Nutrition

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

It lays there, motionless and lifeless.

It beckons you, though, every morning to step on it.

It lies to you…

Every day, you faithfully step on it and turn your head, taking in a deep, soothing breath.

Then you look…

You may be surprised or HORRIFIED by what you see.

Your SCALE lies to you constantly.

It NEVER seems to change.

Maybe a pound or two, but for some reason it ALWAYS COMES BACK.

It mocks you and your weight loss attempts.

But now you have the power to FIGHT BACK.

You may know the scale as your WORST enemy.

Let me explain…

The Battle With Your Scale

If the scenario above rings a bell, then you may have experienced weight loss or weight gain success or failure.

The scale may be the WORST measure of your health and fitness.

Granted it does provide numbers, and sometimes those numbers drop.

But what it does not tell you is HOW FAT you are.

Weight may fluctuate every day or every minute of every day.

But remember, a scale measures EVERYTHING in your body.

From your FAT to your bones and everything in between!

The scale may give you accurate readings of EVERYTHING going on inside of you.

But it makes you frustrated.

You get mad…

You may even SCREAM at the top of your lungs, “you worthless, f#%$@ scale.”

Today, you need a NEW alternative.

A new way to measure success and a new way to make yourself FEEL GOOD!

These tips may take you on the road to happiness…

Weight Loss Trick #1: Throw It Out The Window

That’s right folks, step one is to throw your scale out the window.

Stepping on the scale may be your breaking point to weight loss success or failure.

When you focus solely on numbers, you may find yourself frustrated when the pin does not move.

Or if the pin moves…IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!

The scale is nothing more than a way to weigh everything inside of you.

It doesn’t determine how much FAT you have, compared to your lean mass.

It may determine how much WEIGHT you lose, but does nothing to determine how much FAT you have lost.

Losing the LBs is important, but the more important number might be how much FAT is covering your metabolism-boosting lean muscle.

Weight Loss Trick #2: Find Out Your Bodyfat

Not for a suit or a pretty new dress (but that may come later).

You should get your body fat tested.

By finding out how much fat mass you have, compared to lean muscle, may be a better judge as to where your weight loss stands.

More fat may mean an increased risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, or more.

And higher fat levels may indicate that you may have more visceral fat.

As a review, visceral fat surrounds your organs

And may be EXTREMELY harmful to your health!

Increased levels of visceral fat may increase your risk for heart disease and diabetes.

So you now have your numbers.

What do you do with them now?

Now it’s time to implement your exercise and dietary changes.

Weight Loss Trick #3: Include More Protein, Fiber, And Fruits And Vegetables Into Your Diet

Protein may provide the building blocks you need to SUCCEED.

Protein provides amino acids that may increase lean mass on your body.

Heard the myth muscle turns INTO fat?

It is not true (to set the record straight).

When your diet sucks and you may be lacking calories, then your body starts to USE your muscle as a source for energy.

Your body thinks you are starving!

And starvation may cause your body to keep your FAT stores, since they may possess a greater amount of STORED energy.

This may cause your METABOLISM-BOOSTING lean muscle to suffer.

Increasing protein may increase your lean mass, possibly BOOSTING your metabolism – even WHILE WATCHING TV.

That’s right, the more muscle you have may INCREASE your resting metabolic rate.

And this may lead to WEIGHT LOSS – especially burning your unwanted FAT STORES.

More circulating amino acids may build more lean mass (in combination with a solid strength training workout) and it may actually suppress your appetite!

This may lead to fewer calories eaten, BOOSTING your energy levels and your metabolism.

And speaking of muscle…

Weight Loss Tip #4: Exercise For Weight Loss (excluding boring old cardio)

There is a new method of exercising, which is GIVING TREMENDOUS RESULTS!

And it is very simple.

But first, if you do not exercise the best advice is to START.

One of the most effective ways to burn extra calories and fat may not be by using a treadmill, bike, or the stepper.

Intermittent bouts of high-intensity exercise may be your answer to strip away YEARS OF UNWANTED BELLY FLAB.

But it does not happen overnight.

You have to work at it!

Movements which target the whole body but done back-to-back with very little rest time in between exercises, may boost metabolism-boosting muscle.

This may boost heart rate, jumpstart muscle building, and DESTROY YOUR FAT CELLS.

The best part: you may still be burning calories – for days on end.

And this may lead to greater weight loss and a slim, sexier you!

Weight Loss Tip #5: Stimulate Your “Good” Hormones To Work CORRECTLY

Your fat cells release hormones every day.

And they are powerful hormones which may control your appetite and determine your need for more energy (energy = food).

But due to the way you eat or how much/what you eat, your cells may become inflamed.

And if they are inflamed, then chances are they may now be dysfunctional.

And that spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E for your weight loss.

Inflammation may prevent your cells from responding to certain hormones and others that cause you to eat more.

And this may lead to weight gain.

But there may be way(s) to stop this from occurring.

You may need to change your diet and add in superfoods, which may slow inflammation and possibly return your fat cells to normal.

Superfoods may contain TONS of antioxidants which like to eat up free radicals.

Free radicals are dastardly little molecules which roam around
and may cause inflammation and DAMAGE

But you need to eat A LOT of fruits and vegetables in order to get the same ORAC value as Krill oil or a Greens supplement.

But hope is not lost.

Increasing your fruits and veggies may give you enough antioxidants to possibly reduce the damage caused by free radicals.

Arm Yourself

Your fat is not the enemy.

But your scale may be!

Including these five tips into your weight loss arsenal may spell success or failure for burning your spare tire.

Remember, a scale gives you a measurement of EVERYTHING inside you.

And those numbers may fluctuate from day-to-day or even from morning to night.

Changing your eating habits to increase protein, fruits and veggies, and fiber may increase your FAT CELLS’ ability to regulate POWERFUL hormones responsible for weight loss.

You now may have the perfect weapon against weight loss.

You may be arming yourself with the BEST possible list to burn stubborn belly fat and BOOST your metabolism like you have never seen before!

by Shin Ohtake, author of  Max Workouts

It’s kind of crazy to think that soy products have really only been around in the U.S. food industry since the early 1990’s, unlike many of the Asian countries where it’s been a food staple for thousands of years.

So what made soy become so popular so fast here in the U.S.?

Well it certainly wasn’t coincidence.  Like in most industries, if you follow the money…it’s a pretty good bet that you’ll end up at the truth.  And soy is no different.  Soy is cheap to cultivate and when consumed in whole “fermented” forms it has real health benefits.

Notice the terms “whole” food and “fermented”…see that’s key.

It’s bad enough that whole foods have become foreign in vast majority of North American diets, but throw in fermentation…and you’re looking at a population smaller than people living on Easter Island that would even take a second look at consuming soy in this form.

Fear not however, if there’s profit to be had, we can make anything palatable…or at least edible…sort of.

Which is why almost all soy produced in US is processed and converted into two prosperous commodities – soybean oil and soy protein.

See…now we can get the benefits of whole fermented soybeans without having to inflict our palates with foul smelly fermented foods.  We all win..right?

Uhhh…NO

Here’s the problem:

Processing anything is bad and it’s no different for soy.  Soybean oil is heavily refined and most have trans fats in them, making them one of the unhealthiest oils around.  And unfortunately, it’s in pretty much all processed foods.

Soy protein is the other culprit and it’s also processed, although not as heavily as soybean oil.  All possible health benefits of soy are completely taken out in the course of processing, making it a pretty poor source of protein.

But this is where the confusion and conflict begins.  The FDA claims that soy protein is very healthy and they recommend consuming 25 g of soy protein a day to help reduce the risk of heart disease.

I know…once again more conflicting information…I don’t blame you for wanting to tear your hair out with frustration.

Okay…before you take FDA’s recommendation, let’s take a little closer look at the relationship it has with the soy industry

According to Soy Food Association of North America, the sales of soy food products exploded from 300 million dollars in 1992 to 4 billion dollars in 2006.  It only took just over a decade to make soy one of the world’s most cultivated crop.  In fact, the soy industry is growing so fast that in order to keep up with the demands, it’s clear cutting forests (yep…deforestation) to make more room for soy farms.

But that’s not enough…there’s too much at stake here…too much money to be made.  The soy industry wants it all and nothing’s going to stop them…not even mother nature.  Enter…GMO – genetically modified organism.  Soybeans that are genetically modified to grow faster, bigger and be resistant to pretty much anything you throw at it.

In the U.S. about 90 % of all soy used is genetically modified (GM).  GM soy is resistance to toxic herbicides and pesticides, which is great because they can keep pumping out soybeans without worrying about crops being destroyed by insects.  Sounds dandy, except these toxic chemicals are being passed down the food chain into to animal feeds and you guessed it…you and I, the consumers.

I won’t get into the tyranny of the Big Agra (ie. Monsanto) in the farming industry as a whole, but getting non-GM foods have become alarmingly difficult and our right to get natural whole foods is diminishing quickly.

So what does any of this have to do with the FDA?

Well, it just so happens that the executives that run Big Agra, which produce both the GM seeds for soy as well as the toxic chemicals that they spray the crops with, coincidentally happened to serve on the board of execs on the FDA as well.  It’s like a merry-go-round of execs just switching seats.  Conflict of interest?  Oh right…this is politics…profit and power over human rights and safety.

According to stats between 2000 – 2007 there were more than 2700 new soy-based foods that were introduced into the commercial market.  And it hasn’t slowed down one bit.  One of the biggest reason for the continual push for soy-based products is the FDA.  It’s been unequivocally supporting soy as a healthy source of food since the very beginning.  So, yes I think it’s fair to say that FDA is committed to the success of the soy industry and so far it’s been wildly successful.

That said, I’m not saying that the study done on the soy proteins reducing heart disease was false.  It’s pretty easy to manipulate studies to get a desired outcome anyway, and knowing the intimate relation FDA has with the soy industry, I think it’s best to take (all) FDA’s recommendation with a grain of salt.

Health facts about soy

Soy has many detrimental characteristics to your health:

Soy contains anti-nutrients which hinders the ability of digestive enzymes needed to for proper digestion.
Soy contains phytates (phytic acid) like nuts, which prevent absorption of certain important minerals like zinc, magnesium and calcium.
Soy is full of isoflavones which are phytoestrogens.  They’re plant compounds that resemble human estrogen and have been known to disrupt endocrine function.  It’s also been linked to infertility and breast cancer.
Soy also contain goitrogens which block the synthesis of thyroid hormones.  So if you have thyroid issues, it’s definitely not recommended.

These are just the negatives health effects soy has in it’s natural state.  Now combine that with the effects of genetic modification (GM) and you’ve really got a mess on your hands.

What effects genetically modified soy has on your health?

GMO is fairly new, so currently there’s only one published human study and a few published studies conducted on animals.

Although companies that produce GMO products claim that it’s completely safe for human consumption, all the studies done on animals fed GM soy have had seriously negative outcomes including infertility and even death – infant mortality.

The process of genetic modification in soy involves placing a gene from a bacteria that produces protein that’s completely foreign to humans.  And if that doesn’t sound bad enough, the one human fed study done on GM soy, found that the gene inserted into the genetically modified soy transfers into the DNA of our gut bacteria and continues to function.

This means that even years after you stop eating GM soy, there’s a real good chance that foreign protein will still be produced in your gut.  Sounds like a premise from a cheesy sci-fi movie…only it’s actually happening!

So what can we do about this awful situation?

    First and foremost assume that most soy products are genetically modified, especially those meat and dairy substitutes like soy burgers, soy dogs, soy cheese, even soy milk.

Make sure to stay away from anything that has soybean oil in it, which shouldn’t be hard to do if you’re avoiding processed foods.

It’s best to stay away from so-called healthy foods with soy protein in them such as vegan protein bars, soy chips, soy nuts, and believe it or not…even tofu.

Tofu has been the go to source of soy protein for many vegans, however the negatives health factors outweigh the positives, so it’s best to avoid them.

As I mentioned in the very beginning of the article, soy is not bad for you as long as it’s prepared properly.  And the key to getting the health benefits of soy is fermentation.

All whole soybean that’s been fermented is good to eat.  The key is fermentation.  The fermentation process takes out most of the negative health effects listed above.  Although it doesn’t completely eliminate it, in fermented form the benefits outweigh the negatives.

Here’s a list of fermented soy foods that I recommend:

Tempeh – Fermented, firm textured, soybean cake
Miso – Fermented, salty, soybean paste usually used for soup stock
Natto – Fermented soybean with sticky, slimy texture often consumed with rice
Soy Sauce – Fermented soybean in liquid form used as condiments in many Asian dishes (not all brands are fermented, only the highest quality… also limit heavy use due to extremely high sodium levels)

So there you have it.  The story of soy is heavy on politics and falls well short of being the panacea of health that it’s claimed to be.  GM soy is just the tip of the iceberg, and it’s very frightening.  Our body’s were meant to eat real whole foods…period.  The consumption of processed foods have wreaked havoc to our health and now engineered food is about to over take our food supply.

Our best defense is knowledge so we can make the right food choices for the benefit of our own health, as well as the health and well being for our future generations.

 

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

Motivation, drive, and healthy living are all reasons why you want to change your life.

But there is ONE SIMPLE change you SHOULD make that may BOOST your FAT BURNING POTENTIAL.

And it’s so EASY that everyone SHOULD do it!

But be VERY CAREFUL, NOT increasing this nutrient may prevent YOUR BODY from utilizing sugar and BURNING FAT.

Confused?

Let me explain…

Increase Fish For Weight Loss

There are many different factors that may cause you to gain weight.

And this weight gain may be a huge DRAIN on your energy and hormone levels.

One of the biggest risk factors may be inflamed FAT CELLS.

Inflamed fat cells may decrease hormone production and FAT-UTILIZING proteins from being released.

So your body may not have the ability to tell you when you are full.

But ONE change to your diet may increase your ability to bring sick fat cells back to NORMAL.

Inflammation may be caused by damage from free radicals.

Free radicals are a byproduct of metabolism, and may cause
MASSIVE DAMAGE and increased INFLAMMATION

So to stop free radical damage, you increase fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, into your diet.

This may increase your antioxidant level, which may increase your ability to scavenge and DESTROY free radicals.

But you may be SHOCKED to learn about a powerful new fighter for weight loss.

And it comes from a very UNLIKELY source.

Astaxanthin, a powerful carotenoid found in krill, algae, and other marine life, may help you lose weight.

And it may fight and prevent metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.

When your fat cells are inflamed, it may reduce the secretion of fat burning hormones.

And it may change the way your body utilizes insulin.

It may be caused by a weak insulin signal or your cells’ inability to utilize insulin correctly.

This may lead to chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and others.

However, administration of 50 mg/day for 22 weeks drastically improved the health of FAT CELLS in mice.

Researchers determined that the mice experienced drastic changes in their metabolic health.

They noticed a decrease in systolic blood pressure and an increase in HDL cholesterol.

But the biggest surprise may be in FAT CELLS.

Intake of Astaxanthin may SHRINK the size of your FAT cells.

Astaxanthin may also increase the secretion of Adiponectin, a potent protein secreted by fat cells, and Adiponectin’s ability to communicate with your brain.

Adiponectin may also improve glucose and lipid metabolism.

This may decrease plasma trigyclerides and fatty acids found in your bloodstream.

More importantly, Astaxanthin may lead to significant reductions in blood sugar levels and improve the regulation of insulin.

Astaxanthin may SHRINK fat cells and may
increase INSULIN SENSITIVITY

Increase Your Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a powerful carotenoid that may lead to many different health benefits.

It may improve insulin sensitivity, possibly providing you with better insulin and blood sugar control.

It may also increase the secretion of Adiponectin, which might SHRINK your FAT CELLS.

By increasing your intake of fatty fish, shellfish, or supplementing with a Krill Oil supplement, you might increase your dietary intake of Astaxanthin.

By Joel Marion

Once upon a time, I was on a diet.  Everything was going soooo well.  Then I got hungry.

So I ate whatever was convenient…and alas, my diet was no more.

:.-(

Another time I was traveling and made some bad choices at the airport.

Another time I got really busy, then I was starving, and then I overate…by like…a lot.

Another time I skipped a bunch of meals and then wound up eating something totally not on my diet because hey, I already missed so many meals so what was the point.

Does any of this sound familiar?

If so, allow me to introduce you to my three best friends:  Fruit, Nuts, and Beef Jerky.

With fruit, nuts, and beef jerky it’s virtually impossible to screw up on your diet.  They’re convenient (zero prep time), they’re portable (you can take them anywhere), and they’re awesome (no parentheses needed…but I used them anyway).

Nuts are great source of healthy fat, and they contain a modest amount of protein to boot.  Fruit is as portable as it gets while being loaded with healthy low glycemic carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.  Beef jerky is a yummy ultra portable protein snack.

If you’ve read my other writing, you know I often recommend eating two types of meals:  protein + fat, and protein + carbs

Well, just so happens you can create either type of meal, quickly and with zero prep, with these three ingredients:

Beef Jerky + Nuts = Protein + Fat

Beef Jerky + Fruit = Protein + Carbs

And there you go.

Religiously carry fruit, nuts, and beef jerky with you wherever you go.  Throw it in your car, your purse, your desk, your gym bag, your pockets…wherever.

When you need it, it will be there.  And you don’t have to worry about screwing up on your diet anymore, because you’ll be prepared.

That’s what it’s all about.  Enjoy 😉

Many Americans have been told since preschool that getting five daily servings of fruits and vegetables is essential for health. Despite this common knowledge, it seems we don’t eat fruit and vegetables as often as we should…or even as often as we used to. A recent Gallup poll found that only 55.9 percent of Americans are eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables at least four days out of the week. Last year, the same poll showed that 57.8 percent of Americans were getting these servings. The 1.9 percent drop may not seem like much, but it equates to millions of Americans not getting enough fruits and vegetables in their diets. To up your numbers, follow these easy tips and you’ll get your daily dose in no time! And remember to buy organic to avoid pesticides and toxic chemicals.