Adding Color to Your World

When I tell athletes to "eat the rainbow" I assume they understand what I mean.  I am telling them they need to eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables because these are the foods that will give them the most vitamins and nutrients.  The other day I was caught off guard when someone told me that a Big Mac has a lot of different colors in it, did that count? 

In fairness to this athlete, there are many "colors" in a Big Mac, however colors like the beige in the bun or the brown in the burger aren't really going to provide the vitamins and nutrients like the rainbow of colors that can be found in the produce aisle.  Browns and beiges usually mean refined carbohydrates (sugars) and saturated animal fat.  Those aren't the nutrients that are going to propel you as an athlete.

Lets take a look at why the colors found in produce can make you perform you best!

Red- Red produce (tomatoes, red bell peppers, strawberries, watermelon and beets) is usually a sign of Vitamin A.  It is also a sign of lycopene which is an important cancer-fighting chemical and helps protect your eye health. 

Orange- Similar to red, orange produce (carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, cantaloupes), but the also contain larger amounts of Vitamin C.  They also have B6 and B vitamins give you energy, which is important for athletes.

Yellow-  One of the most important nutrients for athletes found in yellow produce (bananas, summer squash, yellow bell peppers) is potassium.  This nutrient is an electrolyte, which you have probably heard about in your sports drinks, and it helps keep your fluids in balance while you sweat during a workout.  That is why bananas are such a great snack to have during a workout because they provide your body with this important electrolyte.  

Green- The darker the green leafy vegetable, (kale, broccoli rabe, spinach, swiss chard) the more nutrients you are getting.  If you are a fan of salad, try eating these greens instead of iceberg or romaine lettuce to really bulk up the nutrients.  Folate and iron are two important things found in these produce picks, especially for young women who tend to be low in both.

Blue- Blueberries are probably the best thing that come to mind for this category and they are certainly a great addition to any eating plan.  They have anti-oxidants galore and are considered a superfood for all of their disease-fighting power packed into each little berry.  They are also in season still so eat them while they're at their best!

Purple- Purple produce is some of my favorite to cook with.  Ingredients like eggplant, red onions, purple potatoes are delicious and add such a fun pop of color to your plate!  They also have anthocyanins which are a powerful chemical that protect blood vessels and preserve healthy skin...who doesn't want better skin?!

White- This is often the forgotten color, but is no less important than any of the other colors.  White produce (cauliflower, potatoes, parsnips) have Vitamin C like orange produce, but they also host vitamin K which is important for wound healing and folate, which is important to female health.

These are only just some of the reasons colorful produce deserves a place on your plate! If you need help fitting more produce into your meals, email me at shelbi@cheer-360.com!

What's On Your iPod?

Music has become more and more of a staple for athletes in today’s society, and rightfully so. Music has the ability to effect our mood, attitude and can positively or negatively impact our performance. The selection of music an athlete chooses to listen to before a big competition can either delay the feelings of fatigue or push us to increase work capacity. Here are a few tips on what kind of music to select to listen to before walking out on the mat this competition season.

MyPlate

What is MyPlate: This is a graphic that aims to help anyone, especially younger children to build a meal that contains the proper amounts of certain foods.  The plate is meant to be a 9” in diameter plate.  This is important because if people are using plates that are too large, the ratio of foods can get skewed.

Components of MyPlate: MyPlate contains 5 different groups (ask the kids to give examples of something you could eat in each group)

Vegetables—The largest group. Make sure you are eating from the rainbow including a lot of colors (don’t forget white!)  The more colors that you eat, the more nutrients you will get.

Fruit- It may not seem like the easiest thing to eat at a meal like dinner, but fruit is naturally sweet and it can be delicious mixed into vegetables.

Whole Grains- Make sure starchy sides you have with dinner like pasta and rice are whole grain varieties.  Try grains you never have like quinoa, bulgur and couscous.

Lean Protein- This one is important because it is usually the one that people make too big.  We think that meat has to be the biggest part of our meal, but that actually is not the case.  Keep your meat serving the size of a deck of cards.

Low-fat dairy- Whether it is a glass of low-fat milk on the side of any meal, some low-fat yogurt with fruit as your after dinner dessert, or a piece of low-fat cheese in your sandwich, dairy gives you calcium which you need for strong bones.

Why Can't We Just Eat Healthy?

Whether it is on the magazine stands, on television shows, on the news or on commercials, you are most likely always being bombarded by the next big diet craze.  Even worse, when your friends or family are constantly talking about the latest diet they're participating in trying to lecture you on how great is.  From strict calorie cutting, to cutting out entire food groups to supplements and pills, you never know where the next diet craze will lead you.

The other day I was telling one of my clients about the newest version of the Atkins diet that people seem to be trying out.  By putting themselves on this diet, they are missing out on eating fruits, several higher carbohydrate vegetables, and fiber and B vitamin filled whole grains.  This is incredibly unsafe to the body, especially the athlete, but some have argued that being placed on this structure has helped them eat healthier than ever.  My client than asked me a very interesting question, "Why can't they just eat healthy?"

It seems so simple.  Just eat healthy.  It doesn't imply cutting anything out, just eating foods deemed "bad for you" in moderation and trying to focus on eating foods in their natural state like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low fat dairy.  It also doesn't imply taking crazy pills like raspberry ketones, because if you are eating a balanced diet, you are providing the body with the nutrients it needs without the need to supplement.

Sadly we live in a culture of convenience.  It is the reason "fast food" has sky-rocketed and it is also the reason we are obsessed with dieting.  People want the "magic bullet."  That special solution that will make them lose weight fast and for good.  Unfortunately most of these trends do not give you the latter.  You may lose weight fast, but the minute you "go off" the diet, the weight goes on.  You also potential tortured yourself for no reason because what was the point of the diet if you put the weight back on?

The moral of the story is don't be fooled.  Most diets are not long-term solution and in fact they can long-term problems with either your metabolism or increased difficulty to lose weight.  Start practicing a healthy lifestyle in which you have balance, moderation and exercise, and you'll have a body and a lifestyle that you can be proud of, without worrying about what you'll have to give up eating on Monday!

A parents guide to tryouts and what to do if your child doesn't make the team.

If your child has not already went through the tryout process for this years team I am sure it is quickly approaching. With this impending loom of “will I” or “won’t I” make this team there are some important guidelines to follow as the parent of an aspiring athlete.

When your child decides he or she wants to tryout for a team the biggest thing to remember is that ENCOURAGEMENT is key! You want your athlete to know that you support them in whatever they choose to do. Support them by being their biggest fan, not a second coach. The last thing your athlete wants or needs is someone to tell them that they are doing things wrong. Don’t be a PUSHER- a pusher parent makes their child feel like that have to tryout for a particular sport because the parent loves it or played it at some point in their life. Just because you loved participating in a sport does not mean that your child will as well.

So now your child going into tryouts confident and eager to please the coach. They put in 100% of their energy and effort, give it all that they have got and they don’t make the team. What now? What do you do as a parent in this situation? The way that you react is crucial so be sure to remember the following.

1. Let your child EXPERIENCE THEIR FEELINGS- While I know you want to take the pain and hurt away from your child at that exact moment that they tell you, let them have their feelings. In order to grow from this experience they must work through how they are feeling to move past it.
2. LISTEN DON’T SPEAK when your child wants to talk about what happened- Let your child explain how they are feelings and how tryouts went from their perspective. You do not want to put words in their mouth by letting your feelings about tryouts overshadow theirs.
3. BE EMPATHETIC- Telling your child that you are sorry that they are feeling sad and disappointed and that you are there for them if they want to talk is the best thing to do. This is not the time to give advice on what they should have or could have done.
4. TURN A NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE- While your child may not have received the news that they wanted to hear, it is your job to help them understand that not making a team does not make him or her a failure. Everyone fails, it is a large part of the learning process. Use this negative experience to form a positive one. When your child is ready find out what skills they need to work on to improve their chances of making the team next year, or maybe this allows an opportunity to explore a different sport that they may have never tried.

Kristen Perri is Cheer360’s Co-Founder and Director of Mental Fitness.  She holds a masters degree in Sport Psychology, is a certified Mental Game Coach, Sport Hypnotist and Personal Trainer.  With over 8 years of cheer coaching experience, Kristen has coached all skill levels including middle school and junior varsity. Currently, Kristen is the Head Varsity Coach of a major Long Island Cheerleading Program. 

Go Slow When Making Fro-yo

First it was the cupcake craze and now the latest culinary confection that is sweeping the nation seems to be frozen yogurt shops.  Instead of just being a behind the scenes option at ice cream stores, now they have entire stores devoted just to them.  With tons of flavors and even more topping options, it can be easy to get lost in making the dessert of your dreams.

Now I have asked many of the young, female athletes I've spoken with about their love of this frozen dessert, and not surprisingly the majority of them have confessed to making not the healthiest of treats.  And even some of things you are topping with that you think are healthy aren't always the best.  For example, I always encourage peanut butter as a part of a healthy diet.  However when a young girl asked me if peanut butter topping was healthy, sadly the answer is no.  Peanut butter topping is loaded with sugar and syrups to make it taste more sweet, so it is not as healthy as it's spreadable counterpart.  These are the kind of things that make building the perfect frozen yogurt difficult.

Another problem is the size.  Some places offer one size container and they charge by weight.  Even though you maybe wanted a small and go into the process with the intention of making a reasonably sized dessert, it is our nature to want to fill the container.  Don't feel obligated to fill the whole container.  If there are size options, stick with a small.  The standard serving size for ice cream type desserts is a half cup or the size of a half of a tennis ball.

When it comes to choosing flavors it can also be tricky.  Sometimes flavors are non-fat, which doesn't always make them healthy.  A lot of non-fat flavors are higher in sugar to make up for flavor lost taking out the fat.  The plainer flavors will almost always contain less sugar and fat, but if you eat richer flavors in smaller, more manageable servings, then it is just as good to eat those flavors than the plainer ones.  Also the richer the flavor, the less toppings you may put on whereas with the plain varieties you might put more toppings to make up for lack of flavor.

Now to toppings.  I am a realist.  I know it is hard to go to one of these stores and only put fruit and nuts on your plain yogurt.  When there are so many delicious and different options to choose from it can be very hard to control yourself.  The best advice when it comes to toppings is portion control.  Just like with richer flavors, less is more.  With candy pieces, hot fudge, caramel and other such toppings, a little bit can go a long way.  You can get your favorite toppings, just don't drown your frozen yogurt in them.

Especially in the summer, a trip to your favorite frozen yogurt is tasty treat that you look forward to.  As long as you build your fro-yo with moderation in mind and don't go overboard, you can grab a spoon and enjoy!

Heart of a Champion

You hear it from your coaches, choreographers, and your teammates but do you really have the heart of a true champion? “Heart” is a quality that you either have or you don’t, there is no in-between. So how do you define “heart”? I like to think of it being directly connected to your motivation. Because motivation is really at the center of everything in athletics.

Motivation is the drive that we have to achieve our goals and it has two different forms, intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is motivation that you have from within you. It is your drive and desire to succeed and perform well. Extrinsic motivation is motivation that you get from an outside source. These outside sources could be tangible rewards (medal, trophy, money) or intangible rewards (praise or recognition by a coach, parent, or organization).

While extrinsic motivation is a nice drive your intrinsic motivation is where your true heart shines. When you enjoy and find satisfaction in playing your sport you focus more on your improvement and growth. Athletes who are intrinsically motivated have better focus, have less ups and downs in their motivation, they are less stressed when things do not go exactly how they had planned, they are less distracted, and they have greater satisfaction when they achieve their goals.

Take a close look at what motivates you, are you more intrinsically or extrinsically motivated? Do you think you have the heart of a champion?

Kristen Perri is Cheer360’s Co-Founder and Director of Mental Fitness.  She holds a masters degree in Sport Psychology, is a certified Mental Game Coach, Sport Hypnotist and Personal Trainer.  With over 8 years of cheer coaching experience, Kristen has coached all skill levels including middle school and junior varsity. Currently, Kristen is the Head Varsity Coach of a major Long Island Cheerleading Program. 

Am I a badass cheerleader?

You might be a badass cheerleader if you duct tape the holes in your sneakers instead of buying a new pair.

You might be a badass cheerleader if you refuse to wash your uniform all season because you’re way too superstitious.

You might be a badass cheerleader if you get to practice and search the mats for a hair tie or bobby pin.

You might be a badass cheerleader if you ask your coach for extra conditioning.

You might be a badass cheerleader if you have no fear pulling a standing tuck on a gym floor.








Shari Tarburton is Cheer360’s Co-Founder and Director of Educational Programming.  She is a New York State Certified Health and Physical Education Teacher, a certified Personal Trainer and Mental Game Coach, and a Varsity cheerleading coach.

Losing By Addition

This may sound contradictory, or maybe it sounds like everything you hope to hear when you embark on any type of weight loss or maintenance.  However many times, when you are trying to manage your weight, part of the problem is you are not eating enough.

It may seem like it makes sense; not eating a lot or sometimes going to the extreme of not eating at all and for sure you will lose weight.  The problem is part of losing weight is burning calories and if your body does not have any calories to burn, it is going to hold on the weight that it has out of survival, and not be in a “weight-loss” mode.  Even more frustrating, if you are going through a period where you are not eating sufficient calories and then you have that one weekend, day, or night where you eat everything in sight, you will see the repercussions very quickly on your body.

The body is very smart and it is made to adapt.  So if you have put it into a low calorie “survival” mode and then you feed it a ton of food, it is excited.  It also does not know if you will be “starving” again soon so it in an effort to survive and sustain, it holds onto these calories instead of using them for fuel.  It is also when you see pounds put on that you have no idea where they came from because you spent the majority of the past week or however long not feeding yourself enough.

Now I know that does not sound like a cycle you want to be caught in and as athletes it is that much more important to be feeding yourself properly so you have the energy to perform your best.  That is where “losing by addition” comes in.  By adding in small snacks between bigger meals and adding in more fruits and vegetables to your meals, you will see yourself getting more fit, even though you are actually eating more!  The other trick is not eating too much at once so while you are adding in small snacks, you want to make sure your portions are control at your meals so the body doesn’t hold on to calories it doesn’t need.  You’ll be losing by adding in no time!

For ideas on healthy snacks check out my blog Snack Attack!  

Self-Calming Exercise

The 29^th annual Home Run Derby will take place tonight at Citi Field, and will feature two prominent hitting New York players,  New York Yankee Robinson Cano and New York Met David Wright. As captains of each leagues home run hitting team they will face many challenges, more than just picking players and hitting the ball out of the park. The level of stress these players will feel before they step into the box can be directly compared to the stress a cheerleader may feel when they are moments away from stepping foot on the mat.

Follow these simple steps for an on the spot self-calming exercise to reduce stress and regain your focus.

•            Close your eyes and begin with a long, slow exhale

•            Repeat three times

•            Place your hand on your chest.

•            Notice the soothing warmth of your hand, calming you.

•            With each out breath, relax more and more

•            Gently move your breath down from your chest to your abdomen.

•            Think low and slow.

•            Exhale slowly...as slowly as possible.

This exercise is designed to help you relax - either in preparation for a high stakes performance like a competition or as a general way to reduce the negative impact of stress. I encourage you to focus on your exhale because when you are tense or anxious, it is difficult to inhale deeply. If you exhale slowly a few times, you will relax more quickly. Try it!

The hand on your chest can serve as a positive physical trigger for you to use right before you perform. You can tap your hand on your chest in order to reconnect with the feelings of calm confidence and say your focus word to yourself. This is all about training your mind and your body to do what you want, when you want.

In preparing for a competition, I would suggest you practice this technique at every practice. Remember, you are training your mind and body to respond in the way you want and this takes some time and effort on your part. At the time of the event, exhale slowly a few times and use the physical trigger or cue (hand on chest) as you are getting ready to go on the mat. The exhale and the physical cue will get you in the performance state you want.

Kristen Perri is Cheer360’s Co-Founder and Director of Mental Fitness.  She holds a masters degree in Sport Psychology, is a certified Mental Game Coach, Sport Hypnotist and Personal Trainer.  With over 8 years of cheer coaching experience, Kristen has coached all skill levels including middle school and junior varsity. Currently, Kristen is the Head Varsity Coach of a major Long Island Cheerleading Program. 

Better Your Beverages

Depending on how involved you are in current events, you may remember earlier this year the Mayor of New York was trying to ban overly large sugary drinks in attempt to fight the obesity trend.  While the law was never put into effect, you now see commercials on T.V. similar to the no smoking ads about the dangers of consuming too much sugar through beverages.  While smoking was and still is a culprit for chronic disease, obesity related deaths are on their way to becoming more burdening than smoking related ones.  One of the biggest contributors to obesity is liquid calories.

If you have read  my blogs before, you know that I have talked about volumizing food, and eating things with fiber that will fill you up because they take up space in the stomach.  So lets take a minute and think about beverages.  How much did you have to drink to feel full from a beverage?  There is no fiber in soda or those fancy coffee drinks so while you sip up to 400 calories from a medium iced something-cino, none of those calories are really going towards making you feel satiated.  Not too mention the loads and loads of sugar found in sodas, coffee drinks, and even sports drinks stimulate your appetite into thinking your hungry when you really aren't.

Now for the athletes out there it gets even a little more tricky.  Whether it's Gatorade, Powerade or Vitamin Water, companies market to you that their products will make you be the best athlete you can be.  Now, that is not always true.  If you are going to be performing consistent activity for over an hour, then consuming a sports drink is totally fine.  The body needs those sugars to replenish what you have lost.  But if you aren't working out consistently for a long period of time or will only be exercising for up to an hour, why waste those burned calories on sugary drinks?  Stick with water for hydration and a no-cal cool-down.

Even beverages like fruit juices aren't always the best choice.  You should always opt for fresh fruit over fruit juice because you get the fiber and nutrients from chewing the flesh.  Many fruit juices include juice from concentrate or other sources that are not natural juice.  If you are consuming 100% fruit juice, make sure that if you buy it in a bottle, the bottle is only one serving.  Many times a bottled beverage contains up to 3 servings.  For example, if you look at the label for a 24 ounce can of Arizona iced tea you will see it has 22 grams of sugar.  But wait, that is for one 8 ounce serving--there is 24 ounces in each can which means 66 grams of sugar per can.  That's as much sugar as TWO regular sized Snickers bars!

So in this heat when you're looking to cool down with an ice cold beverage, stick with zero to low calorie options such as water and seltzer with fresh fruit or frozen fruit as ice cubes for flavor.  Unsweetened iced teas and iced coffee with soy or skim milk are also good options and ways to get those flavors from other beverages you may be used but without all sugar.

Getting into the habit of drinking these options over sodas and other sugary drinks will be one of the best long-term health changes you make for yourself in the future.  So long soda!

“Moo”ve Over Meat

When I speak to many athletes and ask them what component of food is the most important to their success, more often than not the answer I receive is “protein.”  As a culture, we have placed a great emphasis on protein sources in our meals, constructing plates that focus on meat as the main attraction taking up more space than it truly deserves.  Between larger than life slices of steak, quadruple burgers, 20 piece chicken nuggets and racks of ribs, we have gone a little overboard, using the excuse, “Protein is good for me—I can’t get enough protein!”

While protein has its place in a healthy lifestyle, it is NOT the macronutrient that should make up the majority of your daily intake.  According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, your calories for the day should be 45-65% carbohydrates, 20-35% fat, and only 10-35% protein.  Not only that, but focusing your meal choices on meat could lead to an increase in consumption of cholesterol and saturated fat, found primarily in meat sources.

In regards to athletes, while protein is an important aspect in your meals because it aids in recovery and muscle rebuilding, it is not the main fuel source that is going to have you performing your best.  Your body runs on carbohydrates or more specifically glucose.  Now to be fair, there are some carbohydrate sources such as refined carbohydrates (white rice and breads, cakes, cookies and semolina pasta) that will not help you perform your best.  These carbs will provide you with short term energy and are OK in a pinch when you need fuel during long bouts of exercise (over an hour of moderate to high intensity).  You want to focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes as your main sources of carbohydrates.

More importantly, and this is for everyone not just the athlete, plant based whole foods, that come from the categories listed above, contain nutrients and phytochemicals that meat does not.  More and more research is coming out in support of plant-based lifestyles because of their ability to ward off chronic diseases and obesity related illness.  Not only that, a meat-based diet seems to encourage an environment that cancer and other chronic diseases prefer to grow in.

Scientists say that this may be the first generation of children who do not out-live their parents due to increasing chronic illness, the majority of which is brought on by being overweight or obese.  By making an effort to include more of these plant-based foods in your meals, you can help keep yourself from becoming a statistic.  Now all of you who read my blogs know that nothing is off limits, so if you are a diehard carnivore, try and make meat as more of the sidekick as opposed to the star of your plate.

Visit www.choosemyplate.gov or email me at shelbi@cheer360.com for some helpful hints towards how to build your healthy meals!

Cheer360 Holiday Week

This week Cheer360 staff will be taking time off from blogging, as we will be out of the office. Our normal blogging schedule will resume on Monday, July 8th with our usual line up of mental fitness, nutrition, cheer lifestyle, fitness tips and Cheer360 happenings.

Have a happy, healthy and safe holiday week ahead!

-Cheer360 Staff

Cheer360 Summer Fun: #Cheer360Flexercise Competition!

As school has ended and the summer has finally set upon us, we here at Cheer360 decided to have a summer long, friendly and fun competition. Cheer360 builds smarter, stronger and better cheerleaders. To do that, it is important that we exercise, maintain a well balanced diet, mentally prepare and most of all, have fun while doing so.

To make sure we continue to smile both on and off the competition mat, Cheer360 is having a summer long, #Cheer360Flexercise competition. So what does that exactly entail you ask? Here are the details:

1. First and foremost, while this is a competition, it is important that we have fun! Cheer360 promotes healthy lifestyles, self awareness, confidence and lifelong learning. The competition's goal is to reinforce these ideas and help the community 'find their personal greatness.'

2. So what is a #Cheer360Flexercise competition? Cheer360 asks that you tag or upload as many pictures or videos of you, your friends, family, pets or team doing your favorite flex or exercise or both! Perhaps, your favorite exercise is burpees (everyone's favorite exercise) or box jumps into a needle (see our Long Island Cheer athletes below) or tuck jumps. If that is the case, take a picture or video and send it to us!

3. How can you send us your videos and pictures? While using the #Cheer360Flexercise hashtag, you can tweet us on Twitter, tag us on Facebook or Instagram at Cheer_360 or upload a video to our YouTube page.  Remember, it is important that you use the #Cheer360Flexercise hashtag!

4. See rule 1.

5. So how do I win? Cheer360 staff and social media likes, shares, favorites, retweets etc. will determine the winners. Creativity, fun and the proper execution of the exercise are equally important. Yes, there will be multiple winners.

6. Can you submit more than one photo or video. Yes! You can submit as many as you like, but don't forget to use the #Cheer360Flexercise hashtag!

7. So what do I win? Winners will receive prizes that range from, exercise equipment, Cheer360 training sessions, workout gear and gift cards.The prizes will be posted on our website in August.  

8. Remember, all videos and photos will be posted for everyone to see. As rule number 1 states, this is meant to let people know that fitness and healthy living are not only important but fun. Good sportsmanship is important to this competition and Cheer360 has the right to disqualify any participants if their entry is inappropriate or done in poor taste.

9. Who can submit photos? Anyone can! Friends, family, Cheer360 athletes, staff, teams, pets. As long as they are following our rules, anything is possible!

10. Lastly, have fun, be creative and show us what great things you are all capable of achieving!

Continue to follow our blog and website as we will compile an album that will showcase all our #Cheer360Flexercise participants!

If you have any questions about our competition or would love to learn more about Cheer360 and our program, feel free to register at www.cheer-360.com for updates or email Coach Kristen at Kristen@cheer-360.com

Coach Mike says, "Let the #Cheer360Flexercise begin!!!"

As a Cheer360 Co-Founder, Arthur's young, energetic and ambitious career has prepared him for his exciting role as the Director of Operations and Business Development. Here he manages business operations and establishes strategic partnerships that will bring the latest equipment, guest speakers, food and nutrition and educational programming directly to the athletes, families and communities served by Cheer360. For more information visit: www.cheer-360.com

Are You Sure You Want Fries With That?

I may be about 9 years late, but yesterday I watched independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock’s documentary “Super Size Me.”  In this film, Spurlock—who at the start of the film could be deemed by some the picture of health, decided to embark on a month long “McDonald’s binge” where he would eat McDonald’s food 3 times a day for 30 days.  He would order everything off the menu once over the course of that time span, and would only “supersize” things when asked by the drive-thru attendant or cashier.

Over the 30 days, Spurlock went and got checked by various doctors and in that span of time the results shocked doctors and the registered dietitian he was seeing.  He gained 24.5 pounds in 30 days, he his cholesterol went from a very healthy around 165 to an unhealthy 230.  His body fat increased from 11% to 18% and he basically had begun turning his liver into fat.  Around the 21 days mark, after experiencing chest pains the night before, one of the doctor’s even advised he should stop before something even more serious happened.

Spurlock’s actions may seem extreme, and I am sure to many of you reading this they are.  However there are people in this country who do rely on fast food establishments to make up the majority of their daily intake.  Spurlock was missing out on hitting the daily requirements for almost all his vitamins, and he was consuming almost twice the calories he was supposed to have per day.  He did it for 30 days and the damage done was almost unbelievable, even to physicians.  Think about the people who spend years or even a lifetime consuming mostly fast food.  If you correlate the increase in fast food establishments with the growing obesity crisis, it becomes pretty easy to know where to start pointing a finger.

Now to be fair, I am sure there are people who eat a fast food diet and are not looking serious health problems in the face.  There are likely people who also have learned to navigate fast food menus and maybe make it healthier than one would think.  But while there are exceptions to every rule it is important to remember that these exceptions are that and not the norm.

I am happy to have seen the film such a long time after it was released because it allowed me to see some of the progress that has been made.  McDonalds and many other chains have gotten rid of “Super size” type options.  They also have added options like apple slices, baked potatoes, carrot sticks, chili and even “light” menus to many establishments.  Progress is certainly being made, but the truth is, the majority of fast food is still going to be full of ingredients you couldn’t pronounce if you tried, and of more fat, sugar and cholesterol than you should be having in a regular meal or snack.  Try not to let convenience cause you healthy problems and learn to pack your own snacks and encourage your family to have meals at home.  Fast food on occasion as a part of a healthy diet is fine, but in truth it should be avoided.

The more you take the food you eat into your own hands, the less likely you are to be become “super sized!”