Acai: Super Food or Super Fraud?

For years, the acai berry has been touted as a "miracle fruit" that will help shed unwanted pounds when taken as a weight loss supplement. But although the Amazonian fruit does contain many beneficial properties, including antioxidants, fiber and heart-healthy fats, it's not all that different than other antioxidant-rich fruits like blueberries, blackberries and red grapes. 

That's not stopping marketers, however, from continuing to make claims about the "super food" that have never been proven, such as the fact that it will help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol and boost your energy. In fact, Stephen Talcott, a biochemist and leading expert on the acai berry told the New York Times, "There is currently no scientific research to support a weight loss claim for acai fruit. Some companies are capitalizing on the fact that the acai berry is still mostly unknown to the broader public, and is sold as a miracle curative fruit from the deep, dark Amazonian jungle. It is doing nothing more than playing on consumer ignorance." 

That's for sure, as it's used in everything from diet pills to ice cream to skin care products. And make sure to check the ingredient list, because some items – including Snapple's Acai Blackberry drink – don't even contain the fruit at all. 

The truth is, acai is good for you. It's not going to hurt you. But it's also not going to be the miracle, cure-all fruit that marketers and scam artists would like you to believe it is. 

Ginkgo: Forget About It

For years, ginkgo biloba has been one of the most popular dietary supplements for brain health around. Ask my mother. For as long as I can remember, she would rarely leave the house without taking her "memory pills." Well, sorry mom, but you're going to have to find something else to keep that brain from aging. Because according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers have found no evidence that the herb reduces the normal cognitive decline that comes with aging. These findings come out just over a year after another study found that the herb doesn't prevent dementia and Alzheimer's either. 

My mom is not alone, however. Ginkgo has been used for more than 1,600 years to promote mental acuity, and Americans spent $107 million on the herb in 2007 alone. In its place, try exercising your mind a little by learning a new language or doing crossword puzzles. Like they say, if you don't use it, you lose it. 

How Sweet It Is

I'll admit it, I'm addicted to Splenda. Every morning I have a bowl of oatmeal with two Splenda packets mixed in. And many afternoons I enjoy a nice chai tea latte from Starbucks with another two. Not to mention all the sugar-free items I buy that are sweetened with the sucralose-based sweetener. 

I mean, no calories and 600 times sweeter than real sugar? Talk about having your cake and eating it too. But of course, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. 

Splenda, along with other artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin, have been under fire for years for possible health risks, and have been tested and tested and tested, with both good and bad findings. And when I interviewed West Palm Beach-based weight loss specialist Dr. Gloria Hakkarainen last week, she didn't have the highest opinion of sucralose (or any other unnatural sweeteners for that matter). She did recommend Truvia, which is an all-natural/no-calorie sweetener made from the stevia plant. While it doesn't quite satisfy my sweet tooth like Splenda does, I'm trying to get used to it. Doctor's orders. 

To the Xtreme: P90X

As I mentioned in my first post, I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of my P90X system to arrive. Well, it finally did, and I had the pleasure (and pain) of testing out my first two workouts this weekend. 

If you're not familiar with P90X, it's basically a set of 12 DVDs with different sweat-inducing workouts on each. And the theory behind its effectiveness is muscle confusion, "which accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus," according to the website. 

I did the Chest & Back workout plus the Ab Ripper X workout on Saturday, and the Plyometrics workout on Sunday. And damn, I am sore. The Chest & Back workout was mostly a combination of different push ups and pull ups (you can modify those with resistance bands), which was a challenge for me because I rarely do either of those exercises. And Plyometrics – a mix of jumps, lunges and cardio moves – was probably the most intense of all 12 DVDs and supposedly bridges the gap between speed and strength. The only downside I can foresee is that it might get a little bit boring working out alone every day for 90 days (I'm used to taking classes at the gym surrounded by others to motivate you), but hopefully host/personal trainer Tony Horton's cheesy jokes and non-stop banter will be enough to keep me entertained. I'll keep you posted. 

Have you tried P90X? I'd love to know your thoughts. 

Breast News I've Heard All Day

Have you ever heard of HALO? And no, I don't mean that dorky science fiction video game. I mean the HALO Breast Pap Test, which apparently is a preventative test that women can take to assess their risk of breast cancer. I had never heard of it before, so when I visited the offices of Dr. Gloria Hakkarainen in West Palm Beach yesterday (to interview her for a completely unrelated subject) and saw the funny-looking machine, I was interested in learning more about it. 

Dubbed the "pap test for the breast," the machine basically works like a breast pump of sorts, suctioning your breasts for about five minutes. If there is no production of "nipple aspirate fluid," or NAF, that means that you are at normal risk – not elevated risk – for developing breast cancer. If you do produce NAF, but there's no presence of atypical cells in it, then you are at slightly higher risk for developing breast cancer compared to someone who did not produce NAF. And if you produce NAF with atypical cells, this means that you are at an elevated risk for developing breast cancer. This does NOT mean that you have breast cancer or that you will develop it in the near future; however, you should be more vigilant and proactive in monitoring your breast health. 

While this test does not take the place of routine mammograms and breast exams, it's comforting to know that, as women, we have more opportunities for prevention than ever before. 

Learn more about HALO at www.paptestforthebreast.com. 

Gluten Free: Not Only for Celiac Sufferers

We recently wrote a piece on Celiac Disease for our May "Top Docs" issue, highlighting some of the little known facts about the autoimmune disorder. For example, did you know that even the tiniest amount of gliadin (the gluten protein responsible for the side effects in Celiac sufferers) can cause a severe reaction, including diarrhea, bloating or even anemia and osteoporosis due to vitamin deficiency caused by malabsorption? Yikes. 

And due to the increasing awareness of this disease, there has been an influx of gluten-free products hitting the market, including pastas, breads, cereal, baked goods and more. I should know, because although I am lucky enough not to have the disease, I do actually have a slight sensitivity to gliadin (as evidenced by the ALCAT blood test I took a few months ago through the Center for Medical Weight Loss, which tested my body's reaction to more than 300 foods, chemicals and other substances). 

When I found this out, I immediately hit up Whole Foods, which carries an extensive array of gluten-free products. And honestly, they're not half bad. My favorite is the Enjoy Life Soft-Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies (130 calories/4.5 grams of fat/2 grams of fiber for two cookies). But I'm always up for suggestions... 

Also, for more info on the ALCAT test, see Gold Coast's "Balance" page from the January 2010 issue, or visit the Center for Medical Weight Loss at www.cmwl.org.

Shifting Gears

I took a spin class last night for the first time in, I don't know, four years. And wow... I am feeling it this morning. (Who can get comfortable on those seats?!) But more than that, it quickly made me realize how important it is to switch up your workouts. I was getting bored with my standard kickboxing/jogging/weight training routine and wanted to add something new. But I never thought it would challenge me the way it did. I was out of breath around song number three, and it didn't help watching the pregnant woman to my right and the 65-year-old man to my left cruising along like it was a leisurely bike ride around the neighborhood. 

Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This certainly applies to your workouts. You'll never break through plateaus or achieve the results you want by sticking to the same routine. 

So here are a few suggestions on how to switch it up:

1. If you typically stick to cardio, try incorporating 2-3 days of weight training into your workouts. The more muscle you build, the more fat you'll burn throughout the day by doing nothing at all.

2. If you belong to a gym, take advantage of the variety of classes they offer (kickboxing, spinning, yoga, pilates, step, boot camp, dance, etc.). Try a different one each day to enhance muscle confusion. 

3. Change your playlist. Sometimes it's as simple as the music you're listening to that can affect your intensity. 

4. Timing is everything. If you're feeling tired and sluggish after work, your workouts will undoubtedly suffer. Try waking up early for a run before work and it'll leave you energized for the rest of the day. 

5. Turn it into a game. See how far you can run in five minutes. Or bring a friend along for some friendly competition. The more fun you make it, the easier it will be. 

Healthy Beginnings

As writers and editors, it's about time us Gold Coast magazine staffers hit the blogosphere. Each with our own area of "expertise," we plan to give you an array of information – sometimes useful, sometimes useless, but, hopefully, always entertaining. 

My personal passion is – and always has been – health and fitness. (I even lied about my age when I was 12 to join a gym – the minimum age was 13 – and have been a dedicated workoutaholic ever since.) Trust me, it doesn't show. But I'm trying... and will continue to do so until I find what works for me. And until then, I'll take you all along for the ride: testing products, trying new workouts (my P90X system is en route to my doorstep thanks to eBay), modifying my diet, etc. But mostly, I'll just be researching and learning more about the world of health and wellness like I always do (check out Gold Coast's "Balance" page every month), and sharing my findings with you in a more timely manner.

One such topic that's been on my radar for awhile now is the "glycogen window."  This is the "window of opportunity" after a workout where the body can convert carbs into muscle glycogen at two to three times the normal rate. I actually wrote about it in our "Balance" page last year, but have yet to truly test it out for myself. 

According to the expert that I interviewed – Jupiter-based ACE-certified personal trainer Kelly Hardersen – the window lasts for about 30 to 60 minutes after a strenuous workout, and we must eat high glycemic index foods that break down quickly during digestion. The Glycemic Index rates foods on a scale of 0 to 100, depending on how your body's sugar levels respond to the food. And when I heard the phrase "high glycemic index," I was immediately confused. Typically, we are told to stay away from high glycemic index foods such as white bread, soft drinks and candy bars because they increase the body's sugar levels rapidly, leaving you hungrier sooner. 

So my response to Hardersen was, "So what you're telling me is, if I eat a donut after my workout, it's actually beneficial?" Here's what she said: "Although I'd NEVER tell any of my clients to eat a donut after a workout, that's actually very close to the truth. A high glycemic carb really only has a place in our nutrition plan during this 30-60 minute window of opportunity post exercise. So, in fact, a bad carb becomes a good carb during this time frame." 

Hardersen recommends drinking a whey protein shake (liquids are digested much quicker than whole foods) with extra added dextrose (a type of sugar) after your workout. She suggests consuming somewhere between 0.25 to 0.50 grams of carbs per pound of body weight from dextrose (a 150-pound person should consume 35 to 75 grams). 

You can order dextrose powder online from Amazon.com and Bodybuilding.com, among other websites. As for the protein shakes, I've heard Myoplex is the "whey to go." (Get it??) But I'm open to suggestions. What do you think is the best/best tasting protein shake around?