Not getting enough sleep can make you more than tired and cranky. New research shows lack of Zzz’s can lead to weight gain or make you have more total body fat. Other research has shown similar problems when children don’t get enough sleep.

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I hardly ever exercise without one. So when someone asked me – “What is the purpose of heart rate monitors?” – I thought it would be a good time to get some answers from the pros.

The basic purpose of heart rate monitors is to measure your heart rate while you exercise. But is the device itself necessary to measure heart rate?

Fabio Comana, Exercise Physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, tells FatFighterTV, “No, heart rate [HR] can be measured by simply finding a pulse and counting the number of beats within a specific time frame (e.g. 15 sec, then multiply by 4 to reach beats per minute). This is challenging to do, hence the convenience of a HR monitor.”

He goes on to answer two other common questions:

Can I hold the HR handles on cardio equipment to measure my HR?

Comana: “Yes, technically you can, but those are often slow to respond and can be inaccurate, picking up interference from around you (electrical activity – treadmills, lights, etc).”

How accurate are heart rate monitors?

Comana: “The most accurate are the ones that pick up a signal transmitted from a receiver strapped around your chest. There are analog and coded digital ones that can separate your signal from interference. HR monitors where you don’t need a chest strap, but just wear a wrist watch that picks up electrical signals from your heart (or supposed to) are more comfortable, but not as accurate.”

Thanks, Fabio! Good to know. I’d always wondered about the wrist watch versions – they seem so convenient. But now that I know they’re not as accurate, I’ll stick to the traditional HR monitor with the chest strap.

What I have:

It’s the Polar F4 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor – It really challenges me to stay in my target zone… plus it lets me know how many calories I’m burning as I exercise. Like I said, I hardly ever exercise without it.

How about you? Do you exercise with a heart rate monitor?

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You’ve heard how devastating the effects of obesity can be on your child’s health. Headlines like these seem to be growing:

• Obese kids have middle-aged arteries
• Some teens so heavy, they need liver transplants
• Obesity epidemic hits toddlers

Of course, you don’t want your kids’ weight to take its toll on their health. But talking to them about obesity can be a touchy subject. You have to know what to say… and what not to say.

No forbidden foods

You may have good intentions when you tell your kids not to eat certain foods – like maybe something that’s loaded with fat and calories. But psychologist, Dr. Stacey of Every Woman has an Eating Disorder, says telling them they can’t eat something could backfire.

“Two things can happen,” she explains. “They think fat is bad or carbs are bad so they just stop eating them or really restrict them. Then you have someone who could potentially become anorexic. Or if they feel deprived either physiologically or psychologically, there’s a tendency to compensate and overeat or binge eat.”

Health versus weight

So how should you talk to kids about obesity? Dr. Stacey says it’s critical to take the emphasis off of weight and instead focus on how healthy eating and healthy exercise are good for your body.

“If we focus on what a healthy diet can do for you, for your body, instead of how it’s going to make you look, and focus on how exercise is good for you rather than how it’s going to make you look, it’s a movement in the right direction,” she says.

Body image expert, Leslie Goldman of Never Say Diet, agrees. She says a good place to teach kids about healthy foods is at the grocery store.

“If they point to something on the shelf, say, ‘What does this have that’s good for us? How can this make you stronger? Does it have calcium in it? Does it have fruits and vegetables? Maybe something like this would be a better choice.’ Make it part of the learning experience,” she explains. “That way they still have a role in picking it but you’re not saying, ‘No, that’s too fattening.”

It’s all in the language

It may seem strange, but if you have a child who is overweight, both experts stress, don’t even mention weight. So, what should you say?

“Let’s go for a walk today. It feels good to exercise. It’s good for our bodies,” suggests Dr. Stacey,

Goldman adds, “Encourage them to get involved in physical activities that will help them move. But never say to them, ‘You’re heavy’ or ‘You’re fat.’ That could just destroy a child.”

Watch your words

We’ve stressed before how parents are role models when it comes to diet and exercise. And the same goes for how you talk about yourself and food when you’re around your kids.

Goldman, says, “If you’re turning around in the mirror looking at yourself from behind saying, ‘Oh my God – my butt is so huge’ or ‘I hate my thighs’ or you’re at the restaurant and you say ‘Oh I can’t get the fettucine, it’s so fattening’, your kids are going to pick up on that.”

So, watch what you say. Use the right words to get your kids to eat right and exercise. Their healthy weight is sure to follow.

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For those of you here in Ohio, I will be on ONN’s Health Journal today at :15 past the hour throughout the day! The topic: 10 Do-it-Yourself 100-calorie snack packs. If you saw the segment, you’ve come to the right place for more information – thanks for stopping by! If you didn’t catch it, no worries – we have the video it for you right here.

We’ve talked about the crazy popular 100-calorie packs here before. Yes, they are junk food. But if they are a small part of your eating plan, then you might as well save some money when you have them, right? Especially in today’s economy. Plus, if you make your own, you can throw in some healthy options.

As promised, here’s more information – I did all the math for you, so you can just pack up the snacks and go! Here’s what we showed you on ONN and how many of each one adds up to 100 calories:

DIY 100-Calorie Snacks

• Goldfish crackers = 40

• Mini Oreos = 7

• Mini Teddy Grahams = 36

• M&Ms (Plain) = 26

• Pretzel sticks = 48

• Wheat crisps (Pepperidge Farm) = 12

• *Pumpkin seeds = 2 tablespoons

• *Soy nuts = 7 teaspoons

• *Mixed nuts = 2.5 tablespoons

• *Grapes = 28

*healthy options

Of course, you can make 100-calorie packs of whatever you want. These are just some pre-calculated options to make it easy.

What do you think of 100-calorie snacks? Do you have a favorite? Make your own? Avoid junk food at all costs?

I confess – I indulge in the 100-calorie packs once in awhile. My favorite? M&Ms – 26 of them is the perfect chocolate fix.

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Yes, it’s time to start thinking about New Year’s Eve and of course – bubbly! How about a little game of “Did you know?”

Did You Know?

• A four-ounce glass of champagne has about 75 calories.

• True champagne comes only from the Champagne region of France – just 90 miles northeast of Paris. Just remember this – all champagnes are sparkling wines, but not all sparkling wines are champagnes.

• The label tells you the sweetness of the bubbly. It goes like this:

brut: extremely dry – less than 1.5% sugar
extra sec or extra dry: slightly sweeter – 1.2-2% percent sugar
sec: medium sweet – 1.7-3.5% sugar
demi-sec: sweet – 3.3-5% sugar (dessert wine)
doux: very sweet – over 5% sugar (dessert wine)

Will you indulge in a bit of bubbly as you ring in the New Year?

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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