Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Nutritional Myths at the Firehouse (or any house)

Today I wanted to post about nutrition, more importantly on some of the biggest nutritional myths floating around firehouses (and other houses).  Eat this, don't eat that...there is so much misinformation on nutrition that it can get to be overwhelming and frustrating.  Take a look at 4 of the biggest nutritional myths, hopefully they can clarify some things for you.


Myth #1
“Eat fewer calories and you will lose weight.”
The Truth:
Low calorie diets completely damage your metabolism and never result in long term weight or fat loss.. As a trainer I routinely heard clients say “But I barely eat all day and I still can’t lose weight!”.  Starving yourself results in a loss of muscle mass, which results in a slower metabolism, which results in weight and fat gain.

The truth is that it’s more important where your calories come from. Just simply reducing your calories may result in no weight loss and leave you tired and hungry all day.  I recommend logging your food every once in a while to make sure you are eating the right amounts of the right foods.

Myth #2
“Eat Low-Fat to Lose Fat”
The Truth:
Low Fat foods have made Americans even more overweight and unhealthy than they were before the low fat craze. The truth is the only way to lose fat is by eating fat. Yes, you heard me right. If you are not eating the right kind of fat, your fat loss is literally impossible. The right fat intake will turn your body into a fat-burning furnace (and that is not an exaggeration).  

Low fat foods also have a ton of chemicals and sweeteners that are not only toxic but cause you to crave more food.

Myth #3
“Low Carb diets are the fastest way to lose weight”
The Truth:
Low Carb diets never work long term and they make you feel miserable in the process. Most people on low carb diets suffer from headaches, muscle aches and a lack of energy.  Carbohydrates bind with water in your body, when you cut them out of your diet, your body flushes the water out of your system.  This results in a rapid weight loss but not one that is sustainable.  Worst of all, as soon as you put anything that even resembles a carb back into your body, you blow up like a balloon.

Myth #4
“Supplements are the only way to lose weight”

The Truth:
You don’t need anything but the right foods and the right plan to achieve your perfect weight. This is the biggest money making scam in the world today: companies selling you worthless supplements with false promises. The truth is, without the right nutrition principles and without the right foods, no supplement will have any positive effect on your body.  If you don't have a solid nutritional foundation supplements will be a complete waste of money!
In order to finally lose weight and completely change the course of your health, you must forget all of the worthless information that is in the media today. If any of these above statements were true, our country (and our industry, click here for obesity statistics in firefighters)  be so overweight and unhealthy?

So, should you eat?  I think the best thing to do is follow this one simple rule when it comes to nutrition:
"Only Eat whole foods with ONE ingredient."

That's it.  The reason why one ingredient whole foods are the best for you is that they contain zero processing and zero artificial ingredients that have been linked to increasing inflammation and body fat accumulation.  


Eating healthy in the firehouse isn't the easiest thing to do.  It takes discipline and an avoidance of the kitchen (or whatever place in the firehouse where all the goodies are).  Obviously, it is impossible to avoid the kitchen entirely but it is possible to lean out the firehouse.   Cooking for a group of hungry firefighters is not easy-- if you don’t cook something tasty you will hear about it from your crew...for a long time.  The goal of this e-book is to provide some guidelines (and some recipes) on how to cook and eat healthy in the firehouse (and at your own house) to keep you lean and “fit for duty.” 
--Six easy to follow guidelines
--Fire house shopping list
--Example meal plans
--Healthy snack ideas that are easy and quick to prepare
--Healthy Recipes

Friday, February 15, 2013

Essential Exercise to Get Fire Rescue Fit

Balance, coordination, power, strength, cardiovascular recovery....all essential fitness traits of the "fit for duty" Fire Rescue Athlete.   If you are a Fire Rescue Athlete (or not) you need to plan your workouts to address each of these traits.  One of the most overlooked is balance and coordination.  As a trainer I get asked how and when is the best time to train for balance?  As a firefighter I get asked why do I need to train for balance?  The last thing you want to happen as you climb a ladder or lift a patient is to lose your balance; this often leads to injury or possible death.  


You can easily modify current exercises to challenge your balance by changing your stance (going from two legs to one), standing on a balance board or BOSU, changing your angle of movement (incline or decline), and/or using a stability ball instead of a stable object.  Another option is to add single-leg exercises into your active rest.  Take a look at the video below, I think the single-leg squat touchdowns is one of the best exercises for improving balance and coordination on the fire ground. 

Click on the video below

Try to incorporate this exercise into your workout.  I like to perform a dumbbell deadlift (click to see this exercise) then as an active rest I will try to perform 8-12 reps each leg.

Give it a try!
Stay safe and Healthy,
A Zamzow


Hey if you need a little motivation check out "Motivational Mondays" on the Fire Rescue Fitness Facebook Page (click here).