The Best Nutrition Advice for Firefighters

Today I wanted to piggy-back on my post about inflammation and heart disease (keep the comments and emails coming).  I know that in health and fitness sometimes the best results are obtained from the simplest advice.  So here goes, in my opinion the absolute best thing you can do to lose weight, get healthy, or live a life full of energy is to eat by this ONE RULE:

“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. One of these common ingredients is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).   HFCS is a man-made sweetener that is 20 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). It is mainly found in soft drinks and fruit juices. Americans as of 2001 were ingesting on averaging 63 pounds of HFCS per year!  The health implications to consuming HFCS are that it has been shown to raise triglyceride levels,which are a precursor to heart disease. Elevated triglyceride levels are related to high insulin levels which promotes fat storage, inflammation and is a precursor to Type II Diabetes.  Obviously you want to avoid HFCS along with other processed ingredients.

Another reason to  stick to one ingredient foods are that they are the most naturally nutrient packed, which provides you with the maximum enzymes, nutrients, and energy to fuel your body with.  Plus, they are satiating and are the exact foods nature intended us to eat.  Some of the best ones in the grocery store don't even have a label... (keep in mind that if the food doesn’t have a label on it that’s usually a dead give away that it's probably a one ingredient whole food.)  So next time you are preparing a meal at the firehouse or for you family, try to include one ingredient foods and stay away from the processed ingredients.  Once again, read your labels and consume more water while decreasing your intake of soft drinks and fruit juices.

I you are looking for more healthy recipes along with great guidelines to eating healthy in the firehouse, get my FREE SOPs to Eating Healthy in the Firehouse.

Stay Safe and Healthy,
A. Zamzow

Firefighter Fitness- Combating the Obesity Epidemic in Firefighters

This is scary...We need to change.

Rates of overweight and obese individuals in the fire service are higher than those found in the general public, according to a new study.

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Researchers looked at the body composition of both career and volunteer firefighters across the nation, with overweight and obesity rates ranging from 73 percent to 88 percent.  About two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese on a general, national level.   The research demonstrates that a large percentage of firefighters do not meet minimal standards of physical fitness, according to the study conducted by the NVFC National Volunteer Fire Council-- "Addressing the Epidemic of Obesity in the United States Fire Service" looks at the impact of obesity, the scope of obesity in the fire service, and why obesity has become an epidemic.

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The report also adds that "as firefighters gain more weight, research has found that cardio respiratory fitness plummets and the risk of cardiovascular disease increases."  "There is solid evidence that suggests physical fitness is related to job performance and the performance of simulated firefighting tasks (e.g., hose and ladder carry, donning SCBA, climbing three flights of stairs, rescue and body drag, etc.). "The fact that so many firefighters are not fit is troubling. This situation may be at least partially due to lack of agreement over fitness and body composition standards in the fire service and the fact that few departments engage in regular monitoring of body composition and physical fitness in their firefighters."

The research found that occupational factors may place firefighters at high risk for weight gain, including:

• Shift work

• Sleep disruption
• Unhealthy eating patterns in the firehouse
• The absence of fitness standards for firefighters

This report should urge everyone from national fire service leadership, to department chiefs, to individual firefighters to think creatively and join in efforts to reverse the negative trends of unhealthy body weight and poor physical fitness.  Now is the time to begin a national conversation regarding obesity in the fire service.

We as Firefighters, EMTs, and Paramedic's need to start changing our unhealthy culture around the firehouse.  Instead of grabbing a sugary treat like a cookie or cake, we need to reach for something healthy.  We as FireRescue Athletes must also start to act like athletes and remember that food is a fuel that allows us to more efficiently and SAFELY perform our duties.

Among the recommendations the report makes for the fire service to combat obesity and increase fitness are:
• Fire departments should consider conducting annual fitness assessments.
• Minimal fitness recommendations for all firefighters should be a priority.
• An effective fitness program can be implemented by fire departments at minimal cost and using existing facilities.

Take the first step toward reducing your chances of heart attack, back injury/ strain and get into the best shape of your life by JOINING the FireRescue Athlete Nation and starting the FREE FRF 28-day Quickstart Workout program which includes the SOP's to Lean Eating in the Firehouse. 

"The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something."  -Carl Sandburg
 
Reference

National Volunteer Fire Council. (2011).  Addressing the Epidemic of Obesity in the United States Fire Service--A Report Prepared for the National Volunteer Fire Council.  Retrieved February 14th, 2011 from:   http://www.nvfc.org/files/documents/Obesity_Study.pdf