This week’s question for the dietitian is a common one we get here at Feed the Soul.

I’m trying to lose weight and I only have time for 30 minutes of exercise a day. Since my time is limited, I tend to focus on cardiovascular exercise like walking, but I know that resistance training is important, too. Should I alternate days of cardio and weight training or should I stick to my cardio-only routine?

If you’re trying to lose weight, burning calories is important and cardio exercise will generally burn more calories than weight training. However, the more muscle you have on your body, the more calories your body burns at rest (increasing your metabolism). This means there is a big benefit to weight training if you want to keep weight off over the long term. Not to mention that strong, shapely muscles are just plain nice to have.

To address your time issue and still get in both cardio and weight training, you might want to try interval training. Alternate intensive bursts of cardio with several minutes of strength training or resistance work for the entire 30 minutes of your workout and you’ll find you’re burning plenty of calories and building muscle at the same time. If you need help coming up with an interval routine, consult a trainer at your gym or look for a workout that fits your schedule at Shape, Fitness or Women’s Health.

You might also want to consider fitting in a few strength training exercises throughout your day so that you can focus on cardio at the gym. It’s not as hard as you might think:

• Do pushups, squats and crunches during the commercial breaks of your favorite shows.
• Do biceps curls while you’re on the phone at work.
• Pick a few of your favorite strength exercises to do during your lunch break at work.

You’d be surprised at how much you can get done throughout your day if you focus on doing just one or two exercises at a time.

If you do find that you have some extra time in your schedule, you might also consider taking a Pilates or yoga class once or twice a week. While these classes are not as focused on building muscle as dedicated strength training is, practicing Pilates or yoga regularly can also improve your overall strength, balance and flexibility.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

If you’re concerned about your heart health, you may want to consider drinking more tea. A recent study suggests that drinking as little as one cup of black tea a day can reduce risk of heart disease. The study, supported by Lipton Institute of Tea and completed at University of L’Aquila in Italy, was small with only 19 participants all of whom were men, but the level of flavonoids was strictly controlled and the methods for observing effects on cardiovascular health were the best available.

By observing the dilation of arteries, researchers were able to determine that ” black tea consumption lowered blood pressure and reduced arterial rigidity, thereby improving the elastic capacity of the blood vessels.” Previous studies in this area also support these results, suggesting that regular tea drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

If you already drink tea regularly, you’ve got a great reason to stick to your routine. If you’re a coffee drinker, on the other hand, you may want to consider giving tea a try.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

A recent study led by epidemiologists from Johns Hopkins University published online in Environmental Health Perspectives suggests selenium intake may be associated with the development of diabetes. The study indicated that people with higher levels of selenium in their blood were more likely to have diabetes.

While the link does not prove that high selenium levels cause diabetes, these results are concerning because high levels of selenium are naturally prevalent in the soil in the United States. This concentration of selenium in the soil is then passed on to US adults through the food chain. On top of this intake of selenium through food, many Americans get more selenium through common multivitamins and other supplements. In fact, recent non-conclusive research suggesting that selenium may have some anti-cancer properties has increased the popularity of selenium supplements.

However, according to the Johns Hopkins study, previous studies have also suggested that selenium may be linked to common health problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Because of these links to potential health problems, and because as Americans we tend to get all the selenium we need through our diets, the study suggests that Americans should not be taking selenium supplements unless specifically directed by a doctor to do so.

While it’s important to make sure we are getting all the vitamins and minerals we need, too much of anything can be a bad thing. If you’re considering taking selenium supplements or are concerned about your own selenium intake, please speak with your doctor or a Registered Dietitian at your next appointment.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."