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Fitness On the GO general manager Jon Campbell and nutritionist Kate French answer your fitness and nutrition questions. If you have a question, e-mail it to Kelowna.com.
Q. Why is sodium so bad for you? What is the recommended daily intake?
A. Eating too much sodium or salt is one of the leading causes of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. Most Canadians get way too much sodium. We consume about 77 per cent of our sodium from processed, packaged and restaurant foods. Therefore if you want to eat less sodium, a good place to start is to eat less processed foods and eat out less often. When you make your own meals from unprocessed ingredients you have much more control of how much sodium goes into the meal. The recommended intake for the average healthy adult is 2300 mg of sodium per day or one teaspoon of salt. This is more than the body actually needs, so if you can reduce it to 1500 mg even better.
Q. How important is iron to your diet?
A. Iron is a critical component of a healthy diet. Iron is needed to make Hemoglobin in the blood, which carries oxygen from your lungs to the cell in your body.
How much the average adult should be eating each day:
Males >19 years old = 8mg/day
Women 19-30 years = 15mg/day
Women 31-70 years = 18mg
>70 years = 8mg
Pregnant and lactating women’s requirements are different.
What are the best foods to get iron from?
The two types of iron are heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in animal products such as red meat and non-heme iron is found in non-animal products such as dark leafy green vegetables, beans, lentils and enriched cereals. Our bodies absorb heme iron better, however pairing vitamin C rich foods with non-heme iron helps our bodies use non-heme iron better. Think of a bowl of iron fortified breakfast cereal and a glass of orange juice. The richest sources of heme iron include liver, beef, oysters, shrimp, other red meat and meat products. Richest sources of non-heme iron include cooked dried beans, tofu, nuts, prune juice enriched dry cereals, blackstrap molasses, enriched pasta, and dried apricots.
References:
Dietitians of Canada
Health Canada
Q. What is a good way to get back to exercising after surgery/best rest? Muscle fatigue is a huge problem.
A. That depends more specifically on exactly what type of surgery we are talking about. Is it a joint problem? Is it broken bone? Or is it something more serious not related to the body’s structural muscles, bones, joints?
Rest is always important after an invasive procedure to allow the body to heal. It is best to follow your doctor’s guidelines they set out for you post-surgery. A great question to ask your surgeon or doctor is when can you start exercising again, or begin rehabilitation.
The reason your muscles fatigue so quickly is because of the body’s innate ability for adaptation. Muscles that are used become stronger and healthier muscles that are not used are not developed. Your body focuses its attention on other areas of the body as it thinks that the muscles in that dormant area no longer need the resources for development.
In my opinion, after surgery the sooner you can get back to exercising the better. I have always observed individuals who part take in a regular exercise routine pre-surgery and those who start moving those muscles again after surgery have faster recovery rates.
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell, kinesiologist; general manager of Fitness on the GO
Jon Campbell is the Okanagan owner of Fitness On The GO. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University in 2001 and has spent the last eight years in the health and fitness industry as a leader for major organizations such as The Canadian Back Institute, Columbia Health Network, Volleyball BC and Fitness Town.
As a trainer, his areas of expertise have included rehabilitation, sport specific strength and conditioning, core stabilization and functional assessment. In 2008 he decided to bring Fitness On The GO back to the Okanagan from Vancouver and aspires to help people here lead healthier and happier lifestyles . . . one body at a time. E-mail Jon.
Kate French, nutritionist
Kate French
Kate French is a nutritionist, and owner of Achieve Nutrition.
She sub-contracts her personalized nutrition services to Fitness on the Go, Brix Family Chiropractic clinic and Penticton Raquet and Fitness club.
She got her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Post Graduate Diploma in Dietetics from Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
French loves experimenting in the kitchen with fresh healthy Canadian food creating many new and exciting recipes. Kate now lives in Penticton, with her husband and one dog.
