is dangerous for our health despite a lack of a clear understanding on why this is. The good news is that a bodycomp scan is one of the most accurate and easy methods of measuring the amount of fat on your body. We have a saying at Bodycomp "What gets measured gets managed". It is a simple concept - to assess change and reduction, we need an accurate tool to provide the measurement. Traditionally, people have been hopping on weigh scales to measure their weight - the pull of gravity upon an individual's fat mass, but also upon their muscle and bone tissue. This is not the best way to measure risk as it doesn't differentiate between the weight of the healthy tissue versus the unhealthy tissues.

A bodycomp scan measures the grams (or pounds) of fat, lean tissue and bone individually. A follow-up scan several months after beginning a new fitness regime or making some some sensible changes to your diet can provide the required measurements that lets you see what is helping to reduce your health risks and what is not. So come and get bodycomp'd - it's a great measure of your personal risk, and an even better measure of your personal change and successes.

Statisticians rely on BMI, why YOU should not!

It is not uncommon for your doctor to do a little simple math with your height and weight and come up with a risk factor or recommendation for you. The equation behind the BMI is straightforward:

BMI = Weight in Kilograms
(Height in Meters) x (Height in Meters)

The results are interpreted based on the table below:

BMI	Weight Classification
Less than 18.5	under weight
18.5 – 24.9	normal
25 – 29.9	overweight
30 and above	obese

There are some positive features of BMI: it is cheap, easy to perform and used in many large studies. But it doesn’t always tell the real story. BMI is used in large research trials which deal with populations – but you are an individual. What applies to a group may not apply to a single entity. An example of this is to look at the BMI of two very different males. They are both 5’10 and 190lbs with a BMI of 27.3 –overweight based on their BMI. One of these guys lifts weights on a regular basis; the other’s idea of exercise is to hoist a beer. In short, one is muscular while the other carries more fat. BMI does not take lean muscle mass into account. Having a higher than average muscle mass results in a BMI that suggests overweight or even obese in healthy active people. BMI can also classify a slim, inactive person as being healthy when in fact they have very low muscle mass and a higher than average fat mass.

So, if BMI doesn’t tell the story, how do we assess health risks? Answer: Get your body fat measured directly. A DXA total body scan provides not only a value for the % body fat, but provides the actual number of grams of lean mass, fat mass and bone mass in the body and in select areas within the body. If you want to know how you as an individual measure up get tested – if you’re just wondering where you fit relative to a population of thousands, then BMI is the tool for you.

To read more about why we should not rely on BMI read: "When Determining Who's Fat: Is BMI bunk?

To learn more about Bodycomp's DXA total body scan visit our website: www.bodycomp.ca

Who gets Bodycomp'd?

Our clients come from a variety of backgrounds and a very diverse set of reasons for wanting a scan. The serious weekend athletes are usually quite aware they are in a fit healthy range for their body fat values but they like to know how they measure up against others in their sports, or sometimes they just want assurances that their body fat hasn't gone up too much from their more youthful days. Clients that come to us through personal trainers or gyms often use the DXA scan as a tool with which to monitor their progress. Along with feeling better, running longer or faster, lifting heavier weights, and recovering quicker - all very admirable changes from a new workout routine - clients often want a number of how things have changed. A Bodycomp scan provides numbers. There is the percent fat number, there is the grams of lean, fat and bone mass numbers, there are the ratios of fat in the different area numbers. Some people are very analytical and like numbers. It is very encouraging to have a set of numbers showing exactly where the changes have occurred. The scale might tell you that you've lost 3 kg of "weight" - the Bodycomp scan could show you that you've lost 5 kg of fat and gained 2 kg of lean mass! These are much more encouraging numbers. It is for this reason that another group of people come to us to get scanned. They are actively working on weight loss. Many diet programs make claims of how much and how fast you can lose weight. For many of us who have done the yo-yo dieting for too many years have come to realize just getting the number on the scale to drop is not always enough. We want assurances that we are actually loosing fat mass and not lean muscle tissue. With significant weight loss it can be expected that there will be some lean tissue loss, but the majority of the weight loss needs to be from fat. Maintaining lean muscle mass while loosing weight keeps your resting metabolic rate high and allows you to consume more calories per day, but more importantly it helps you feel healthier and more energetic.

So our clients come in all ages and sizes, but with a common desire which is to get their numbers. What would motivate you to get scanned? and what could it motivate you to do?

My first post

Welcome to the Bodycomp Imaging blog - a little outlet for Ruth and I to share some of what is going on with us and our company. We are happily expanding into new gyms, community centres and private bookings so this is a way to keep tabs on us and find out what we've been up to.

We are also looking forward to sharing interesting papers, video and links that have to do with fitness, nutrition, body composition techniques as well as bone health and other medical and fitness issues. Please jump in and participate in the discussion via the comments field for each post. Talk to you soon,

-peter