Vitamins are organic compounds- they come from living materials – plants or animals, or substances that were once living such as coal.
Minerals are inorganic.
All vitamins are classed as essential nutrients because the body cannot manufacture them and must obtain them from the diet, whereas not all minerals are classified nutrients.
Vitamins are classified are more easily destroyed by heat, light, long storage, cooking and food preparation processes.
Friday 30 October 2009
Thursday 29 October 2009
Why Does Eating Breakfast Help Control Weight?
by: Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Here are some of the ways regularly eating a healthy breakfast may help you lose excess weight and maintain your weight loss:
- Eating breakfast reduces your hunger later in the day, making it easier to avoid overeating. When you skip breakfast, you may feel ravenous later and be tempted to reach for a quick fix, such as candy from the vending machine. In addition, prolonged fasting — which occurs when you skip breakfast — can increase your body's insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain. In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity.
- Eating breakfast gets you on track to make healthy choices all day. People who eat breakfast regularly tend to eat a healthier diet — one that is more nutritious and lower in fat. When you skip breakfast, you're more likely to skip fruits and vegetables the rest of the day too.
- Eating breakfast gives you energy, increasing your physical activity during the day. A healthy breakfast refuels your body and replenishes the glycogen stores that supply blood sugar (glucose). Skipping breakfast is associated with decreased physical activity.
Unfortunately, more Americans are skipping breakfast. If you're one of them — whether you're trying to save time or cut calories — you may want to reconsider, especially if you're trying to control your weight.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01119
Wednesday 28 October 2009
5 Steps to Get Your Fat Loss Workout Back on Track
Already putting off your fat loss workouts until you have more time? Or untilanother project is done?
Let's face it, it's never going to be the perfect time to workout. So if you’vealready fallen off the fitness-wagon, these tips are for you.
Here are my 5 simple steps to help you lose fat and get lean.
1. Find a source of social support. It can be a friend, spouse, orco-worker, but research from Stanford University shows the ideal social supportis a professional that you feel obligated to report to on a consistent basis.
2. Eat 6 small, balanced snacks and meals per day, rather than 2 or 3 largemeals.
3. Commit to eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, andlean protein sources, rather than processed foods like muffins, fast food, andsugary snacks. Use a food diary or a site such as http://www.fitday.com/ to monitor yourfood and fluid intake.
4. If you want to lose fat, start by reducing your calorie intake by 200calories per day. One easy way to do this is to replace sweetened beverages withwater or Green Tea.
5. To get lean, you’ll need to include some form of strength training andcardiovascular training. If you haven’t worked out in years, startconservatively and get professional advice on how to structure your workouts inthe safest, and most efficient and effective manner possible.
Let's face it, it's never going to be the perfect time to workout. So if you’vealready fallen off the fitness-wagon, these tips are for you.
Here are my 5 simple steps to help you lose fat and get lean.
1. Find a source of social support. It can be a friend, spouse, orco-worker, but research from Stanford University shows the ideal social supportis a professional that you feel obligated to report to on a consistent basis.
2. Eat 6 small, balanced snacks and meals per day, rather than 2 or 3 largemeals.
3. Commit to eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, andlean protein sources, rather than processed foods like muffins, fast food, andsugary snacks. Use a food diary or a site such as http://www.fitday.com/ to monitor yourfood and fluid intake.
4. If you want to lose fat, start by reducing your calorie intake by 200calories per day. One easy way to do this is to replace sweetened beverages withwater or Green Tea.
5. To get lean, you’ll need to include some form of strength training andcardiovascular training. If you haven’t worked out in years, startconservatively and get professional advice on how to structure your workouts inthe safest, and most efficient and effective manner possible.
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Stress Less About the Scale
(article from southbeachdiet.com)
Do you weigh yourself every day? Do you worry about even the slightest change in your weight? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, you may be too focused on the scale — and if you're trying to maintain healthy habits, this behavior can actually be counterproductive.
The truth is that your weight may change from day to day for a variety of reasons. Fluid retention, hormonal fluctuations, constipation, and even the food you ate right before stepping on the scale may cause daily weight fluctuations. These variations can be misleading and worrisome if you don't understand them. For an accurate measurement of your weight, weigh yourself only once each week and on the same scale every time (different scales may give different readings). An even better method of measuring your success is to let your belt be your guide. If your clothes fit better and you feel better, then you're getting healthier — even if the bathroom scale doesn't show big changes.
Ultimately, it's up to you to stop focusing on the scale. Weight loss takes time, so patience is required. Remember, if you're practicing good weight-loss habits like those recommended by the South Beach Diet, you will enjoy better health and the extra pounds will come off along the way — whether you step on the scale every day or never again.
Do you weigh yourself every day? Do you worry about even the slightest change in your weight? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, you may be too focused on the scale — and if you're trying to maintain healthy habits, this behavior can actually be counterproductive.
The truth is that your weight may change from day to day for a variety of reasons. Fluid retention, hormonal fluctuations, constipation, and even the food you ate right before stepping on the scale may cause daily weight fluctuations. These variations can be misleading and worrisome if you don't understand them. For an accurate measurement of your weight, weigh yourself only once each week and on the same scale every time (different scales may give different readings). An even better method of measuring your success is to let your belt be your guide. If your clothes fit better and you feel better, then you're getting healthier — even if the bathroom scale doesn't show big changes.
Ultimately, it's up to you to stop focusing on the scale. Weight loss takes time, so patience is required. Remember, if you're practicing good weight-loss habits like those recommended by the South Beach Diet, you will enjoy better health and the extra pounds will come off along the way — whether you step on the scale every day or never again.
Monday 26 October 2009
How Healthy Are You?
Want to check out how well you manage your energy balance? Then be brave and face up to our quiz.
Want to make some changes? This is the place to start.
Take the quiz
Just some simple changes to your activity and food choices can make all the difference. So if you want to:
* look and feel fab
* feel more energetic
* have healthy skin
* concentrate better at school, college, or work
* achieve healthier body shape
Check out the questions below to see how well you are doing.
1. Fruit and vegetables are great fillers. Do you:
A eat 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day?
B eat vegetables or fruit at just one meal each day?
C rarely/never eat fruit and vegetables?
NB One portion is a handful of vegetables or a medium piece of fruit. Fresh, frozen, dried, canned fruit and vegetables all count as does a glass of juice.
2. Eating three meals a day is an important part of keeping healthy. Do you:
A always eat three main meals a day including breakfast?
B skip meals 1-4 times a week?
C skip breakfast or lunch everyday?
3. It’s OK to snack provided you get the balance right. Do you:
A eat a variety of snacks including fruit?
B snack regularly if you are hungry or not?
C only snack on chocolate, sweets and fizzy drinks during the day?
4. You need to be active to burn up excess energy and keep fit. Are you:
A active for at least an hour most days?
B active for an hour on only 2 or 3 days a week?
C most likely to spend your leisure time sitting indoors?
5. Taking care to balance your portion sizes is an important of managing your energy intake. How supersized are your portions? Do you:
A know when you have had enough to eat mealtimes and sometimes leave food on your plate?
B have to finish your meal even though you feel uncomfortably full?
C finish off your meal and start snacking within the hour?
6. Foods eaten “out” are often higher in energy than those eaten at home. Do you eat out (other than at school or college) or have takeaways:
A once, or less than once a week?
B 2 to 3 times a week?
C More often than 3 times a week?
How Healthy Are You?
You got 2 A’s, 0B’s and 0 C’s
If you answered mainly A’s
Well done, looks like you are making some really great choices to help you have and keep a healthy body. Check out the rest of this website for more ideas on healthy meals and snacks and ways to keep active.
If you answered mainly B’s
Rating more fruit and vegetables, exercising more regularly and eating three balanced meals everyday is great for energy balance, which helps you stay in shape. Try to keep active for at least an hour everyday even if it’s only walking to and from school, college or work everyday.
If you answered mainly C’s
Some simple changes to your eating and activity patterns are all that’s needed to set you on the right track towards a healthier energy balance. So if you want to get things under control check out the rest of this website for more advice.
Want to make some changes? This is the place to start.
Take the quiz
Just some simple changes to your activity and food choices can make all the difference. So if you want to:
* look and feel fab
* feel more energetic
* have healthy skin
* concentrate better at school, college, or work
* achieve healthier body shape
Check out the questions below to see how well you are doing.
1. Fruit and vegetables are great fillers. Do you:
A eat 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day?
B eat vegetables or fruit at just one meal each day?
C rarely/never eat fruit and vegetables?
NB One portion is a handful of vegetables or a medium piece of fruit. Fresh, frozen, dried, canned fruit and vegetables all count as does a glass of juice.
2. Eating three meals a day is an important part of keeping healthy. Do you:
A always eat three main meals a day including breakfast?
B skip meals 1-4 times a week?
C skip breakfast or lunch everyday?
3. It’s OK to snack provided you get the balance right. Do you:
A eat a variety of snacks including fruit?
B snack regularly if you are hungry or not?
C only snack on chocolate, sweets and fizzy drinks during the day?
4. You need to be active to burn up excess energy and keep fit. Are you:
A active for at least an hour most days?
B active for an hour on only 2 or 3 days a week?
C most likely to spend your leisure time sitting indoors?
5. Taking care to balance your portion sizes is an important of managing your energy intake. How supersized are your portions? Do you:
A know when you have had enough to eat mealtimes and sometimes leave food on your plate?
B have to finish your meal even though you feel uncomfortably full?
C finish off your meal and start snacking within the hour?
6. Foods eaten “out” are often higher in energy than those eaten at home. Do you eat out (other than at school or college) or have takeaways:
A once, or less than once a week?
B 2 to 3 times a week?
C More often than 3 times a week?
How Healthy Are You?
You got 2 A’s, 0B’s and 0 C’s
If you answered mainly A’s
Well done, looks like you are making some really great choices to help you have and keep a healthy body. Check out the rest of this website for more ideas on healthy meals and snacks and ways to keep active.
If you answered mainly B’s
Rating more fruit and vegetables, exercising more regularly and eating three balanced meals everyday is great for energy balance, which helps you stay in shape. Try to keep active for at least an hour everyday even if it’s only walking to and from school, college or work everyday.
If you answered mainly C’s
Some simple changes to your eating and activity patterns are all that’s needed to set you on the right track towards a healthier energy balance. So if you want to get things under control check out the rest of this website for more advice.
Friday 23 October 2009
Is A Slow Metabolism To Blame For Weight Gain?
I have heard people state that they have a slow metabolism and that was the reason they were overweight.
This got me thinking if there was such a thing as having a slow metabolism so I donned my Sherlock Holmes costume and did some investigating.
Here are my findings:
Yes, there is such a thing as a slow metabolism. But it's rare, and it's usually not what's behind being overweight or obesity — that's usually down to a lack of exercise and a surplus of calories being consumed.
Doesn't it always come down to diet and exercise :-) ??
Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. Even when you're sat watching daytime tv all day, your body needs energy for functions such as breathing, circulating blood and repairing cells.
The number of calories your body uses for these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR).
Several factors determine your basal metabolic rate:
- Your body size and composition. If you're larger or have more muscle mass, you will burn more calories, even at rest. (So overweight people are more likely to have a faster metabolic rate — not a slower one – interesting point, eh?)
- Your sex. If you're a man, you probably have less body fat and more muscle mass than a woman of the same age, so you burn more calories. That's why it's harder for ladies to burn body fat. I'm sorry ladies you always seem to get the bum deal.
- Your age. As you get older, your muscle mass decreases, which slows down the rate at which you burn calories.
Rather than metabolism, factors more likely to contribute to weight gain include:
- Eating too many calories
- Getting too little exercise
- Genetics and family history
- Certain medications
- Unhealthy habits, such as skipping breakfast or not getting enough sleep
Eating too much and living a sedentary lifestyle are the major factors that contribute to weight gain. The good thing is we can do something about these factors.
Unhealthy habits including lack of sleep really mess with your weight loss efforts. A number of my clients have undergone fantastic changes by simply getting an extra hours sleep a night.
Thursday 22 October 2009
4 Secrets To A Flat Stomach
Do you want a flat stomach? I don't know a person who doesn't!
People spend millions, if not billions of pounds worldwide, each year in the quest for a flat stomach. Right now there are about 200 or more ab exercise devices out there. There's the ab do-it, the ab rock-it, the ab roller, the ab dolly, and so many more.
You would think that with all of these amazing new products that most people would be walking around with that nice, lean mid-section they've always wanted. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Most, if not all of these products, will do little or nothing to flatten your stomach. And that's because these exercise contraptions cannot eliminate the layer of fat that lies on top of your abs.
In order to be successful at thinning your waistline you must have a basic under standing of how the ab muscles function and how your body burns fat.
The first thing that needs to be understood is the difference between fat and muscle. Fat is excess calories and is primarily stored in layers on top of muscle tissue. Muscle is made up of fibers that contract or shorten to produce movement.
Fat cannot turn into muscle and muscle cannot turn into fat! However, you can lose muscle and you can gain fat. That's what happens to most people.
So if your goal is to thin your waist line and have a nice flat stomach, the first thing you need to do is decrease / eliminate the layers of fat that are on top of your abs. We all have a flat stomach; it's just some of our's are covered by excess fat.
The most effective way of flattening your stomach is a combination of strength training (with a extra focus on mid-section), cardiovascular exercise (short, hard workouts), and stable blood sugar (keeps you from adding additional fat and makes it easier for the body to use body fat for fuel).
1. You must do some form of progressive strength training
The primary function of the abdominal muscles is to flex your torso forward. However, there are also muscles that flex your torso to the side and muscles that rotate your torso. Often times you see people on their ab roller every day doing hundreds of crunches or sit-ups.
If you want to effectively strengthen your stomach you need to incorporate the following types of exercises:
1-2 forward flexion exercises (crunch, sit-up, etc.)1-2 side flexion exercises (side bends, side crunches, etc.)1-2 rotational exercises (trunk rotations, standing twists, etc.)1-2 static holding exercises (plank, side plank, sky diver etc.)
The abs, are muscles just like any other and should be worked at most 3 times per week. You also want to make sure you are training them progressively, working them harder each time.
2. Use short, hard cardio workouts to increase metabolism
Cardio workouts are important because they CAN, if done correctly, increase your metabolism for 4-24 hours or more! This means you are less likely to store any excess calories as body fat because they are more likely to be used by your elevated metabolism. Plus, you are more likely to burn off someexcess body fat.
Below is a sample interval workout that can be done with just about any activity (walking, bicycling, swimming, stair climbing, etc.).
* 1. Warm up at easy pace 2-5 minutes
* 2. Then perform 30 seconds of hard work (almost as hard as possible)
* 3. Then perform 1 minute of moderate work (recovery time-catch breath)
* 4. Repeat this process 6-10 times
* 5. Cool down at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes
3. Stable blood sugar is the key
And most importantly, you must stabilize your blood sugar! This is by far the most important factor when it comes to burning away that exess fat and keeping it off!
To effectively stabilize your blood sugar you must feed your body frequently; like every 2-3 hours.
The key to give your body only what it needs at that time. Your body burns acalories 24 hours a day, so, why would you only feed it once or twice a day?
Give your body the fuel it needs: vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, whole grains, and lean proteins (chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs, etc.).
Many people are too hung up on how much fat is in food, or how healthy of a choice it is. Calories are calories and it doesn't matter where they come from. If there's extra, where's it going?
Yes, you guessed it body fat!
This is not to say that what you eat is not important because it is, it just doesn't have that much of an affect when it comes to fat loss. Try to make healthy choices whenever possible, but don't feel like if you eat a cheeseburger it is guaranteed to be stored as fat.
4. Get the help of a professional
Unfortunately, most people don't know enough about the human body, nutrition, or effective exercise to meet their health and fitness goals.
Ask yourself this one question, "Am I happy with my current progress or condition?" If you're not, you should consider getting the help of a qualified personal fitness professional.
Don't depend on the information you get from magazines or from your local gym/ health club. A qualified fitness professional can help you achieve your health and fitness goals, and in less time than you would imagine.
If you are serious about your health and fitness goals, and you are ready for that flat stomach, I recommend you start implementing the 4 strategies listed in this article.
These 4 strategies can help you take control of your metabolism and burn off that excess body fat and having you looking and feeling great!
People spend millions, if not billions of pounds worldwide, each year in the quest for a flat stomach. Right now there are about 200 or more ab exercise devices out there. There's the ab do-it, the ab rock-it, the ab roller, the ab dolly, and so many more.
You would think that with all of these amazing new products that most people would be walking around with that nice, lean mid-section they've always wanted. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Most, if not all of these products, will do little or nothing to flatten your stomach. And that's because these exercise contraptions cannot eliminate the layer of fat that lies on top of your abs.
In order to be successful at thinning your waistline you must have a basic under standing of how the ab muscles function and how your body burns fat.
The first thing that needs to be understood is the difference between fat and muscle. Fat is excess calories and is primarily stored in layers on top of muscle tissue. Muscle is made up of fibers that contract or shorten to produce movement.
Fat cannot turn into muscle and muscle cannot turn into fat! However, you can lose muscle and you can gain fat. That's what happens to most people.
So if your goal is to thin your waist line and have a nice flat stomach, the first thing you need to do is decrease / eliminate the layers of fat that are on top of your abs. We all have a flat stomach; it's just some of our's are covered by excess fat.
The most effective way of flattening your stomach is a combination of strength training (with a extra focus on mid-section), cardiovascular exercise (short, hard workouts), and stable blood sugar (keeps you from adding additional fat and makes it easier for the body to use body fat for fuel).
1. You must do some form of progressive strength training
The primary function of the abdominal muscles is to flex your torso forward. However, there are also muscles that flex your torso to the side and muscles that rotate your torso. Often times you see people on their ab roller every day doing hundreds of crunches or sit-ups.
If you want to effectively strengthen your stomach you need to incorporate the following types of exercises:
1-2 forward flexion exercises (crunch, sit-up, etc.)1-2 side flexion exercises (side bends, side crunches, etc.)1-2 rotational exercises (trunk rotations, standing twists, etc.)1-2 static holding exercises (plank, side plank, sky diver etc.)
The abs, are muscles just like any other and should be worked at most 3 times per week. You also want to make sure you are training them progressively, working them harder each time.
2. Use short, hard cardio workouts to increase metabolism
Cardio workouts are important because they CAN, if done correctly, increase your metabolism for 4-24 hours or more! This means you are less likely to store any excess calories as body fat because they are more likely to be used by your elevated metabolism. Plus, you are more likely to burn off someexcess body fat.
Below is a sample interval workout that can be done with just about any activity (walking, bicycling, swimming, stair climbing, etc.).
* 1. Warm up at easy pace 2-5 minutes
* 2. Then perform 30 seconds of hard work (almost as hard as possible)
* 3. Then perform 1 minute of moderate work (recovery time-catch breath)
* 4. Repeat this process 6-10 times
* 5. Cool down at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes
3. Stable blood sugar is the key
And most importantly, you must stabilize your blood sugar! This is by far the most important factor when it comes to burning away that exess fat and keeping it off!
To effectively stabilize your blood sugar you must feed your body frequently; like every 2-3 hours.
The key to give your body only what it needs at that time. Your body burns acalories 24 hours a day, so, why would you only feed it once or twice a day?
Give your body the fuel it needs: vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, whole grains, and lean proteins (chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs, etc.).
Many people are too hung up on how much fat is in food, or how healthy of a choice it is. Calories are calories and it doesn't matter where they come from. If there's extra, where's it going?
Yes, you guessed it body fat!
This is not to say that what you eat is not important because it is, it just doesn't have that much of an affect when it comes to fat loss. Try to make healthy choices whenever possible, but don't feel like if you eat a cheeseburger it is guaranteed to be stored as fat.
4. Get the help of a professional
Unfortunately, most people don't know enough about the human body, nutrition, or effective exercise to meet their health and fitness goals.
Ask yourself this one question, "Am I happy with my current progress or condition?" If you're not, you should consider getting the help of a qualified personal fitness professional.
Don't depend on the information you get from magazines or from your local gym/ health club. A qualified fitness professional can help you achieve your health and fitness goals, and in less time than you would imagine.
If you are serious about your health and fitness goals, and you are ready for that flat stomach, I recommend you start implementing the 4 strategies listed in this article.
These 4 strategies can help you take control of your metabolism and burn off that excess body fat and having you looking and feeling great!
Wednesday 21 October 2009
Isle of Man Personal Trainer Reveals Secret To Losing 5lbs Or More This Week… WITHOUT Changing Your Diet Or Exercise (Or Spending a Single Penny)
If you think that losing weight is all about spending money, well you are wrong! There are ways on how to lose those extra pounds without breaking the bank.
Losing weight as they say is all in the mind. If you keep on munching those carbohydrates loaded with sugar, you will absolutely find it hard to lose weight. Although there are some people who are naturally born with a slim figure and no matter how much they eat, they could still maintain a nice toned tummy. Well, don’t blame them. Blame their hormones. It must be their hormones.
It’s about balancing the hormones that course through our veins every waking moment of our lives so that they work in our favour rather than against us.
And this first ’secret’ I’m going to share with you is about rebalancing one of the most important hormones of them all, the Cortisol.
Cortisol is called the “super hormone” or the “stress hormone”. It is an important hormone in the body, secreted by the adrenal glands and it is intended to help re-stabilize and rebalance the body when our system becomes overloaded with physical, emotional, and environmental stress.
Since this is produced by our bodies, this costs nothing, requires no pill, shakes, or powders.
Experts do believe that there is a big connection between cortisol and weight gain.
Whenever we are stressed, extra Cortisol is being produced by the body which causes the weight gain. The adrenal gland produces more Cortisol and releases sugar into the blood. This is all in preparation for fight or flight. With stress, the body creates the need for energy. This is where the belief in the connection of cortisol and weight gain comes into play.
There are numerous things you can do to re-balance your cortisol and one of which is by going to bed early.
Seriously, the most important thing you could possibly do to bring your Cortisol levels down is to immediately start to reboot your metabolism into fast fat burning mode and go to bed early.
Part of that rhythm naturally sees Cortisol reach its low point between about 10pm and 2am with a peak in growth hormone and testosterone/estrogen at the same time. This is a perfect design from a fat loss perspective as it allows for maximum muscle repair and growth (meaning increased metabolism) and minimal stress and breakdown (meaning slower metabolism).
The problem is, when you are habitually staying up late like watching TV or posting messages on facebook beyond 10.30pm, you’re causing your metabolism to shift the other way. Your Cortisol stays high, growth hormone stays low and your internal environment simply cannot do what it’s supposed to do in terms of efficient fat burning. So now, make it a habit to get to bed early.
Since we know that there’s a regimen on how to finally achieve the body you have always dreamed of; proper nutrition, exercise and a hormone rebalancing supplement, losing those extra five pounds is an easy assignment.
Losing weight as they say is all in the mind. If you keep on munching those carbohydrates loaded with sugar, you will absolutely find it hard to lose weight. Although there are some people who are naturally born with a slim figure and no matter how much they eat, they could still maintain a nice toned tummy. Well, don’t blame them. Blame their hormones. It must be their hormones.
It’s about balancing the hormones that course through our veins every waking moment of our lives so that they work in our favour rather than against us.
And this first ’secret’ I’m going to share with you is about rebalancing one of the most important hormones of them all, the Cortisol.
Cortisol is called the “super hormone” or the “stress hormone”. It is an important hormone in the body, secreted by the adrenal glands and it is intended to help re-stabilize and rebalance the body when our system becomes overloaded with physical, emotional, and environmental stress.
Since this is produced by our bodies, this costs nothing, requires no pill, shakes, or powders.
Experts do believe that there is a big connection between cortisol and weight gain.
Whenever we are stressed, extra Cortisol is being produced by the body which causes the weight gain. The adrenal gland produces more Cortisol and releases sugar into the blood. This is all in preparation for fight or flight. With stress, the body creates the need for energy. This is where the belief in the connection of cortisol and weight gain comes into play.
There are numerous things you can do to re-balance your cortisol and one of which is by going to bed early.
Seriously, the most important thing you could possibly do to bring your Cortisol levels down is to immediately start to reboot your metabolism into fast fat burning mode and go to bed early.
Part of that rhythm naturally sees Cortisol reach its low point between about 10pm and 2am with a peak in growth hormone and testosterone/estrogen at the same time. This is a perfect design from a fat loss perspective as it allows for maximum muscle repair and growth (meaning increased metabolism) and minimal stress and breakdown (meaning slower metabolism).
The problem is, when you are habitually staying up late like watching TV or posting messages on facebook beyond 10.30pm, you’re causing your metabolism to shift the other way. Your Cortisol stays high, growth hormone stays low and your internal environment simply cannot do what it’s supposed to do in terms of efficient fat burning. So now, make it a habit to get to bed early.
Since we know that there’s a regimen on how to finally achieve the body you have always dreamed of; proper nutrition, exercise and a hormone rebalancing supplement, losing those extra five pounds is an easy assignment.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
Fat-Loss Tips That Work
One: Eat something small every 2 - 4 hours
Small regular meals keeps your metabolism revved and is a much better way to burn off calories than, say, one or big meals big meals a day.
Your metabolism is boosted by about ten per cent for two to three hours after you eat.
Avoid skipping meals or leaving gaps longer than 5 hours between meals. Leaving long gaps between meals sends your body into starvation mode, triggering it to burn muscle instead of fat.
Two: Eat the right foods
Fat makes you fatter than carbohydrates and protein. Because fat is close to the form it needs to be for storage, metabolising it requires just 3 calories for every 100 you eat. That leaves 97 to be stored in your fat cells.
Metabolising carbohydrates requires 10 - 15 calories, leaving only 85 - 90 to be stored, whereas protein requires an amazing 20 calories to use it.
Protein and carbohydrate are your best bets if you want to increase your metabolic rate and reduce the amount of excess stored as fat.
Three: Limit your food choices
Research at Tufts University in Massachusetts shows that when people are presented with a wider variety of foods they eat considerably more.
The message here is to simplify your diet.
Next time you are faced with a glorious choice, opt for only two or three types of food rather than a bit of everything. If you must buy high calorie foods, such as biscuits, ice cream or desserts, buy only one variety.
Eat well, live well.
Small regular meals keeps your metabolism revved and is a much better way to burn off calories than, say, one or big meals big meals a day.
Your metabolism is boosted by about ten per cent for two to three hours after you eat.
Avoid skipping meals or leaving gaps longer than 5 hours between meals. Leaving long gaps between meals sends your body into starvation mode, triggering it to burn muscle instead of fat.
Two: Eat the right foods
Fat makes you fatter than carbohydrates and protein. Because fat is close to the form it needs to be for storage, metabolising it requires just 3 calories for every 100 you eat. That leaves 97 to be stored in your fat cells.
Metabolising carbohydrates requires 10 - 15 calories, leaving only 85 - 90 to be stored, whereas protein requires an amazing 20 calories to use it.
Protein and carbohydrate are your best bets if you want to increase your metabolic rate and reduce the amount of excess stored as fat.
Three: Limit your food choices
Research at Tufts University in Massachusetts shows that when people are presented with a wider variety of foods they eat considerably more.
The message here is to simplify your diet.
Next time you are faced with a glorious choice, opt for only two or three types of food rather than a bit of everything. If you must buy high calorie foods, such as biscuits, ice cream or desserts, buy only one variety.
Eat well, live well.
Monday 19 October 2009
How To See Your Lower Abs?
I'm not a big fan of bodybuilding, but I know good info when I read it.
And over the weekend I finally got around to reading an interview with bodybuilding expert, Tom Venuto.
This guy knows his stuff.
Here's one of his articles on how to lose fat around your mid section.
"How to see your lower abs"
By Tom Venuto
Seeing your abs, or any other muscle group, for that matter - is almost entirely the result of having low body fat levels. You get low body fat from proper diet (as well as cardio and strength training), not from doing hundreds of ab exercises every day.
My guess is that it may seem like your lower ab muscles are "hard to develop,"but it's not really an issue of "muscle development" at all, you simply have too much body fat and are storing it in your lower abdominal region more readily than other parts of your body and you can't see the muscles through the fat.
Most people don't have their fat distributed evenly throughout their bodies. Each of us inherits a genetically determined and hormonally-influenced pattern of fat storage just as we inherit our eye or hair color. In other words, the fat seems to "stick" to certain areas more than others.
MEN often tend to store fat more readily in the lower abdominal region (the "pot belly", "spare tire", "beer gut", or "love handles").
In WOMEN, the "stubborn" areas are usually the hips, thighs ("saddlebags") and the triceps ("bingo wings").
You could focus on more "lower ab" exercises like hanging leg raises, reverse crunches and hip lifts ("toes to sky"), but even these won't help as long as you still have body fat covering the muscles.
You can't "spot reduce" with abdominal exercise.
The lower ab area is often the first place the fat goes when you gain it, and the last place it comes off when you're losing it.
Think of ab fat like the deep end of the swimming pool. No matter how much you protest, there is no way you can drain the deep end before the shallow end.
I would suggest cutting back the volume on your ab training and spending that time on more cardio work instead. Personally, I only do about 15 minutes of ab work two times per week. (About two to four exercises with reps usually ranging from 10-25 reps).
As far as nutrition goes, here are a few fat-burning nutrition guidelines in a nutshell:
- Eat about 15-20% below your calorie maintenance level.
- Spread your calories into 5-6 smaller meals instead of 2-3 big ones. Be very conscious of portion size. Eat too much of anything and you can say goodbye to your abs. Period.
- Eat a source of complete, high quality lean protein with each meal (egg whites, lean meat, fish, protein powder, etc).
- Choose natural, complex carbs such as vegetables, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, beans, brown rice and whole grains. Start with approx. 50% of your calories from natural carbs and reduce carbs slightly (esp. late in the day) if you are not losing fat.
- Avoid refined, simple carbs that contain white flour or white sugar.
- Keep total fats low and saturated fats low. Aim for 20% of your total calories from fat (and no more than 30%). A little bit of "good fat" like flax oil, fish fat, nuts & seeds, etc is better than a no fat diet.
- Drink plenty of water - a gallon is a good ballpark to shoot for if you are physically active.
So while doing 1000+ reps of ab work four days a week is an amazing feat of endurance, but that's not how you get visible, rock hard, 6-pack abs!
You might have outstanding development in your abdominal muscles, but if your abs are covered up with a layer of fat, you won't be able to see them even if you do 10,000 reps a day!
You "get abs" from reducing your body fat and you reduce body fat mostly through diet and cardio.
And over the weekend I finally got around to reading an interview with bodybuilding expert, Tom Venuto.
This guy knows his stuff.
Here's one of his articles on how to lose fat around your mid section.
"How to see your lower abs"
By Tom Venuto
Seeing your abs, or any other muscle group, for that matter - is almost entirely the result of having low body fat levels. You get low body fat from proper diet (as well as cardio and strength training), not from doing hundreds of ab exercises every day.
My guess is that it may seem like your lower ab muscles are "hard to develop,"but it's not really an issue of "muscle development" at all, you simply have too much body fat and are storing it in your lower abdominal region more readily than other parts of your body and you can't see the muscles through the fat.
Most people don't have their fat distributed evenly throughout their bodies. Each of us inherits a genetically determined and hormonally-influenced pattern of fat storage just as we inherit our eye or hair color. In other words, the fat seems to "stick" to certain areas more than others.
MEN often tend to store fat more readily in the lower abdominal region (the "pot belly", "spare tire", "beer gut", or "love handles").
In WOMEN, the "stubborn" areas are usually the hips, thighs ("saddlebags") and the triceps ("bingo wings").
You could focus on more "lower ab" exercises like hanging leg raises, reverse crunches and hip lifts ("toes to sky"), but even these won't help as long as you still have body fat covering the muscles.
You can't "spot reduce" with abdominal exercise.
The lower ab area is often the first place the fat goes when you gain it, and the last place it comes off when you're losing it.
Think of ab fat like the deep end of the swimming pool. No matter how much you protest, there is no way you can drain the deep end before the shallow end.
I would suggest cutting back the volume on your ab training and spending that time on more cardio work instead. Personally, I only do about 15 minutes of ab work two times per week. (About two to four exercises with reps usually ranging from 10-25 reps).
As far as nutrition goes, here are a few fat-burning nutrition guidelines in a nutshell:
- Eat about 15-20% below your calorie maintenance level.
- Spread your calories into 5-6 smaller meals instead of 2-3 big ones. Be very conscious of portion size. Eat too much of anything and you can say goodbye to your abs. Period.
- Eat a source of complete, high quality lean protein with each meal (egg whites, lean meat, fish, protein powder, etc).
- Choose natural, complex carbs such as vegetables, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, beans, brown rice and whole grains. Start with approx. 50% of your calories from natural carbs and reduce carbs slightly (esp. late in the day) if you are not losing fat.
- Avoid refined, simple carbs that contain white flour or white sugar.
- Keep total fats low and saturated fats low. Aim for 20% of your total calories from fat (and no more than 30%). A little bit of "good fat" like flax oil, fish fat, nuts & seeds, etc is better than a no fat diet.
- Drink plenty of water - a gallon is a good ballpark to shoot for if you are physically active.
So while doing 1000+ reps of ab work four days a week is an amazing feat of endurance, but that's not how you get visible, rock hard, 6-pack abs!
You might have outstanding development in your abdominal muscles, but if your abs are covered up with a layer of fat, you won't be able to see them even if you do 10,000 reps a day!
You "get abs" from reducing your body fat and you reduce body fat mostly through diet and cardio.
Friday 16 October 2009
Fat Burning Basics
If you’re overweight, you are not a bad person. You’re simpiy overweight. But it’s important to lose the extra pounds so you’ll look good, feel healthier and develop a sense of pride and self-esteem. Once you’ve lost the fat, you’ll need to maintain your weight.
In this booklet, you’ll discover how to lose 10 pounds a month — a nice, safe loss of about two or two-and-a-half pounds a week — painlessly. You’ll feel satisfied and more energetic than in the past without feeling deprived.
Changing these poor eating habits is the key to long-term success.
Knowledge — along with the right food — is the key.
When humans lived in caves, they didn’t know anything about preserving and storing food. They spent all their waking time and energy hunting and gathering food. When they had it, they gobbled it down fast. Instead of storing food in pantries or cupboards, they stored energy in their bodies in the form of fat to burn during periods when there was little or nothing to eat.
Each year, it was absolutely vital for them to put on a good layer of fat during the warm sprint and summer months. That was the only way they could guarantee their survival during the lean and mean winter months.
And since women bore the young, they needed more energy to sustain themselves and their babies, and that meant they were usually heavier.
Even though we no longer live in caves, we have inherited and maintained this basic mechanism for fat storage from our hunting and gathering ancestors.
Each one of us is born with a certain number of fat cells. How many of these fat cells you possess depends on genetics. If you have a lot of fat cells, maybe your ancestors were the biggest people in the tribe, which was a good thing because they had the best chances of survival.
You can never get rid of fat cells, but — unfortunately — you can add to them. Depending upon what you eat, your body will manufacture new far cells. And like those you were born with, they never go away.
That doesn’t mean you’re doomed to be fat once you put on extra pounds. It is possible to shrink fat cells. That’s what happens when you lose weight. You burn up the fat stored in those big fat cells. Think of them as balloons. Burning off the fat inside them has the save effect as letting the air out of a balloon.
A good weight loss program requires a certain amount of intake restriction — the consumption of fewer calories. You burn off the fat by eating less fat and becoming more active.
To guarantee a lifetime of weight-control success, you have to change the type of foods you eat, so that you ingest less fat and still get the vitamins, minerals, trace elements, protein, fat and carbohyckates your body needs to thrive.
Extremely low-calorie diets may help you shed pounds quickly, but they’ll lead to failure in the long run.
That’s because humans are genetically protected against starvation. During food shortages, our bodies slow down our metabolisms and burn less energy so we can stay alive.
A part of our brain called the hypothalamus keeps us on an even weight keep by creating a “set point.” That’s the weight where we feel comfortable. The hypothalamus determines this point based on the level of consumption it’s used to. It seeks to keep our weight constant, even if that point is over what it should be.
When we drastically cut back our food intake, the brain thinks the body is starving, and in an effort to preserve life, it slows the metabolism. Soon the pounds stop coming off. Consequently, we grow hungry and uncomfortable and then eat more. And then the diet fails.
How can you compensate for this metabolic slow-down? The answer is that you have to change the nutritional composition of the foods you eat. You wifi have to cut down on total calories — that’s absolutely basic to weight loss. More important, however, is reducing the percentage of total calories you are getting from fat.
That’s how you’ll avoid starvation panic in your system. At the same time, you reduce the amount of fat in your food, replacing it with safe, low calorie, nutrient-rich plant foods. This will convince your brain that your body is getting all the nutrition it needs.
In fact, you’ll be able to eat more food and feel more satisfied while consuming fewer calories and fats.
Plant foods break down slowly in your stomach, making you feel full longer, and they are rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements, carbohydrates and protein for energy and muscle-building. This allows your body to burn off its excess stored fat.
In this booklet, you’ll discover how to lose 10 pounds a month — a nice, safe loss of about two or two-and-a-half pounds a week — painlessly. You’ll feel satisfied and more energetic than in the past without feeling deprived.
Changing these poor eating habits is the key to long-term success.
Knowledge — along with the right food — is the key.
When humans lived in caves, they didn’t know anything about preserving and storing food. They spent all their waking time and energy hunting and gathering food. When they had it, they gobbled it down fast. Instead of storing food in pantries or cupboards, they stored energy in their bodies in the form of fat to burn during periods when there was little or nothing to eat.
Each year, it was absolutely vital for them to put on a good layer of fat during the warm sprint and summer months. That was the only way they could guarantee their survival during the lean and mean winter months.
And since women bore the young, they needed more energy to sustain themselves and their babies, and that meant they were usually heavier.
Even though we no longer live in caves, we have inherited and maintained this basic mechanism for fat storage from our hunting and gathering ancestors.
Each one of us is born with a certain number of fat cells. How many of these fat cells you possess depends on genetics. If you have a lot of fat cells, maybe your ancestors were the biggest people in the tribe, which was a good thing because they had the best chances of survival.
You can never get rid of fat cells, but — unfortunately — you can add to them. Depending upon what you eat, your body will manufacture new far cells. And like those you were born with, they never go away.
That doesn’t mean you’re doomed to be fat once you put on extra pounds. It is possible to shrink fat cells. That’s what happens when you lose weight. You burn up the fat stored in those big fat cells. Think of them as balloons. Burning off the fat inside them has the save effect as letting the air out of a balloon.
A good weight loss program requires a certain amount of intake restriction — the consumption of fewer calories. You burn off the fat by eating less fat and becoming more active.
To guarantee a lifetime of weight-control success, you have to change the type of foods you eat, so that you ingest less fat and still get the vitamins, minerals, trace elements, protein, fat and carbohyckates your body needs to thrive.
Extremely low-calorie diets may help you shed pounds quickly, but they’ll lead to failure in the long run.
That’s because humans are genetically protected against starvation. During food shortages, our bodies slow down our metabolisms and burn less energy so we can stay alive.
A part of our brain called the hypothalamus keeps us on an even weight keep by creating a “set point.” That’s the weight where we feel comfortable. The hypothalamus determines this point based on the level of consumption it’s used to. It seeks to keep our weight constant, even if that point is over what it should be.
When we drastically cut back our food intake, the brain thinks the body is starving, and in an effort to preserve life, it slows the metabolism. Soon the pounds stop coming off. Consequently, we grow hungry and uncomfortable and then eat more. And then the diet fails.
How can you compensate for this metabolic slow-down? The answer is that you have to change the nutritional composition of the foods you eat. You wifi have to cut down on total calories — that’s absolutely basic to weight loss. More important, however, is reducing the percentage of total calories you are getting from fat.
That’s how you’ll avoid starvation panic in your system. At the same time, you reduce the amount of fat in your food, replacing it with safe, low calorie, nutrient-rich plant foods. This will convince your brain that your body is getting all the nutrition it needs.
In fact, you’ll be able to eat more food and feel more satisfied while consuming fewer calories and fats.
Plant foods break down slowly in your stomach, making you feel full longer, and they are rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements, carbohydrates and protein for energy and muscle-building. This allows your body to burn off its excess stored fat.
Thursday 15 October 2009
The Easiest Way To Lose Up To 48lbs Without Diet Or Exercise!
Stop drinking soft drinks, drink water instead!
A can of coke has 150 calories. Water has zero calories.
1 lb of fat = 3500 calories.
If you currently drink 3 cans of fizzy drinks a day such as Coke, Pepsi, Lemonade, etc., you can save 450 daily calories by switching to plain water.
In this case, you will lose roughly 1 lb per week - 48 lbs of ugly fat per year!
If you give up just 1 coke per day, you'll still lose 16 lbs in a year - while eating the same amount of food, all without dieting or exercise.
A can of coke has 150 calories. Water has zero calories.
1 lb of fat = 3500 calories.
If you currently drink 3 cans of fizzy drinks a day such as Coke, Pepsi, Lemonade, etc., you can save 450 daily calories by switching to plain water.
In this case, you will lose roughly 1 lb per week - 48 lbs of ugly fat per year!
If you give up just 1 coke per day, you'll still lose 16 lbs in a year - while eating the same amount of food, all without dieting or exercise.
Wednesday 14 October 2009
Breaking a Fat Loss Plateau
As we are in the midst of the "get lean for summer" fat loss season let's take a quick look at the three reasons why fat loss plateaus occur.
1.Wrong protocol: Basically this means that the program didn't work in the first place. Examples of this type of error include not performing resistance training, doing an excessive volume of low intensity cardio, and going on too low (or too high) of a caloric intake. The easiest way to avoid this plateau is to work from an established program with a proven track record of achieving fat loss results.
2. Non compliance: Either consciously or subconsciously this is a big problem. I am a big fan of John Berardi’s compliance grid - which basically states that a 90% compliance to any plan is necessary to evaluate the plan. So regardless if you are following a high carb or low carb diet - based on 5 meals per day and 3 post workout shakes per week - that's 38 meals. If you eat less than 35 meals according to the plan - you are not "on" the plan - you're winging it.
3. Adaptation: This is not necessarily a problem per-se - it's actually the goal of the fat loss plan. Increasing activity or reducing calories is a tool used in weight loss programs to get you to a new weight or body fat level. But the adaptation is exactly what we are looking for. In other words - the plan that we will use to lose 3lbs of fat per week will only work for about 4 weeks before we need to adjust. We are actually trying to create the adaptation - we only adjust when we are not at the final destination yet.
The plan used to get from 200lbs to 190lbs may not work to get from 190lbs to 180lbs. So we must constantly evaluate the program at each stage and make adjustments. Typically the exercise program and nutrition program should be adjusted every 4 weeks or so to continue progress.
That's it. With a properly designed fat loss program that takes into account the above you can get anyone -- anyone -- to six pack abs, lean arms etc. If been training for a while and your goal is to change your body shape and you aren't making fast visible progress - it's likely because of one of the above.
1.Wrong protocol: Basically this means that the program didn't work in the first place. Examples of this type of error include not performing resistance training, doing an excessive volume of low intensity cardio, and going on too low (or too high) of a caloric intake. The easiest way to avoid this plateau is to work from an established program with a proven track record of achieving fat loss results.
2. Non compliance: Either consciously or subconsciously this is a big problem. I am a big fan of John Berardi’s compliance grid - which basically states that a 90% compliance to any plan is necessary to evaluate the plan. So regardless if you are following a high carb or low carb diet - based on 5 meals per day and 3 post workout shakes per week - that's 38 meals. If you eat less than 35 meals according to the plan - you are not "on" the plan - you're winging it.
3. Adaptation: This is not necessarily a problem per-se - it's actually the goal of the fat loss plan. Increasing activity or reducing calories is a tool used in weight loss programs to get you to a new weight or body fat level. But the adaptation is exactly what we are looking for. In other words - the plan that we will use to lose 3lbs of fat per week will only work for about 4 weeks before we need to adjust. We are actually trying to create the adaptation - we only adjust when we are not at the final destination yet.
The plan used to get from 200lbs to 190lbs may not work to get from 190lbs to 180lbs. So we must constantly evaluate the program at each stage and make adjustments. Typically the exercise program and nutrition program should be adjusted every 4 weeks or so to continue progress.
That's it. With a properly designed fat loss program that takes into account the above you can get anyone -- anyone -- to six pack abs, lean arms etc. If been training for a while and your goal is to change your body shape and you aren't making fast visible progress - it's likely because of one of the above.
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Would a detox diet significantly improve my health?
No, not really.
Although it can help someone that is dipping their hand in the biscuit tin and/or eating a pack of Doritos everyday, but only if they take up some long-term healthy habits as a result, of course.
A detox diet won't suddenly reverse the bad health status of someone that has lived the Western Lifestyle for 40 years.
It is what it is...2 days of not eating rubbish (although it's often 2 days - or more - of not eating anything, which has its own detractions, and that's another story!)
So detox diets might seem like a good idea, and might even give you piece of mind and help kick-start a new program, but just realize that they are not a quick fix to your health problems.
The LONG-TERM FIX is dumping the Western Lifestyle, as I have said many times before.
Besides, if you think you can actually remove all the toxins in your body, think again. It can never happen. Every breath you take, every move you make, you are creating waste products in your body.
In fact, research studies have found that ALL of us contain surprisingly high concentrations of toxins in our blood, all due to AIR pollution.
So no matter how "great" your detox diet, you'll never be able to combat toxins that enter your blood through your lungs.
And many toxins are fat-soluble - meaning they are stored in our fat cells for months, and slowly released over time - not just 2 days.
You'll never truly detoxify...but enough of the science class, let's get to the bottom line on detox diets...
So is living on a juice diet for 2 or 3 days going to kill you?
No. It's probably healthier for you than a weekend in Amsterdam.
But is it going to add years to your life?
No, of course not.
So unless a 2-day detox diet is really off the wall unhealthy, they are generally neither helpful nor harmful.
All that matters is what you do on a consistent basis for the other 363 days of the year...year in, year out.
If you pick up motivation for healthy habits from your "detox", then maybe it can help you.
But if you go right off the detox and back to Kebabs and Blue WKD, then what was the point at all?
You know what I'm all about - lifestyle change.
It's nothing radical, its nothing fancy or magical. If you want to succeed you simply have to make changes for good.
You aren't going to make all the changes overnight or be able to stick to each one the first time you try it (Hey, I'm still trying to get better and healthier everyday, and I've been at it for the past 10 years).
Hard truth: It might take you years before you perfect your healthy eating habits and kick your cravings.
But as you do, you'll have the rest of your life ahead of you for high-energy living thanks to healthy eating.
Eat well, live well.
Although it can help someone that is dipping their hand in the biscuit tin and/or eating a pack of Doritos everyday, but only if they take up some long-term healthy habits as a result, of course.
A detox diet won't suddenly reverse the bad health status of someone that has lived the Western Lifestyle for 40 years.
It is what it is...2 days of not eating rubbish (although it's often 2 days - or more - of not eating anything, which has its own detractions, and that's another story!)
So detox diets might seem like a good idea, and might even give you piece of mind and help kick-start a new program, but just realize that they are not a quick fix to your health problems.
The LONG-TERM FIX is dumping the Western Lifestyle, as I have said many times before.
Besides, if you think you can actually remove all the toxins in your body, think again. It can never happen. Every breath you take, every move you make, you are creating waste products in your body.
In fact, research studies have found that ALL of us contain surprisingly high concentrations of toxins in our blood, all due to AIR pollution.
So no matter how "great" your detox diet, you'll never be able to combat toxins that enter your blood through your lungs.
And many toxins are fat-soluble - meaning they are stored in our fat cells for months, and slowly released over time - not just 2 days.
You'll never truly detoxify...but enough of the science class, let's get to the bottom line on detox diets...
So is living on a juice diet for 2 or 3 days going to kill you?
No. It's probably healthier for you than a weekend in Amsterdam.
But is it going to add years to your life?
No, of course not.
So unless a 2-day detox diet is really off the wall unhealthy, they are generally neither helpful nor harmful.
All that matters is what you do on a consistent basis for the other 363 days of the year...year in, year out.
If you pick up motivation for healthy habits from your "detox", then maybe it can help you.
But if you go right off the detox and back to Kebabs and Blue WKD, then what was the point at all?
You know what I'm all about - lifestyle change.
It's nothing radical, its nothing fancy or magical. If you want to succeed you simply have to make changes for good.
You aren't going to make all the changes overnight or be able to stick to each one the first time you try it (Hey, I'm still trying to get better and healthier everyday, and I've been at it for the past 10 years).
Hard truth: It might take you years before you perfect your healthy eating habits and kick your cravings.
But as you do, you'll have the rest of your life ahead of you for high-energy living thanks to healthy eating.
Eat well, live well.
Monday 12 October 2009
5 Dietary Disasters That Are Keeping You Fat
Have you considered what you have been eating lately? When you’re determined to downsize or lose weight, it’s easy to get caught up in calorie counting, out of control cravings, and post cave-in guilt that you can’t step back and pinpoint why you’re still not ready for those hot and sexy dresses.
Studies proved that when you’re weight-loss struggle has been going around in circles; a food diary is like a road map. It helps you discover areas for development, avert from unhealthy lifestyle, and keep tracking your food choices until you have reached a healthy destination.
So before you hit the market and shop for your groceries, here are the 5 Dietary Disasters that should not be on your cart.
Dietary Disaster #1 – Digesting Refined Carbs. We all know what carbohydrates can do for our body right and in fact, it’s necessary for our everyday living. Carbohydrates can only become a disaster once you have eaten the processed, refined kind rather than going all natural.
When we say processed, refined carbohydrates, these are the white rice, white breads and pastas, cakes, pastries, confectionary and plain old sugar, and among others. This kind of foodstuff doesn’t have “real nutrition” and is a huge resource of sugar which is bad for our health.
The best carbohydrates or carbs that we could digest are fruits and vegetables, or anything that is still in their natural form. Not only you would be able to consume less calories but also you re guaranteed that you’ll be getting enormous amounts of vitamins, mineral and phytonutrients which are essential on weight loss.
Dietary Disaster #2- Consuming Processed Foods. This is actually the same with dietary disaster #1.
When we say about processed foods, this are basically the canned goods, packaged high calorie snack foods, high-fat convenience foods, frozen fish sticks and dinners, packaged cakes and cookies, packaged ready-to-eat noodles, sugary breakfast cereals and processed meats.
Though processed foods are very convenient and popular, it contains tons of sodium, calories and trans fats which are bad for our wellbeing. Again, nothing could replace an all natural foodstuff but if you are pressed of time and got lots of errands to accomplish, perhaps a once-in-awhile indulgence will not hurt as long as you are cautious and paying attention to the serving size as well.
Dietary Disaster #3- Consuming Too Much Caffeine. Let’s face it, coffee, soda, and tea are addictive. If you can identify someone who can’t start his day without sipping his morning cup of tea or coffee and you asked them to give it up, perhaps, you have to make a different turn now.
For those who are obsessed with too much caffeine, it’s like a drug or remedy for these users. It is a powerful stuff that can control your emotions, feelings, reactions, and physical performance. The side effects of drinking too much caffeine can make your “cortisol” levels high, therefore, you’ll have a hard time in losing fat over time.
So before it’s too late, avoid this dietary disaster from your food intake. As a replacement for coffee, tea, and soda, shift on drinking herbal and fruit teas or your good old water and you’ll feel more refreshed and in good physical shape.
Dietary Disaster #4-Cutting back on dietary fat. Let’s make this clear. Fat is not bad for our bodies. To be frank, we need fat to speed up our metabolism. Dietary fat becomes a disaster if we are consuming the bad fats instead of the good fats.
So what are the bad fats? The bad fats are those trans-fats in vegetable oils and margarine. Similarly, the good fats are those that we can find on nuts, seeds, and legumes. These foodstuffs are not only nutritious but can also help you in losing those fats too. You can also get good fats from coconut oil and omega 3 fish oils which are considered as miracle food as well.
Dietary Disaster #5-Cutting Calories. When people noticed that they are gaining weight and fat, the first thing that comes in their mind is to start a diet program of starvation where important meals of the day are even sacrificed and the ending is malnutrition. Hence, this should not be the scene.
If you are eating meals that are rich in vitamins and minerals, then you don’t need to count your calorie ingestion. Human body is more concerned with nutrients than calories. When your diet becomes low in nutrition, then your body will simply send signals to your brain to eat more.
It’s in your hands now on how to avoid the five dietary disasters and focus more on organic, all natural foodstuffs that are high in nutrition, vitamins, and minerals.
Studies proved that when you’re weight-loss struggle has been going around in circles; a food diary is like a road map. It helps you discover areas for development, avert from unhealthy lifestyle, and keep tracking your food choices until you have reached a healthy destination.
So before you hit the market and shop for your groceries, here are the 5 Dietary Disasters that should not be on your cart.
Dietary Disaster #1 – Digesting Refined Carbs. We all know what carbohydrates can do for our body right and in fact, it’s necessary for our everyday living. Carbohydrates can only become a disaster once you have eaten the processed, refined kind rather than going all natural.
When we say processed, refined carbohydrates, these are the white rice, white breads and pastas, cakes, pastries, confectionary and plain old sugar, and among others. This kind of foodstuff doesn’t have “real nutrition” and is a huge resource of sugar which is bad for our health.
The best carbohydrates or carbs that we could digest are fruits and vegetables, or anything that is still in their natural form. Not only you would be able to consume less calories but also you re guaranteed that you’ll be getting enormous amounts of vitamins, mineral and phytonutrients which are essential on weight loss.
Dietary Disaster #2- Consuming Processed Foods. This is actually the same with dietary disaster #1.
When we say about processed foods, this are basically the canned goods, packaged high calorie snack foods, high-fat convenience foods, frozen fish sticks and dinners, packaged cakes and cookies, packaged ready-to-eat noodles, sugary breakfast cereals and processed meats.
Though processed foods are very convenient and popular, it contains tons of sodium, calories and trans fats which are bad for our wellbeing. Again, nothing could replace an all natural foodstuff but if you are pressed of time and got lots of errands to accomplish, perhaps a once-in-awhile indulgence will not hurt as long as you are cautious and paying attention to the serving size as well.
Dietary Disaster #3- Consuming Too Much Caffeine. Let’s face it, coffee, soda, and tea are addictive. If you can identify someone who can’t start his day without sipping his morning cup of tea or coffee and you asked them to give it up, perhaps, you have to make a different turn now.
For those who are obsessed with too much caffeine, it’s like a drug or remedy for these users. It is a powerful stuff that can control your emotions, feelings, reactions, and physical performance. The side effects of drinking too much caffeine can make your “cortisol” levels high, therefore, you’ll have a hard time in losing fat over time.
So before it’s too late, avoid this dietary disaster from your food intake. As a replacement for coffee, tea, and soda, shift on drinking herbal and fruit teas or your good old water and you’ll feel more refreshed and in good physical shape.
Dietary Disaster #4-Cutting back on dietary fat. Let’s make this clear. Fat is not bad for our bodies. To be frank, we need fat to speed up our metabolism. Dietary fat becomes a disaster if we are consuming the bad fats instead of the good fats.
So what are the bad fats? The bad fats are those trans-fats in vegetable oils and margarine. Similarly, the good fats are those that we can find on nuts, seeds, and legumes. These foodstuffs are not only nutritious but can also help you in losing those fats too. You can also get good fats from coconut oil and omega 3 fish oils which are considered as miracle food as well.
Dietary Disaster #5-Cutting Calories. When people noticed that they are gaining weight and fat, the first thing that comes in their mind is to start a diet program of starvation where important meals of the day are even sacrificed and the ending is malnutrition. Hence, this should not be the scene.
If you are eating meals that are rich in vitamins and minerals, then you don’t need to count your calorie ingestion. Human body is more concerned with nutrients than calories. When your diet becomes low in nutrition, then your body will simply send signals to your brain to eat more.
It’s in your hands now on how to avoid the five dietary disasters and focus more on organic, all natural foodstuffs that are high in nutrition, vitamins, and minerals.
Friday 9 October 2009
What's In Your Trolley?
As I have mentioned previously nutrition is the most important factor, outside of motivation and consistency, in a fat loss program.
You could be using the best workout in the world (i.e. one of my MELT-style studio or BootCamp sessions ;-) but you won't lose fat if you are eating according to the "Supersize Me" diet.
So if your current nutritional plan is preventing you from losing fat, then it's time for you to start working on building better eating habits. This can be as simple as committing to one small nutritional improvement per day (such as replacing your lunchtime diet coke with water) and one large nutritional change per week (such as setting aside time on a Sunday to prepare a weekly menu and meals).
It is the consistent application of good choices that will lead to proper nutritional habits. Once you have established good nutritional habits, you'll find yourself making better choices on a daily basis.
But you need to have a plan to make this work, just like how you have a plan for your workouts. Your nutrition plan should include the contents of every meal, as well as your grocery list for the week.
This will enable you to have meal alternatives for nights when you might need to be running from one event to the other with no time or healthy snack alternatives when you are on the road between meetings.
It's important that you make your plan something you can follow. If you are currently eating 7 meals per week at Ronald's golden arches, it wouldn't be realistic to plan to replace those meals with carrot sticks and tofu this week.
A better plan would be to substitute a couple of those meals with
healthier sandwich options and then work on improving things even more in the following weeks.
So here's a three-step guideline on building a better nutrition plan:
1) Prepare a weekly menu.
Outline each meal and snack for every day of the upcoming week. Take into account the possibilities that you might work late or get invited out to lunch.
The more options you have and preparations you make, the better you will be able to stick to your fat loss plan.
2) From your menu plan, you'll now know what foods and ingredients you need to make it through the week.
Make your grocery list and stick to it (see a sample of mine below).
Food shopping is your first opportunity to break some bad
nutritional habits. You can't eat chips, crisps, or cakes if you don't have them in the house - so don't buy them and you'll avoid any future temptation.
3) Prepare the meals or prepare the ingredients so that making the actual meal doesn't take a lot of time.
Like shopping, it's best to do all of these preparations at one time (such as on a Sunday or another day off).
My shopping list includes:
Fruits
-Apples
-Satsumas
-Blueberries
-Melon
-Bananas
-Grapefruit
-Raspberries
Vegetables
-Peppers (red, yellow, green, & orange),
-Spinach
-Asparagus
-Broccoli
-Mushrooms
-Frozen mixed vegetables
-Tomato pasta sauce
-Salsa
Protein Sources
-Chicken breasts
-Turkey breasts
-Salmon fillets
-Lean beef mince
-Skim milk
-Low-fat, low-sugar yogurt
Carbohydrates
-Wholemeal bread
-Porridge (no sugar added)
-Whole-wheat pasta
Other
-Green tea
-Unsalted, not roasted, Almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds
You'll notice that most of the foods on my list come without a food label.
Most of the foods that you should avoid come in a bag or a box.
But when you do purchase something with a label, make sure to avoid two of the unhealthiest ingredients created by man:
1)High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
2)Hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil (the sources of trans-fatty acids)
You might have heard of these two ingredients. They are strongly associated with obesity and other lifestyle-diseases (such as diabetes).
Building a shopping list that contains very few bagged or boxed items is something to aim for.
So start small and make some positive nutrition changes today, and they will become helpful nutrition habits for the years to come.
You could be using the best workout in the world (i.e. one of my MELT-style studio or BootCamp sessions ;-) but you won't lose fat if you are eating according to the "Supersize Me" diet.
So if your current nutritional plan is preventing you from losing fat, then it's time for you to start working on building better eating habits. This can be as simple as committing to one small nutritional improvement per day (such as replacing your lunchtime diet coke with water) and one large nutritional change per week (such as setting aside time on a Sunday to prepare a weekly menu and meals).
It is the consistent application of good choices that will lead to proper nutritional habits. Once you have established good nutritional habits, you'll find yourself making better choices on a daily basis.
But you need to have a plan to make this work, just like how you have a plan for your workouts. Your nutrition plan should include the contents of every meal, as well as your grocery list for the week.
This will enable you to have meal alternatives for nights when you might need to be running from one event to the other with no time or healthy snack alternatives when you are on the road between meetings.
It's important that you make your plan something you can follow. If you are currently eating 7 meals per week at Ronald's golden arches, it wouldn't be realistic to plan to replace those meals with carrot sticks and tofu this week.
A better plan would be to substitute a couple of those meals with
healthier sandwich options and then work on improving things even more in the following weeks.
So here's a three-step guideline on building a better nutrition plan:
1) Prepare a weekly menu.
Outline each meal and snack for every day of the upcoming week. Take into account the possibilities that you might work late or get invited out to lunch.
The more options you have and preparations you make, the better you will be able to stick to your fat loss plan.
2) From your menu plan, you'll now know what foods and ingredients you need to make it through the week.
Make your grocery list and stick to it (see a sample of mine below).
Food shopping is your first opportunity to break some bad
nutritional habits. You can't eat chips, crisps, or cakes if you don't have them in the house - so don't buy them and you'll avoid any future temptation.
3) Prepare the meals or prepare the ingredients so that making the actual meal doesn't take a lot of time.
Like shopping, it's best to do all of these preparations at one time (such as on a Sunday or another day off).
My shopping list includes:
Fruits
-Apples
-Satsumas
-Blueberries
-Melon
-Bananas
-Grapefruit
-Raspberries
Vegetables
-Peppers (red, yellow, green, & orange),
-Spinach
-Asparagus
-Broccoli
-Mushrooms
-Frozen mixed vegetables
-Tomato pasta sauce
-Salsa
Protein Sources
-Chicken breasts
-Turkey breasts
-Salmon fillets
-Lean beef mince
-Skim milk
-Low-fat, low-sugar yogurt
Carbohydrates
-Wholemeal bread
-Porridge (no sugar added)
-Whole-wheat pasta
Other
-Green tea
-Unsalted, not roasted, Almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds
You'll notice that most of the foods on my list come without a food label.
Most of the foods that you should avoid come in a bag or a box.
But when you do purchase something with a label, make sure to avoid two of the unhealthiest ingredients created by man:
1)High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
2)Hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil (the sources of trans-fatty acids)
You might have heard of these two ingredients. They are strongly associated with obesity and other lifestyle-diseases (such as diabetes).
Building a shopping list that contains very few bagged or boxed items is something to aim for.
So start small and make some positive nutrition changes today, and they will become helpful nutrition habits for the years to come.
Thursday 8 October 2009
Which Would You Choose?
I read an interesting story the other day and as the message behind the story is very important I have included an extract of it below for your benefit.
The writer of the story is a fitness trainer in America and was at a party at one of his friend's houses. It was a bbq and as usual there was lots of food and drink on offer.
The story goes on as follows:
But the thing I want to focus on from the party was the beverage situation. There were several coolers available, each containing different types of drinks. A couple of coolers housed varieties of fizzy drinks, another had diet pops, another was filled with wine coolers, and yet another was loaded with various types of beer.
And then there was the lone cooler of water. As the day wore on, the other coolers looked as though they had been ravaged by a pack of thirsty beasts, constantly being refilled by the host and hostess.
And there was that water cooler, all alone, seemingly untouched.
Every time I would go back to grab another water for myself or my family, it was as if it had never been opened. I didn't see it get refilled once...but why should it have been, with practically no one drinking any of its contents!
Now before you think to yourself, "hey, this was at a party, and people are not going to drink water at a party", think again. Yeah, people are going to indulge a little bit more at a party, but this mirrors the behavior and habits of the majority at all times, not just at parties.
People are not drinking enough water, period. Water is far too often looked at like the "black sheep" of the beverage family. We know it is good for us, but we'd rather pretend it's not there. And this is just for basic health issues, I'm not even talking about maximum fat burning.
If you desire to burn fat like a machine, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you must adopt the habit of drinking tons of water.
Water is so vital to the fat burning process for several reasons, with the most important one having to do with how your body metabolizes stored fat for energy.
Your liver is a primary mover in burning stored body fat for energy. If you are not well hydrated consistently throughout the day, your liver must shift its focus from burning stored body fat to assisting your kidneys. And this can happen just after a few minutes of being dehydrated.
So how do you know when you are dehydrated? The minute you get thirsty, you've already been dehydrated for several minutes. It should be obvious then, that you need to avoid thirst and keep a constant flow of water into your body if you desire consistent fat burning.
Before you think that you know all of this about water, and that I'm just an idiot for stating the obvious, how much water are you drinking really?...be honest. Are you drinking it consistently each and every day? Probably not.
This is such a huge point I can't emphasize strongly enough. I've had Fat Loss students that were paying close attention to almost every aspect of the Fat Loss system, but were still not satisfied with the results. After several queries back and forth, I found that they were not drinking nearly enough water, and not in the patterns I recommend.
Once they started doing this, the results were startling.
Energy was up, cravings for sweets were down, and they began to lose even more body fat. All because of the water recommendations I give.
Here's a quick but very vital tip:
If you think you can get enough water by drinking a few glasses during the day, good luck. With life's fast pace and unpredictability, you will be under armed and have little chance of succeeding in getting your water.
Instead, be smart, and get yourself a 1 litre water bottle. Carry it with you wherever you go. You'll get some strange looks from people, but they'll probably be fat and unhealthy, so don't worry.
Sip from it constantly throughout the day. When it's empty refill it. You'll be getting your share of water sooner and easier than you think. It seems simple, but is so powerful it can make all the difference.
And that brings up another point. Often, whether in fat loss or most anything else, there are one or two missing variables that once combined with the strategy you're using now, will make most, if not all of the difference in your success.
The writer of the story is a fitness trainer in America and was at a party at one of his friend's houses. It was a bbq and as usual there was lots of food and drink on offer.
The story goes on as follows:
But the thing I want to focus on from the party was the beverage situation. There were several coolers available, each containing different types of drinks. A couple of coolers housed varieties of fizzy drinks, another had diet pops, another was filled with wine coolers, and yet another was loaded with various types of beer.
And then there was the lone cooler of water. As the day wore on, the other coolers looked as though they had been ravaged by a pack of thirsty beasts, constantly being refilled by the host and hostess.
And there was that water cooler, all alone, seemingly untouched.
Every time I would go back to grab another water for myself or my family, it was as if it had never been opened. I didn't see it get refilled once...but why should it have been, with practically no one drinking any of its contents!
Now before you think to yourself, "hey, this was at a party, and people are not going to drink water at a party", think again. Yeah, people are going to indulge a little bit more at a party, but this mirrors the behavior and habits of the majority at all times, not just at parties.
People are not drinking enough water, period. Water is far too often looked at like the "black sheep" of the beverage family. We know it is good for us, but we'd rather pretend it's not there. And this is just for basic health issues, I'm not even talking about maximum fat burning.
If you desire to burn fat like a machine, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you must adopt the habit of drinking tons of water.
Water is so vital to the fat burning process for several reasons, with the most important one having to do with how your body metabolizes stored fat for energy.
Your liver is a primary mover in burning stored body fat for energy. If you are not well hydrated consistently throughout the day, your liver must shift its focus from burning stored body fat to assisting your kidneys. And this can happen just after a few minutes of being dehydrated.
So how do you know when you are dehydrated? The minute you get thirsty, you've already been dehydrated for several minutes. It should be obvious then, that you need to avoid thirst and keep a constant flow of water into your body if you desire consistent fat burning.
Before you think that you know all of this about water, and that I'm just an idiot for stating the obvious, how much water are you drinking really?...be honest. Are you drinking it consistently each and every day? Probably not.
This is such a huge point I can't emphasize strongly enough. I've had Fat Loss students that were paying close attention to almost every aspect of the Fat Loss system, but were still not satisfied with the results. After several queries back and forth, I found that they were not drinking nearly enough water, and not in the patterns I recommend.
Once they started doing this, the results were startling.
Energy was up, cravings for sweets were down, and they began to lose even more body fat. All because of the water recommendations I give.
Here's a quick but very vital tip:
If you think you can get enough water by drinking a few glasses during the day, good luck. With life's fast pace and unpredictability, you will be under armed and have little chance of succeeding in getting your water.
Instead, be smart, and get yourself a 1 litre water bottle. Carry it with you wherever you go. You'll get some strange looks from people, but they'll probably be fat and unhealthy, so don't worry.
Sip from it constantly throughout the day. When it's empty refill it. You'll be getting your share of water sooner and easier than you think. It seems simple, but is so powerful it can make all the difference.
And that brings up another point. Often, whether in fat loss or most anything else, there are one or two missing variables that once combined with the strategy you're using now, will make most, if not all of the difference in your success.
Wednesday 7 October 2009
Are You Making These Two Fat Burning Mistakes?
In the politically correct world, the most fat you can lose in a week is about 1 pound.
However, if you play your cards right, you can do a lot better than that. But how much time will it take to achieve a better body?
Don't worry, it's not going to take the hours in the gym per day that you think it will. In reality, it's only a couple of hours per week.
Literally, you can make amazing improvements in just 3 hours per week of structured, high-quality training.
But if you go into the gym without a plan, well, then prepare to get no where no matter how much time you put in.
On the other hand, while you only need to train hard for 3 hours per week, you need to live the for 168 hours per week.
That means at least 90% of your nutrition must be planned (and high quality, whole, natural foods), and you must try to get high quality sleep (at least 7 hours a night).
As for exercise, stick with efficient lifts like squats, lunges, press-ups, and rows. Don't take the easy way out with seated machine exercises. This way, you'll need only 1-2 hours of lifting per week to boost your metabolism.
Combine that with three 20-minute interval sessions per week and your fat loss plan is golden. Then you just have to concentrate on the nutrition.
On the other hand, if you are serious about gaining mass, stick to a 4-day lifting schedule, cut out the intervals, and increase your food intake, but don't use this as an excuse to eat garbage.
So what are the 2 biggest mistakes people make in their quest for fat loss and ultimate abs?
1) Following Politically-Correct, Mass-Production training programs.
Now first, I must give credit to any program that gets someone off the couch and moving. However, don't promise someone "toned arms" by telling them all they need to do are triceps kickbacks with soup cans.
That's just condescending, plain wrong, and a flat out lie, all rolled into one.
Say Au Revoir to the slow-cardio marathon workouts, the light-weight, high-rep lifting sessions, and the endless abs.
This goes for men and women. And if women are scared of weights, at least master your own bodyweight exercises first before giving into the pink dumbbells. You'll get strong, athletic, lean, and a sexy firm body.
2) Following Endurance Exercise Recommendations When You Are Trying To Lose Fat.
Back in the day, all exercise research was focused on improving endurance performance. And all this research trickled down through the media and somehow, strangely enough, got applied to fat loss.
Hence one of the reasons for the long, misguided emphasis on aerobic training and low-fat diets for fat loss.
But you shouldn't overload on carbohydrates if you want abs. That advice is for runners, not for fat loss.
And you shouldn't spend hours doing slow, boring cardio. Again, leave that to marathoners.
Instead, as the new research is showing us, stick to the principles that I follow Turbulence Training principles of high-intensity strength training, followed by interval training, and a high-fiber, high-F&V, moderate protein, healthy fats nutrition program (whole, natural foods, anyone?).
Goodbye cereal bars, elliptical machines, juice, aerobics classes, rice cakes, and long runs for fat loss.
However, if you play your cards right, you can do a lot better than that. But how much time will it take to achieve a better body?
Don't worry, it's not going to take the hours in the gym per day that you think it will. In reality, it's only a couple of hours per week.
Literally, you can make amazing improvements in just 3 hours per week of structured, high-quality training.
But if you go into the gym without a plan, well, then prepare to get no where no matter how much time you put in.
On the other hand, while you only need to train hard for 3 hours per week, you need to live the for 168 hours per week.
That means at least 90% of your nutrition must be planned (and high quality, whole, natural foods), and you must try to get high quality sleep (at least 7 hours a night).
As for exercise, stick with efficient lifts like squats, lunges, press-ups, and rows. Don't take the easy way out with seated machine exercises. This way, you'll need only 1-2 hours of lifting per week to boost your metabolism.
Combine that with three 20-minute interval sessions per week and your fat loss plan is golden. Then you just have to concentrate on the nutrition.
On the other hand, if you are serious about gaining mass, stick to a 4-day lifting schedule, cut out the intervals, and increase your food intake, but don't use this as an excuse to eat garbage.
So what are the 2 biggest mistakes people make in their quest for fat loss and ultimate abs?
1) Following Politically-Correct, Mass-Production training programs.
Now first, I must give credit to any program that gets someone off the couch and moving. However, don't promise someone "toned arms" by telling them all they need to do are triceps kickbacks with soup cans.
That's just condescending, plain wrong, and a flat out lie, all rolled into one.
Say Au Revoir to the slow-cardio marathon workouts, the light-weight, high-rep lifting sessions, and the endless abs.
This goes for men and women. And if women are scared of weights, at least master your own bodyweight exercises first before giving into the pink dumbbells. You'll get strong, athletic, lean, and a sexy firm body.
2) Following Endurance Exercise Recommendations When You Are Trying To Lose Fat.
Back in the day, all exercise research was focused on improving endurance performance. And all this research trickled down through the media and somehow, strangely enough, got applied to fat loss.
Hence one of the reasons for the long, misguided emphasis on aerobic training and low-fat diets for fat loss.
But you shouldn't overload on carbohydrates if you want abs. That advice is for runners, not for fat loss.
And you shouldn't spend hours doing slow, boring cardio. Again, leave that to marathoners.
Instead, as the new research is showing us, stick to the principles that I follow Turbulence Training principles of high-intensity strength training, followed by interval training, and a high-fiber, high-F&V, moderate protein, healthy fats nutrition program (whole, natural foods, anyone?).
Goodbye cereal bars, elliptical machines, juice, aerobics classes, rice cakes, and long runs for fat loss.
Tuesday 6 October 2009
5 Quick and Easy Nutritious Breakfasts
We all know that breakfast is considered as the most essential meal of the day. It is said that every time we skip breakfast, our body goes into starvation mode, and it slows down our metabolism. Recent study shows that those who ate zero to 11 percent of their calories in the morning gained nearly three pounds and has 4.5 times the risk of obesity as those who took the time to eat.
If you think that preparing a nutritious breakfast takes a long time, here are five quick and easy nutritious breakfast meals that you can enjoy in a snap.
1) Cereals with low-fat milk, sliced bananas and raisins. - Eating a cold cereal is fast and effortless way to include fibre, carbohydrates, and dairy in your morning meal. Adding together a freshly sliced bananas and handful of raisins completes your breakfast and serves as a good filing. Cereals do not require any cooking time, so preparing this nutritious breakfast is simple as 1-2-3 and you are definite that you get your daily dose of fruits.
2. Egg and Soldiers – Egg and soldiers isn’t all bad. Eggs are very versatile and can be cooked in various ways and an excellent and compact source of nutrients. More or less, if the eggs are boiled or poached, it contains very little saturated fat. Use wholemeal bread for the “soldiers” and defy the butter / spread – try marmite instead. Apparently, this meal would not be complete without a glass of fresh fruit juice or vegetable.
3. Smoothie – If you prefer an energy drink for breakfast, whipping up a smoothie is right for you. Make a smoothie with yoghurt, skim milk or fruit juice, and with any fresh fruit of your choice. Slice the fruit, put everything in the blender and mix until it smooth. You can also do away with the yoghurt and milk, and instead use a juicer so you can have your fresh fruit juice or vegetables as a substitute to smoothie.
4. Peanut butter and bananas on an English muffin – Eating the same sandwich each day can be tiring. As a replacement for bread, try using an English muffin. Spread a pinch of peanut butter on a halved English muffin and top it with a slice of banana. You now have a quick, easy, and nutritious breakfast sandwich.
5. Traditional English Breakfast – there is no reason to miss on your traditional Sunday breakfast. Since Sunday is not a working day, you all have the time to enjoy a home-cooked morning meal as long as it is a “grill up”, and not a “fry up”. Keep in mind that fried foods contain more fat!
Lean bacon is a good source of protein. In order to enjoy the delectable taste of bacon without worrying the calories, trim the fat and grill it up. Conversely, eggs contain iron and calcium, and it is less in grease when it is poached or boiled. Don’t forget also to fill your plate with low-sugar, low-salt baked beans and grilled tomato, with some toasted wholemeal bread and a glass of unsweetened fruit juice.
Let your breakfast digest and then enjoy a Sunday morning walk so you’ll be able to burn 90-190kcals by walking moderately for 30 minutes.
With these simple, fast, and easy breakfast meals, you don’t have an excuse now why you can’t eat and enjoy a healthy breakfast meal.
If you think that preparing a nutritious breakfast takes a long time, here are five quick and easy nutritious breakfast meals that you can enjoy in a snap.
1) Cereals with low-fat milk, sliced bananas and raisins. - Eating a cold cereal is fast and effortless way to include fibre, carbohydrates, and dairy in your morning meal. Adding together a freshly sliced bananas and handful of raisins completes your breakfast and serves as a good filing. Cereals do not require any cooking time, so preparing this nutritious breakfast is simple as 1-2-3 and you are definite that you get your daily dose of fruits.
2. Egg and Soldiers – Egg and soldiers isn’t all bad. Eggs are very versatile and can be cooked in various ways and an excellent and compact source of nutrients. More or less, if the eggs are boiled or poached, it contains very little saturated fat. Use wholemeal bread for the “soldiers” and defy the butter / spread – try marmite instead. Apparently, this meal would not be complete without a glass of fresh fruit juice or vegetable.
3. Smoothie – If you prefer an energy drink for breakfast, whipping up a smoothie is right for you. Make a smoothie with yoghurt, skim milk or fruit juice, and with any fresh fruit of your choice. Slice the fruit, put everything in the blender and mix until it smooth. You can also do away with the yoghurt and milk, and instead use a juicer so you can have your fresh fruit juice or vegetables as a substitute to smoothie.
4. Peanut butter and bananas on an English muffin – Eating the same sandwich each day can be tiring. As a replacement for bread, try using an English muffin. Spread a pinch of peanut butter on a halved English muffin and top it with a slice of banana. You now have a quick, easy, and nutritious breakfast sandwich.
5. Traditional English Breakfast – there is no reason to miss on your traditional Sunday breakfast. Since Sunday is not a working day, you all have the time to enjoy a home-cooked morning meal as long as it is a “grill up”, and not a “fry up”. Keep in mind that fried foods contain more fat!
Lean bacon is a good source of protein. In order to enjoy the delectable taste of bacon without worrying the calories, trim the fat and grill it up. Conversely, eggs contain iron and calcium, and it is less in grease when it is poached or boiled. Don’t forget also to fill your plate with low-sugar, low-salt baked beans and grilled tomato, with some toasted wholemeal bread and a glass of unsweetened fruit juice.
Let your breakfast digest and then enjoy a Sunday morning walk so you’ll be able to burn 90-190kcals by walking moderately for 30 minutes.
With these simple, fast, and easy breakfast meals, you don’t have an excuse now why you can’t eat and enjoy a healthy breakfast meal.
Monday 5 October 2009
My Diet Secret
I don't consider myself to be a "low-carb guy" by any means, but I have come across something that looks like it works wonders for fat loss.
And it does involve cutting back on whole-grains.
More and more people who substitute more fruits and vegetables for any whole-grains (breads, rice, pasta) in their diet, have experienced higher levels of fat loss success than people stocking up on plenty of bread, pasta etc.
So if you're trying to lose fat and look better, try this approach.
Here are some easy changes to make.
a) Instead of having toast for breakfast, have an apple.
b) Usually have a portion of rice at lunch or dinner? Have 1 cup of broccoli.
c) Typically have a bowl of cereal at night? Have an orange and 1 ounce of pecans (or walnuts or almonds), instead.
Need some proof?
Check this study ...
(Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 85: 1465-1477, 2007.)
Woman on a low-fat diet that ate more fruits and vegetables lost more fat than another group of woman on only the low-fat diet.
After 1-year, the low-fat, fruits and vegetables group (LF-FV) lost more weight than another group of woman on the low-fat (LF) diet only.
Why?
The LF-FV group reported being less hungry, thanks to being able to eat more food than the LF group.
So you'll eat fewer calories if you are filling up on fruits and vegetables, while keeping un-necessary fat out of the diet.
With watermelon, berries, apples, and cherries all in great abundance, you can satisfy your sweet tooth naturally, while burning fat with the fat loss workouts I provide you with.What are you waiting for? Fill up on those fruits and veggies and watch that weight drop off :-)
And it does involve cutting back on whole-grains.
More and more people who substitute more fruits and vegetables for any whole-grains (breads, rice, pasta) in their diet, have experienced higher levels of fat loss success than people stocking up on plenty of bread, pasta etc.
So if you're trying to lose fat and look better, try this approach.
Here are some easy changes to make.
a) Instead of having toast for breakfast, have an apple.
b) Usually have a portion of rice at lunch or dinner? Have 1 cup of broccoli.
c) Typically have a bowl of cereal at night? Have an orange and 1 ounce of pecans (or walnuts or almonds), instead.
Need some proof?
Check this study ...
(Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 85: 1465-1477, 2007.)
Woman on a low-fat diet that ate more fruits and vegetables lost more fat than another group of woman on only the low-fat diet.
After 1-year, the low-fat, fruits and vegetables group (LF-FV) lost more weight than another group of woman on the low-fat (LF) diet only.
Why?
The LF-FV group reported being less hungry, thanks to being able to eat more food than the LF group.
So you'll eat fewer calories if you are filling up on fruits and vegetables, while keeping un-necessary fat out of the diet.
With watermelon, berries, apples, and cherries all in great abundance, you can satisfy your sweet tooth naturally, while burning fat with the fat loss workouts I provide you with.What are you waiting for? Fill up on those fruits and veggies and watch that weight drop off :-)
Friday 2 October 2009
The Truth About Carbs
We all know the controversy on low carbs, high carbs, med carbs, all carbs, no carbs, etc, etc.
You get the picture.
There is all kinds of debate on whether carbs are good for us and what are good carbs and bad carbs.
Here are the facts.
We do need carbs to live efficiently. Depending on what type of body type we have as well as what we do for daily activity determines what types of carbs we should be eating.
The consensus is that we need to avoid processed and refined carbohydrates. These foods are not very healthy for us and we are able to get more nutrient dense carbohydrates sources that provide a better benefit.
Now what types of carbs should someone be eating?
Well, we used to use these two types-- Complex and simple carbs. The problem with this is that complex carbs can still have a high glycemic response and for some this isn't ideal.
Now the terminology has shifted more to fibrous carbs and non-fibrous carbs.
The reason being is that fibrous carbs tend to have a lower glycemic response due to a higher fiber content, which allows the body to not release as much insulin.
This in turn prevents the excess storage of fat.
Some believe that you should only eat fibrous carbs, but this just isn't true.
Depending on your daily activity level as well as if you exercise or not your amout of non-fibrous carbs will vary.
If you are about to start a high intense exercise (like BootCamp) or sport that is going to last a while then your body needs non-fibrous carbs that will digest and absorb quickly.
These are the types of carbs to eat when you need energy quickly. Another time when you should eat fast digesting carbs is after workouts to promote recovery.
The final time is first thing in the morning. Research has shown that eating non-fibrous carbs (faster digesting) first thing in the morning is when your body is better at utilizing these calories and less likely to store them as fat.
You also have fasted for many hours at this point and your body is ready to replenish its glucose and glycogen stores so that you can efficiently start your daily activities and mentally be alert.
To summarize an individuals carb intake. 60-75% of someones carb intake should be fibrous(non-starchy) carb choices (green leafy veggies such as spinach, broccoli, salad leaves etc) and 25-40% non-fibrous(starchy) carbs (potatoes, pasta, rice, bread, cereals, oats etc).
The 25-40% should be at breakfast, pre-workout and post-workout.
You get the picture.
There is all kinds of debate on whether carbs are good for us and what are good carbs and bad carbs.
Here are the facts.
We do need carbs to live efficiently. Depending on what type of body type we have as well as what we do for daily activity determines what types of carbs we should be eating.
The consensus is that we need to avoid processed and refined carbohydrates. These foods are not very healthy for us and we are able to get more nutrient dense carbohydrates sources that provide a better benefit.
Now what types of carbs should someone be eating?
Well, we used to use these two types-- Complex and simple carbs. The problem with this is that complex carbs can still have a high glycemic response and for some this isn't ideal.
Now the terminology has shifted more to fibrous carbs and non-fibrous carbs.
The reason being is that fibrous carbs tend to have a lower glycemic response due to a higher fiber content, which allows the body to not release as much insulin.
This in turn prevents the excess storage of fat.
Some believe that you should only eat fibrous carbs, but this just isn't true.
Depending on your daily activity level as well as if you exercise or not your amout of non-fibrous carbs will vary.
If you are about to start a high intense exercise (like BootCamp) or sport that is going to last a while then your body needs non-fibrous carbs that will digest and absorb quickly.
These are the types of carbs to eat when you need energy quickly. Another time when you should eat fast digesting carbs is after workouts to promote recovery.
The final time is first thing in the morning. Research has shown that eating non-fibrous carbs (faster digesting) first thing in the morning is when your body is better at utilizing these calories and less likely to store them as fat.
You also have fasted for many hours at this point and your body is ready to replenish its glucose and glycogen stores so that you can efficiently start your daily activities and mentally be alert.
To summarize an individuals carb intake. 60-75% of someones carb intake should be fibrous(non-starchy) carb choices (green leafy veggies such as spinach, broccoli, salad leaves etc) and 25-40% non-fibrous(starchy) carbs (potatoes, pasta, rice, bread, cereals, oats etc).
The 25-40% should be at breakfast, pre-workout and post-workout.
Thursday 1 October 2009
Adjusting The Thermostat For Fat Loss Success
This weeks article is taken from the daily blog of Alwyn Cosgrove.
In my view Alwyn is currently the world's best Fat Loss expert.
His daily web diary is read daily by 40,000 people and can be found at http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/
He has helped me a great deal with my fitness career so far so I hope you find his article useful.
Have you ever had anyone come up to you and tell you that their excess body fat was a problem?Don't buy it.Let me explain -- excess fat is never, ever a problem. Excess fat is merely a symptom of what is going on underneath.In real simple terms - it means that you have consumed and stored more calories than your metabolism is set to use up.It's pretty simple to change too -- just deprive yourself of calories and reset your metabolism.Simple. Maybe not easy.Your metabolism is like a thermostat. If the temperature in the room is 75 degrees. chances are good that the thermostat is set for 75 degrees. Is it possible that a window is open and is cooling the house, so that the temperature drops to 65? Sure. But the thermostat will kick in and pretty soon you'll be back at 75.What if the window is open and it's hot outside? The room temperature will increase but, again, the thermostat will kick in and bring the temperature back to 75.The only way to PERMANENTLY change the temperature in the room is to reset the thermostat.In the same way, the only way to change your body fat level permanently is to reset your metabolism. You can try anything else you want -- but in the end -- without increasing metabolism all the tools in the world will be useless to you.The cornerstone of your fat loss training?
Activities that burn calories, maintain/promote muscle mass, and elevate metabolism. Metabolic resistance training will definitely provide the most bang-for-your-buck.
In my view Alwyn is currently the world's best Fat Loss expert.
His daily web diary is read daily by 40,000 people and can be found at http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/
He has helped me a great deal with my fitness career so far so I hope you find his article useful.
Have you ever had anyone come up to you and tell you that their excess body fat was a problem?Don't buy it.Let me explain -- excess fat is never, ever a problem. Excess fat is merely a symptom of what is going on underneath.In real simple terms - it means that you have consumed and stored more calories than your metabolism is set to use up.It's pretty simple to change too -- just deprive yourself of calories and reset your metabolism.Simple. Maybe not easy.Your metabolism is like a thermostat. If the temperature in the room is 75 degrees. chances are good that the thermostat is set for 75 degrees. Is it possible that a window is open and is cooling the house, so that the temperature drops to 65? Sure. But the thermostat will kick in and pretty soon you'll be back at 75.What if the window is open and it's hot outside? The room temperature will increase but, again, the thermostat will kick in and bring the temperature back to 75.The only way to PERMANENTLY change the temperature in the room is to reset the thermostat.In the same way, the only way to change your body fat level permanently is to reset your metabolism. You can try anything else you want -- but in the end -- without increasing metabolism all the tools in the world will be useless to you.The cornerstone of your fat loss training?
Activities that burn calories, maintain/promote muscle mass, and elevate metabolism. Metabolic resistance training will definitely provide the most bang-for-your-buck.
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