Entries Tagged 'Nutrition' ↓

Carb cycling, also known as carb rotation or zig zag diet, can be an effective method for losing weight. Here is a recent study on carb cycling for women and weight loss.

British researchers at the University Hospital in South Manchester, found that women who followed a low carb diet, 2 days a week, lost more weight than those who were on a conventional low calorie diet.

(Photo by: daBinsi)

The aim of the study was to find a easy-to-follow diet for women who are at high risk for breast cancer. Obesity and hormones such as insulin and leptin, are known to increase breast cancer risk. So losing weight can potentially reduce the risk of this disease.

The research evaluated the impact of 3 different diets on weight and insulin blood levels. Continue reading →

Losing weight seems to be the easiest when you are just starting out on a fat loss program. During the early stage, you are likely to achieve great results pretty quickly. Then, your fat loss comes to an abrupt halt.

What can you do about it?

Try using ’carb cycling’ to help you break the plateau.

Tom Venuto, author of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, has written a great article on carb cycling for fat loss here.

What is carb cycling? Continue reading →

Got this whole pumpkin at the local farmer market today… to make baked pumpkin with cinnamon.

It took me a while to develop a taste for pumpkin. This vegetable  is not only highly nutritious, but also fills me up for hours.

Pumpkins are packed with healthy goodness

1.  It is a good source of:

- antioxidants (beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E)

- vitamins (K, thiamin, riboflavin, B6, folate, pantothenic acid)

- minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium)

- dietary fiber

2. A cup of mashed pumpkin (245 gram) has 49 calories only.

3.  It is filling and satiating.

There are so many ways to eat pumpkin: pie, smoothie, pancake, soup, oatmeal. My favourite is baked pumpkin with cinnamon. It’s quick and easy to prepare.

Baked pumpkin with cinnamon recipe

1. You can choose to buy ready-cut pieces of pumpkin for convenience. For a whole pumpkin, I cut 1 or 2 slices about 2 inches wide at the widest part. Remove the skin and seeds.

2. Cut into chunks/wedges and arrange them on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil.

3. Drizzle with olive oil.

4. Sprinkle with black pepper, salt or garlic salt, and cinnamon powder.

5. Pre-heat oven at #5 or 190°C for 5 minutes.

6. Bake at #7 or 220°C until pumpkin is soft. (Test by poking with a fork)

Give it a try and let me know what you think. If you have a favourite pumpkin recipe of your own, please share it in the comments below.

Happy Halloween!

Artificial sweeteners have no nutritional value but only serve to satisfy our sweet tooth. They are made from chemicals which can result in unwanted side effects when ingested. The chemicals are toxins and when metabolised in the body, result in more toxic by-products. Due to the lack of long term human studies, the safety of artificial sweeteners remains unknown. Continue reading →

Most people who want to reduce their calorie intake from sugar are switching to artificial sweeteners. As the name (artificial) implies, they are not natural at all.

The questions arise… Are artificial sweeteners bad for you? What are the side effects of artificial sweeteners?

What are artificial sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners are a type of sugar substitutes. They are many times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose) and yet, contain no or low calories.

They are commonly used in “sugar-free”, “low sugar” and diet foods and beverages. These include diet sodas, yogurts, chewing gum, jams, baked goods, cereals and candies.

Interestingly, aspartame, sucralose and saccharin were discovered by accident by chemists. Continue reading →

“Do carbohydrates make you fat?”
“Do all carbs make you fat?”

These are just some of the questions I often get about carbohydrates.

Why you need carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are necessary for your organs to function properly and as a source of energy for the body. As one of the contributory factors to obesity,  carbs have gotten a bad rap. However, not all carbs are bad and knowing which types of carbs to consume is important for optimal health. Continue reading →

Hunger is a common complaint among those who are on a reduced calorie diet plan to lose weight. It is also the reason why most people give up on a fat loss diet plan and regain the weight they lost.

No matter how much willpower you have, you’ll eventually succumb to hunger pangs and cravings. Food is simply too hard to resist.

What if you can eat more and still lose weight?

This is achieved by eating foods that suppress appetite. When you don’t have to fight hunger, you are more able to stay on a fat loss diet plan and succeed in losing weight.

Here are the 3 top foods that suppress appetite.

1. Lean protein

Protein is great for suppressing appetite and increasing satiety, so eat some lean protein foods with every meal.

Good sources of protein foods: eggs, lean meat, fish, cheese, Greek yogurt and legumes.

Protein powder is the other option. However, it is best to choose protein foods over protein powder. The former takes longer time to digest and keeps you feeling fuller.

2. Fiber

Fiber is bulky and yet low in calories. It slows down the rate of at which food is absorbed into the bloodstream. This prevents insulin spikes and hence, keeps appetite under control.

Sources of fiber: vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes.

(Photo by Martin Cathrae)

The American Heart Association recommends 25-30 grams fiber intake per day. For those who are not fulfilling your daily intake, you may want to take a fiber supplement.

If you are looking for something to control hunger in between meals or late night cravings, give Prograde Fusion a try. It contains 24 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, at only 145 calories per serving. This protein/fiber drink sustains your energy levels while suppressing appetite and keeping you full.

3. Dietary fats

Fats suppress appetite and enhance satiety through their effects on appetite hormones and by delaying gastric emptying (emptying of food from the stomach to intestines).

When fats are consumed with carbohydrates, they slow down digestion and absorption of the latter. Blood sugar and insulin levels are moderated, so you are less likely to experience hunger.

Sources of healthy fats: olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, avocado, fish oil, krill oil and grass fed organic butter.

By eating nutritious foods that suppress appetite, you can overcome hunger and cravings without compromising your weight loss progress.

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Energy drinks are a huge business in the beverage industry. They claim to increase energy and enhance athletic performance. Many people, including teenagers, fall for the marketing strategies of these drinks. They seem to believe that energy drinks are necessary during/after workout or at anytime when they need a quick boost of energy.

Energy Drink Ingredients

- carbonated water
- high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
- sugar
- sodium
- artificial flavours
- food colouring
- other additives: guarana, taurine, vitamins, herbal supplement

Energy Drinks Side Effects

HFCS and sugar are high in calories but with no nutritional value. They promote fat gain and prevent fat loss.

They cause spike in insulin levels and belly fat storage. You’ll experience a short burst of energy followed by a crash.

When you consume energy drink before or during your workout, your body burns the simple carbs (sugar and HFCS) for energy. When this primary fuel is used up, only then it taps into your stored body fat. If your goal is fat loss, you should avoid consuming energy drink.

Other potential side effects of energy drinks are:
- jittery
- insomnia
- gastrointestinal upset
- dizziness
- dehydration
- anxiety
- seizure
- increased heart rates
- stroke
- headache

What about sugar free energy drinks?

They are likely to contain artificial sweeteners that can cause weight gain. See this post on: How Artificial Sweeteners Are Making You Fat

Most energy drinks contain high amounts of caffeine. Some producers don’t like to reveal the caffeine content. For those that do, the caffeine content may not be correct if the drinks also contain guarana. The latter is a source of caffeine.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It increases alertness temporarily but not energy. Caffeine is also a diuretic, so can dehydrate your body when you are sweating heavily during your workout.

There have been reported cases of caffeine-associated death and seizures arising from energy drink consumption. In additional reports, an otherwise healthy 28-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest after a day of motocross racing and a healthy 18-year-old man died playing basketball after drinking two cans of Red Bull.

(Once I tried Red Bull, I ended up having bad diarrhea in the middle of my university exams. That was my first and last energy drink I ever had.)

Excessive caffeine intake has negative effects on blood pressure, heart rate and brain function. Australian medical researchers warned that a can of Red Bull can increase heart attack or stroke, even in young and healthy people.

Healthier Alternatives to Energy Drinks

1. Green tea, Oolong tea, coffee

If you must have caffeine, you may as well drink green tea, Oolong tea or coffee. I find that caffeine in coffee tends to make me jittery so I quit drinking it many years ago. Nowadays, I prefer to drink organic green and Oolong teas as they have less caffeine than coffee and are packed with health-giving antioxidants. They are calorie free as I like drinking them without sugar and milk, to savour the aroma. You can add a bit of stevia if you want sweeten your tea.

2. Green drink

I usually start my day by drinking 2 teaspoons of green powder with water on an empty stomach. Green drink is known to boost energy, alkalizes and purifies the body, improves absorption of nutrients, digestion and skin tone. I find that it boosts my energy levels for morning workouts and throughout the day. It also reduces my appetite and improves my complexion. I’m getting more servings of fruits and vegetables from a green drink than what I can eat in a day, so there’s no worry about not eating enough of them.

Here are some greens supplements you may want to try out:

Powder:

- Athletic Greens <– Favourite of Tim Ferris, author of The 4-Hour Body

(Athletic Greens can only be shipped to the USA and Canada)

- Primal Force’s Ultra Greens by Dr. Al Sears

Caplets:

- Prograde VGF 25+ for Women

- Prograde VGF 25+ for Men

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Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/health/01brody.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/08/15/us-australia-redbull-idUSSYD5846120080815?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Besides exercising, there are certain foods (and drinks) that can increase metabolism and accelerate fat loss. If you are already following a workout program and nutritional plan, these metabolism boosters can give you an edge and enhance your fat burning results.

1. Green tea

Studies have shown that green tea has thermogenic properties. It increases energy expenditure (metabolism) and fat oxidation. The weight loss effect is due to the combination of catehin polyphenols and caffeine in green tea.

2. Red hot pepper

Capsaicin, the compound which causes heat in hot peppers, can increase metabolism. As it enhances thermogenesis, more calories are burned. Capsaicin also reduces appetite so you eat less.

Not many people can tolerate the burn of hot chilli peppers on their mouth. It is also difficult to get enough capsaicin from diet to benefit from its fat burning effect.

Prograde has come up with a simpler way to increase your metabolism in the form of a dietary supplement called Prograde Metabolism.

It contains capsaicin, green tea extract, cinnamon and caffeine. These 4 ingredients have been proven to increase calorie burning rate.

For each of the ingredients, Prograde have selected the appropriate dosage that is effective for increasing metabolism and calories burned. Prograde Metabolism is designed for is for those who intend on using it as an effective adjunct to a calorie controlled diet and a regular exercise program. When used in this manner, the results you experience are likely to be much, much greater.

Click here for more info about PROGRADE METABOLISM

3. Lean protein

Protein has the highest thermic effect of all macronutrients. It increases metabolism as it takes more energy (and time) to digest protein than carbs or fat.

Protein requires 30% of its calories for digestion and processing. So for every 100 calories of protein that you eat, your body burns 30 calories just for digesting it. Hence, the net calorie intake is only 70 calories.

Protein increases satiety and doesn’t cause insulin spikes like carbs. This macronutrient is also essential for building muscle and preventing muscle loss in our bodies. Lean muscle increases the resting metabolic rate so you burn calories even at rest!

The best source of protein is from lean meat.

If you are not a meat eater or for ease of convenience, you can consume a high quality protein powder such as Prograde Protein. Unlike most protein powders that contain artificial sweeteners (see my previous post on How Artificial Sweeteners Are Making You Fat), Prograde Protein is naturally sweetened with stevia. It is cold pressed to preserve the whey molecular structure. It contains Branched Chain Amino Acid Leucina to increase metabolism, muscle growth and fat loss.

Besides drinking it as a shake, protein powder can be added to pancake, oatmeal, smoothies and yogurt.

Click here for more info about PROGRADE PROTEIN

Cinnamon is a spice derived from the bark of cinnamon tree. It is commonly used in cookery and as medicine.

Some of the health benefits of cinnamon:
- enhance insulin sensitivity
- anti inflammatory, anti microbial properties
- lower blood sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol levels
- high in antioxidants

Cinnamon weight loss

High blood sugar and insulin levels promote fat storage, especially in the abdomen. Cinnamon’s ability to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar is the key to losing belly fat.

How to use cinnamon

Add to:
1. hot drink: tea, coffee, chocolate
2. oatmeal
3. yogurt
4. apple sauce
5. pancake

Sprinkle on:
1. fruit slices
2. toast
3. baked pumpkin

Most baked pumpkin with cinnamon recipes have added sugar. I prefer mine savory, so I only sprinkle salt, ground pepper, cinnamon powder and olive oil on pumpkin wedges before baking them. *yummy*
You could even try this recipe with potato wedges instead.

Feel free to share how you use cinnamon in the comment box below