Entries Tagged 'Nutrition' &darr;

3 Tricks to suppress your appetite

July 12th, 2010 — Nutrition

(This is a guest post from Jon Benson, author of Every Other Day Diet, 7 Minute Muscle and Fit Over 40)

Another good article appeared today in the fitness section of MSNBC.

Since you’re busy, I’ll do a quick summary of the article — the good stuff, the bad stuff, and what you need to do today to get started…

First, you need to know this…

And this will probably shock you…

Rarely, if EVER, do you need to suppress your appetite!

The real secret is to increase your metabolism… the rate at which your body uses food for fuel.

Then being hungry is a good thing… as long as you’re eating the right foods at the right time.

My “Favorite Foods” plan is a great way to do this…
Every Other Day Diet

But let’s say you want to curb your appetite at night…. that’s the time most people really lose it on a dietplan. Even on a plan that ASKS you to eat frequently like mine, there are times where night-time cravings need to be put to sleep.

So use these tips from the article to ease the urge to eat at night:

1. Protein First

As I say in my dietplan, “Rise and shine with protein.” What does this have to do with night-time cravings you ask?
Everything.

Set the body up to use your own fat-stores for fuel by eating protein in the morning and your appetite FOR fatty foods goes way down during the day and the night. Protein is “thermogenic”, meaning it helps increase your metabolism. It also acts as a natural appetite regulator.

Notice I said “regulator” and not “suppressant.” That’s because you only need to regulate your appetite, no matter how much body fat you desire to drop.

I show you how here:

Cool, right?

2. Go For The Grapefruit

In a study at the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, people who ate half a grapefruit with each meal lost an average of 3.6 pounds in three months. That doesn’t sound like a lot (and it isn’t) but that’s ALL they changed.

It doesn’t matter for our purposes… we want to lower insulin at night. Why? Insulin is not only dangerous for your health in excess but it also can cause a LOT of fat storage if secreted too much at night.
Enter the lowly grapefruit.

A great snack, especially if you have a few bites of lean protein with it.

3. Smell This!

This is a trick I didn’t know about until recently.

Smelling food can trick your brain into thinking you’ve eaten.

A recent study found that those who inhaled peppermint in scent form every 2 hours at (get this) 2700 calories LESS per week than they normally did.

Let me put that in perspective: That’s a fat loss of more than half a pound a week… from sniffing peppermint!

Vanilla also works. You can keep vanilla-scented drops or even candles around the office and take a wiff every few hours.

How easy is that?

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The Bad Part
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The MSNBC article goes on with advice like “eat potatoes” and “eat just a little bit of fat”, both of which are nonsense.

Potatoes may fill you up, but they are still starch - and starch should be consumed on your “off” days.

Potatoes are especially bad due to the higher-than-desired glycemic index of 85 (anything over 50 is too high.)

You also need dietary fat… and not just “a little.” You need a moderate amount to stay healthy and keep insulin regulated.

Olive oil and even coconut oil are excellent sources, as are naturally occurring fats in fresh fish, grass-fed beef, farm-raised chicken and whole eggs.

The rest of the article is common sense stuff: Workout, eat dense food that requires you to chew a lot (tire out the jaw muscles and you naturally eat less), etc.

The top 3 are the real winners.

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Here’s another really good article you may want to check out as well. It’s all about how dietplans fail YOU… and this may do more than relieve some “guilt” you might have over the start/stop dieting so many of us have gone through.

Read it here:
3 Reasons Dietplans Fail YOU
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Belly Bloat? Here’s How To Get Rid Of A Bloated Belly

June 27th, 2010 — Nutrition

Belly bloating is not only unsightly and embarrassing, but causes physical discomfort. A bloated belly makes it almost impossible to fit into your favourite pants.

Belly bloat is often a build up of excess intestinal gas (assuming no underlying medical health problems) that can arise from various causes. Once if you’ve identified the cause, getting rid of a bloated belly is an easy task and you can prevent bloating in the future.

How to get rid of a bloated belly

1. Eliminate gluten

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, barley, oats, semolina and other grains. One of the symptoms of gluten intolerance is belly bloating.

If you suffer from gluten intolerance, avoid foods made from grains such as cereals, pasta, oatmeal, bread, crackers, etc.

Gluten free alternatives are quinoa, millet, corn, rice, buckwheat and arrowroot.

2. Eliminate lactose

Lactose in dairy products causes gas and bloating in people who are lactose intolerant. This is due to insufficient lactase enzyme produced in the body to digest lactose.

Lactose free alternatives are rice, almond and hemp products or even lactose free dairy products.

3. Avoid carbonated drinks

Carbonated drinks contain gas, that’s why they cause bloating and intestinal gas. The best thing is to avoid them.

4. Avoid sugar substitutes

Certain types of artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame) and natural sweeteners (xylitol, sorbitol) cannot be digested and hence, result in gas and belly bloating. They are usually added to processed foods.

Avoid foods and drinks labeled ‘low sugar’ or ’sugar free’ as these tend to contain sugar substitutes.

5. Constipation

Belly bloat can be caused by infrequent bowel movements. Constipation can be relieved by increasing fiber and water intake, and regular exercise.

Here’s a post on how to get rid of pooch belly:
Pooch Belly Syndrome: Why Your Belly Bulges And What To Do About It

7 Tips On How to Increase Your Metabolism

May 17th, 2010 — Muscle Building, Nutrition

Metabolism is the process that converts food into energy. It determines the rate that your body burns calories and therefore, affects your weight.

It is easy to blame a slow metabolism for being overweight. In most instances, poor nutrition and lack of exercise are the main causes of unwanted pounds. Are you consuming too many calories, eating processed foods or not exercising? These are some of the lifestyle questions to ask yourself before pointing the finger at a sluggish metabolism.

Some medical conditions such as hypothyroidism and Cushing’s disease, and certain medications (for depression and mental illness) can reduce metabolism and cause weight gain. However, these are rare cases.

There are many factors that affect your metabolic rate, some of which are within your control. Here are 7 ways to increase your metabolism and burn more calories.

1. Resistance training

The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism is and the more calories you burn. Muscle even burns calories while you are at rest!

Besides building muscle, resistance training is also important for preventing muscle loss (and the resulting metabolism slow down) that occurs due to aging.

Make sure you follow a resistance training program that’s progressive to achieve maximum results.

Check out these muscle building workouts that can be done at home or in the gym:

–>Muscle building workouts

If you don’t fancy joining a gym, resistance training can be done at home with a set of adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands or your bodyweight.

Bodyweight exercises are excellent for boosting metabolism, gaining muscle and losing body fat. They can be done at home, in the gym and outdoors (playground, beach, etc).

Here are some incredible bodyweight workouts for men and women of all fitness levels:

–>Bodyweight exercises/workouts

For busy mums who want to get back into shape with short resistance training workouts from the comfort of their homes, this could be what you need:

–>Fit Yummy Mummy

2. Eat small, frequent meals

Take a look at your eating habits. Are you skipping meals or cutting calories drastically?

Your metabolism slows down when you go too long between meals. Insufficient calorie intake can reduce your metabolism by 15-25% and cause your body to burn muscle and hold on to fat.

Eating 5-6 small meals per day keeps your metabolism fired up and prevents over eating.

3. Eat breakfast

People who skip breakfast are sabotaging their metabolism and usually end up eating more in the later part of the day.

After an overnight fast, breakfast is the most important meal to jumpstart your metabolism. It supplies the body with nutrition and energy to undertake activities for the day.

A healthy, satiating breakfast should include lean protein and fiber, such as fruits, oatmeal, eggs and yogurt.

4. Sleep

Aim to get 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night.

Lack of sleep has adverse effects on your metabolism and energy level. It also increases cravings for carbs and sweets, leading to weight gain.

5. Water

Our bodies are made up mostly of water. Lack of hydration affects bodily functions so your metabolism slows down as well.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.

Your body is dehydrated by the time you feel thirsty. So, don’t wait till you are thirsty to drink.

6. Lean protein

Protein has the highest thermic effect out of all the macronutrients. This means it requires more energy to digest protein than fat or carbohydrate. Protein keeps you satiated and is essential for building muscle.

Choose lean sources of protein such as fish, chicken breast, turkey breast, lean red meat and egg whites.

So, including some protein at every meal can give a boost to your metabolism.

7. Metabolism boosting foods

Some foods such as hot pepper (spicy foods) and green tea have been shown to speed up metabolism. However, their metabolism boosting effects are small.

More about Fat Burning Foods & Foods That Burn Fat

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10 Ways to stop sugar cravings

April 15th, 2010 — Nutrition

Sugar craving is like a roller coaster ride that leaves you feeling high and low. Eating carbohydrates or sugary foods to satisfy your cravings makes your feel good and energised for a couple of hours. Thereafter, you feel moody, agitated and lacking focus.

It is easy to over consume sugar as refined carbohydrates in processed foods and grains. Hidden sugar is found in bread, cakes, cereals, sodas, juices, cookies, crackers, yogurt, sauces, etc.

Excessive sugar intake throws the body’s systems out of whack. Some of the health damages caused by sugar are:

1. obesity
2. cancer
3. stroke
4. high blood pressure
5. worsen symptoms in ADHD sufferers
6. diabetes
7. kidney problems
8. accelerates aging process
9. tooth decay and gum disease
10. yeast infection
11. high cholesterol
12. Autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and asthma
13. liver disease
14. cardiovascular disease
15. depression….. and so forth.

Sugar is sweet to the palate but not to your health. If you suffer from sugar cravings, consuming sugary foods only makes you crave more of them. It’s a vicious cycle that repeats over and over again.

Here are 7 ways to stop sugar cravings and regain your health…

1. Go cold turkey

Research has shown that avoiding carbs or sugar for a few days can eliminate its cravings.

2. Don’t keep sugary or processed foods

When you don’t have them in the house or at the office, you can’t eat them. Simple!

3. Choice of foods

Sugar cravings may be a sign that you are not eating nutritious foods. Your diet should consist of mainly natural whole foods. Fiber carbs, lean protein and healthy fats (coconut oil, avocado, nuts) prevent insulin and blood glucose fluctuations, and slow down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates in the form of sugar.

Limit your intake of refined or non fiber carbohydrates, processed foods, high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners.

4. Healthy snacks

If you want to satisfy your sugar cravings, have some vegetables, fruits, nuts or seeds. These are healthy snacks that are worth stocking.

5. Avoid skipping meals

When you are not eating enough or regularly, hunger can often be mistaken as sugar cravings. The latter is your body is telling you that it is not getting enough nutrients.

By sticking to a regular eating pattern, you can maintain a stable blood sugar level without falling victim to carbohydrate or sugar cravings.

6. Stress control

When the body is under stress, it releases cortisol hormone to help you cope. Unfortunately, this stress hormone also increases appetite and sugar cravings.

The best thing is to get rid of the stressor. Otherwise, keep stress level at the minimum by practising meditation, tai chi, deep breathing, taking a walk, going on a vacation, etc.

Hypnosis is also effective for stress relief. Check out this great: hypnosis stress management program.

7. Sleep

Make sure you are getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night. Avoid staying up too late at night. Take a power nap during the day, if you need to.

Lack of sleep, tiredness and fatigue are likely to cause sugar cravings.

8. Brushing teeth

Somehow, brushing teeth gets rid of flavour in the mouth and your sugar cravings, too!

(Some people find gum chewing helps as well… maybe because of the mint/menthol, which is also a toothpaste flavour)

9. Habit change

Sugar craving can be a developed habit. Do you find yourself reaching for sweet treats after a meal, while watching television and when you are bored?

Break your this habit by taking a walk, drinking water or green tea or hypnotherapy. New healthy habits take your mind off the craving and stop the bingeing for sweets.

10. Exercise

Regular exercise increases insulin sensitivity and prevents spikes in blood glucose levels.

3 “Rebel” Fat Loss Tricks

March 31st, 2010 — Weight Training, Nutrition

(This is a guest post by Jon Benson, author of Every Other Day Diet, 7 Minute Muscle and Fit Over 40)

You know what?

I like “weird.”

I’ve always been a bit on the fringe side of the fence if you know what I mean.

A bit of a rebel.

So were guys like Einstein, Mozart, and Picasso. Not that I’m putting myself into their category of genius by any stretch… but I love their approach to life.

BE BOLD… OR GO HOME.

Makes sense to me. This life is too darn short for anything less than being bold.

That means taking some risks here and there. That means taking action while the others are content to sit on the couch being the same person they were yesterday.

And the day before…

And the month before…

And the year before.

Do you want to live your years like that? Or do you want to dive into life? Be the greatest “you” possible?

Then be a bit of a rebel.

Here’s 3 “rebel tips” for fat loss I think you’ll enjoy…

REBEL TIP 1
Flip The Food Pyramid Upside-down

The USDA’s Food Pyramid is an utter joke. It’s origins stink up the joint, let me tell you.

First, the grain industry was in a pinch when the Food Pyramid was created. And wouldn’t you know it… the grain industry increased their “contributions” (read: bribes) to certain politicians to get placement atop the pyramid… or in this case at the very bottom. The “foundation” if you will.

Just think about this for a moment:

The USDA wants you to eat *gasp* MORE starch than vegetables? More bread than fruits, lean meats, and hormone-producing fats?

Are they NUTS??

Yes… they are nuts. (Which, by the way, are no where near the foundation… nuts, that is.)

You’d be better off flipping the sucker upside-down.

That would look like this:

40% of your cals from healthy fats, 30% of your cals from protein, 30% of your cals from carbs.

Roughly, that is.

Sounds… rebellious, right? Well it is.

Too bad I have the science (and the abs) to back it up.

If you want a system laid out for you, then go here:

REBEL TIP 2
Cardio Is Not Smart-ee-o

At least the way the so-called “experts” want you to do it.

Look: This isn’t rocket science. Just walk into any gym…take a look at the folks who only do cardio work for 45-60 minutes every day.

Do they look any different from year to year?

Let me save you some time: NO. They do not.

Cardio (unless you are into endurance sports) is a waste of energy done this way. First, it increases your carbohydrate cravings. For most people that’s not a good thing. Why? Because cardio at this pace burns mostly SUGAR, not bodyfat.

What do you want to burn?

Exactly. Body fat.

Finally, cardio is no where near as efficient as resistance training at dissolving bodyfat… and certainly not even CLOSE to resistance training when it comes to shaping lean muscle and getting the look all these cardio bunnies are after.

Now, I ‘do’ have a rebel cardio trick… and it takes 9-15 minutes 2-3 times a week to perform.

That’s it. And you get ALL the benefits heart-wise of long-session cardio.

Combine that with some brisk walking and my overall fitness plan and presto: No more body fat.

Here’s what is cool: I put my new in-home version of this resistance-based workout online for a few days at a major discount… but it’s only for people who pick up this:

This is completely illustrated with photos too… and you do not need anything but resistance bands and perhaps some cheap dumbbells to do this in-home. Or you can use the gym-based workouts (included with videos.)

Train like this just 3-5 days a week and you can kiss long, boring cardio goodbye.

REBEL TIP 3
Do Not Overwork Your Abs

Here’s a mistake I see most people make in the gym: They do endless sets of crunches, leg raises, and *gasp again* sit-ups… all geared toward seeing those toned abs they want.

Guess what?

Waste of time.

In fact, it’s worse than that… it can literally shut down your recovery ability. You’ll slow your progress in the gym (or at home)… and your fat-burning too.

And you may give up your plan entirely because of it.

Here’s the brutal truth: Ab ‘muscles’ are easy to build. It only takes about 3 minutes 2-3 times a week… that’s it.

( Note: I included my “3 Minute Abs” in the fitness book I just told you about… it’s only for those who get EODD though… )

The muscles are not what make your stomach flatter… it’s the nutrition plan folks.

You’re just building muscle underneath layers of body fat… not good.

I do very little direct ab training. When I do it’s usually 3-5 minutes tops 2 days a week. And my abs are… well… good. : )

I rely on resistance training and my special “favorite foods diet plan” to get and stay lean.

More about it all here:

So be a rebel.

Thumb your nose at the establishment and step out on your own.

Trust me: You’ll be a leader in every sense of the word if you do.

The Double-Edged Sword of “Healthy” Fast Food

March 29th, 2010 — Nutrition

(This is a guest post by Tom Venuto, BurnTheFat.com and BurnTheFat.com/innercircle)

What’s on the menu at the big fast food chains lately? Oddly enough, the answer is… “health food!” Even more incongruous, many are marketing their food for weight loss. Healthy weight loss food at Taco Bell and McDonalds? Is this a noble move to be applauded, is it a big corporate money grab, or is it a double edged sword?

Remember Jared Fogle, the Subway guy? He lost 245 pounds while eating at Subway regularly. He simply picked the lower calorie menu items. Seeing an opportunity, the local store owner pitched Subway corporate with an idea. Before long, Jared was the company spokesperson in their nationwide advertising campaigns which became known as The Subway Diet.

Sales doubled to 8.2 billion. How much the increase came from the weight loss ads is unknown, but there’s little doubt that using weight loss as a marketing platform was a boon for the sandwich maker. Other fast food chains picked up the weight loss torch where Subway left off.

The latest is the Taco Bell Drive through diet, with their own skinny spokesperson: Christine! The ads, which are admittedly conservative, perhaps due to more stringent FTC laws, say Christine lost 54 lbs over 2 years by reducing her calories to 1250 a day, and choosing Taco Bell’s new lower calorie “Fresco” items.

These include “7 diet items with 150 to 240 calories and under 9 grams of fat.” For example, there’s a chicken soft taco with only 170 calories and 4 grams of fat.

For people who refuse to give up eating at fast food restaurants, this is arguably a positive thing. Take my brother for example, He’s not a total junk food junkie, but left to his own devices, he WILL make a beeline to Taco Bell and McDonalds.

I went to McDonalds with him a few months ago (I was dragged there), and he was about to order a bacon cheeseburger. I glanced at the menu and said, “That’s 790 calories!” I glanced down at his belly then continued, “Look, they have chicken wraps. Why don’t you have one of those?” Without questioning me, he agreed, apparently happy to get any McDonalds fix.

Right there at the counter they had the nutrition information sheets:

McDonald’s honey mustard grilled chicken wrap: 260 calories, 9 grams fat, 27 grams of carbs, 18 grams of protein.

That saved him 530 calories. Am I happy there was something with only 260 calories on the menu? Absolutely. Do I applaud the fast food restaurants for offering lower calorie choices? You bet. But the big question is: are these really “healthy choices?”

A few journalists and bloggers recently answered, “These fast food diet items are NOT healthy, they’re only ‘healthi-ER.’”

I think they’re both mistaken. I think this food is not healthy nor is it healthier. It’s only lower in calories. If you eat lower calorie food, that can help you lose weight and if you lose weight, that can improve your health. But what if your definition of healthy food includes nutrition, nutrient density and absence of artificial ingredients?

Let’s take a look at that very low calorie chicken wrap. Is it really healthier just because it’s got 1/3 the calories of a bacon cheeseburger?

Here’s the ingredients straight from McDonald’s website:

McDonald’s Grilled Chicken Breast Filet (wrap): Chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, seasoning (salt, sugar, food starch-modified, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed [corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten] proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (plant and animal source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika), modified potato starch, and sodium phosphates. CONTAINS: SOY AND WHEAT. Prepared with Liquid Margarine: Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservative), artificial flavor, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene (color). (and don’t forget the 800 mg of sodium).

HOLY CRAP! Shouldn’t chicken breast be just one ingredient… chicken breast?

This is not food. It’s more like what author Michael Pollan would call an “edible food-like substance.”

What about the honey mustard sauce? The first ingredient after water is… SUGAR!

The flour tortilla ingredients? Enriched bleached wheat flour, also made with vegetable shortening (may contain one or more of the following: hydrogenated soybean oil, soybean oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated cottonseed oil with mono- and diglycerides added), contains 2% or less of the following: sugar, leavening (sodium aluminum sulfate, calcium sulfate, sodium phosphate, baking soda, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate), salt, wheat gluten, dough conditioners, sodium metabisulfite, distilled monoglycerides.

Trans fats? Sugar? Aluminum? Stuff you can’t pronounce and have to look up to find out it’s preservatives and disinfectants?

Don’t confuse the issues: weight loss and health…. Calories and nutrition. There IS a difference, and that is what makes “healthy” fast food a double edged sword at best.

Some people, like my brother, simply aren’t going to give up fast food completely. If I can get him to make better bad choices, that could help him control his weight. If that works, then I’m pleased that the fast food restaurants have such choices to offer.

But if you wanted to make a good choice - a healthy choice - you’d forget about “driving through” anywhere on a regular basis. You’d shop for whole, fresh, natural real food, keep a well-stocked kitchen… and learn how to cook.

The Subway diet, the Drive Through diet, or the Weight Watchers approved McDonalds menu (yes its true, what a pair that is!) Don’t kid yourself – this is not only not healthy, it’s not healthier – it’s lower calorie junk food.

“Welcome to our restaurant sir. Would you like a large plate of dog poo or a small plate of dog poo?”

“No thank you, I will take neither. No matter what the serving size, crap is still crap.”

Train hard and expect success!

Tom Venuto, author of
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle

Founder & CEO of
Burn The Fat Inner Circle

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is the author of the #1 best seller, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle: Fat Burning Secrets of the World’s Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom is a lifetime natural bodybuilder and fat loss expert who achieved an astonishing 3.7% body fat level without drugs or supplements. Discover how to increase your metabolism and burn stubborn body fat, find out which foods burn fat and which foods turn to fat, plus get a free fat loss report and mini course by visiting Tom’s site at: BurnTheFat.com

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Editor’s note: I encourage you to visit Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat Inner Circle, an amazing fat loss support community (even if you already own a copy of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle ebook) where you get tremendous support from Tom, fitness pros and a group of fat loss achievers to accomplish your own fitness goals.

Coconut Oil & Weight Loss

March 18th, 2010 — Nutrition

Coconut oil weight loss I’ve finally ditched vegetable oils (soybean, corn, canola, …) in favour of coconut oil and olive oil for cooking. Coconut oil is one of the 3 recommended good fats by Mike Geary in The Fat Burning Kitchen and Isabel De Los Rios in The Diet Solution Program.

Coconut oil contains more than 90% saturated fat, mainly in the form of medium chain fatty acid. MCFAs are converted into energy immediately in the liver and small intestine.

Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, known for its antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

The truth about coconut oil

Coconut oil and other tropical oils have gotten a bad rap because they contain saturated fat that is believed to cause heart disease. Early research failed to distinguish the various types of fats. As a result, processed polyunsaturated oils (vegetable oils) are promoted as healthy fats when they are the worst! These oils become oxidised or rancid when exposed to heat, oxygen and moisture during cooking or processing. The radical damage gives rise to cancer, heart disease and autoimmune diseases. Processed polyunsaturated oils also contain too much omega 6 that causes inflammation in the body and increases the risk of diseases such as asthma, allergies, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Benefits of coconut oil

- strengthen immune system
- healthy for heart and arteries
- boost energy and enhance athletic performance
- speed up metabolism and burn fat
- promote healthy functioning of thyroid

Since coconut oil is rich in saturated fat, it is stable at high temperature and ideal for cooking and baking. It is less inflammatory to your body than other vegetable oils.

Coconut and weight loss

One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism. It is easily digested and converted to energy, so it’s not stored as fat. For those of you having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, pure coconut oil could be your new best friend.

People with sluggish thyroid function suffer from weight gain and inability to lose weight. Coconut oil is beneficial for them as it enhances thyroid function and aids in weight loss.

Let me pass on a story Dr. Mercola told me (by-the-way, every word is true!).

Back in the 1940s, farmers found out about the metabolism-stimulating effects of coconut oil purely by accident. They thought it would be a good idea to use inexpensive coconut oil to fatten up their livestock.
Well, to their surprise it didn’t work! Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active, and hungry!

How to use coconut oil

Besides using coconut oil for cooking, I like to have it raw in salad and in mashed hard boiled eggs that I eat with chopped tomatoes (instead of bread).

Coconut oil can be added to smoothie or yogurt.

What is the best coconut oil

When selecting and buying coconut oil, make sure it meets the following requirements:
- certified organic
- cold pressed
- made from fresh coconut, not copra
- no refining
- no bleaching
- no deodorization
- no hydrogenation

Depending where you live, you can probably buy coconut oil at a supermarket or health store. Alternatively, you can get top quality Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil by Dr. Mercola.

2 Comments

Exercise Less, Eat Less

March 1st, 2010 — Nutrition

I’ve been working out consistently for years and lost enough fat to be at a healthy weight and body fat level. It dawned on me that I was over trained by spending 5 days a week (1.5 hours per session) at the gym and teaching group exercise in the evenings.

After reading Joey Atlas’ Fat Loss Manifesto and listening to him on Fat Loss 4 Busy Women, I decided to reduce my training to 4 times a week (1 hour per session).

Here are some positive effects that I’ve been experiencing since I exercise less…

1. Less cravings

My cravings are usually for dark chocolate, which I haven’t eaten for 2 months. I’m also eating less food since I’m not as hungry as before.

2. Less tired

I feel more energised, alert and take less naps.

Previously, I was fatigued, moody and always needed a nap after my long workouts.

3. Weight loss

By eating less, I lost some weight.

What I learned from Joey is that too much of the wrong exercise can cause over eating and weight gain. This is known as compensation.

After exercising, some people become hungrier and wanting to eat more.

a) If they consume more calories than burned –> weight gain
b) If they calories consumed is equal to calories burned –> weight unchanged

Some even think they can reward themselves with bad choices of food. It takes about 1 hour to burn 400-500 calories by running on a treadmill. This can easily be wiped out by consuming a large burger or a donut with cream in 5 minutes! No amount of exercise can beat a bad diet.

Other compensatory effects include more naps and less movements post exercise.

The bottom line is what you eat matters more than how much you exercise.

Nevertheless, you must not give up on exercising. There are many health benefits to exercise such as reducing risks of diseases, improving stamina, joint mobility, mental health and managing pain. Choosing the right kind of exercise (combined with proper nutrition) can help with fat loss and overall good health.

In my case, exercising and eating less seem to be the optimal balance in achieving weight maintenance.

Portion Control - 5 Tips to Overcome Portion Distortion

February 24th, 2010 — Nutrition

The obesity epidemic is fueled by the increasing food portion sizes in and out of the home. We consume more food than is needed for our daily calorie needs.

Portion distortion is common and pervasive. Restaurants and fast food outlets are not the only places serving bigger portions. We self serve ourselves larger portions at home. Most people are eating more and yet, underestimating their actual calorie intake. Portion distortion can be contributing to your belly fat and/or obesity related health problems.

Here are 5 tips to overcome portion distortion with portion control.

1. Be aware of portion sizes

Be conscious of how much you are eating and what a healthy portion is. When eating out at restaurants that serve large meals, divide out the food so you eat a portion that is best for you and take away the remaining to be eaten later. Otherwise, split your meals with someone who is dining with you, if he or she does not mind sharing.

2. Eat slowly

We live in a fast paced society where time is of essence. We are often eating on the go or in a hurry to finish our food. When you realise you are no longer hungry, you would have over eaten.

Develop a habit of eating and chewing your food slowly. By doing so, your brain and stomach have time to register when you are full.

3. Consume more low calorie foods

We can take advantage of portion distortion by increasing portion sizes of low calorie vegetables and fruits. They are high in nutrient and fiber that fills you up. When low calorie vegetables and fruits are eaten before a main meal, they displace the higher calorie foods so you eat less of the latter.

For snacks, low calorie fruits and vegetables are great alternatives to processed foods as they are healthy and satiating.

4. Smaller plate

People eat more when more food put in front of them. Given a big plate, you are likely to fill it up and eat beyond fullness.

Instead, use dessert plates. A smaller plate means smaller portion, so you don’t end up stuffing yourself and eating mindlessly.

5. Nutrition label

Calories per serving on food labels can be misleading. Since there is no standard serving size, manufacturers set their own serving sizes to fool you into believing that there are fewer calories since calories per serving are always less than total calories of the entire content (which is not shown on label).

Take for example, the following 3 brands of cereal from the same company.

Weetabix: 127kcal per serving (serving size = 37.5g)

Crunchy Bran: 122kcal per serving (serving size = 40g)

Oatibix Flakes: 114kcal per serving (serving size = 30g)

Do you notice the different serving sizes?

Most adults can easily eat more than one serving of cereal at one sitting. While you may think you only had 127kcal, total calories consumed can exceed 200-300kcal !

Learn to read the label carefully. Your should calculate the total calories for the entire food package. This enables you to get a better idea of the actual calorie intake based on the amount of food you consume, rather than some random serving sizes concocted by the food manufacturer.