Lose Weight

Life’s Simple 7: Lose Weight

Being overweight or having to much fat puts you at higher risk for many health problems that include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes. If you have too much fat especially if a lot of it is at your waist you are at even more of an increase for health problems. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone! More than 2/3 of our American adult population is overweight, with 1/3 of us in the obese category. Why are these statistics especially concerning? Obesity is now recognized as a major, independent risk factor for heart disease.

Why is it important to know your BMI?
Your BMI or Body mass index assesses your body weight relative to height. This measurement is useful because it takes your body composition and correlates that with the body fat in most people. If your body mass index is 25.0 or higher, you will benefit by bringing your number down below 25. If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, you are at significant risk for heart health problems. To calculate your own BMI visit:

Every extra pound matters!
Have you ever walked around with a 5 pound weight attached to you for day? Now imagine carrying around a 30-pound weight in your purse or briefcase all day! That would be quite a strain on your body! Well the fact is that if you are already overweight by 5 pounds you are putting your body through that every single day! When you shed extra fat and unnecessary pounds, you reduce the burden on your heart, lungs, blood vessels and skeleton. Just losing one pound or even one percent of body fat allows your body the gift of active living by lowering your blood pressure and helping yourself to feel better!

TNT’s tips to loss the weight and keep it off:
· Know your calorie needs
· Know and understand your healthy BMI
· Maintain regular physical activity (30 minutes/day)
· Use a food journal to track your meals and calories


To learn more about this Life’s Simple 7 Lose Weight tip and others go to http://www.mylifecheck.org/ and for more information about how TNT can create your own Nutritional Plan visit http://www.tntgetfit.com/

Manage Blood Pressure

Life’s Simple 7: Manage Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is the single most significant risk factor for heart disease. By keeping your blood pressure within your healthy range, you in turn reduce the strain on your heart, arteries, and kidneys which aid in a healthy life.

What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, means the blood running through your arteries flows with too much force and puts pressure on your arteries, stretching them past their healthy limit and causing microscopic tears. When this happens the natural defense of our body is to kick into injury-healing mode to repair these tears with scar tissue. However, the scar tissue traps plaque and white blood cells which can form into blockages, blood clots, and hardened, weakened arteries.Here’s how to maintain a healthy blood pressure range:
-Reduce your risk of overstretched or injured blood vessel walls-Reduce your risk of blockages which also protects your heart and brain-Protect your entire body so that your tissue receives regular supplies of blood that is rich in the oxygen it needs

Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mm Hg systolic AND less than 80 mm Hg diastolic or <120/80. Remember high blood pressure is also known as the silent killer. Sometimes you can’t FEEL it until it is too late so be sure to have your blood pressure checked regularly.

Here are some of TNT’s tips on modifying your lifestyle to maintain a healthy diet
-eat a heart-healthy diet, reduce you sodium intake
-enjoy regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight
-managing stress, limit alcohol, avoid tobacco smoke

To learn more about this Life’s Simple 7 Manage Blood Pressure tip and others go to http://www.mylifecheck.org/ and for more tips from Total Nutrition Technology visit http://www.tntgetfit.com/

Eat Better

Life’s Simple 7: Eat Better

A healthy diet is one of your best weapons for fighting cardiovascular disease. Eating a heart-healthy diet helps to improve your chances for feeling good and staying healthy! However, recent studies show that more than 90% of us fail to consistently eat a heart-healthy diet. Our poor eating habits mean more of us have risk factors for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity. Below are some tips to help you start and maintain your own heart healthy diet!

What makes up a Heart Healthy Diet?
Foods low in saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars, and foods high in whole grain fiber, lean protein, and a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Eat nutrient rich foods such as; vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. It’s also important to cut back on; partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, cholesterol-eat less then 300 mg/day, sodium-eat less then 1500 mg/day.

How important is eating and maintain an healthy diet?
If you are frequently skipping out on veggies, fruit, low-fat dairy, fiber-rich whole grains, and lean meats including fish, your body is missing the basic building blocks for a healthy life. Most of the time these essential nutrients cannot be found in hamburgers and french fries! Healthy foods are the fuel our bodies use to make new cells and create the energy we need to thrive and fight diseases. Maintaining a healthy diet is essential to living a long and healthy life!

Here are some of TNT’s tips to simple steps you can do to maintain a healthy diet:
· Stock your kitchen with healthy foods, take part in TNT’s pantry makeover sessions
· Track what you eat!
· Focus on eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods
· Eat more fish! Try to eat fish at least two times a week
· Cut out saturated and trans fat foods, cut back on added sugars
· Enjoy your meals! Take the time to savor each bite of your meal!

To learn more about this Life’s Simple 7 Eat Better tip and others go to http://www.mylifecheck.org/ and for more tips from Total Nutrition Technology visit http://www.tntgetfit.com/

Control Cholesterol

Life’s Simple 7: Control Cholesterol

When it comes to controlling your cholesterol the most important fact to always remember is Small steps can create BIG change! Eating right, exercising regularly, reducing stress, quitting smoking and knowing your family history are key facts to gaining control of your cholesterol.

What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a soft, fatty-like, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells. It's normal to have cholesterol. Cholesterol comes from two sources: your body and food. Your body makes about 75% of blood cholesterol. The other 25% comes from the foods you eat.

LDL cholesterol is commonly known as the “bad” cholesterol. When too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can clog arteries, which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. LDL cholesterol is produced naturally in the body, however many people inherit genes that cause them to make too much. Eating saturated fat, trans fats and dietary cholesterol can substantially increase the amount of LDL that is produced in your body.

What should my cholesterol be?
Total blood cholesterol is the most common measurement of blood cholesterol. Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). A cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher puts you in a high-risk category and is cause to take action.

TNT’s quick and easy steps to lower your cholesterol
· Schedule a screening with your primary care physician
· Eat foods low in cholesterol and saturated fat and free of trans fat
· Maintain a healthy weight
· Stay physically active

To take My Life Check or to learn more about this Life’s Simple 7 Control Cholesterol tip and others go to http://www.mylifecheck.org/. For more information and/or cholesterol tips visit Total Nutrition Technology http://www.tntgetfit.com/

Get Active

Life’s Simple 7: Get Active

One of the seven steps outlined in the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 program is Getting Active.
You may be thinking, “I do not have anytime left in the day to get active.” When you see the words GET ACTIVE, we are talking about as little as 30 minutes a day! On average there are 31 days in a month that is equal to 44,640 minutes per month. Surely you can find 30 minutes a day for some “Get Active” activities! The fact of the matter is the benefits of exercising will always outweigh the sacrifices that it takes to get in that 30 minutes a day. The American Heart Association makes it a very simple equation: Physical activity = living a longer, healthier life. On http://www.mylifecheck.org/ you can find out why getting active is so important and get tips on how to increase physical activity.

Here are a few tough love tips from TNT:
-Stop making excuses, there is an activity out there that you are sure to love!
-Remember physical activity is anything that makes you move your body and burns calories…even dancing around your house!
-Get a buddy or make exercise a family affair to motivate you!
-Take part in the AHA’s Heart Walk on September 17th

Don’t you think it’s time to start giving yourself the gift of living well with good health?

To take My Life Check or to learn more about this Life’s Simple 7 Get Active tip and others go to http://www.mylifecheck.org/ and for more information about Total Nutrition Technology please visit http://www.tntgetfit.com/

TNT, American Heart Association and Life's Simple 7!

TNT is partnering with the American Heart Association (AHA) and focusing on Life’s Simple 7, the AHA’s program that allows you to achieve excellent cardiovascular health by keeping seven factors in check! As a result of this partnership, we at TNT thought it would be great to discuss AHA’s recommended Heart Health tips! Over the next seven days we will break down each of Life’s Simple 7 and share our knowledge with you! Remember no matter where you are in life, it’s never too late to make better health choices. All you need is a goal, a plan and the desire to live better. Let TNT and AHA help!

To learn more about this simple step and others go to http://www.mylifecheck.org/ or for more information about TNT visit www.tntgetfit.com

Vitamin D Deficiency

By Diane Smith

Vitamin D deficiency of children and adults has become a hot topic of conversation recently. Vitamin D deficiency appears to be an increasingly prevalent, but largely unrecognized problem. Unborn babies and children who are vitamin D deficient have an increase chance of growth retardation and skeletal deformities. These children may also have an increase risk of hip fractures later on in life. Adults who are vitamin D deficient can form osteoporosis (decrease in bone density) which may cause osteomalacia (softening of the bone) and muscle weakness. A decrease in bone density may eventually lead to fractures.

Humans get vitamin D from sunlight, diet and dietary supplements. UVB radiation penetrates the skin and converts 7-dehyrocholesterol to pre-vitamin D₃; it is then rapidly converted to vitamin D₃. Through physiological processes vitamin D₃ is converted to the active form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D). Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption which aide in maintaining blood calcium levels. Calcium has many important functions, one of which is maintaining strong bones.

Signs and symptoms of Hypocalcemia (low levels of calcium)

· Paresthesias (numbness, tingling, prickling, or burning) in lips, tongue, fingertips, and/or toes

· Fatigue

· Anxiety

· Muscles painful, achy, progressing to cramps or spasms

· Lethargy

· Poor appetite

· Mental confusion

· Cardiac arrhythmia

Vitamin D has other functions in the body such as; changes in cell growth, neuromuscular, immune and reduction of inflammation.

Populations that are at a greater risk of vitamin D deficiency are; elderly, obese individuals, exclusively breastfed infants, those who have limited sun exposure, people who live in an environment with long winters, and people with dark skin. New studies suggest that low levels of vitamin D are associated with cardiac diseases, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cancer.

The new Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) listed for vitamin D levels is 800 IUs. You can get significant amounts of vitamin D through sun in less than 10 minutes or you can get vitamin D in dietary foods.

Selected Food Sources of Vitamin D
IU = (International Units)

· Cod Liver Oil, 1 Tbs. (1,360 IU)

· Salmon, cooked, 31/2 oz (360 IU)

· Mackerel, cooked, 3 1/2 oz (345 IU)

· Sardines, canned in oil, drained,3 1/2 oz (270 IU)

· Eel, cooked, 3 1/2 oz (200 IU)

· Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D fortified, 1 c (98 IU)

· Margarine, fortified, 1 Tbs. (60 IU)

· Cereal grain bars, fortified w/ vitamin D, 1 each (50 IU)

· Pudding, 1/2 c prepared from mix and made with vitamin D fortified milk (50 IU)

· Dry cereal, Vitamin D fortified, 3/4 c (40-50 IU)
* Other cereals may be fortified with more or less vitamin D

· Liver, beef, cooked, 3 1/2 oz (30 IU)

· Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is present in the yolk) (25 IU)

Vitamin D levels can be checked by your doctor through a blood sample. Are you deficient??

Vitamin D Levels

· Deficient <20 ng/mL

· Insufficient 20-29 ng/mL

· Optimal range 30-50 ng/mL

*Vitamin D can be expressed as nmol/L. (1 nmol/L = 0.4 ng/mL)

For more information visit www.tntgetfit.com and Follow us on twitter and facebook