Sarcopenia: What?!

Sarcopenia is a condition associated with loss of muscle mass in older adults. There is not a clear cause of this muscle wasting, but many would agree that it has to do with inadequate protein intake and lack of resistance training. The effect happens in both men and women, but woman expecially are suseptible. It was recently found that women over the age of 35 are at risk of up to 1lb of muscle loss per year.....unless you counteract that loss with protien intake and resisitance training!!!

This is an issue for a couple reasons 1: your strength will decrease and 2: body composition starts to change....and not where you want it to:) Think......a natural fanny pack. Not good, right?! One of the reasons that metabolism slows down as you age is that muscle mass decreases. A pound of lean muscle mass burns FAR more calories than a pound of fat. So, the less muscle and more fat your have, the fewer calories you burn on a daily basis just....sitting there.

If you are at risk for sarcopenia, you need to power up on some LEAN PROTEIN!
Try these suggestions to enjoy high-quality protein throughout your day!!

Breakfast:
- Try adding a couple scrambled eggs to your current bowel of cereal
- Add a little spice to a breakfast burrito with 95% lean ground beef cooked in a taco seasoning mix
- Add low-fat cheese to an omelet
- Add a quick tablespoon of peanut butter to your oatmeal
- Pour 12oz of low-fat or fat-free milk to drink with your breakfast bar

Lunch:
- Add a hardboiled egg to your salad
- Add yogurt as a side item
- Grab a handful of almonds for desert
- Spread peanut butter on rice cakes

Dinner:
- Mix 95% lean ground beef meatballs into tomato and speghetti dishes
- Use lean pork or beef sirloin strips in a stir-fry loaded with fresh broccoli and carrots
- Make ground turkey tacos and top with low-fat cheese

So, get out there and pump some iron and reduce your muscle loss!!!!!