"Why I ate McDonalds" (Fast Food February) :::written by Bryen:::

I ate McDonald's Today....a confession made by a personal trainer who prides himself in making the best choices that you can within every sit down of a meal.  My meal consisted of 4 items off of the dollar menu.  It was unforgivable...for me...But unfortunately this is the status quo for many persons of colors due to economic and societal factors.  Today I want to briefly discuss racial disparities and their effect on foods and also fitness.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The hypertension (high blood pressure) rate among African-Americans compared to whites in the United States is 40 percent greater.
• The diabetes incidence among Hispanic men compared to white men in the United States is 53 percent greater.
• The incidence of obesity among African-American and Mexican-American women compared to white women in the United States is 45 percent greater.
• The diabetes incidence among Hispanic men compared to white men in the United States is 53 percent greater.
• The diabetes incidence among African-American men compared to white men in the United States is 69 percent greater.
• The diabetes incidence among African-American women compared to white women in the United States is more than double.
• The diabetes incidence among Native American women compared to white women in the United States is more than triple.   

This is how persons of color stack up in the fitness world....I know right? Pretty awful.  

But lets look and analyze some things quickly.  "Injustice" is not always in the form of something overt.  Sometimes it can be in the form of neglect.  For example.  Federal FDA guidelines always state for African Americans to eat a certain recommendation of Calcium, citing milk/cheese/dairy as the main benefactor.  Well... OK...true...but did you know that milk and dairy, specifically for persons of color can cause stomach pain and gastrointestinal problems, diarrhea, intestinal gas and other uncomfortable feelings? 

This is why the company ISOPURE was made.  To make a product that minimized these side effects with things like whey protein and other vitamin D sources that traditionally can wreak havoc on your GI Tract and as Dave Chappelle stated can lead to the dreaded....."Mud Butt" lol.  And this isn't just "us" (blacks) that are lactose intolerant.  

Native Americans (95%).  Asian Americans (90%). Hispanic Americans (60%).

Now did you also know that African Americans already traditionally eat such foods as Kale/Collard/Turnip Greens, which are ALREADY high in calcium....and it won't send you to the bathroom faster than Deion Sanders at the NFL combine in the 90's?   Why isn't the government telling "us" these kind of things.  Why is there no education on this detail in the schools? I'm glad you asked that brings me to my next point. 

90 percent of the 4 Billion Dollar Budget for "National Schools" (Public Schools) is used for Ground Beef (not lean), Ground Pork, Whole Milk (not skim, or even 1%), High Fat/High Sodium Cheeses and eggs. 

Most schools that offer privatized meal plans versus general slop with low nutritional value and things that are not "whole" foods. (not the corporation), are private schools.  Unfortunately due to urban economic status many of the aforementioned children coming out of these areas will never be able to get this form of education leading them to a life of fast food and bad choices.  

So how do we break these choices? Simply...stop eating it.  The food industry is very smart and a multi-billion dollar industry.  They do market research.  They know what you want and know what you like.  Why do you think Starbucks has oatmeal now? Why do you think McDonald's stopped selling "super-size" ("Super-Size Me" Movie). Wendy's just launched a nation-wide "all natural" campaign and is now offering breakfast when they no longer did.  Subway is launching 300 calorie breakfast sandwiches under the premise that "their breakfast is healthier than McDonald's", which for the most part it is...but its still not providing you with "whole" food sources.  So these changes I just mentioned show you that YOU CAN CHANGE THE INDUSTRY.  It's not a seller's market like they make it out to be.  Its a buyers market.  You don't buy it....they can't sell it.  They make what you want.  Period.  McDonald's and others will comply; they have to if they want to make money. Like I tell my clients you control your own destiny. Not them.  

Which brings me back to the initial reasoning of me eating McDonald's today.  I wanted to walk one day in the shoes of a kid in the urban school system who has no choice but to eat foods that make him sick.  I wanted to walk in the shoes of a person who doesn't know what healthy food choices are, they just know that its readily available and it says "reduced fat" on the cover.  

I walked a mile in your shoes.  Now I want you to walk a mile in mine.  So here we go......

For the entire month of February I want to run a campaign for my readers, my friends, and my clients called "FAST FOOD FEBRUARY" in which you make a pledge to NOT EAT ANY FAST FOOD FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.  If it has a drive-thru...don't eat it...If you have to question if it is classified as "fast food" guess what....it probably is. 

With that being said...I am not cruel and for this reason I will give you ONE weekend only to have ONE meal that is a form of fast food. I would like for you guys to upload photos/ post comments on my Facebook Page or  Twitter Page if you are keeping up with the Fast Food February Challenge.  

***I IMPLORE THE RACE GROUPS I MENTIONED ABOVE TO TAKE A PART IN THIS SPECIFICALLY FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH (Feb)*** 

Thanks for Reading and of course...

OVER AND OUT!!!! 

SOURCES: 

http://www.theisopurecompany.com/we_are.php

http://www.foodrevolution.org/

Why Is My Diet I Not Working??

5.  Starving Yourself Until Dinner

DO NOT STARVE yourself in the morning and lunch knowing that you will have a huge dinner.  If you put your calories toward the end of your day not only do you not have enough time before going to bed to burn off those calories, but based on middle aged men and women in a study by the National Institute on Aging they showed that eating late just like this will produce Ghrelin, a hormone that actually causes hunger.

Instead of eating on the back end, front load your day by eating a large healthy fibrous breakfast that will keep you full throughout the day that way you can have all of your small meals throughout the day, but not load up at night right before you go to bed.

4. Eating With No Rhyme or Reason

You must have a timed schedule for your eating.  I like to have my first meal at work 9am, mid morning at 11am right before I go to lunch so that i don't gorge, and then after lunch (12pm) I like to have a mid day snack right after i get "that 2:30 feeling" like they say on the 5 hour energy commercials. This will help you stay on track but also it will help your body understand what it needs to do. Research shows that people who maintain a food journal lose more weight than those who do not.

3. You Don't Count "ALL" Calories

I want my clients to look more at the synthesis of the total calories rather than the total calories in itself.  But sometimes we tend to underestimate how much we are really consuming.  A common misconception is that "if this is healthy i can pig out on it"...NO. You can't.  Because you are still taking in more than you can burn off which will make you gain weight instead of losing weight. Even just a handful of almonds can be up to 200 calories that could be critical to your weight loss if you are not on a regular exercise regimen.

2. Setting Short Term Weight Loss Goals

Setting a goal is a great thing.  It helps you level set and also know what you can maintain.  But don't set a weekly goal unless you truly plan to stick to it each week.  Many people say "today I am going to eat healthy" and then they get the reward mentality and say "Well yesterday I ate well, so I can eat this today instead of sticking with my meal plan." Unfortunately, that's not how it works.  It has to be a constant cognizant approach if you are serious about losing weight.

1. LOW FAT DOES NOT MEAN SPLURGE

I put this in CAPS because many people think that just because it says 'no fat' means that it says 'no calories.' Not true. Many times the term 'low fat' actually gives us more of a green light (mentally) to pig out because it is 'guilt free'...But it is NOT consequence free. The golden rule is to watch portion size regardless of how good you are eating so that you know you are doing the best you can with what you have.

These tips should help you get your diet back on track if it has gone a bit astray.  Stay focused and STICK WITH IT.  You will get there only with discipline and hard work.

OVER AND OUT!

The 21 Day Cleanse PROVEN method.

This summer while training my clients I decided to embark on a journey. Admittedly I have struggled with my diet in the past and it is definitely one of my vices. I always tell my clients when I first start training them that they will have to make some sacrifices in order to get where they need to go. I also tell them that they are going to have keep steady with what they are doing in order to see progress each week. So while training my clients I noticed the trend of trainers merely "telling" people what to do and how to eat instead of putting their own body through it. I am not a "do as I say...and not as I do" trainer. I am a trainer that wants you to succeed in life, at work, and especially in the gym.

So to show my clients what discipline truly means. I had my Nutritionist Chaun Williams put together a plan for me that was NO NONSENSE, and I did this plan for 21 days. No cheating. Followed to a tee. Here are the results.

THIS WAS FROM DAY 1-----10/1

As you can tell, lol. I was not very enthused to embark on this journey.  No one wants to work on the weakest parts of them, which is why you always see guys in the gym with HUGE bellies lifting 300 lbs on bench.  Naturally people usually only wanna work on what makes them feel the best.


So here goes the next picture:

THIS PICTURE IS FROM 10/15

As you can probably see, my body is starting to change.  I am a bit more vascular with more definition in my abdominals as well as my shoulders/arms. This is right about the part where I was starting to hate my life, but fall in love with how my body was falling into line with what I was trying to complete from the first day.  That is the thing about fitness.  It is a trade-off.  You sacrifice certain things so you can enjoy others. 

Now for the last and final photo:

THIS WAS TAKEN ON 10/23/10

As you can see the overall results are exactly what I was looking for.  Upper abs, Lower Abs, the internal and external obliques showing;.Biceps Brachii and Forearms distinguished, Trapezius Muscle well defined.   

This is what you should be willing to do if you are serious about fitness. Start by setting your goal. Mine was to get ripped in 21 days with a strenuous workout routine (which is coming later) and a HEALTHY cleanse. This is not the traditional cleanse that makes you starve yourself. NO. If that is what you are looking for, then you need to look elsewhere.  This meal plan is well balanced and if you use your Daily Energy Requirements for it, you should see great results.  If you couple that with the workout routine that I did (Recommended for males 150-220 lbs) then you will DEFINITELY see results doing both of them.  

With that being said...it doesn't have to be as extreme as this 21 day cleanse, BUT if you are looking to take your fitness to the next level 

GET OUT...OF...YOUR...COMFORT ZONE. 

This summer while training my clients I decided to embark on a journey.  Admittedly I have struggled with my diet in the past and it is definitely one of my vices.  I always tell my clients when I first start training them that they will have to make some sacrifices in order to get where they need to go.  I also tell them that they are going to have keep steady with what they are doing in order to see progress each week.  So while training my clients I noticed the trend of trainers merely "telling" people what to do and how to eat instead of putting their own body through it.  I am not a "do as I say...and not as I do" trainer.  I am a trainer that wants you to succeed in life, at work, and especially in the gym.

So to show my clients what discipline truly means. I had my Nutritionist Chaun Williams put together a plan for me that was NO NONSENSE, and I did this plan for 21 days.  No cheating. Followed to a tee.  Here are the results.

THIS WAS FROM DAY 1-----10/1

As you can tell, lol. I was not very enthused to embark on this journey.  No one wants to work on the weakest parts of them, which is why you always see guys in the gym with HUGE bellies lifting 300 lbs on bench.  Naturally people usually only wanna work on what makes them feel the best.

So here goes the next picture:

THIS PICTURE IS FROM 10/15

As you can probably see, my body is starting to change.  I am a bit more vascular with more definition in my abdominals as well as my shoulders/arms. This is right about the part where I was starting to hate my life, but fall in love with how my body was falling into line with what I was trying to complete from the first day.  That is the thing about fitness.  It is a trade-off.  You sacrifice certain things so you can enjoy others.

Now for the last and final photo:

THIS WAS TAKEN ON 10/23/10

As you can see the overall results are exactly what I was looking for.  Upper abs, Lower Abs, the internal and external obliques showing;.Biceps Brachii and Forearms distinguished, Trapezius Muscle well defined.

This is what you should be willing to do if you are serious about fitness. Start by setting your goal. Mine was to get ripped in 21 days with a strenuous workout routine (which is coming later) and a HEALTHY cleanse. This is not the traditional cleanse that makes you starve yourself. NO. If that is what you are looking for, then you need to look elsewhere.  This meal plan is well balanced and if you use your Daily Energy Requirements for it, you should see great results.  If you couple that with the workout routine that I did (Recommended for males 150-220 lbs) then you will DEFINITELY see results doing both of them.

With that being said...it doesn't have to be as extreme as this 21 day cleanse, BUT if you are looking to take your fitness to the next level

GET OUT...OF...YOUR...COMFORT ZONE.

The 21 day cleanse is available via pay pal on the right hand column. for only $12.99.  So instead of going to McDonalds/Qdoba/Chipotle and spending that on the dollar menu with your significant other, get on the fast track with my cleanse and get closer to the life and the body that you have always wanted and dreamed of in the past. Now is your future. Make it count.

If I put myself through this and got these results what can it do for you?  

Top 5 Foods With a Bad Reputation.

5. Sweet Potatoes

What? "Sweet" Potatoes? I thought everything sweet was supposed to be something with negative connotations in a fitness meal plan? Not necessarily. This is one of the best ways to get Vitamin A- an essential nutrient that helps with eyesight. So if you don't like carrots, maybe Sweet Potatoes can be in your group from all the beta-carotene it embodies. In fact sweet potatoes carries some of the highest concentrations per potato. Bet you didn't know that.

4. Red Peppers

Did you know red peppers have high Vitamin C? Usually Orange Juice and other fruits get the most credit for Vitamin C, but Red peppers are very good for this vitamin. They actually will not help you in warding off diseases, however it can help you recover faster as shown in recent studies. Also Australian scientists in a separate study have just conluded that antioxidants in Vitamin C can actually reduce your knee pain, and help protect your knees against arthritis.


3. Apples

Apples are one out of three foods (pears and red wine) that are the most effective at reducing your risk of death from Hearth disease amongst post menopausal women. Other massive studies have contributed the fruit to lowering risks for things like lung cancer and diabetes. Many also believe that apples help speed up your metabolism and can assist in losing weight.

2. Dark Chocolate

Dark Chocolate? What? I can eat that? You bet you can....You're welcome by the way lol. Dark chocolate is JAM-PACKED with antioxidant flavonoids (up to 3x the amount in milk chocolate form). These antioxidants keep blood platelets from sticking together which can contribute to clogging your arteries. Also this particular chocolate helps you feel full. In a recent study from Denmark, researchers gave 16 participants 100g of either dark or milk chocolate and 2 hours later they were offered food. The persons who ate the dark chocolate consumed 15% fewer calories than those who had the milk chocolate and were less interested in any foods that were fat, salty, or sugary. How crazy is that? Try a chocolate with as much cocoa as you can get. Typically 70% or more for the best benefits. Couple this with something like fresh berries, and you have a dynamite packed snack without making a huge withdrawal in your caloric checking account. :o)

1. Olive Oil

Olive oil is full of Monounsaturated fats (MUFA) which lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and actually RAISE your HDL (good) cholesterol. Rich properties of antioxidants are also present with Olive oil or as Rachel Ray calls it "E.V.O.O". These antioxidants help to lower the risk of cancer, and other chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's. When using this drizzle SMALL amounts of it over veggies before you roast/grill them or saute' it in a stir-fry to get the max from the antioxidant properties. This is a great substitute for butter or margarine.

Olive oil is full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), which lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and raise “good” HDL cholesterol. It’s rich in antioxidants, which may help reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, like Alzheimer’s.
Look for extra virgin oils for the most antioxidants and flavor. Drizzle small amounts on veggies before roasting; use it to sauté or stir-fry, in dressings and marinades, and to flavor bread at dinner in lieu of a layer of butter or margarine.

5 Ways To Stop Habitually Overeating

Have you ever ate a meal and then felt like you needed to be forklifted from the table?

This is called "overeating" and these tips will help you stop wasting your efforts from the gym at the dinner/lunch table.

5.) Know the difference between 'hungry' and 'STARVING'.

-hungry means that you are looking forward to your next meal and you can eat within the hour.

-STARVING on the other hand, means that if you do not eat immediately you will start to be in binge eating territory. Typical symptons of "starving" are when your blood sugar levels are so low that they can force you to become uncomfortable, light headed, or even jittery.

4.) Refuel every 5 hours

-A good way to stop this is to refuel every 4 hours with a light snack in between meals. This snack must not exceed 150 calories, so maybe fruit or unsalted almonds could help tie you over until your next meal.

3. Low Calorie, BUT....high volume meals.

-This is important because some stealth health foods package themselves as "low calorie" but the reason they are low calorie is because their ingredients don't pack a healthy punch.

-Choose fresh fruit over dried. Have a salad, but combine it with lean meat such as tuna or lean chicken.

2. FIBER

-Fiber is a very important part of your daily intake. You should consider fiber because its primary objective is to keep you full throughout the day. So try to incorporate fruits like Apples and carrots which are naturally dense in fiber to eat as your 150 calorie snack.

1. HEALTHY Protein every meal.

Notice the HEALTHY is capitalized. There is a reason for that. Food companies are very very smart and they know the health trends almost better than trainers and dieticians because they pay people to do market research and competitive analysis against their healthier counterparts selling the same products. Make sure to eat High Protein, but also make sure that it is good protein composition compared to the sodium/carbs/sugar. A recent purdue study of 46 women who took in high protein (30% of their diet) felt more full throughout the day as compared to the others. These women also gained more lean body mass out of the course of eating this protein composition as well.

These tips should help you stop your overeating habits and level set your nutrition throughout the day. Good Luck!

OVER AND OUT

Are You Getting TOO Much Protein?

Many people, including myself promote protein to their clients.  It is a great thing for your body and an essential building block for muscles to develop in the proper way and to grow/ recover. But what is the difference between a natural protein and a synthetic protein that is produced in such things as Muscle Milk/ EAS/ and Gold Standard Whey?

Answer: Arsenic which is a poisonous metal, Lead/Cadmium which can be used for batteries,

In this recent CBS news press release on powder protein drinks it reviews the aforementioned products and found abnormally high levels of these three different products.

The best recommendation is to get your most natural forms of protein in your body.  Protein shakes are a good supplement to get your protein on the go, but they should in no way shape or form be used as a crutch, or substitute for the real thing.

OVER AND OUT!

Did You Notice a Missing Ingredient in Gatorade Lately???

If you didn't notice this missing ingredient the first thing I would say to you is that you need to start paying more attention to Nutrition Labeling!!!!!

The missing ingredient in Gatorade after their new launch of G2 and Protein packed drinks is (drum roll please)

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

Yes people...they completely took it out of their product. Don't believe it? Check the link below

GATORADE ELIMINATES HFCS!

My point with this is simple.  People actually dictate the food industry not the other way around.  Food companies change with our own behaviors and our own consciousness.  If we change our ways of eating to more efficient ways and demand more natural products, the food companies will have no choice but to go along with our elevated consciousness or they will be left out of the loop.  It is the old principle of supply and demand.  If we demand better, they will supply it.  They will literally lose out on billions if they do not.  This is one example of Consumerism changing the way the food industry thinks.  What can you guys do to change some of the other things? Quite simply...don't buy them. 

OVER AND OUT!!!

Who Needs Milk When You Have Beer To Strengthen Bones??!!!

What do you think of when you think of having a brew.  Beer Belly...Beer Gut...etc? All negative connotations unfortunately.  Well maybe not for long. 

Beer actually contains "silicon", which is a mineral that helps protect your bones. According to a new University of California study, Beer has more silicon in it than fruits and vegetables. 

It is also high in B vitamins and antioxidants.  So what's the bad news...? Well....ummm....lol. it's still beer and it has 200 calories per 12 oz class so don't go for the oatmeal stout, you want to jockey back and forth between this beer and water in order to help keep your waistline in tact.

And don't go crazy over this one article lol. As with most things, it is all about "moderation."

***always remember to drink responsibly***

OVER AND OUT!!!

Do Your Portion Control Efforts Measure Up?

Portion Control......hmmmmmm

This is one of the most confusing parts of losing weight.  We are all aware of how food has become gargantuan in the past 20 years, but do we know how to make it the right size on our own?  From the infamous "Super-Size" to "Go Large" to "Biggie Size" restaurants everywhere have blown up the food.  But this is the thing about the food industry.  It always changes. When Americans figure out what the food companies are doing to make them gain weight, the market researchers just change it up and camoflauge the calories in other manners.  For example when the report on supersizing food came out, restaurants like McDonalds for example changed all of their portions to "large" as the biggest one except for super-size.  Many of the other food chains followed suit. So even though this may seem like a large change for the better, the food unfortunately was already blown up in the first place, so it's still not doing you any kind of benefit.

so lets look at things a different way.  Lets take some everyday items and shed some light on this seemingly confusing detail. 

Proteins:

Usually (depending on your Daily Energy Requirement) you will be recommended to have 3-5 ounces of meat.  Lean Protein includes lean chicken/ fish/ steak for example.  This piece of meat should be no larger than a BlackBerry Curve. 

Vegetables:

This should be the majority of your plate.  Two bars of soap on a standard sized plate should fill that requirement.  Note: There is more Vegetables than your lean meats based on this rule of thumb.  Keep that in mind.

Carbs:

Starchy foods such as potatoes or pasta are something that you will want to limit a little bit more than the previous categories.  We have all heard about how bad carbs are for you, but they serve a purpose.  You just have to watch the portion.  You want to make your Carb portions no bigger than a baseball.

Condiments:

This is the sticking point for a lot of my clients.  This is one of the easiest ways to make a healthy meal the caloric intake of a big mac. The recommendation for this piece is no bigger than a carmex container. Also if you are having a salad, the salad dressing should be able to be filled up in a shot glass.

If you want more information on Portion Control and Portion Sizes, Please take a look at this tool HERE that will allow you to take certain foods and it will show you the portion relative to other objects not identified in this post.  

Why Crash Diets Will Crash and Burn your Fat Loss Goals

First and foremost how do we identify a crash diet? 

-A diet that gives only a small range of options
-A diet that is not well balanced
-A diet that is fixated on only one ingredient which usually is in every meal of the day
-A diet that makes unrealistic promises in a short amount of time
-A diet less than 1,200 calories

These diets will get you to COMPLETELY cut out certain foods on certain days of the week, and then adding them again at a later moment to help speed up weight loss.  Sometimes these diets are slated for people to lose up to 10 pounds per week. These diets also ask you to stop working out because you will not have enough energy to go through a full workout based on the sharp decrease in caloric intake.

When you eat these options (although limited on the crash diets) your body senses the fact that you are starving yourself and immediately goes into storage mode in defense to hoard your food to prevent the eventual loss of muscles.  These diets also take out essential Nutrients such as protein, so when your body has nowhere else to go it will start eating away at your muscle.  These diets also slow down your natural metabolism which can lead to a catapult in weight gain once you start eating your regular diet again. 

Besides the effects to your body it can also affect your mind.  When your body is in deprivation mode your brain is not fed, which can make you sluggish at work and very tired overall.  My best advice to you is to put down the tabloids, start picking up the grapefruit and get to the gym!!

OVER AND OUT!!!




 

5 Ways to Cut 100 Calories at Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

AT BREAKFAST

5. G with a whole wheat english muffin (130c) rather than a plain white bagel (289c) Also watch your jams and jellies.  Many have additives and preservatives.  Go as natural as you can with these.

4. Go with half of the banana in your morning cereal instead.

3. Scramble an Egg-White Omelet instead of using the whole egg. This will save you 70 calories per egg.

2. Use one breakfast sausage instead of 3

1. When you HAVE to cheat, or you feel the need to get a muffin, only eat the top, don't eat the base.

AT LUNCH

5.  When eating soup, go for a veggie based soup such as a cup of minestrone. 

4.  Don't eat lunch at your desk.  There have been many studies showing that eating at your desk idly watching a computer screen can lead to more mindless eating when you are already full

3. Sub your french fries for sweet potatoes

2. Go Greek! Stay away from the American/Sharp/Cheddar Cheese

1. Use Tuna/Fish that is packed in water and not oil

AT DINNER

5. Steam Spinach instead of saute'ing

4. Sub for whole wheat linguini and ditch the alfredo sauce if you are ready to ditch your un-wanted weight for good.

3. Eat your vegetables first, and double up on them.  Have more veggies than meat on your plate. 

2. Slow Down and you will eat less.  15 minutes is when your mind tells your body when it is actually full, so if you are eating fast, you may over eat unknowingly.

1.  When at a restaurant always order the salad/food with the sauce on the side so that you can liberally put as much as you need on there and not all of it.

***oh and just in case you were wondering the colors do mean something. Breakfast is green because that is when you have the green light, lunch is when you are monitoring your cals throughout the day the most usually and so it is yellow. Red is dinner because it has to be critical that you not eat at this point, you only have about roughly 4-5 hours before you go to sleep to burn your calories off so that is why you want to keep that in mind and why it is Red***


Hope this helps everybody! 

OVER AND OUT!

What Do B-Vitamins Do For Your Body?

Maybe you have had someone tell you that B-Vitamins were good for you.  Do you actually know what B-Vitamins do?  Do you know what kinds of alternative foods that you can eat to get these vitamins without having to take a pill? Take a look at the list from 1 to 12.  See what you can incorporate in your daily intake.

B1 (thiamine)

B1 helps your carb to energy conversion.  You can find this in brown rice.


B2 (riboflavin)

Riboflavin helps with Migraine relief.  you can find this vitamin in high content with a simple glass of Milk

B3 (niacin)

Niacin helps to eliminate toxins. You can get this from lean meats such as flank steaks.

B5 (panthothenic acid)

Panthothenic Acid helps with Nutrient metabolism.  You can find high quantities of this in cheese.

B6 (pyridoxine)

Pyridoxine hels your metabolic boost.  You can find this in Poultry products

B7 (biotin)

Biotin helps your body synthesize fatty acids (including Omega-3's).  You can find these in organic meats.

B9 (folic acid (folate))

Folate helps with brain function.  You will primarily find these vitamins in Leafy green veggies.

B12 (cobalamin)

Cobalamin helps with energy production.  You can find this mainnly in liver and eggs.

I hope this lists helps you

10 Guiltless SuperBowl Meals to Bring to Your Party!

Lets just be honest here.  Part of fitness is setting realistic goals. Part of being a good trainer is knowing your clientele and their expectations.  Do I expect my clients to eat celery sticks during one of the biggest binge-eating days of the year arguably second only to Thanksgiving? Probably not going to happen. BUT....do I expect them to make better choices? YES!!!!

I always want my clients to make better choices, and better decisions. So here are some great ways to appeaze the inner fat-kid in you, but also it will allow you to not leave behind the skinnier, better, more active you that has been emerging over the past couple of months that you have made your lifestyle change.  Here are some good recipes.  I hope you enjoy it!

10. Avocado & Yogurt Deviled Eggs

http://www.ivillage.com/avocado-and-yogurt-deviled-eggs/3-r-60819

9.  Tri-Color Potato Salad

http://noteatingoutinny.com/2007/07/06/tricolor-potato-salad/

8.  For the Who-Dat Nation..Caribbean red beans and (brown) rice

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/RE00064

7. Guacamole Tradicional

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2008/01/30/guacamole-tradicional/?sid=ST2008012901173

6. Black Bean Dip and Whole Wheat Pita Chips

http://pinchmysalt.com/2007/06/21/easy-black-bean-dip-with-whole-wheat-pita-chips/

5.  Salsa Verde

http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=33

4.  Brown Rice Crispy Treats

http://www.danispies.com/archives/dessert/brown_rice_crispy_treats.php

3.  Oven Baked Chili-Cheese Fries

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/taste/howtos/stories/DN-nf_ovenfries_0215liv.2.State.Edition1.13630435.html

2. Wholesome Cornbread

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/wholesome_cornbread.html

1.  Oven baked Potato Chips

http://annesfood.blogspot.com/2005/09/oven-baked-potato-chips_19.html


While some of these are not necessarily "great", they are a lot better than what you "would have" had.  Lets just keep it 100 here :o). 

oh and by the way.  In case you are wondering who I am going for in the superbowl. I will leave you with this....WHO DAT!!!!

OVER AND OUT!!!!

Does The Color of Your Food Matter?

In short...YES.

This color-coded system of fruits and vegetables will help you get a diverse supply of phytonutrients (cancer-fighting agents). Key components of using this color-coded system:
- Eat one food from each color per day.
- Eat 7 or more servings of vegetables/ fruits per day
- Eat a VARIETY of these foods.

Based on the UCLA  Center for Human Nutrition Code the Colors are as following:

White/Green:  Garlic, onions, leeks, celery, asparagus, artichoke, endive, chives, mushrooms

Green: Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, bok choi, kale

Yellow/Green:  Spinach, collard, mustard greens, turnip greens, yellow, corn, avocado, green peas, green beans, green peppers, yellow peppers, cucumber, kiwi, romaine lettuce, zucchini, honeydew melon, muskmelon

Orange/ Yellow: Orange juice, oranges, tangerines, yellow grapefruit, lemon, line, peaches, papaya, pineapple, nectarines.

Orange: Carrots, mangoes, apricots, cantaloupes, pumpkin, acorn squash, winter squash, sweet potatoes

Red: Tomatoes, tomato products (pasta sauce, tomato soup, tomato-based juices, ketchup), pink grapefruit, watermelon

Red/Purple: Grapes, grape products (red wine, grape juice), prunes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red peppers, plums, cherries, eggplant, red beets, raisins, red apples, red pears


This is a great way for people who are just getting into fitness and aren't necessarily sure what to eat or how much.  Good Luck out there guys!

OVER AND OUT!

Can You Get Fit By Watching TV??

You've heard it a million times before.  "Don't watch TV while you do your cardio"....

Of course to get the MOST out of your workout, you have to focus on the task at hand but what if you really, really......(really) don't like cardio? Use the TV on your EFX/ Treadmill to your advantage. 

Instead of letting magazines or television inhibit your workout, do things to make your cardio more interesting.  For example.  Read one page while maintaining your current speed and then make a promise to increase your speed as soon as you get to the next page. 

If you are watching your favorite TV program at the gym, try doing interval training by speeding up the pace during the commercial breaks and then lowering them again when you get back to the program.

Even better keep your treadmill going and do elevated lunges on the treadmill while still watching your program and hop back on and continue your workout.

Again.  Staying FOCUSED on your workout is always going to be the best thing I will recommend, but this is a good way to have your workout and get off the couch at the same time!


OVER AND OUT!

The Truth Behind "Detox" Diet Plans.

The truth behind "Detox".

Detox diet plans are very popular with the "thin crowd". Not just the thin crowd, but the EXTREMELY thin crowd. Detox is becoming the new starvation diet. I personally have been asked about these diets that have "detox drinks" or Cayenne Pepper with syrup and lemons with water. These diets are usually colon cleansing of some sort, and can actually create more harm than good to your colon because they can lead to malnutrition as well as chronic colon problems in the future. Detox drinks are also very very high in potassium usually, which can cause abnormal heart rhythms.

The thing about detox diet drinks is that you are not going to be drinking them for the rest of your life.  You know that you will eventually stray from this plan, and the bottom line---it is not healthy to crash diet.  My advice. Stay away from it completely.

OVER AND OUT!



[source: ABC news Oct 18, 2009]

Is It Necessary to Buy Organic??

NO.  IT IS NOT!

It is not "required" nor "necessary" for everything that you are eating to be organic when you are trying to lose weight, maintain your current weight, or for your overall healthy lifestyle. Most people choose organics because they are pesticide free and non-processed.

With pesticides if you are peeling these fruits that eliminates much of the exposure that can come from non-organics, (but not all).

Instead of buying organic, buy seasonal vegetables, freeze them and stock up.  Sometimes buying from a farmers market will help also because although their products may not specifically say "organic", many times because getting the USDA certification for organic products is a rather expensive process, they do not call them "organic" per se, but they essentially are in nature.

Some products the reward for getting organic is too beneficial to ignore.  These products are:

Apples, Bell Peppers, Cherries, Peaches, Carrots, Nectarines, Lettuce, Pears, Strawberries

The products that are OK to buy Conventional are:

Asparagus, Avacados, Sweet Peas, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kiwifruit, Eggplant, Mangoes, Onions Papaya, Pineapple, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Watermelon.

A good rule of thumb is any fruit/vegetable with an outer shell isn't "necessarily" more beneficial to get organic.  It doesn't prevent the pesticides, but it dramatically reduces the exposure.  Use this the next time you are at the grocery store.

OVER AND OUT!!!

Is It Better To Work Out On a Full or Empty Stomach??

I have been getting a lot of emails/ texts about this lately.

There are many studies that have shown if you have a pre-workout shake and a post workout shake you will dramatically increase your ability to lose more weight....BUUUUUTTT... there is some silver lining.

Recent studies have shown that if you are working out on an empty stomach it may force your body to use the reserves that they have built up for your energy base, (mainly carbohydrates and fats). The research on this matter is still pressing because although not eating before your workout is better for "fat burn" during the workout, that is not saying it will be consistent and shed pounds for "overall weight loss" over time. More to come later hopefully.

What I would recommend to everyone is to try to see what works best for you. Some of my clients experience extreme nausea when eating an hour before a session or even having a pre-workout shake. Others can't get through the first couple of jumping jacks without fueling up. The most important part of the lesson for the day is to understand your body. Know what works for you and what doesn't. That will help you get through your workout in the long run! Remember that more activity requires more energy in your body. If you are having a BIG workout and you know it. It might be a good idea to fuel up with a protein bar, or shake, but again you know your body better than me, so I'm going to let you be the judge and see what works!

OVER AND OUT!

Do you know what eggs are the best for you?

Omega-3 Fortified Egss

They have all the nutrients of regular eggs, but because most Americans do not eat enough fish, this is a great subtitute for your Omega 3's which are located primarily in fatty fish. If you do not like fish, this will give you up to 300mg of fatty acids that your body needs to help protect your heart as well!

OVER AND OUT!

Check Yourself After The Grocery Checkout

Have you ever gotten home from the grocery store thinking that you had made healthy choices and then suddenly when you unpack your bags you realize that you done exactly the opposite much to your chagrin? Don't be upset. Fix the problem. Next time when you get home follow these steps:

1. Locate your receipt
2. Get 3 different colored highlighters
3. Mark up your receipt as following

BLUE

For every fresh food that you purchase including vegetables, or fresh fish

YELLOW

to note the "not so healthy" products that you purchased such as cookies, pizza, cupcakes, or crackers

PINK

For those "in between" foods that are good for you, but packaged such as brown rice or low fat yogurt.


Your receipt should be mostly blue or pink. If its not 60-75% Blue or Pink, take the receipt with you the next time that you go shopping and it will remind you to make great choices and to not repeat the same mistakes!

OVER AND OUT!