Good Mood Diet Articles

Proteins, carbs, vitamins, minerals, water, and fats. Of the six primary classes of nutrients, which is the most critical for growth, muscle development, and health? If you guessed water, you’re right!

It is hard to say enough good things about water. Water is the most abundant compound in the human body, making up about 60 percent of the body weight in adults. It fills virtually every space in cells and between them. All biochemical reactions occur in water, and water is an active participant in those reactions. From energy production to joint lubrication to reproduction, there is no system in your body that does not depend on water.

But with all the obvious importance of water, it appears that most of us aren’t drinking enough. Nearly one-third of the U.S. population is walking around slightly dehydrated. “So what?” you ask. “What’s the big deal about being slightly dehydrated?”

A voluminous problem

Just about everyone knows that you can get pretty sick and even die from severe dehydration. But the fact is that chronic, mild dehydration – a constant 1 to 2 percent deficit of body weight caused by loss of fluids – can have a measurable effect on mental and physical performance, muscle growth, and even long-term health.

Water and your muscles

Since muscles are nearly 70 percent water, even a small loss of fluid will affect their function. Muscles are controlled by nerves. The electrical stimulation of nerves and contraction of muscles occurs due to the exchange of electrolytes dissolved in water across the nerve and muscle cell membranes.

• If you’re low on water or electrolytes, your muscle strength and control are weakened.
• A water deficit of just 2 to 4 percent of your body weight can cut your strength-training workout by as much as 21 percent, and your aerobic power by a whopping 48 percent!

If gaining muscle is your goal, then you should care about cell volumization, or the hydration state of your muscle cells. In a well-hydrated muscle cell, protein synthesis is stimulated and protein breakdown is decreased. On the other hand, muscle-cell dehydration promotes protein breakdown and inhibits protein synthesis.

Cell volume has also been shown to influence genetic expression, enzyme and hormone activity, and metabolic regulation.

Water and your body fat

As you mobilize your stored fatty acids to burn off as energy, you release any fat-soluble toxins that have been benignly stored in your fat cells. The more fluid you drink, the more dilute the toxins in your bloodstream, and the more rapidly they exit from your body.

When your goal is losing body fat, water is your friend.

• Drinking an adequate amount of water can help take the edge off hunger so that you eat less. And water has no calories.


• If you are on a high protein diet, water is required to detoxify ammonia, a by-product of protein energy metabolism.

Water and your brain

When it comes to peak mental capacity, whether at the office or in competition, your hydration state will affect your performance. In a study of subjects’ abilities to perform mental exercises after heat-stress induced dehydration, a fluid loss of only 2 percent of body weight caused 20 percent reductions (as compared to their well-hydrated state) in:

• Arithmetic ability


• Short-term memory


• The ability to visually track an object

Kidney stones, cancer, heart problems

Probably most surprising is the effect that chronic, mild dehydration has on health and disease. It was a practice of Hippocrates to recommend large intakes of water to increase urine production and decrease the recurrence of urinary tract stones. Today approximately 12 to 15 percent of the general population will form a kidney stone at some time.

Many factors can modify the urinary risk factors for developing stones.

• Of these, diet – especially fluid intake – is the only one that can be easily changed and that has a marked effect on all urinary risk factors.

Several studies have discovered a direct correlation between fluid intake and the incidence of certain cancers.

• Studies in Israel, Great Britain, and the United States have observed that the more fluid that people drink, the lower their risks of bladder, prostate, kidney, testicle, renal pelvis, ureter, colon, and breast cancers.

In some of the studies, a decrease in cancer risk was specifically associated with water intake.

• A study in Seattle Washington showed that women who drank more than 5 glasses of water a day had a 45 percent decreased risk of colon cancer, versus those who consumed 2 or fewer glasses per day. Men had a non-statistically significant reduction of cancer by 32 percent when they drank more than 4 glasses a day, versus 1 or fewer glasses a day.


• Although the data are preliminary, a pilot study in Great Britain found that the risk for developing breast cancer was reduced by 79 percent among water drinkers when adjusted for all other related factors.

Mild dehydration can also be a factor in the occurrence of mitral valve prolapse.

• In a study of 14 healthy women with normal heart function, mitral valve prolapse was induced by mild dehydration, and resolved with rehydration.

Your fluid plan

Contrary to our drive to eat, our drive to drink is not as keen. Our thirst mechanism doesn’t kick in until we are already mildly dehydrated.

When you’re working out moderately in a mild climate, you are probably losing 1 to 2 quarts (2 to 4 pounds) of fluid per hour through perspiration. That means that a 150-pound person can easily lose 2 percent of their body weight in fluid (3 pounds) within an hour. If exercise is more intense or the environment is more extreme fluid, losses will be greater. You can see how easily you become dehydrated.

• If you don’t replenish your fluid losses during exercise, you will fatigue early and your performance will be diminished.


• Without fluid replenishment after exercise, your performance on successive days will decay, and your long-term health may be at risk.

Design a fluid plan just like you plan your food. To cover your minimum intake, make sure you drink non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages all day, as follows. Since alcohol and caffeine can promote water loss, make at least 5 of your beverages water.

• A couple cups when you get up in the morning


• A few more cups mid-morning


• A couple cups at lunch


• Two more in the mid-afternoon


• Two more at dinner

Then add what you need to be well hydrated before, during, and after exercise.

Monitor your hydration status. One of the easiest ways is to check your urine; it should be relatively odorless and no darker colored than straw. Anything darker is a good sign that you are dehydrated and need to be drinking more.

Don’t get caught empty-handed

Many factors increase water requirements, including high heat, low humidity, high altitude, exercise, dieting, illness, travel and pregnancy.

• Carry water and fluids with you as a constant reminder to drink.
• Freeze fluids in water bottles to keep them cold during long-distance exercise.
• Remember that fruits and vegetables are great sources of water.

And whoever is driving you to drink, tell them “thank you!”

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Symptoms of dehydration

Early signs	Severe signs
Fatigue Loss of appetite Flushed skin Burning in stomach Light-headedness Headache Dry mouth Dry cough Heat intolerance Dark urine with strong odor	Difficulty swallowing Stumbling Clumsiness Shriveled skin Sunken eyes and dim vision Painful urination Numb skin Muscle spasm Delirium

Fluid intake guidelines

• Drink a minimum of 1 quart (4 cups) of fluid for every 1,000 calories you eat every day.
• Drink at least 5 cups of water every day.
• Fluids should be cool.
• For moderate exercise that lasts an hour or less, water is sufficient for replacing lost fluids. If you like flavored drinks better, then use flavored beverages.
• For intense exercise that lasts less than 1 hour and exercise lasting more than an hour, carbohydrate-electrolyte sport drinks are best.
• Drink 2 cups of fluid 2 hours before exercise.
• Drink 4-6 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise.
• After exercise, drink 16-20 ounces (2-2½ cups) of fluid for every pound of body weight lost during exercise.

The reaction to listing trans fats on food labels has created a revolution in the food industry. If you look at the nutrition facts label on the back of most packaged foods, you’ll see a big zero beside the trans fat column, except for several stragglers in the frozen food, snack food and popcorn categories. If trans fats were so pervasive in the food supply before the labeling legislation, what are the food manufacturers using to replace it in the list of ingredients?

More importantly, are the trans fat alternatives better, or worse for our health, than the original?

Trans fat primer

Just in case you’ve been living on the moon for the past few years and you’re not sure what the big deal is about trans fats, here’s a quick lesson. Unlike other fats in our food supply, trans fats are mostly artificial. A very small percentage of trans fats are actually found naturally in meat and dairy products, but the mother - load of trans fats are manufactured in the laboratory through the process of hydrogenation. This process changes a healthy liquid vegetable oil into a partially saturated fat.

These fats were created as alternatives to butter and lard in processed foods, removing the saturated fats found naturally in those foods. The trans fats maintained the same flakiness, crispness and taste imparted by butter and lard, and at the same time increased shelf life by reducing rancidity. They were a miracle boon to the world of packaged foods and restaurant fare.

In 1993 Dr. Walter Willet of the Harvard School of Public Health questioned the impact on health that artificially manufactured trans fats might have on the American public. Research that he conducted at that time showed that the more industrially produced trans fats you ate, the higher your risk of heart disease. Except for the consumer watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest, few people paid heed to Dr. Willet’s findings. The explanation at the time was that trans fats just weren’t that prevalent in the food supply; they were found mostly in margarines.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Current research on trans fats shows that they are at least as bad, if not worse, than butter and lard in promoting heart disease. Until the labeling law went into effect last year, trans fats were almost ubiquitous in our food supply, and heart disease is rampant. Huge serving sizes and overeating of fast foods, fried foods and snack foods haven’t helped the situation any. The solution to the abundance of trans fats in the food supply was to require their listing on the nutrition facts labels of all packaged foods. With the negative press and public opinion weighing on their shoulders, food manufacturers took rapid flight from the use of trans fats and are racing to find an alternative.

The race is on

So what is in the food that we’re eating now that trans fats are out? Well, first you should know that up to .49 grams of trans fat can be in a serving of food that is labeled as 0 grams of trans fat.

Some manufacturers have just reduced the portion sizes of their foods to meet the zero trans fat threshold.

Others have removed some proportion of their trans fat ingredients (but not all) and replaced it with mixtures of other oils.

Many manufacturers are using the tropical oils: palm, palm kernel, and coconut oils, which are saturated vegetable fats, as replacements for trans fats. They can mimic many of the food chemistry attributes of saturated fats like butter. Historically, nutritionists have guided consumers away from these saturated oils, but there is some speculation that because these come from plants, and not animals, their saturated fat content may not be as bad as we thought. The jury is still out on that one.

New chemically rearranged fats are also on the market and are big news in the industry. Called interesterified fats, the fatty acids are shuffled on each fat molecule in the laboratory to create partially saturated fats. Just like hydrogenation, interesterification produces some molecules that are rarely, if ever, found in nature.

In a recently published study from Malaysia in the January 15th issue of the online journal Nutrition & Metabolism, researchers found that the interesterified fat that they tested had significantly more negative effects on blood sugar and cholesterol levels compared to a trans fat or palm oil. The study received wide press coverage. Many scientific experts, however, have argued that the design of the study was flawed. They claim that the study was funded by a Malaysian palm-oil-industry group, that the researchers conducting the study all had financial ties to the industry group, and the volunteers were employees of the organization. The goal, say experts, was to create the illusion that palm oil is the healthy alternative when compared to interesterified fats or trans fats.

The interesterified fat used in the study was more highly saturated than a typical fat that would be used in place of trans fats by the food industry. Additionally, the trans fat was less hydrogenated, containing fewer trans fats, than one typically used in food processing. In fact, some industry scientists say that in past studies, interesterified fats have had more healthful effects on cholesterol than have trans fats. I’m not sure that’s saying all that much. So the jury is still out on this one, too.

The high-tech agricultural industry is getting in on the race, too. With genetic alteration through selection and interbreeding, more stable oils could be cultivated. These might be derived from soy, corn, sunflower and other domestically grown crops. Genetic engineering is also a possibility for creating entirely new crops.

Who wins?

Right now we don’t have a clue about the health risks associated with any of the trans fat alternatives. Many feel that the tropical oils are the best option; others feel that interesterified fats hold the most promise.

The fact is that something is already replacing the trans fats in packaged foods. But not only packaged foods. Restaurants in NYC have had to make their menus trans fat-free. Nationwide, the Starbucks chain has required all its bakeries to meet the requirements for zero trans fat labeling. In all likelihood, unless you only eat fresh, unprocessed foods at home, you are already eating foods using the trans fat alternatives.

Who wins? In my book, it’s the food manufacturers. A whole new industry of processed oils is being reborn. New products will be created that will be more palatable with the new oils. And it will be another decade or more before anyone notices whether these oils are healthy or harmful. Either enjoy being a guinea pig, or reduce your use of packaged foods and fast foods.

As always, the most healthy alternatives are fresh, whole foods from a trusted source.

The misconception of "lower abdominals" is still alive in gyms, on TV shows and in fitness magazines. Talking about and thinking that there really are muscles known as “the lower abdominals” is prevalent in school Phys Ed classes, personal training sessions and group exercise classes. It’s commonly heard but it’s just not true. There is no such muscle and therefore there is no need to make up exercises to strengthen it. Let it be heard loud and clear! You don’t need to work out, isolate or even strengthen your “lower abdominals” to attain a "flat stomach" or to strengthen your core!

The phrase “lower abdominals” implies that there is an abdominal wall muscle that is lower than the others. This is anatomically false. Just glance at any abdominal chart and you’ll be able to see that each of our abdominal muscles have attachment sites on the pubic bones (right there at the bottom of your jean’s zipper). None of them is any lower than the others.

Some think the words “lower abdominals” merely refers to the lower half of the central abdominal muscle, the rectus abdominus. The problem with thinking the lower portion of a muscle’s fibers are a separate muscle is that this implies the lower half of a muscle can contract without its upper half being affected. This is impossible due to the structural construction of our skeletal muscles. Read on to understand why this isn’t possible.

To understand the abdominal muscles, it is vital to understand the basics of all skeletal muscles. A muscle has at least two ends. These ends attach directly, or by way of a tendon, to at least two separate bones. Each muscle crosses at least one joint. When the muscle contracts, it either causes the joint between the two bones to flex (bend) or causes them to extend (straighten). One end of the muscle, referred to as its origin, is usually stable and doesn't move. The other end, called the insertion, usually moves when the muscle contracts.

Full range-of-motion is recommended

The meaty part of the muscle is made of fibers that stretch from the origin to the insertion. The long fibers in the abdominal muscles go from the origin (on the ribs and xiphoid process) to the insertion site (on the pubic symphysis). A concentric contraction (concentric means “toward the center”), done during curl-ups or sit-ups, is performed as the two ends move closer together. For full range-of-motion to occur on each repetition of the exercise, the muscle relaxes and allows its two ends to move as far apart as possible to regain its resting length. The next contraction happens from this length and is referred to as being done from its full range-of-motion. It’s considered a basic principle of good exercise performance to do all strength building exercises (including those for the abdominals) by going through a full range-of-motion.

The all-or-nothing principle of muscle contraction

The two ends of the rectus abdominis (the main abdominal muscle on the center front of your belly) move toward each other when the muscle fibers contract or one end can hold still while the other end moves toward it. They may switch duties, or they both may move toward the middle. But the entire length of the muscle fiber is always involved no matter which end is mobile. You can not isolate the muscle’s contraction into just one half the length of the muscle.

The “all-or-nothing principle” pertains to the length of a muscle fiber, not to all the fibers of a muscle. One fiber may contract while a nearby fiber does not, but the fiber that is contracting is committed along its entire length. A muscle fiber cannot contract along only half its length.

Imagine a stretched rubber band representing the rectus abdominis. As the rubber band shortens to its resting length, the entire band is involved in the shortening process. This is similar to the way the muscle contracts along its entire length. For one end of the muscle to move, it must be pulled upon from the anchored end at the origin site. Hence, the lower end of the abdominal muscle cannot contract without affecting the rest of the length of fiber.

Spot reducing

Exercisers have been led to believe that exercises for the “lower abdominals” are those that make the bottom end of the abs move or at least feel the pain of exercise (for example: when the hips lift and the ribs remain stationary on the floor). This makes you "feel" the exercise below the waist where most people store most of their abdominal fat. Exercisers gladly try to feel the exertion near this fat storage spot because they believe in spot reducing. They believe that if the pain is near their detested fat pad that fat will be targeted and made to reduce. This dangerous misconception perpetuates the belief that you need to feel pain to gain the effects of exercises.

If “spot reducing” is inherently linked to lower abdominal exercises, then the entire concept is incorrect. Different exercises move either one or both ends of the rectus abdominis, but that movement does not mean the fat above it is being used to fuel the movement. Nor does it mean one particular end of the muscle is going to be strengthened or tightened more than the other. There is no need to switch emphasis of which attachment site is held stationary on any other muscle group to cause directed fat loss. Doing a variety of abdominal exercises is nice and may prevent boredom and fatigue that makes you stop exercising before very many calories have been burned, but the variety is not essential. A full range-of-motion is the best way to strengthen the muscle. A stronger muscle is firmer, harder or tighter. A stronger muscle has a higher metabolic rate and will use more calories daily, even during rest.

It's time to be cognizant and to apply these basic exercise principles to our abdominal wall workouts and stop taking exercise advice from poorly trained “trainers” who pass on erroneous gym talk about "lower abs."

Experts advise us to perform at least four different abdominal exercises to give enough variety to stimulate each of the four pairs of abdominal muscles (none of which are the “lower” abdominals). I'll share my favorite abdominal strengthening exercises in my next article.

Eat right and exercise regularly!
Alice Lockridge

OK, pop quiz time: Which selection at McDonald’s has more calories, salt and fat: Two Big Macs or a large chocolate shake?

If you answered two Big Macs, join Dr. Harold Goldstein. He got the answer wrong too and he is executive director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy or CCPHA.

"I have a doctorate in public health, and I failed this quiz," said Goldstein to the Reuters news service. "Common sense does not help ... who would think that a large chocolate shake at McDonald's has more calories than two Big Macs?"

Apparently, not a lot of us. The California public health organization commissioned a new poll that posed the Big Macs-shake question to more than 500 respondents, along with three other questions about items on menus at Chili’s, Macaroni Grill and Denny’s franchises. Not a single person answered all four questions correctly, and two-thirds of participants didn’t get a single one right.

Not one. And this is among people living in California, which is considered a more health-conscious state than most.

Here’s the Denny’s question: Which meal has the least number of calories, salt and fat:

• Ham and cheddar omelet


• chicken-fried steak and eggs


• three slices of French toast with syrup and margarine


• three pancakes with syrup and margarine

So much for being "good" with the margarine. Chicken-fried steak and eggs had the fewest number of calories, salt and fat among the four breakfast options.

Less than one percent answered three of the four questions correctly. That’s four people out of 500-plus.

Dr. Kleiner commented, “While [chicken-fried steak and eggs] is NOT a healthy choice compared to homemade cereal and eggs, this study is a great demonstration of what happens to foods in a restaurant kitchen. Without a nutrition facts label, there's no telling what's in the food.

Restaurant chains like Denny’s and McDonald’s have voluntarily posted nutritional breakdowns of menu choices on their Web sites in recent years. But food activists such as Michael Jacobson at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest (http://www.cspinet.org/) contends that consumers need to most see that information when it’s time to order.

"Many people would make different choices if the restaurants listed the calories, salt and fat," says Jacobson. "And then the restaurants would make adjustments."

Jacobson’s point is: hey, splurges are OK. Just recognize them, which, by the evidence of the California poll, is not as apparent as it might seem.

One number for which those California respondents scored high: Eighty-four percent said they would welcome laws that require restaurant chains to post nutritional information on menus or menu boards.

In the Good Mood Diet, Dr. Kleiner and I were intent on presenting an eating plan that "traveled well." Here are some of Dr. Kleiner’s tips for dining out and staying in the Good Mood range:

• Don’t start on the breadbasket until other food comes to the table.


• Share appetizers and order your salad with dressing on the side.


• Ask for meat and fish sauces on the side.


• When ordering pasta, choose the red sauce.


• Split desserts for the table.


• Think combinations of meat/fish, veggies and grains.

Dr. Kleiner also has Good Mood choices to fit into a hectic, fast-food sort of day. She likes Subway the most.

"Choose a six-inch sub or wrap," she says. "To increase protein, ask for a double serving of meat, especially if you are working out regularly. Skip the mayonnaise, but do have the olive oil and load up on the veggies."

For her part, Kleiner skips the sodas (me too). But she sees the baked potato chips as the occasional splurge item.

"I pack nuts or fruit from home to supplement a Subway sandwich on the run," said Kleiner, "but the baked chips can be on the special treat list."

Bob Condor