Last week I mentioned 5 of the top 10 superfoods that I feel you must have in your diet for optimal nutrition and the reasons why.

Today I want to share with you 5 more which are just as important as the first 5 if not more. They pack different benefits than the first 5 and you can check them out below…

Beans - Beans are one of the only foods out there that can almost count as a balanced meal just on their own.  They contain protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber and omega-6 fatty acids.  They are a wonder food for vegetarians who struggle to get enough protein in their diet.  Protein is made up of amino acids and If you combine those of beans with those of certain grains like Barley or oats, you now have a complete protein.

The Carbohydrates contained herein are low on the glycemic index, making them ideal for diabetics, dieters and anyone looking for sustained long duration fuel for their body.  The high amount of soluble fiber, also aids in slowing down the break down of other foods you ingest as well as how quickly the nutrients enter your blood stream.  There really aren?t any beans you can go wrong with.  The only one that stands out from the bunch is soybeans which in addition to the nutrients above, also contains Omega-3 fatty acids.

Nuts and Seeds - Nuts contain such a power punch of nutrition that they just cannot be excluded from your diet.  They contain lots of heart healthy protein, fats, vitamins and minerals.  They are great for reducing your risk of high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and helping reduce skin wrinkles(Vitamin E).  Of course, we’ve modernized nuts and seeds and stripped away some of their benefits by trying to further flavor them.

Always opt for whole, raw, unsalted nuts and seeds.  When they are processed and chopped, the outer skin is removed which contains lots of antioxidant rich phytochemicals.  Like anything, it’s best to use in moderation because they do pack a good bit of overall calories.  Be sure to measure your portion and set it aside instead of grabbing the whole jar and going to sit on the couch or desk with it.  Nuts make for a great snack in a balanced diet in between meals.

Spinach - Looking at the massive long list of benefits in spinach, you can see why a cartoon was even invented to make the vegetable look appealing to kids(Popeye).  Just one serving of spinach contains roughly 1000% RDA of Vitamin K which fights off bone attacking radicals, promoting excellent bone health, warding off arthritis, osteoporosis and the like.  The high concentrations of magnesium and calcium also aid in this process.  Spinach is rich in flavonoid compounds which act as antioxidants and cancer fighting agents.  Primarily prostate and ovarian cancer.  Spinach is also a great source of Iron.  It’s a great low calorie alternative source of Iron in comparison to red meat and even beans.

Yogurt - Yogurt is packed with vitamins and nutrients.  One of the often overlooked benefits of it is immune system response.  Yogurt is full of live active bacteria.  Which is what gives it its tangy flavor.  Increased yogurt consumption has shown to increase resistance to immune related diseases.  Especially in populations where the immune system is compromised and weakened such as the elderly.  It is also rich in Vitamin D and Calcium, making it a food of choice for promoting healthy bones.  Yogurt makes for a great low calorie snack(low fat version) in a balanced diet.

Hot Peppers - Last but not least, hot peppers pack some significant benefits as well.  Hot peppers act as a phenomenal fat burner, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, head-ache fighting, anti-cancer, and healthy heart food.  The main reason for this is the compound called capsaicinoids.  Capsaicinoids helps combat substance P which is the key transmitter of pain to the brain.  People who suffer from headaches and arthritis have a high level of substance P.  Capsaicinoids also act as a sinus reliever(analgesic) and an anti-inflammatory agent(at the cellular level).  Another great attribute of Capsaicinoids is that it is a thermogenic agent(fat burner).  It is commom listed as an ingredient in many of the fat burning pills out there.  Especially since the ban on Ephedra.

So there you have it… The 10 foods that I think need to be a part of your diet.  Take a look at these 10 foods and ask yourself when was the last time I had each one of them?  Was it in the last 3 days? Week? Month? YEAR!!!??? If these foods are not a part of your diet, they need to be.  You can take vitamins and pills until you’re blue in the face and you won’t get all the nutrients packed in these foods.  Nothing can replace eating whole clean foods such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, meats, etc…  I hope you found this informative.  If you have any questions, please post them as a comment below and I’d be glad to answer them.  If you need lots of help with your fitness and nutrition, and are not already doing so, consider working with one of our trainers to get you on the right track to a healthy lifestyle involving proper nutrition and exercise.

Always looking out for your health,

Dennys Passeto
Achieve Fitness Personal Training, LLC
www.achieve-fitness.com
1-888-872-7961

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Part I of II

Did you know that many foods are powerful enough to stoke your metabolism, improve your mood, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure(hypertension) and reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer?

When we think of the food, we normally think of what its going to taste like and what it’s impact is going to be to our waistline.  We spend so much time worrying about this that we often overlook many other benefits that certain very rich, powerful foods possess.

The one thing these foods all have in commom is that they are all natural, unprocessed foods, or as I like to tell my clients, hunted, plucked, or picked.

Here are the top 10 foods that I feel need to be a part of your diet…

1. Bananas - Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world. They are one of the easiest snacks to take with you for where ever your day may lead you, and is also available year round. They are a great source of instant energy whether you are watching your diet(since they only have roughly 100 calories) or just trying to eat healthy(contain no fat, sodium, or cholesterol.  All qualities that reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer

Bananas are rich in vitamin B6 and they are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. Lack of B6 in a diet can cause fatigue, weakness, and irritability. The potassium found in bananas helps to regulate blood pressure and may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Potassium is also essential for helping prevent muscle cramps during exercise.  They also pack 4 grams of fiber making it an easily digestable food and one that improves overall digestion.

They also help improve your mood.  Research shows that the serotonin and norepinephrine in bananas may naturally help sufferers overcome depression.

2. Omega 3 Rich Fish – The Omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty, cold waterfish like salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel lower heart disease risk, reduces depression, help arthritis sufferers, and help with memory loss and Alzheimer’s.  Look for wild caught vs farmed.  Aim for 2 -3 servings per week of these type of fish.  If you don’t like fish, other sources of Omega 3′s are flax seeds and walnuts.  They are also high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol

3. Berries – Berries are packed with antioxidants, they are are also high in potassium and vitamin C. One of the things not often mentioned about berries is their Anti-inflammatory properties.  Inflammation is at the root of pain and chronic disease for many people.  Adding about 1/2 cup a day to your diet can give you all
the benefits you need.  As a general rule of thumb, the darker the berry, the more antioxidant rich it will be.  Blueberries, Blackberries and Acai are all excellent sources.

4. Oatmeal – Oatmeal is a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.  Insoluble fiber is indigestible by your body.  Therefore, making stools heavier and speeds their passage through your intestinal tract and
relieving constipation. Soluble fiber CAN be broken down by your body as it passes through the digestive tract, forming a gel that traps some substances related to high cholesterol, thus reducing the absorption of
cholesterol into the bloodstream.

According to the American Cancer Society, Insoluble fiber has cancer fighting properties due to the fact that it attacks certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.  Soluble fiber may reduce LDL cholesterol without
lowering HDL cholesterol. LDL is bad; HDL is good.  Soluble fiber also slows down the digestion of starch which is beneficial to diabetics because, when you slow down the digestion of starch, you avoid the sharp rises in your blood sugar level that usually occur following a meal.

Oats are also a good source of many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium.

5. Garlic – Garlic contains nearly 100 powerful nutrients.  It is very rich in sulfur containing compounds.  The amino acid Allicin is the most prevalent and potent among many other compounds like, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium, polyphenols, and arginine. In addition, garlic is a good source of vitamin B6 and also of vitamin C. As with most whole foods, garlic’s antioxidant, disease preventing and anti-inflammatory properties are probably due to the combined effect of all the compounds working together rather than any single agent.  Garlic has also been linked to slowing down cerebral aging, and cataract formation.  Taking an oral garlic supplement does not have nearly the same punch though. It needs to be chewed fresh or cooked to deliver all of its nutrients.  Many of which can not be had from the oral capsule version.   Just careful on the quantity since you won’t find anyone to talk to if you over do it .

If these 5 foods are not in your diet, be sure to add them.  Stay tuned for part II next week when I uncover the 5 other superfoods that can have the biggest impact on the way you feel and overall health.

To Be Continued…

To Your Health and Wellness,

Dennys Passeto
Achieve Fitness Personal Training, LLC
www.achieve-fitness.com
1-888-872-7961

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By Dr. Mark Wiley, OMD, PhD

Whether you have goals of pain free living, building your fitness profile, or changing your diet… it’s a New Year and time for a fresh start!

Yes, you’ve been focused on “thinking” about your fitness and health goals for years. But for every reason you can think of, you have not yet reached your goals or achieved your desired fitness. No matter how your “try,” you are finding the ability to follow-through on what is asked of you or what you ask of yourself.

Taking personal responsibility for your own health and fitness is difficult. It requires dedication and patience. Life is tough. But it’ll be less tough if you start fresh now, and here I will tell you that everyone experiences the same barriers to achieving their goals. And I will tell that when you focus, you’ll see how they are not really barriers at all, and can be easily broken down and overcome!

The Time Barrier

The most obvious barrier to achieving optimal fitness is time. There is only so much of it and when we finally do find a free moment, it gets eaten up by unsuspecting sources like: work, family obligations, events, projects, you name it. Something always seems to get in the way of doing our exercises, driving out of the way to purchase organic whole foods, eating balanced meals, getting a healthy amount of sleep, hitting the gym on a routine basis.

Look, I know you’re busy. You’ve got kids, a demanding job, a hectic family schedule. But if you need to exercise, you can prioritize 20 minutes at a time, 3 days per week. Forget reruns of Seinfeld; do your stretches instead. Better yet, why not do the exercise ball and bands exercises while watching your favorite sitcom or the evening news? Skip reading the morning paper tomorrow and go for a jog instead. Skip the take out lunch and go to the farmer’s market on the way home from work, then prepare a healthy lunch in advance.

There are always sets of minutes in a day that can be “constructed” into health minutes. You simply need to prioritize your days — your life — and establish the time. So do yourself, your family and your loved-ones a favor and break down that Time Barrier. It doesn’t exist; it’s an illusion. Only laziness and lack of creativity make time short. And you’re neither lazy nor uncreative!

The Mental Barrier

This is a huge subconscious operation below the surface of your mind, sabotaging all your attempts to start with a clean slate.

With exercise being one of the most popular New Years Resolution Ideas, let’s use it as an example here.

You wake up January 1, filled with energy, and say: “That’s it! This time, I’m going to do it!” You strap on your new running shoes and take a brisk, cold run around the block in the freezing cold and it makes you feel Great! Next day, you may even do it again. Then you go back to work, the holidays are over, life, family, and work get in the way. Now your new shoes sit in a corner collecting dust.

Now, what begins to take place subconsciously is a constant chatter of “I’m a failure,” “I’m no good.” These thoughts are extremely powerful in a totally negative way. You try fighting them mentally but the only way to really beat it is to get back out there and DO IT.

Then this thought of… “I’ll try this again,” gets sabotaged by your subconscious firing off… “I’m a failure, this will never work.”

This creates a vicious cycle of negative thinking and a negative environment for new ideas and attempts that carry into other areas of our lives. To beat this cycle, it’s necessary to develop a new way of thinking. One of positive affirmation for yourself. Give yourself compliments and follow them up with action. Tell yourself you are a “fit and healthy person” and then follow it up with a workout.

The Money Barrier

The third most common barrier is money. The gym costs money. A personal trainer costs money. A weekly massage costs money. Acupuncture can get expensive. Supplements aren’t cheap, but their protocols are long so they add up.

The main thing is to prioritize your wellness dollars. If you are spending X amount on health each month, how can it be maximized? And if you are spending money on extra cable TV channels, expensive dinners and unnecessary clothing–then why not cut back on these and spend the money on your health instead?

One of the best things you can do is to learn methods of reducing stress, of stretching and of exercising by yourself at any time of day. This will allow you to keep in routine and stay on your fitness path, even when the gym is closed.

I recommend consulting with my good friend Dennys Passeto of Achieve Fitness for what the best program for you may be—given your time and goals—and he can give you ideas of how much money needs to be allocated to reach those goals. There are gym memberships, personal training, workout videos, good sneakers, simple free weights and balls/straps for the home… whatever you may need. But Dennys can help you focus in and only spend on what you need. Then you can allocate the fitness dollars in your budget into what approach will work for you. Then money is no longer a barrier!

It’s a new year. It’s 2009! By focusing a bit and breaking down the barriers to health NOW, nothing can block your path to the amazing life you so rightly deserve.

Dr. Mark Wiley is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Ph.D. in Alternative Medicine Mind-Body Health Practitioner, Author, Celebrated Teacher. He is an internationally renowned mind-body health practitioner, author, editor, lecturer, and seminar instructor who has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan to conduct field research on the oldest indigenous and modern holistic healing practices.

If you have any questions about our fitness programs or would like some advice on the available and recommended resources that are out there to help you get in shape this year, please don’t hesitate to contact us at mike @ achieve-fitness.com.  We would love to tell you what would work for you based on your budget, time, needs and help point you in the right direction.

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