Does More Sweat Translate to More Calories Burned?

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BY Unknown 11:14 AM 0

Does More Sweat Translate to More Calories Burned?

Why is it that after a workout, some of us sweat so much we look like we did our run in a pool, while the rest of us look as dry as we did before the workout even started? It seems like the more you sweat, the harder you're working, which would also mean more calories burned, but is that the case?

Your body creates sweat to cool you off when your body temperature gets too high. You're born with between two and four million sweat glands, and how much you sweat depends on the number of sweat glands you have (more glands equal more sweat). Women tend to have more sweat glands than men, but men's glands are more active, so they sweat more. Perspiration is also affected by how hot it is, how intensely you're exercising, and whether or not you smoke or drink coffee or cocktails — smoking, caffeine, and alcohol can increase perspiration. What you're wearing also affects your sweat as synthetic fabrics trap in heat. Fat also acts as an insulator, so overweight people sweat more than those of normal weight.

Don't use the amount you sweat as a good indicator as to the number of calories you've burned. What matters is how long and how intensely you're working out. Any weight loss that you experience immediately after a workout is only water weight, and you'll gain it right back as soon as you rehydrate yourself. So don't worry about how sweaty you get. If you go for a 30-minute run and you haven't sweat a drop, you still burned almost 300 calories.

How Much Avocado Is Too Much?

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BY Unknown 9:26 AM 0

How Much Avocado Is Too Much?

From its creamy texture to its ability to fight belly fat, there is so much to love about the avocado. But can there can be too much of a good thing — especially when it comes to calories? It's so easy to polish off a single avocado in one sitting. And while a single apple or banana counts as a serving of fruit, the avocado falls outside of this simple rule of thumb.

Despite being high in good-for-you monounsaturated fats, which are considered a magic bullet in the battle against belly bulge and heart disease, fat is still fat even if it is the "good" kind.

For a 2000-calorie diet, the daily intake of fat, including MUFAs, is capped at 65 grams. A five-ounce, medium-size avocado (roughly one cup) contains 23 grams of fat — that's almost one third of your fat intake for a day — and roughly 250 calories. For comparison, a medium apple is just under 100 calories and is relatively fat free. I am sad to say, a serving size of avocado is not the entire piece of fruit, but one-fifth of it, which is only an ounce. That's about two to three slices.

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Now, if you're accustomed to topping your salad with an entire avocado, fear not.Nutritionist J. Upton says that habit is OK as long as you adjust your diet to account for those extra calories and use it to replace "low-quality carbs or other foods rich in saturated fats." She suggests skipping the croutons and topping your greens with avocado, or replacing the cheese on your turkey sandwich with avocado. She qualifies her statement by adding that "a half of an avocado per day is a more reasonable serving." Come clean and tell us, how much avocado do you usually eat?