Shape Up In Small Doses, Expert Says

Getting in shape really isn’t that hard, says sports nutritionist Jackie Berning. It’s just a series of small steps and small bites.

“You don’t have to be a bean-sprouts-and-tofu type of person, and you don’t have to exercise until you’re ready to run a marathon,” says Berning, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado.

By just eating a little better and moving a little more, she says, “You can significantly reduce your risk of the diseases that are killing most Americans.”

Berning brings that message to Spokane next week in a free talk Tuesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Spokane Community College Lair Auditorium, 1810 N. Greene.

It’s sponsored by the Greater Spokane Dietetic Association as part of National Nutrition Month, which this year has a theme of “Food & Fitness: Health for a Lifetime.”

For the professional athletes with whom Berning regularly works including members of the Denver Broncos football team and Denver Nuggets basketball team, and minor league baseball players in the Cleveland Indians organization - poor nutrition can translate into poor performance on the field.

It’s really no different for the average person, she says, just a matter of degree.

“The information I give my athletes is the same information that anybody walking in off the street can pick up and use,” Berning said by telephone from her Colorado Springs office. “The only difference is that I’ve got some big guys who can pack away more calories than you can.”

Whatever your calorie consumption, Berning says, the proportions should remain the same, with the majority of calories coming from carbohydrates - contrary to the currently popular high-protein diets.

“A lot of our athletes have tried that and found there’s not enough carbohydrates to keep them going,” she says.

High-protein diets can cause kidney problems and dehydration, Berning says, as the body works overtime to flush out excess nitrogen.

And, she adds, “Whether you’re performing on a football field, on a baseball diamond or in an office, the only fuel your brain can use is carbohydrates. If you don’t put them in, it’s going to be difficult to perform.”

Berning recommends a minimum of 55 percent of calories from carbohydrates, and up to 60 or 70 percent for people who need endurance, like long-distance runners or UPS drivers.

More of those carbohydrates should come from fruits and vegetables, she says - the biggest deficiency in modern diets.

“Across the board, whether you’re an athlete or not, it’s those two,” Berning says. “Sometimes I feel like their mother when I’m talking to them - `How many vegetables did you get?”’

Lack of fluids is another concern. “I think we’re walking around mostly in a state of dehydration,” she says. “If your urine looks like apple juice, you’re in a state of dehydration.”

And dehydration, or a lack of carbohydrates, can derail even the most modest exercise programs.

“People have been taught not to exercise on a full stomach,” Berning says. “That may be true, but there are people who believe they shouldn’t eat four hours before. Their energy level is going down at a time when it should be going up.”

What you should eat, and when, depends on the individual, she says. “Some people can eat a banana 45 minutes before exercising and be fine, while other people will be throwing it up.”

Then again, exercising doesn’t have to mean pushing yourself until you’re sick to your stomach.

Recent research shows 30 minutes of moderate activity, six days out of seven, significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, Berning says.

It doesn’t have to be 30 solid minutes, she says: “If it takes you 10 minutes at a pretty good clip to catch the bus, that’s the first 10. If you take a brisk walk around the block at lunchtime for another 10 minutes, that’s 20. And if you decide to take the kids or the dog for a walk when you get home, that’s 30.

“It’s not going to make you the thinnest person in the office, or on the block, but you’ve significantly reduced your risk of disease.”

And while obesity is a real problem, people don’t have to be thin to be in good shape, Berning says.

“What we’re looking for is healthy at any weight,” she says. “If you’ve put on 20 pounds since your college days, as long as you make healthy food choices, get some exercise, you’re still lowering your risks compared to the person who just sits in front of the TV.”