What's Considered Moderate Intensity?

Experts say we should perform 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week of, which translates to 30 minutes a day, five days a week. But what exactly constitutes moderate intensity? If you’re walking, it’s 100 steps per minute--at least according to a new study.

That means completing 3,000 steps in 30 minutes five times a week. If you want to keep tabs on your activity level, you can use a pedometer to help you meet the exercise guidelines.

If you’re just staring out and can’t keep up the pace for the duration, you can break up a 30-minute walking sessions into smaller ones.

"Because health benefits can be achieved with bouts of exercise lasting at least 10 minutes, a useful starting point is to try and accumulate 1000 steps in 10 minutes, before building up to 3000 steps in 30 minutes," explained the study’s lead author, Dr. Simon J. Marshall of San Diego State University’s School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences.

The study was published in the May 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Why does this matter to you? If you include brisk walks in your weekly exercise regimen, make sure you’re walking at least 100 steps per minute! Investing in a pedometer is a low-cost way to ensure you are getting the most out of your walks.

The Link Between Women, Fat and Estrogen

Although women burn off more fat than men during exercise, they don't lose as much body fat with exercise. That’s because women store fat more efficiently then men, despite eating proportionally fewer calories. But why?

New research from the University of New South Wales suggests a link between estrogen and its impact on fat storage for childbearing.

According to the studies, the female sex hormones estrogen reduces a woman's ability to burn energy after eating, which results in more fat being stored around the body.

On average, women store 6 to 11 percent more body fat than men.

"Female puberty and early pregnancy--times of increased estrogen--could be seen as states of efficient fat storage in preparation for fertility, fetal development and lactation," study author Anthony O'Sullivan explained.

A pesky hormone
Meanwhile, in his post 3 Foods Vegetarians Must NOT Eat for Fat Loss, fitness trainer Craig Ballantyne warns against consuming excessive amounts of soy, which has an estrogenic effect in the body.

"Most vegetarians consume copious amounts of soy. Heck, it is not uncommon to see soy milk for breakfast, soy burgers for lunch and soy ice cream for a late night snack," Ballantyne writes in the post, which is aimed at vegetarians trying to lose body fat.

"These foods can stop your fat loss dead in its tracks. In addition to all of the sugar and salt these products contain, soy has an estrogenic effect in the body," he warns. "Excess estrogen binds to the fat cells and causes an increase in the size of estrogen-sensitive fatty tissue such as belly fat."

Weight gain and birth control
And now, a recent University of Texas Medical Branch study found that women using the birth control shot depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) gained an average of 11 pounds and increased their body fat by 3.4 percent over three years.

"One concern is DMPA's link to increased abdominal fat, a known component of metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes," lead author Abbey Berenson said.

Berenson, however, notes that the mechanism by which DMPA causes an increase in weight gain and fat mass is not known. No link was found between DMPA use and caloric intake, fat consumption or amount of exercise on body mass changes.

The women who switched from DMPA to oral contraception gained an average of four additional pounds in the same time span while those who switched to non-hormonal contraception slowly lost the weight and fat mass they had gained.

Berenson suggests women and their doctors should factor in this new data when choosing birth control methods.

Why does this matter to you? Because while estrogen promotes body fat storage (testosterone, by contrast, promotes lean body mass), exercise and a healthy diet can turn the ill effect around. And women taking hormonal contraception were also less likely to lose muscle mass and gain body fat when they exercised regularly and consumed a healthy diet that included increased protein intake.

Push Away from the Table: Why Only Calories Count

High carb, high fat, low-fat, high protein … when it comes to diets, do macronutrient ratios count? Not really. The key to losing weight is calorie reduction.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that heart-healthy diets that reduce calorie intake--regardless of differing proportions of fat, protein, or carbohydrate--resulted in more weight-loss success.

The study found similar weight loss after two and a half years among participants assigned to four diets that differed in their proportions of fat, protein and carbohydrates. The participants lost an average of 13 pounds at six months and maintained a 9-pound loss at two years.

The main similarity between the four diets was calories: participants averaged a 750-calorie reduction per day. Average-sized males who ate 2,800 calories a day, for example, were prescribed just over 2,000 calories, while women who consumed 2000 calories a day were prescribed 1,250 calories.

"These results show that, as long as people follow a heart-healthy, reduced-calorie diet, there is more than one nutritional approach to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight," Elizabeth G. Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, said.

The study, she adds, provides people who need to lose weight flexibility to choose an approach they are most likely to sustain and is most suited to their personal preferences and health needs.

Wet Wolf, who specializes in physique transformation and sports performance training, agrees.

"A female over 25 percent body fat asking for exact gram amounts of macronutrients per day is akin to a girl who has never lifted weights before asking to be put on steroids," Wolf explains in Food Addictions: The Last Stand.

"Surely nothing as simple as losing fat could be as easy as making smart eating choices and exercising?"

In the end, losing weight boils down to consuming fewer calories than your body needs or increasing activity to burn more energy.

Why does this matter to you? If you consistently make smart eating choices and stick to a sensible diet, excess pounds will melt off. And don’t forget to exercise! Lift weights and perform energy system workouts for a well-rounded fitness regimen. More importantly, be realistic about how quickly the weight will come off.

Taste Test: Rachel's Cottage Cheese Roasted Red Pepper

Unlike many people, I eat cottage cheese because I really like it. Loaded with protein and low in fat, it makes a perfect mid-afternoon or nighttime snack (Bedtime Snacking on Cottage Cheese). Cottage cheese is also quite versatile: My favorite snack is a ½ cup of unsalted cottage cheese topped with jalapeño peppers and a tablespoon of salsa.

So I was delighted when I spotted Rachel’s Wickedly Delicious assortment of cottage cheeses on my grocer’s shelf. Although Rachel's yogurt launched stateside in 2007 (it’s a UK-based brand), the cottage cheese line was just introduced nationwide this year.

Rachel’s cottage cheese products, sold in single servings, include "sweet and savory flavor infusions." The sweet (fruity) varieties consist of lemon verbena berry, pomegranate orange cranberry and pear mangosteen, while the savory (veggie) variations include sun dried tomato pesto, cucumber dill and roasted red pepper.

I tried the roasted red pepper because I was impressed with the fact that a 142g container had only 120 calories, 2g of fat, 14g of protein, 4g of sugar, 6g of carbohydrates, and a whopping 6g of fiber--more fiber per serving than any of the other flavors.

Since the goodies are at the bottom, you have to stir the cottage cheese before you eat it. The first thing that struck me is the texture was not as thick as I had expected it to be; it was very creamy.

I generally by unsalted cottage cheese, so I thought it tasted salty. But with 440mg of sodium, it’s equivalent to most cottage cheeses on the market.

The taste, however, is what sold me on the product. There were just enough roasted red peppers to add zest without overpowering--and the texture was nice and velvety.

The products aren’t cheap--my Publix Greenwise was selling them at 2 for $3--but then again, yummy products like these usually aren’t.

Rachel's cottage cheese is free of artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and sweeteners and is made using milk from cows not given artificial growth hormones (rbST-free).

Given the option, I still prefer making this high-protein snack from scratch, mixing my add-ons to natural, unsalted low fat cottage cheese. But Rachel’s cottage cheeses make a convenient, prepackaged alternative.

Why does this matter to you? Because Rachel’s savory cottage cheese varieties make healthy, nutritious on-the-go snacks. And remember, cottage cheese is low in fat and carbs and very high in protein. It is also a good course of calcium, with Vitamin D!

Why You Should Eat Cinnamon and Cayenne Today

We may not think of them as health foods, but many spices are actually considered super foods.

Although earlier studies suggesting cinnamon could reduce blood sugar in people with diabetes have not lived up to the promise, this mild yet powerful spice has benefits that go beyond reducing blood sugar.

Cinnamon's phytochemical compounds, for example, help control cholesterol and triglycerides.

Cinnamon also has high levels of inflammation-inhibiting antioxidants called polyphenols, which may protect against diseases related to oxidative damage, including atherosclerosis, Type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

Plus, cinnamon is an excellent form of manganese, fiber, iron and calcium.

Cayenne’s phytochemical capsaicin, meanwhile, helps heart health by reducing cholesterol and triglycerides. It also improves digestion and reduces gas, and may also help prevent and treat some cancers.

Even though mild peppers such as bell and paprika contain capsaicin, it is found in greater concentration in peppers with more heat, like jalapeno, chili and cayenne. (Interestingly enough, despite its heat, cayenne actually sets off a "cooling center" in your brain, which brings your body temperature down.)

Mix cinnamon and cayenne together, and you’ve got a healthy, nutritious seasoning to add to your protein shakes, oatmeal, eggs, drinks and more. And there are so many ways to incorporate cinnamon and cayenne into your everyday foods.

Craving something sweet and spicy for breakfast? Chop up an apple, sprinkle with cayenne and cinnamon and microwave on high for 30 seconds to soften. Eat alone or mix with oatmeal. I like to add ¼ cup of raw oatmeal--it’s like muesli--to the warm apples.

You can also warm up your mornings by adding cayenne and cinnamon to your ground coffee beans for a spicy java.

Fitness model Maggie Diubaldo suggests this delicious breakfast shake with something she's dubbed "Maggie Love": cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and stevia, all to taste.

1 cup All Whites 100% Liquid Egg Whites

Maggie Love, to taste

Blend ingredients in a blender or mixer so that the egg froths on top.

If you’ve got more time, try this Breakfast Surprise:

1 cup All Whites 100% Liquid Egg Whites

¼ cup oats

1 tbsp natural nut butter

2 packets of stevia natural sweetener

cinnamon

cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a large non-stick frying pan at medium to low heat. Scramble together like scrambled eggs until fully cooked.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, add cinnamon, cayenne, 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 packets of Splenda or stevia to a cup of skim milk for a warm treat.

You can also add cinnamon and cayenne to spice up vanilla or chocolate protein shakes.

Why does this matter to you? Because eating healthy doesn’t have to be bland! Heat things up with cinnamon and cayenne and get a nutritional boost from these nutritious spices.

Infants Need Exercise Too!

Not that type of exercise. But did you know physical activity is important to your babies' maturation process? We're not talking push-ups, but pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo.

According to the American Dietetic Association, physical activity is important to infants' normal maturation process. In fact, infants who are sedentary tend to roll over, crawl and walk later than babies who receive physical stimulation.

So what can you do as a parent to help your baby stay active?

According to the ADA, simple things like giving infants freedom of movement encourages them to search their environments and learn about their surroundings. Make sure to create a safe home environment so your baby can explore safely.

Playing with babies also helps them see you value physical activity. BabyZone.com suggests these 3 playful baby games to foster motor skills:

Ahh-Boom
When baby is between 5- to 7-months old, prop her in a sitting position facing you on your lap. Lower your head and gently touch foreheads with your baby while slowly saying, "Ahh-boom!" at each touch. In time, your baby will anticipate the game by leaning forward before your foreheads meet.

Sooo Big
Your little one loves it when you lift both his arms up very high and exclaim delightedly, "How big are you? You are so big!" Once your child has learned this game, lift your hands up high and let your child stretch his own arms way upward as you exclaim, "Sooo big!"

This Little Piggy
Respond to your baby's burblings with encouraging words as you play "This Little Piggy Went to Market" with her tiny toes. Your baby learns that despite being a small creature, she has control over play situations: Notice how she thrusts out her toes in a clear request to play the game again and again!

Why does this matter to you? Playpens have their use, but when possible--and under your watchful eye--let your infant move around freely. More importantly, engage with your child on a daily basis. It will improve your infant’s functioning and help nurture your relationship.