Knowing How Much to Lift
Q: What size dumbbells should I be using — 5-pound, 10-pound? What's a rule of thumb for how much to start with, when to move up, and so on?
A: For weight loss, research has found that lifting between 60 and 80 percent of your 1-rep max (that is, the heaviest amount of weight you can lift for one repetition of an exercise) is the best way to stimulate muscle growth, which is what helps you lose fat. The problem is that most of us don't think about how much weight we need, or go to the trouble of figuring out our 1-rep max for every exercise we do. In fact, I see many gym-goers lifting the same weights week after week — this is just one way to keep your body from changing.
So how do you figure out how much to lift if you don't know your 1-rep max? Here's what I suggest, especially if you're a beginner:
Choose a weight you can only lift with good form for 12 to 16 reps (which constitutes 1 set). You don't need to go into complete muscle failure, but make sure you're challenging your body.
Begin with 1 set of each exercise, slowly working your way up to 2 to 3 sets (adding a set each week).
When you've added sets and have a solid foundation (after 6 to 8 weeks), add enough weight so that you can ONLY do 8 to 12 reps.
Continue to progress by adding a rep each week until you reach the max reps (no more than 16); then increase your weight again and drop your reps back down to 8 to 12.
The important thing to remember when it comes to strength training is that you must give your muscles more weight than they can handle — that's how muscles grow. The challenge of lifting heavier weights is just as much a mental game as a physical one. If you haven't pushed your body's limits in a while, the act of lifting weights alone may be all you can handle. If you're consistent with a basic program and build a solid foundation of strength, you'll be ready for the next step — increasing the amount of weight to push your muscles to their limits. You'll be amazed at the changes in your body!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
About Your Midsection and A Good Recipe
More Reasons to Whittle Your Middle – from Jilian Micheals
I think we can all agree that "muffin tops" — the fat hanging over the waist of a too tight pair of pants — and beer bellies aren't attractive. Still, when it comes to excess belly fat, the situation is more serious than how you look. Excess belly fat has been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and stress.
When you have stress, your body releases certain "fight-or-flight" stress hormones that are produced in the adrenal glands: cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine. When you first get stressed, these hormones kick into gear. Norepinephrine tells your body to stop producing insulin so that you can have plenty of fast-acting blood glucose ready. Epinephrine will relax the muscles in your stomach and intestines and decrease blood flow to these organs. Once the stressor has passed, cortisol tells the body to stop producing these hormones and to go back to digesting regularly. It's normal for your cortisol levels to go up and down throughout the day, but when you are chronically stressed your cortisol level goes up — and stays there.
When your stress and cortisol levels are high, the body actually resists weight loss. Your body thinks times are hard and you might starve, so it hoards the fat you eat or have present on your body. Cortisol tends to take fat from healthier areas, like your butt and hips, and move it to your abdomen which has more cortisol receptors. Hello ab flab! In the process, it turns once–healthy peripheral fat into unhealthy visceral fat (the fat in your abdomen that surrounds your organs) that increases inflammation and insulin resistance in the body. This belly fat then leads to more cortisol because it has higher concentrations of an enzyme that converts inactive cortisone to active cortisol. The more belly fat you have, the more active cortisol will be converted by these enzymes — yet another vicious cycle created by visceral fat.
So what if you have belly fat? Lose weight by following the best nutrition and lifestyle strategies that support you in times of stress, like the ones in my program. When you limit your caffeine to 200 milligrams a day, avoid simple carbs, processed foods, and refined grains, and get plenty of high-quality protein, in addition to de-stressing yourself, you'll automatically help your body keep your stress hormones, especially cortisol, lower. It's a day by day choice you'll have to make, but the results will be worth. Think how good it will be when you are as healthy on the inside as you look on the outside.
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Make Your Belly Fat Flat
Want to reduce your belly fat? Don't just drop and give me 20 crunches. Rather than doing strength training abdominal exercises, concentrate on your diet and doing cardio to reduce your overall body fat instead. Try to decrease your daily sodium intake — try to keep it to 1,500 mg or less — boost your water intake, and cut out all the greasy, fattening foods that helped build that bulge in the first place.
Healthy Steak Tacos
Craving Mexican food? There's no need to go out for a heavy, calorie-loaded Mexican dinner. Forgo the extra fat and calories, and instead create this delicious steak taco meal for your family. It combines savory and sweet flavors and can be prepared in less than 25 minutes!
Chipotle Flank Steak Tacos With Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
12 soft corn tortillas
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder plus 1 pinch, divided
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
1 pound flank steak beef, trimmed of fat
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Preparation
Preheat grill to high. Stack tortillas and wrap in heavy-duty foil. Combine oil, 1 teaspoon chipotle powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small dish. Rub mixture into both sides of steak. Place the tortilla stack on the coolest part of the grill or upper warming rack, if possible, and heat, flipping once, until warmed through and very pliable.
Meanwhile, grill the steak for 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium, or until desired doneness. Grill pineapple rings until moderately charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the tortillas, steak, and pineapple from the grill. Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing very thinly crosswise into strips.
Meanwhile, dice the pineapple and transfer to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, onion, cilantro, vinegar, the remaining pinch of chipotle powder, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss to combine. Serve the sliced steak in the warm tortillas with the pineapple salsa.
Makes 6 servings.
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 16 mins
Total Time: 21 mins
Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 283
Total Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 29 mg
Sodium: 378 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 36 g
Dietary Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 19 g
Recipe reprinted with the permission of EatingWell.com.
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Add Some Spice to Your Life
Adding herbs and spices to your meals is an excellent way to add flavor. In this recipe, you don't need the sour cream, cheese, and other fatty toppings that are usually par for the course at Mexican restaurants. The chipotle chili powder adds a smoky taste and a little bit of heat to give your taste buds a kick, while the cilantro adds freshness — and both ingredients are virtually free of calories! Next time you're cooking, experiment with different herbs and spices to make your meals pop without expanding your waistline.
I think we can all agree that "muffin tops" — the fat hanging over the waist of a too tight pair of pants — and beer bellies aren't attractive. Still, when it comes to excess belly fat, the situation is more serious than how you look. Excess belly fat has been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and stress.
When you have stress, your body releases certain "fight-or-flight" stress hormones that are produced in the adrenal glands: cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine. When you first get stressed, these hormones kick into gear. Norepinephrine tells your body to stop producing insulin so that you can have plenty of fast-acting blood glucose ready. Epinephrine will relax the muscles in your stomach and intestines and decrease blood flow to these organs. Once the stressor has passed, cortisol tells the body to stop producing these hormones and to go back to digesting regularly. It's normal for your cortisol levels to go up and down throughout the day, but when you are chronically stressed your cortisol level goes up — and stays there.
When your stress and cortisol levels are high, the body actually resists weight loss. Your body thinks times are hard and you might starve, so it hoards the fat you eat or have present on your body. Cortisol tends to take fat from healthier areas, like your butt and hips, and move it to your abdomen which has more cortisol receptors. Hello ab flab! In the process, it turns once–healthy peripheral fat into unhealthy visceral fat (the fat in your abdomen that surrounds your organs) that increases inflammation and insulin resistance in the body. This belly fat then leads to more cortisol because it has higher concentrations of an enzyme that converts inactive cortisone to active cortisol. The more belly fat you have, the more active cortisol will be converted by these enzymes — yet another vicious cycle created by visceral fat.
So what if you have belly fat? Lose weight by following the best nutrition and lifestyle strategies that support you in times of stress, like the ones in my program. When you limit your caffeine to 200 milligrams a day, avoid simple carbs, processed foods, and refined grains, and get plenty of high-quality protein, in addition to de-stressing yourself, you'll automatically help your body keep your stress hormones, especially cortisol, lower. It's a day by day choice you'll have to make, but the results will be worth. Think how good it will be when you are as healthy on the inside as you look on the outside.
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Make Your Belly Fat Flat
Want to reduce your belly fat? Don't just drop and give me 20 crunches. Rather than doing strength training abdominal exercises, concentrate on your diet and doing cardio to reduce your overall body fat instead. Try to decrease your daily sodium intake — try to keep it to 1,500 mg or less — boost your water intake, and cut out all the greasy, fattening foods that helped build that bulge in the first place.
Healthy Steak Tacos
Craving Mexican food? There's no need to go out for a heavy, calorie-loaded Mexican dinner. Forgo the extra fat and calories, and instead create this delicious steak taco meal for your family. It combines savory and sweet flavors and can be prepared in less than 25 minutes!
Chipotle Flank Steak Tacos With Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
12 soft corn tortillas
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder plus 1 pinch, divided
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
1 pound flank steak beef, trimmed of fat
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Preparation
Preheat grill to high. Stack tortillas and wrap in heavy-duty foil. Combine oil, 1 teaspoon chipotle powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small dish. Rub mixture into both sides of steak. Place the tortilla stack on the coolest part of the grill or upper warming rack, if possible, and heat, flipping once, until warmed through and very pliable.
Meanwhile, grill the steak for 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium, or until desired doneness. Grill pineapple rings until moderately charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the tortillas, steak, and pineapple from the grill. Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing very thinly crosswise into strips.
Meanwhile, dice the pineapple and transfer to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, onion, cilantro, vinegar, the remaining pinch of chipotle powder, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss to combine. Serve the sliced steak in the warm tortillas with the pineapple salsa.
Makes 6 servings.
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 16 mins
Total Time: 21 mins
Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 283
Total Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 29 mg
Sodium: 378 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 36 g
Dietary Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 19 g
Recipe reprinted with the permission of EatingWell.com.
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Add Some Spice to Your Life
Adding herbs and spices to your meals is an excellent way to add flavor. In this recipe, you don't need the sour cream, cheese, and other fatty toppings that are usually par for the course at Mexican restaurants. The chipotle chili powder adds a smoky taste and a little bit of heat to give your taste buds a kick, while the cilantro adds freshness — and both ingredients are virtually free of calories! Next time you're cooking, experiment with different herbs and spices to make your meals pop without expanding your waistline.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Why Go Organic?
What to Buy
Why You Should Go Organic
It's easier than you think to avoid foods with harmful components that can disrupt your metabolism. Simply buy organic foods!
Organic foods — those grown without pesticides or other chemicals — are healthier for you and for the environment. Here are the top eight reasons to buy organic:
1. Organics can help keep you slim and prevent diabetes. More than 90 percent of the endocrine-disrupting pesticides that linger in the tissues of our bodies come from the foods we consume — especially animal products.
2. Organics help you avoid scary hormones. The FDA currently permits six kinds of steroid hormones to be used in cattle and sheep raising. Most cattle in U.S. feedlots that are not raised organically are fed or injected with steroid hormones.
3. Organics help you avoid pesticides and other chemicals. A study at the University of Washington found that the urine of children who ate mostly conventional (that is, pesticide-laden) diets had nine times the organophosphorus pesticide concentration found in the urine of kids who ate mostly organic diets.
4. Organics prevent antibiotic resistance. Massive use of antibiotics in the meat and dairy industries leads to widespread antibiotic resistance, which leaves us vulnerable to harmful, and potentially fatal, bacteria.
5. Organics taste better. Organic food is and will always be fresher than nonorganic food — without pesticides and chemical preservatives, organic produce has to be eaten faster or it will rot.
6. Organics boost the variety in your diet. When you eat organics, you’ll switch your fruits and veggies seasonally — asparagus in the spring, tomatoes all summer, kale and sweet potatoes in the fall — thus ensuring that you get more phytochemicals.
7. Organics are more nutritious. Without pesticides, organic fruits and vegetables have to fight off bugs with their own “immune systems,” which naturally raises their antioxidant levels.
8. Organics save the earth. Regular produce grown in the United States eats up fossil fuels as it travels an average of 1,500 miles before being sold. Organic farming uses 30 percent less fossil fuel while conserving water, reducing soil erosion, maintaining soil quality, and removing carbon dioxide from the air.
Organics may be more expensive than conventionally grown foods, but the health and safety benefits are too great to put a price on, not to mention the lighter environmental impact. Still, I know your pocketbook can't be endlessly stretched. Below is a list I’ve assembled, using research from the Environmental Working Group, to guide you in spending your organic dollars selectively but wisely.
ALWAYS BUY ORGANIC
Even after washing and other attempts to reduce pesticides, these foods will remain the most toxic. Spend your organic food budget here:
· Meat, dairy, and eggs
· Coffee
· Peaches and nectarines
· Apples
· Bell peppers
· Celery
· Berries
· Lettuce
· Grapes
· Foods you eat often
SOMETIMES BUY ORGANIC
I call this the “Hey, if you’ve got the cash, why not?” section. Better safe than sorry.
· Processed foods (I don't like processed foods in general, but some organic brands, like Amy's, are okay)
· Onions
· Avocados
· Pineapple
· Cabbage
· Broccoli
· Bananas
· Asparagus
· Corn
· Mangoes
DON’T BOTHER BUYING ORGANIC
Don’t be duped into wasting your organic budget on these foods.
· Seafood
· Water
· Foods you don’t eat that often
Why You Should Go Organic
It's easier than you think to avoid foods with harmful components that can disrupt your metabolism. Simply buy organic foods!
Organic foods — those grown without pesticides or other chemicals — are healthier for you and for the environment. Here are the top eight reasons to buy organic:
1. Organics can help keep you slim and prevent diabetes. More than 90 percent of the endocrine-disrupting pesticides that linger in the tissues of our bodies come from the foods we consume — especially animal products.
2. Organics help you avoid scary hormones. The FDA currently permits six kinds of steroid hormones to be used in cattle and sheep raising. Most cattle in U.S. feedlots that are not raised organically are fed or injected with steroid hormones.
3. Organics help you avoid pesticides and other chemicals. A study at the University of Washington found that the urine of children who ate mostly conventional (that is, pesticide-laden) diets had nine times the organophosphorus pesticide concentration found in the urine of kids who ate mostly organic diets.
4. Organics prevent antibiotic resistance. Massive use of antibiotics in the meat and dairy industries leads to widespread antibiotic resistance, which leaves us vulnerable to harmful, and potentially fatal, bacteria.
5. Organics taste better. Organic food is and will always be fresher than nonorganic food — without pesticides and chemical preservatives, organic produce has to be eaten faster or it will rot.
6. Organics boost the variety in your diet. When you eat organics, you’ll switch your fruits and veggies seasonally — asparagus in the spring, tomatoes all summer, kale and sweet potatoes in the fall — thus ensuring that you get more phytochemicals.
7. Organics are more nutritious. Without pesticides, organic fruits and vegetables have to fight off bugs with their own “immune systems,” which naturally raises their antioxidant levels.
8. Organics save the earth. Regular produce grown in the United States eats up fossil fuels as it travels an average of 1,500 miles before being sold. Organic farming uses 30 percent less fossil fuel while conserving water, reducing soil erosion, maintaining soil quality, and removing carbon dioxide from the air.
Organics may be more expensive than conventionally grown foods, but the health and safety benefits are too great to put a price on, not to mention the lighter environmental impact. Still, I know your pocketbook can't be endlessly stretched. Below is a list I’ve assembled, using research from the Environmental Working Group, to guide you in spending your organic dollars selectively but wisely.
ALWAYS BUY ORGANIC
Even after washing and other attempts to reduce pesticides, these foods will remain the most toxic. Spend your organic food budget here:
· Meat, dairy, and eggs
· Coffee
· Peaches and nectarines
· Apples
· Bell peppers
· Celery
· Berries
· Lettuce
· Grapes
· Foods you eat often
SOMETIMES BUY ORGANIC
I call this the “Hey, if you’ve got the cash, why not?” section. Better safe than sorry.
· Processed foods (I don't like processed foods in general, but some organic brands, like Amy's, are okay)
· Onions
· Avocados
· Pineapple
· Cabbage
· Broccoli
· Bananas
· Asparagus
· Corn
· Mangoes
DON’T BOTHER BUYING ORGANIC
Don’t be duped into wasting your organic budget on these foods.
· Seafood
· Water
· Foods you don’t eat that often
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Good Fats and Bad Fats
This article came from Jilian Micheals
What to Buy
Good Fats vs. Bad Fats
If you want to get rid of fat in your body, put a little fat in your mouth. Seriously. The party line about reducing dietary fat to decrease body fat is finally losing ground. And not a second too soon — high-carb diets got us into a hormonal mess. (Don’t get me started on that again — go back to The Right Carbs for my rant.)
But don’t smother your food in butter just yet! Not every fat is going to improve your body composition. You need to know which fats to choose. And lucky for you, I’ve done my homework. Everything you needed to know about fat is right here.
GOOD FATS
Monounsaturated fats: These fats raise HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind) while lowering your LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind), cutting your overall risk of heart disease.
Best choice: Extra-virgin olive oil
Omega-6 fatty acids: These polyunsaturated fats lower both HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Traditionally, they were assumed to be heart-healthy, but many sources of these fats (such as corn) can create eicosanoids, hormonelike chemicals that can lead to inflammation and blood vessel damage.
Best choice: Walnuts
Omega-3 fatty acids: These polyunsaturated fats lower both HDL cholestorol and LDL cholesterol, yet they’re extremely beneficial in reducing inflammation, the risk of heart disease and heart attacks, and possibly the risk of diabetes and bipolar disorder.
Best choice: Fish-oil supplements
NOT-TERRIBLE-BUT-NOT-GREAT FATS
Saturated fats: These fats raise HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol at the same time. Some researchers think their effects on HDL and LDL actually cancel each other out, so you're better off eating unsaturated fats whenever possible.
Best choice: Coconut oil
Trans fats from animal sources: The jury’s still out on these fats, which may lower body fat, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides but also increase insulin resistance and promote a fatty liver.
Best choice: Organic, pasture-raised beef
REALLY, REALLY BAD FATS
Trans fats from commercial products: These man-made fats raise LDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol, increase inflammation, and are just plain bad for you.
Best choice: None! Stay away!
What to Buy
Good Fats vs. Bad Fats
If you want to get rid of fat in your body, put a little fat in your mouth. Seriously. The party line about reducing dietary fat to decrease body fat is finally losing ground. And not a second too soon — high-carb diets got us into a hormonal mess. (Don’t get me started on that again — go back to The Right Carbs for my rant.)
But don’t smother your food in butter just yet! Not every fat is going to improve your body composition. You need to know which fats to choose. And lucky for you, I’ve done my homework. Everything you needed to know about fat is right here.
GOOD FATS
Monounsaturated fats: These fats raise HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind) while lowering your LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind), cutting your overall risk of heart disease.
Best choice: Extra-virgin olive oil
Omega-6 fatty acids: These polyunsaturated fats lower both HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Traditionally, they were assumed to be heart-healthy, but many sources of these fats (such as corn) can create eicosanoids, hormonelike chemicals that can lead to inflammation and blood vessel damage.
Best choice: Walnuts
Omega-3 fatty acids: These polyunsaturated fats lower both HDL cholestorol and LDL cholesterol, yet they’re extremely beneficial in reducing inflammation, the risk of heart disease and heart attacks, and possibly the risk of diabetes and bipolar disorder.
Best choice: Fish-oil supplements
NOT-TERRIBLE-BUT-NOT-GREAT FATS
Saturated fats: These fats raise HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol at the same time. Some researchers think their effects on HDL and LDL actually cancel each other out, so you're better off eating unsaturated fats whenever possible.
Best choice: Coconut oil
Trans fats from animal sources: The jury’s still out on these fats, which may lower body fat, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides but also increase insulin resistance and promote a fatty liver.
Best choice: Organic, pasture-raised beef
REALLY, REALLY BAD FATS
Trans fats from commercial products: These man-made fats raise LDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol, increase inflammation, and are just plain bad for you.
Best choice: None! Stay away!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Good Carbs and Bad Carbs - good article
What to Buy
Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs
I have a secret: Carbs are GOOD for you! We need carbs — we couldn't function without them. They give us the energy to walk, dance, drive — to do anything. And they make food taste better, giving it texture and crunch, variety and color.
If carbs are so great, why do they have such a bad rap? Think about some of the carbs that are super popular in America today: soda, chips, candy, cookies. These calorie- and fat-laden metabolism killers aren’t going to help you lose weight or get toned — and you’re certainly not going to feel good when you've eaten all the chemicals they contain. These are the foods people think of when they hear the word “carbs.”
But they are NOT the carbs nature intended. If you’ve read through my power metabolism foods, you already know the “good” carbs: fruits, veggies, and whole grains. These carbs have unique nutritional profiles that make them awesome for your body. And they all share one amazing metabolism booster — fiber. What makes fiber so fine?
· Fiber soaks up estrogen like a sponge and carries it out with other waste.
· Fiber lowers levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in your bloodstream.
· High-fiber carbs don’t cause insulin spikes, so blood sugar levels remain more stable.
· Fiber slows digestion, so you feel full with less food — and you stay satisfied longer.
When you’re looking for foods that are rich in fiber, pay special attention to the ones with soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber, which bulks up the stool and aids digestion, is cool, but it’s soluble fiber that is really critical for hormone balance. If you want to tell the difference between the two types, picture the food submerged in water. Insoluble fiber, like apple skins and celery stalks, will retain its shape; soluble fiber, found in oatmeal and inside beans, will get gooey and sludgy. Or you can just check out my list of the best sources for soluble fiber:
Almonds
Apples
Apricots
Artichokes
Avocados
Bananas
Barley
Beans (kidney, black, navy, garbanzo, pinto)
Blackberries
Black raspberries
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Bulgur
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Crushed psyllium seeds
Figs
Grapefruit
Ground flaxseed
Kiwi
Lentils
Mangoes
Nectarines
Oat bran
Oatmeal
Onions
Oranges
Pears
Peas
Plums
Potatoes
Prunes
Raspberries
Rice bran
Rye
Strawberries
Sunflower seeds
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Wheat germ
Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs
I have a secret: Carbs are GOOD for you! We need carbs — we couldn't function without them. They give us the energy to walk, dance, drive — to do anything. And they make food taste better, giving it texture and crunch, variety and color.
If carbs are so great, why do they have such a bad rap? Think about some of the carbs that are super popular in America today: soda, chips, candy, cookies. These calorie- and fat-laden metabolism killers aren’t going to help you lose weight or get toned — and you’re certainly not going to feel good when you've eaten all the chemicals they contain. These are the foods people think of when they hear the word “carbs.”
But they are NOT the carbs nature intended. If you’ve read through my power metabolism foods, you already know the “good” carbs: fruits, veggies, and whole grains. These carbs have unique nutritional profiles that make them awesome for your body. And they all share one amazing metabolism booster — fiber. What makes fiber so fine?
· Fiber soaks up estrogen like a sponge and carries it out with other waste.
· Fiber lowers levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in your bloodstream.
· High-fiber carbs don’t cause insulin spikes, so blood sugar levels remain more stable.
· Fiber slows digestion, so you feel full with less food — and you stay satisfied longer.
When you’re looking for foods that are rich in fiber, pay special attention to the ones with soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber, which bulks up the stool and aids digestion, is cool, but it’s soluble fiber that is really critical for hormone balance. If you want to tell the difference between the two types, picture the food submerged in water. Insoluble fiber, like apple skins and celery stalks, will retain its shape; soluble fiber, found in oatmeal and inside beans, will get gooey and sludgy. Or you can just check out my list of the best sources for soluble fiber:
Almonds
Apples
Apricots
Artichokes
Avocados
Bananas
Barley
Beans (kidney, black, navy, garbanzo, pinto)
Blackberries
Black raspberries
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Bulgur
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Crushed psyllium seeds
Figs
Grapefruit
Ground flaxseed
Kiwi
Lentils
Mangoes
Nectarines
Oat bran
Oatmeal
Onions
Oranges
Pears
Peas
Plums
Potatoes
Prunes
Raspberries
Rice bran
Rye
Strawberries
Sunflower seeds
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Wheat germ
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Quit making excuses
Count your calories up and write them down. Its time to be accountable to yourself.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
One Final Motivational Word
Most of you can tell me how much money is in your paycheck every month. You can tell me the amount of your mortgage and car payments. You balance your checkbooks. You know the birthdays of your family members. You know the dates of christmas and easter. The one thing many people seem to have a hard time with is understanding the number of calories they eat daily. If you don't attempt to use some way to measure the amount of food you eat, and convert it to calories using a calorie counter, then you do not know the amount of calories you eat - case closed, quit arguing.
I recieved a phone call yesterday from a patient who started last week. The patient said that the program wasn't working for them. They admitted the pills were helping supress their appetite. When asked about a diet journal and calories - totally clueless. When asked to recall their food intake yesterday it consisted of cheese pizza and hot wings! Give me a break. Were you sleeping during the presentation?
If you have no idea how to count calories and keep a log, please let me know if you would like to attend a free class on how to do it.
I recieved a phone call yesterday from a patient who started last week. The patient said that the program wasn't working for them. They admitted the pills were helping supress their appetite. When asked about a diet journal and calories - totally clueless. When asked to recall their food intake yesterday it consisted of cheese pizza and hot wings! Give me a break. Were you sleeping during the presentation?
If you have no idea how to count calories and keep a log, please let me know if you would like to attend a free class on how to do it.
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