TITLE: MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS!

Anyway, we have saved a bunch of questions recently posed us, and we are taking another opportunity to share our answers with our loyal and astute readers. Be sure to contact us (see bottom of column) with more! And, if you see us around, be sure to say "Hello".

Q: You guys don’t seem to mention much about stretching in your column. Should I stretch before or after I workout with weights, and how important is it?
A: Guilty! Stretching is vital, but often it is done incorrectly!

Remember to avoid "cold stretching". First, perform a general warm-up. Short-duration, moderate intensity on a bike, rower, treadmill or elliptical trainer (our favorite) is best. The purpose is to heat the body's core temperature, warm the muscles, increase blood circulation, establish sufficient "lubrication" in the joints, and to make sure everything is working well!

After you finish your lifting routine, you body will be very warm and better able to stretch more deeply. This is the time to gently increase the intensity of your stretching, and we recommend STATIC stretching, which is HOLDING a position for a count of 10.

Q: What's the deal on the 24-48 hour type of diets?
A: They are great if your goal is to dehydrate your body and feel sick. If it sounds too good to be true, it IS! Staying on a diet like this for more than two or three days will also cause you to lose muscle tissue. Fat loss, unfortunately, must be done at a slower and more methodical rate.

Q. I stay up late and find I'm always famished around midnight. What's the best "snack" to eat that won't turn to flab overnight?

A. NOT a Pepperoni Pizza! The best late night snacks are high in carbohydrates (complex, like whole grain bread, NOT simple, like candy, white bread or fruit) and low in fat and protein.

High protein foods stimulate the production of dopamine, a brain neurotransmitter that encourages mental alertness. That may very well keep you awake! And stable blood sugar is very important to reach and remain "R.E.M." sleep.

Remember that your metabolism decreases during sleep… so if there is a large surplus, it WILL convert to fat! But, generally it is your overall diet that counts.

Q. Can you tell me how long it takes the body to convert calories into fat?

A. Fat storage is surprisingly dynamic. Your body is simultaneously withdrawing fat from your tissues and laying more down, the trick is to either keep a balance or use more than you store. Remember, though, that the body cannot "hold" too much energy within the system… it MUST store surplus, as fat.

It's also dependent on the amount of calories you're taking on board - high calories equals more time. And, simple carbs are broken down much faster than complex ones.

A low fat meal can clear the stomach in as little as two hours; a high fat meal takes about four hours. It takes another eight hours to pass through the upper third of the small intestine, where most nutrients are absorbed. So, the answer is about ½ day.

By the way, high protein and fat meals (meat and potatoes, Red Robin Cheeseburger and Fries, etc.) will take longer to be processed than a high carbohydrate meal. And generally you will feel hungry faster afterward (thus the Chinese meal syndrome!)

1. Jog four 10-minute miles.
2. Play singles tennis for just over 50 minutes.
3. Play golf (walking, no carts) for an hour and 10 minutes.
4. Shoot hoops for 50 minutes.
5. Pedal a bike at 10 mph for just under an hour.
6. Get in a competitive game of touch football for 45 minutes.
7. Walk briskly for a little longer than an hour-break a light sweat.
8. Play racquetball for 40 minutes.
9. Run sub-eight-minute miles for 26 minutes.

10. Let your poodles out on a cold morning… forget to lock the gate, and chase them for 40 minutes! (Expend another 100 calories running away from your irate neighbor after they pooped in her yard!).

1. Avoid Sunday's glazed donuts (two donuts = 780 calories, OUCH!)
2. Choose a skinless chicken breast instead of five fried chicken wings (6-oz. breast: 286
calories; chicken wings: 795 calories).
3. Lose the chocolate-chip brownie (and don’t find it late at night!).
4. Pass up one cinnamon roll. Better yet, dodge those for ever.
5. Get two slices of Tombstone Light pizza with veggies instead of two slices of meat-
lovers' pizza with cheese.
6. Order fettuccine pomodoro (with tomato sauce), not Alfredo (with cream sauce).
7. Nosh on a grilled chicken sandwich (without mayo), not a bacon-cheeseburger (unless you are already fit, and can easily burn the calories).
8. Don't buy that large bag (3.4 ounces) of peanut M&M's.
9. At the movies, crunch on a small, unbuttered popcorn (7 cups), not a medium (16 cups).
10. Wash that popcorn down with water or diet soda, not a large Coke or Pepsi.