Everyone knows that lazy bones aren’t skinny bones.  To get or keep your metabolism churning like a finely tuned machine, you have to move that body.  The problem is that with children, job(s), weather, stress, family, etc, our minds may say “move,” but our bodies say “forget it.”  Where do a lot of folks turn when the energy dial is in the tank?  Monster, Red Bull, AMP, Full Throttle, Rockstar, etc.  You ask me, “Brook, are energy drinks safe?”  I’ll tell you that they are “safe” as in they probably won’t kill you, but “healthy?”  No.  Caffeine, in small doses, is not unhealthy, and is even a legal ergogenic aid, meaning it is an acceptable sports performance-enhancing drug… but it is what it is, a drug.  Caffeine, in large doses, mixed with large amounts of sugar or sugar substitute, is not  advantageous to your health.  Just like with any other food or beverage, large amounts of simple sugar will spike your blood sugar up to the sky, keep you there for a short while, then send you crashing down, craving more sugar to put you back on the high.  You send insulin levels on a roller coaster ride.  As for artificial sweeteners, such as what is found in Sugar-Free Red Bull, etc, well, true, they do not have the same effect on blood sugar as simple sugar does, but some doctors believe that the brain is tricked by artificial sweetener, thinking it is going to get the boost of real sugar and when it doesn’t, it triggers one to eat or drink more. Furthermore, forensic scientists have reported being able to tell whether a person was or was not consuming artificial sweetener by the brain tissue of the deceased.  The pro/con artificial sweetener argument is long from over, and, from a health standpoint, I cannot tell you with certainty that it is “bad” for you, but I can tell you that I, personally, choose not to consume it.

One of the biggest concerns about energy drinks is that we just don’t know enough about the effect of the combination of the ingredients in them.  High levels of caffeine caffine (over 100mg), mixed with taurine (an amino acid), and herbal stimulants may be responsible for increases in heart rate, which is the number of beats, and stroke volume, which is the amount of blood pumped through the heart each systole.  Increasing stroke volume is a good thing when it is an adaptation to cardio exercise, because in that case, stroke volume goes up and heart rate goes down (the more physically fit you get, the more blood the heart is able to pump each beat, and heart rate decreases… it doesn’t have to beat as frequently, because it is circulating greater volumes of rich blood through the body each beat).  It is not a good thing when it is caused by an energy beverage, because stroke volume increases linearly with heart rate, which is taxing on the ticker.

True, energy drinks contain B-vitamins… well, so do whole grains.  Get them from the latter.

It is not pleasant to be stuck in a sluggish state, nor is it helpful for your weight loss pursuit.  However, I do not advise reaching for an energy drink as a temporary fix for what may be a permanent problem.  Fix the problem at the roots.  Get more sleep (#1!!!), drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables- and variety in both (they’re loaded with antioxidants), cope with stress in an effective way for you (meditate, yoga, prayer, walk…), take a multivitamin (with food- fat-soluable vitamins A, D, E, and K are only absorbable this way), eat less sugar and fast food, and try to exercise at least 20-minutes a day.  These things will naturally allow your body to function more efficiently, and boost your energy in big ways… without picking up your remedy at a gas station!

It is not uncommon or cause for celebration or disappointment for your weight to fluctuate 2-4 pounds. Fat loss or gain is not typically an overnight phenomenon. Before you waste another minute of your life, beating yourself up or naively rejoicing the change of a couple of pounds on the scale, this article is to explain why that number may slide up or down, with no relevance to body fat.

Here’s are reasons why the scale may weigh heavier than usual, without being “real” weight gain: 1. retaining water- if you are dehydrated, you hold on to water, and if you weight right after drinking, there would be some temporary immediate gain; if you consume too much salt, you will retain water. 2. glycogen- glycogen (stored in your liver & muscles) is your storage of carbohydrates waiting to service your body. The energy reserve actually weighs about a pound, but the water associated with its storage can be 3-4 pounds. Storage supply varies and shows on the scale, but has nothing to do with fat loss or gain. 3. time of day- food has weight. You wouldn’t want to step on the scale holding a sandwich in your hand, so why would you do it right after tossing it in your mouth? Weigh in the morning when you are not holding on to undigested food. 4. menstrual cycle- women gain several pounds with each cycle of menstruation due to hormone fluctuations; it is not fat gain… but could become that way if you allow PMS symptoms to steer you towards Haagen Daz.
It takes time to lose fat. Each pound of body fat equals 3,500 calories. That means to gain 4-pounds of body fat overnight, you would have to consume 14,000 calories over what your body burned. Though not impossible, a mega-binge like that is highly unlikely. Likewise, an overnight drop in 4-pounds of body fat would be a 14,000 caloric deficit- also highly unlikely… to put it in perspective, a 120-pound woman would have to run 5.5 marathons (26.2 miles each) to burn 14,000 calories.
All this is to say that some fluctuations on the scale are normal, and should be expected. If you are consuming the number of calories you always do, or less, and are exercising as much or more, with equal or greater than normal intensity than usual, you should not be gaining body fat. If that statement applies to you, and you see a slight rise on the scale, you would be well advised to brush it off your shoulder.

On January 31, 2011, the United States Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. These guidelines are revised every five years, depending on cultural norms and the needs of the American people. As a whole, Americans are not eating enough fruits and vegetables or heart-healthy seafood and they (we) are eating too much salt, fat, refined grains, and added sugar. The very things that we are eating both on our own and in the company of other people are the very things that are keeping Americans overweight/obese, sick, and depleted of energy. It should not be acceptable to gorge on fatty meats, salty chips, and devilish desserts and call it a “party.” Likewise, it should not be acceptable to grab greasy hamburgers, french fries, and syrupy sodas for lunch, because we don’t “have time” for anything else. We have loosened our standards for what our meals can permissibly look like, and to that credit, we have had to loosen our belts and britches. Americans need to rebuild what our family meals, meals with friends, quick lunches, and snacks look like.
The 2010 updates nip fat, sugar, and salt-loving tendencies, and fruit/veggie/fish-resisting bad habits in the bud! Here are some of the noteworthy recommendations taken from the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010.
I absolutely believe these points belong on this 101 Legit Ways to Lose Weight countdown!

-Reduce sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams per day, with an even further reduction to 1,500 milligrams per day for about half of the population, including African Americans, all adults over 51-years-old, and those with hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. (Salt sensitivity is subjective. Every person is different. The demographics specified are known to be exceptionally sensitive to it, and there are other people, depending on genetics and body composition that may also be salt sensitive)
-Consume less saturated fat. Replace what you were consuming in saturated fat with heart-healthy unsaturated fats. (2006 USDA Guidelines already noted the recommendation to avoid trans fats altogether, and that continues to be recommended with the 2010 updates).
-Reduce the intake of solid fats and added sugars
-Limit intake of refined grains, especially those with added sugar, fat, and sodium (See #55 on the 101 Legit Ways to Lose Weight countdown to understand what happens when a whole grain is refined and why whole grains are good for you, and refined grains are not. If a label reads “refined wheat flour,” or “enriched wheat flour,” do not be deceived. That is not whole wheat or whole grain; that is refined flour).

Here are some recommendations that the 2010 Guidelines suggest you INCREASE consumption of:
-Shift to a more plant-based diet.
-Choose more foods that are rich in potassium, fiber, calcium, and vitamin D. These are all nutrients that most Americans need higher concentrations of (in an absorbable form) in their diets.

These guidelines come from the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. Please see www.DietaryGuidelines.gov for a complete listing. By committing to these dietary changes, Americans can retire the ever-expandable waistband and live longer, healthier, and happier lives.