Nutrition

How Will YOU Burn 300 Calories?

1 Comment / Nutrition, Training

If you’re looking to shed body fat, there’s simply no getting around the fact that you absolutely must create some sort of caloric deficit. Any way you look at it, you MUST burn more calories than you consume. Now, it can get quite a bit more complicated than simple math would have us believe, but the fact remains–a deficit must be in place for fat loss to occur. But, there are many different ways to create a deficit, some more effective than others.

For example, if you’d like to create an additional 300 calorie deficit per day, you could simply skip your morning bagel (approx 300 calories). Fairly simple to do, unless you have some weird affinity toward bagels like I do. OR, you could walk for an HOUR on the treadmill and create the same 300 calorie deficit. OR, you could do a 10 minute high intensity interval training workout and create the same 300 calorie deficit. And here’s where things get a little more complicated than the numbers suggest.

In all three instances, you are essentially creating an additional 300 calorie deficit each day. BUT, scenario 1 sucks, scenario 2 really sucks, and scenario 3 trumps them all–bigtime. Why? Well, first, let’s say that you decide to create your caloric deficit soley by eliminating calories in your diet. By now, if you’ve been a follower of anything I’ve taught, you know that this will only result in some nasty hormonal consequences, leading to slowed metabolism and your body more or less canceling out the very deficit you are trying to create. As far as scenario #2 goes, there are several issues. First, 60 friggin’ minutes to burn 300 calories??? That’s a LONG time to invest to burn less than a tenth of a single pound of fat (assuming that all calories burned are from fat, which they won’t be). At that rate, if you wanted to burn a pound of fat, you’d have to walk for close to 15 hours.

Wow.

Count. Me. Out.

The second problem with scenario #2 is that there is virtually no “afterburn” effect, so once the session is over, so is your calorie burn–metabolism goes right on back to it’s slow ways. Now, with the third scenario, you’re investing much, much less time, but have the added benefit of the “afterburn” or elevated metabolism for the entire day (and sometimes even into the next day). Which brings me to the question — how are you burning your calories?

Are you trying to “diet” the pounds away? Are you hoping to walk away 5, 10, or even 20 lbs — that will probably take you a few years (of walking). Or have you embraced the power of intense exercise?

If you haven’t figured out the answer, hit me up…..

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ARE PROBIOTICS WORTH IT

Nutrition

They can be, if you know what to look for. Follow this guide to make your meal count

Probiotics Primer

What they are
Naturally occurring microorganisms that can be good for your health. They’re added to foods, especially yogurt.

What studies show
Certain probiotics can help you fight colds, diarrhea, and more. But those aren’t always the ones in your food.

Source: Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., who studies probiotic microbiology and consults in the industry

Step 1: Know names
See the three circles on the right? They show the three elements of a probiotic’s name. The trouble is, most companies list only the genus and species of a strain. That’s like a restaurant serving “fish” without identifying what kind it is. Not having enough information makes determining any health benefits a difficult task.

Your move: Choose products that include the full names of their probiotics. Chances are, more research is available about the benefits, which is why the food company chose to spotlight the strains it included.

Here’s Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001—the full name of a probiotic in Stonyfield Farm yogurt—dissected.
Genus: Lactobacillus
Strain: HN001
Species: Rhamnosus

Step 2: Ignore the usual suspects
Take these, for example…

L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus
Help turn milk into yogurt

Your move: Don’t be impressed by foods that list only L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus. These organisms do help you digest lactose, but they mostly just help create yogurt. To be labeled a probiotic, an organism has to have a health benefit. L. acidophilus is also common. Some companies use studied strains of it as probiotics, but others use it only for flavor.

Step 3: Vet research
Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 is found only in Dannon Activia—because Dannon developed it, studied it, and patented it. (Dannon claims this strain helps regulate your digestive system.) This is common: Many strains are studied primarily by the companies that developed them. Then the companies promote the benefits.

Your move: Watch for definite claims, like “clinically proven” or “scientifically proven”—Dannon had to scrap both of these claims in a 2010 settlement and replace them with less-certain phrases, such as “clinical studies show.”

Step 4: Read the label closely
Questions about probiotics shouldn’t stop you from eating yogurt, a good source of protein and calcium. Hey, if the live cultures have other health benefits, that’s all the better. Probiotic supplements are another story: Many may have no proven benefits. Look for products with labels that list probiotics’ full names, the number of colony-forming units, and the scientifically studied benefits of each strain. Dosage and storage suggestions should also be included.

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7 Ways Fasting Can Rev Up Your Fat Burning Furnace

2 Comments / Nutrition

By Brad Pilon

Flexible intermittent fasting is becoming a very popular way to use your body’s natural ability to burn lots of fat in a short period of time.

Here is a list of the ways that flexible intermittent fasting will turbo charge your fat loss.

1. Increases Fat Burning Hormones
Hormones are usually at the root of most of your metabolic functioning, and fat burning is no different. Growth Hormone is the most important fat burning hormone in your body. Fasting pushes growth hormone production into high gear and this makes your fat burning furnace start to work overtime. Fasting also decrease your insulin levels, which ensures that you burn body fat instead of storing it.

2. Increased Fat Burning Enzymes
Fat burning hormones need the help of fat burning enzymes to get their job done. Fasting will sky rocket the activity of two of the most important fat burning enzymes in your body. Adipose tissue HSL (Hormone Sensitive Lipase) is the enzyme responsible for allowing your fat cells to release fat so it can be burned as energy in your muscles.  Muscle tissue LPL (Lipoprotein Lipase) is the enzyme responsible for allowing your muscle cells to take up fat so it can be burnt as a fuel. Fasting increases both of these enzymes to optimize fat burning – A perfect combination.

3. Burn More Calories
Short term fasting (12-72hrs) actually increases your metabolism and adrenaline levels. This causes you to increase calorie burning during the fast period. The more calories you burn the faster you can lose weight. The extra energy you get from the fast might actually help you through a workout or get more work done at work or around the house. When I did my first fast I was shocked at how awake and energetic I was. My fasting days are now my most productive days of the week.

4. Burn Fat Instead of Sugar
Fasting shifts your metabolism from burning blood sugar to burning mostly body fat. When you eat a meal your body likes to burn carbs first, then the fat from your food. Any extra fat that your body can’t burn in the few hours after you eat get stored as body fat. When you fast your body has no choice but to burn stored body fat. By the end of a 24 hour fast your body is burning way more fat than it would during a regular day of eating.

5. You’ll Find Out Why You Eat
The most surprising benefit people report back when they start fasting is a new found awareness of what causes them to eat. When you make a conscious decision to fast for a day your less than flattering eating motivations become painfully obvious. This is the first and most effective step to getting rid of bat habits for good. Knowing what your motivations are for poor eating choices is essential before you can change them and build better habits.

6. Builds Positive Attitudes Towards Yourself and Food
Each short fast is an accomplishment that can build self confidence and gratitude. At the end of a 24 hour fast you can feel good about your accomplishment and start feeling good about your relationship with food again. The positive empowerment from each fast builds on the last until you feel completely in control of your food choices.

7. Eat All The Foods You Love Guilt Free
Short term fasting allows you to lose weight and burn fat without restricting any of the foods you love to eat. With this style of eating you can consume any and all of the foods you like whenever you choose without feeling guilty about it and still lose weight. You will never again have to be sitting in a restaurant picking at a salad while everyone else at the tables indulges in their favorite entrée and dessert.

Eating for fat loss doesn’t need to be complicated and food should never be a source of anxiety or guilt. Mixing in a few 24 hours fasts to your week can liberate you from the dieting prison and allow you to enjoy food again.

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How To Burn A Pound Of Pure Fat In One Day

Nutrition, Training

by Joel Marion – CISSN, NSCA-CPT

A pound of fat is 3,500 calories.

So, to lose 10 pounds of pure fat, you need to create a 35,000 calorie deficit.

(please realize that 10 pounds of *fat loss* will probably equate to somewhere between 15 and 20 pounds of actual “wt loss” due to the simultaneous water loss that occurs any time you lose fat).

So, a 35,000 calorie deficit, huh?  That’s easy.  In fact, if you didn’t eat anything for 15 days, combined with exercise, you’d probably burn even more than that and finish up absolutely ripped after only 2 weeks of sacrifice, right?

WRONG.

Your body does *not* like long-term, drastic reductions in calorie intake and simply responds by 1) shutting down metabolism and 2) holding on to body fat, both as a starvation protection mechanism.  Therefore, should you ever decide to try something akin to the above, you’d only end up wasting a heck of a lot of time and sacrifice for some pretty crappy results.

In fact, you’d probably end up looking “sick” and still fat.  Probably *not* the look you’re going for…

Simply put, creating massive calorie deficits (by not eating, or eating very little) does NOT work for optimal fat loss and physique transformation, and those looking for a quick fix all too often fall victim to trying something so silly in attempt to wake up next week with the body of their dreams.

Bottom line: your body is smarter than these elementary methods, and will very quickly put the breaks on your fat burning efforts in favor of protecting you from starving to death.

So does that mean that the “slow and steady” road is the only path to fat loss, or that rapid fat loss is a dead dream?

Nope!  It just requires “smarter” methods that keep you one step ahead of your body, always in “good standing”, instead of repeatedly aggravating it by denying it the nutrients and energy it needs to function.

So how can we be smart about rapid fat loss?

Well, there are a number of ways (that when combined in the most strategic fashion can equate to some incredibly fast fat loss results), but one of the pieces of the puzzle is to create a massive calorie deficit that *actually works* because it’s timed appropriately in conjunction with a time in which your body is very receptive to fat burning.

If you’ve read any of my past writings then you know that I’m a strong believer in utilizing Cheat Days to upregulate metabolism and important fat burning hormones, particularly leptin, while dieting.  After all, it only takes one day of overfeeding or “cheating” to bring these hormones back to baseline and put the body back into an optimized fat burning state (while it takes about a week for them to substantially drop off again).

The end result is greater net fat loss week after week while still being able to enjoy your favorite foods on a regular basis.  I’ll take that deal.

Given that information, let me ask you a question:

When do you think might be the ideal time to introduce a massive calorie deficit to a diet cycle in order to burn the most fat?

I’ll let you think about that for a minute…

Okay, got your answer?

Well, if you said after a Cheat Day, then you are 100% correct!  Fact is, after a Cheat Day, your body is *massively* primed to burn fat.  Leptin levels are at their peak, in addition to other important fat burning hormones, and your body is READY and WILLING to use fat for energy.

So, it’s after a high calorie day that you’ll want to create a massive calorie deficit via:

1.  minimal calorie intake (i.e. strategic fasting)

2.  massive energy expenditure through optimized exercise

Essentially, you’re creating a huge calorie deficit (through both diet and exercise) on a day in which your body is extremely primed to burn those calories as fat AND when metabolism is at its highest point.

Make sense?

The truth is, through proper timing and proper strategy, you really CAN burn a pound of pure fat (and lose even more on the scale) in one day, without silly fat loss gimmicks or fads.

The secret, my friends, is all in the strategy.

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5 Novel Uses For Protein Powder

1 Comment / Nutrition

By: Shannon Clark

No Blender? No Worries!

Whether building muscle or burning fat, the serious fitness enthusiast should always have a canister a high-quality protein powder staring back at him or her from the pantry shelf.

After all, meeting your daily protein requirements is an absolute must for success. Protein supplies your body with all the raw building blocks it needs to repair and rebuild, serves as a healthy and satisfying snack, and helps other systems in your body operate efficiently.

But there may come a point where drinking another shake seems about as appealing as a DMV visit. The good news is that there are plenty of creative and tasty ways to use your protein powder without the aid of a blender or shaker bottle.

Protein Powders

Protein Powders Many people struggle to get in enough protein in their diet each day. Unless your normal diet of eating enough protein sources during the day is consistently strict, chances are you could be running low. That’s why protein powder supplementation is a great option for ensuring you hit your protein intake for the day.
1: The Best Breakfast Builder

Disliking pancakes seems downright un-American (and I say that as a Canadian), but the normal kind can be a gut bomb. So those craving both good taste and good health should be excited about protein pancakes, which can be made in any number of ways.

For a low-carb diet, simply mix one scoop of protein powder with 2 or 3 egg whites and a small amount of sweetener. Pour it onto a hot pan and cook it like you would a regular pancake.

This version has only 150 calories per batch and is almost pure protein.

Looking to power up the mix a bit? Combine the same scoop of protein powder with 3 or 4 egg whites, ¼ cup of dry oatmeal, and some Stevia. Pour that mix onto the griddle, and you’ve got a breakfast made for building lean muscle.

You can also smear a tablespoon of peanut butter on top for healthy fats and a little extra protein.

Altogether, you’ll have a well-balanced and calorie- dense snack with around 350 calories, 42 grams of protein, 26 grams of carbs, and 8.5 grams of fat. You can always adjust the ingredient amounts to fit your own needs!

Lean Protein Pancakes

Note: For building muscle, use 3-4 egg whites and add ¼ cup of dry oatmeal.

2: Oats With Flavor And Function

Another simple way to add protein powder to your meals is by mixing it with dry oats.

Just place ½ cup of dry oats into a container along with your favorite form of sweetener, add one scoop of your protein powder, pour in one scoop of water, mix it up, and voila!

Use more or less water depending on your preferred consistency, but this recipe will form a pudding-like consistency, combining healthy carbs and quality protein in an incredibly convenient snack.

For added healthy fats and great taste, add flaxseeds or natural peanut butter.

Protein with Oats
3: Protein Powder Is A Piece Of Cake

If you’re easily lured in by cheesecake but hate what it does to your waistline, switch out the guilty version for a healthy, protein-packed alternative.

At just over 200 calories, this treat is hard to beat. To prepare it, take ½ cup of fat-free cream cheese and mix it with a ½ or full scoop of vanilla (or chocolate if you prefer) protein powder along with some Stevia extract.

Add milk as needed for a smooth consistency. Serve the mix on top of a whole-wheat or graham cracker.

To liven up the flavor, top with a teaspoon of sugar-free jelly or some fresh, sliced strawberries.

Protein Cheesecake
4: Teatime!

Tea is refreshing tasty and low in calories, but you might be surprised to know that you can add protein to it and have it still taste great! I’ve got a great chai tea complete with tasty protein.

For this recipe, brew your tea as you normally would, but fill your glass or mug only until it’s half full.

In a separate bowl or container, mix ½ a scoop of vanilla protein powder with anywhere from a ¼ to a full cup of water. Pour that mix into the chai tea, sprinkle some cinnamon on top, and then relax!

Chai tea with protein powder is one of the fastest and easiest ways to boost your protein intake for the day without adding any fat or carb calories.

Protein Chai Tea
Tea is refreshing tasty and low in calories, but you might be surprised to know that you can add protein to it and have it still taste great
+ Click To Enlarge.
Tea is refreshing tasty and low in calories, but you might be surprised to know that you can add protein to it and have it still taste great.
5: Mix It Up With A Fruit Dip

Fruits are a tasty, healthy, and refreshing snack to have at any time during the day, but make them more complete and add some new taste by adding some protein powder!

This tasty fruit dip combines healthy fats and protein to work perfectly with the carbs and fiber that your fruit provides.

To do this, mix a ½ or full scoop of protein powder with one cup Greek yogurt and one tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter. If you’re allergic to nuts, substitute one of the nut butters with 2 teaspoons of flaxseed or flaxseed oil.

Stir up the ingredients to a smooth consistency, and then place the dip in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. When you’re ready, pick your favorite fruit, start dipping, and enjoy!

Shakes can get boring just like all the other foods we eat, so keep things interesting by trying new uses for your protein!

Protein Fruit Dip

Note: 2 teaspoons of flaxseed or flaxseed oil is a good substitute

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