Have the food experts been misleading you?

Whole grains. Day after day we are absolutely bombarded with them and their wide range of associations in our culture. Some of them we recognize as unhealthy – like spaghetti dinners, donuts, apple pie, birthday cake, etc.

However, there are others that are just as solidly etched into our modern American psyche that appear, and in fact are marketed as healthy – corn on the cob, whole wheat bagels, bran muffins… the list goes on and on.  Grains have become such a staple of the American diet that they take up the majority of the square footage at any local supermarket!

Despite the food pyramid’s efforts to convince you that grains should be the largest percentage of your nutritional intake, they will single handedly destroy your weight loss efforts or any efforts you make to improve your body composition. Sounds like a bold statement, doesn’t it?  Good!  Am I suggesting that the “experts” may be giving you the wrong advice?  YES!  But let’s look at why…

Among my many problems with grains, the first and foremost is the effect it has on your glucose levels, thus eliciting an unhealthy insulin (and other hormones) response.  Humans have developed the insulin response to help us metabolize sugar and to carry excess glucose out of the bloodstream. However, we as a human race have simply not evolved enough (nor do I believe we ever will) to handle the mass quantities of carbohydrates with which we tax our systems. And make no mistake about it, the average American’s carbohydrate intake comes from grains!

So why is this a problem? Simply put, grains elicit a physiological response that favors fat storage.  All carbohydrates are broken down into glucose.  Unless you’ve just completed a long, physically taxing workout (in which case those grain-based foods could be used in restocking depleted glycogen stores), then those carbohydrates will more than likely be stored as fat. In addition, the hormonal production that occurs to respond to elevated glucose levels also taxes the adrenal system, the pancreas, and the immune system. That’s not the way I would want to approach a fat loss program!

As far as the nutritional value of grains…they truly fall short of being the complete nutritional sources they’re cracked up to be. What they may give you in fiber, they lack in many other categories. They have been associated with vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and they have also been proven to reduce the body’s ability to process Vitamin D.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or simply make healthier food choices, the question is the same. Why not get the same nutrients from the sources that won’t come back and haunt you? For example, you can get the same B6 vitamins from chicken that you can get from whole wheat pasta…and without the havoc on your blood sugar! Similarly, if it’s fiber you’re after, why not get it from real fruit and vegetable sources? In terms of nutrient density, grains can’t hold a candle to whole, natural food sources!

Hold on, there’s more to this grain story!  There are other substances that lurk in grains that can really reak havoc on the digestive system.  Specifically, gluten and lectins… both of which you may say initiate digestive chaos!

Gluten is the large, water-soluble protein that is found in most common grains like wheat, rye, and barley (By the way, it’s also the primary adhesive in wallpaper paste).  Gluten has proven to elicit a perceptible inflammatory response in most people.  Over time, those who are particularly gluten intolerant can also develop an array of dismal medical conditions, including joint pain, acid reflux, and autoimmune disorders.

Lectins, though more mild, are still natural toxins that are found in most common grain varieties. Researchers have uncovered that lectins can actually inhibit the natural functions of the GI tract, allowing an array of undigested molecules into the bloodstream. Over time, this repeated taxing of the digestive system can lead to the further development of autoimmune disorders.

Here’s the bottom line (for those of you who enjoy mathematical equations): grains = glucose spikes = insulin response = fat storage. Not a great formula for success if you’re trying to lose weight or burn fat from your body. A diet low in grains has been shown to manage your blood sugar, and therefore decrease your risk for problems associated with diabetes. Also, low grain diets will help you lower your blood pressure, alleviate digestive problems, minimize inflammation, and shed abdominal fat.

Look, it’s not going to be easy to eliminate grains completely from your diet, especially because they’ve become such a staple of the American diet. But take it one step at a time and have patience with the process. Make small changes first- replace your cereal with eggs, replace your sandwiches with salads, and pile some veggies on your plate for dinner instead of rice or pasta! Your waistline, and your health will thank you.

If you feel that your carbohydrate intake has hindered your weight loss, share your struggles with us and the community by leaving your comments below.  We’ll answer and questions and you are sure to get some helpful hints!

If you enjoyed the article, be sure to share this on Facebook so some of your friends and family can enjoy it as well.

Check back with us soon, as we will be following up on this article with some tips on developing strategies to greatly reduce or eliminate grains from your diet!

Ciao

Dennys Passeto

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Between work demands, family obligations, and fighting the DC
area traffic everyday, you’ve probably noticed that it’s
extremely difficult to prepare healthy meals everyday when
you’re in the middle of the grind. We’ve all had the experience
of being stuck feeling hungry with only two minutes to dash
into the closest convenience store or fast food joint to get
a quick bite.

While this certainly isn’t an ideal scenario, it happens to
the best of us from time to time. So, are there healthy options
out there that are still quick and accessible? Of course! But
first, I’d like to caution you that many of the foods that
have gotten the “healthy” nod are actually laden with sugar,
fat or preservatives, despite being marketed as health foods.
I will share a few of the main culprits with you.

Protein Bars. Most of these are basically glorified candy bars.
They’re packed with sugar or artificial sweeteners, and I
challenge you to find a single ingredient on the label that
you actually recognize or can pronounce. The point is, they’re
loaded with junk. The end result – your body can’t properly
metabolize them.

Bran muffins. This is a big one. Many people think the word
bran is synonymous with healthy fiber. Bran muffins contain
two of the worst ingredients for spiking your blood glucose
levels- sugar and refined flour. The fact that they might
contain a few grams of fiber is insignificant. What’s worse -
most bran muffins you pick up at your local 7 Eleven or
Starbucks contain upwards of 450 calories and over 25 grams
of fat!

Frozen Diet Meals. Weight watchers and Lean Cuisine come to
mind. Just because they have a “healthy” label on them doesn’t
make them open game. Most of these frozen meals average about
600 milligrams of sodium and offer very little nutritional
value, if any. In addition, they’re often so low in calories
that chances are you’ll be running back for a second helping
soon after eating them.

Fruit smoothies. I’m talking about the ones you pick up at a
store. You can perfect a healthy fruit smoothie at home if you
know what’s going into it. Most of the fruit smoothies that you
get as quick pick ups contain very little fruit at all. Almost
all of them have added sugar or high fructose corn syrup, and
are usually made with ice cream to give them a sweet flavor.

SUBWAY. I know, this is disappointing. Jared wouldn’t possibly
twist the truth about Subway sandwiches being good for you,could
he? Sure, if you have the choice of turning into the Subway
parking lot or hitting the drive thru of McDonald’s, then
Subway is your healthier option. But you do have the option, so
my advice is – opt out of this one. Their 12 inch subs, even
on their “healthy” breads contain about 92 grams of carbohydrates
and are loaded with over 2000 mg of sodium. Talk about a great
way to shock your metabolism. Yuck!

There is hope, however, you just have to know what you’re
putting in your body. There are plenty of quick foods that you
can grab on the run that will not destroy your weight loss
efforts. Opt for foods that don’t contain ANY ingredients.
When I’m stuck out on the road or working all day, I stop for
an apple and a bag of almonds. If you’re absolutely stuck
having to reach for quicker options, then you can still reach
for jerky, low-fat cheese sticks or trail mix.

Train yourself to question the actual content of the foods
that are marketed as good for you, and you will make some
shocking discoveries!

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By: Chad Ciri

Being a total health and fitness fanatic, I’ve experimented with just about every eating and exercise plan out there. That alone has brought me to despise just about every fad diet that has hit the streets! While bits and pieces of all the fad diets out there like the low fat diet, the Atkins, the South Beach Diet, etc. make some sense scientifically, they’re all either unsustainable for a long period of time, or they’re fundamentally flawed.

After discovering Mark Sisson’s website (marksdailyapple.com), I realized that his belief system on nutrition and exercise was very much in line with mine, in that a lot of the “conventional wisdom”, or what we have been led to believe are facts,are actually inaccurate when it comes to health and nutrition. So I bit the bullet an ordered his book.The short of it is, the way I look at nutrition has been forever changed!

While I won’t get into every detail of the Primal Blueprint, the eating plan is what I found particularly powerful. Mark uncovers an overwhelming amount of evidence and research that strongly suggests that the start of the obesity epidemic, along with the skyrocketing numbers of cases of heart disease began with the emergence of agriculture. Many anthropologists suggest that the human species reached its peak in terms of body composition, bone density and brain size about 10,000 years ago. Our physical decline occurred at the development of agriculture when humans began to harvest wheat, rice, corn and other grains.When you look at the relationship in timing, it’s an eye opener!

Unlike what the modern day Food Pyramid would prescribe, the Primal Blueprint eating philosophy recommends an essential elimination of grains from the diet. While most of us know by now that processed carbohydrates and sugar are unhealthy and hindering to weight loss efforts, most people still look at whole grains as “healthy” carbohydrates. The fact is, grains still have the ability to spike your blood glucose levels, which in turn trigger the insulin response. Moderating your insulin levels is absolutely essential to achieving or maintaining a healthy body weight. Quite simply, if your insulin levels are constantly elevated, your body will always be in fat storage mode…and NO amount of exercise will reverse that!

So how does this eating plan break down? Good question. To simplify it, it allows you to eat just about anything you want…as long as it comes from a natural source!

The Primal Blueprint eating plan prescribes an abundance of foods solely from animal and plant sources. Included in this are (some of these may surprise you), eggs, bacon, salads, burgers, steaks, nuts, seeds,fruits and raw vegetables. In short, if you can grow it from a seed or you can kill it, you can eat it! Your carbohydrate intake will likely be lower than usual, but you still get plenty of good carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables.

When you eat according to the Primal Blueprint laws, you may be surprised by how much it allows for fat intake. I sure was! Before I sampled this eating plan, about 30% of my overall intake came from fat, and I calculated that about 50% of my intake now comes from fat after shifting to this plan.I went into this a little skeptical of the higher fat intake, but was pleasantly surprised by the results.

After 6 weeks of eating on this plan, I lost nearly 12 lbs. and lost almost 3 percent of my body fat…no joke! That’s a significant decrease in such a short period of time, especially considering that I wasn’t overweight or carrying excessive body fat prior to starting the plan. Specifically, I dropped from 175 lbs. with 12 percent body fat to 163 lbs. with 9 percent body fat. The point is, this eating plan can work for you whether you’re trying to lose 100 lbs. or if you’re already fit and just trying to shed that last stubborn ten pounds. The best part of it was that my energy levels actually skyrocketed, which surprised me given the rather drastic decrease in carbohydrate intake (about 125 grams per day). And honestly, the only real change I made was replacing oatmeal with fresh fruit and brown rice with steamed vegetables. This plan does not require you to make drastic changes nor eliminate all of the foods you love.

Sisson also emphasizes the importance of intelligent exercise. Intelligent is the key word here. Changing your body does NOT mean having to sweat it out through an hour and a  half of spin class every day. Instead, bring it back to how our primal ancestors moved when they were fighting for survival – occasional heavy lifting, occasional high intensity sprints (presumably from evading the danger of being attacked by wild animals), and LOTS of moving at a lower intensity level. Yes, I’m simplifying here, but walk, lift, and sprint…and you will achieve changes in your body that you may have thought were impossible.

There are many other “primal” laws to live by that Sisson discusses in detail, all of which are powerful and are scientifically backed by research and history. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be inspired to make some positive life changes. I have no personal investment in whether anyone buys this book (though I’m starting to think Mark should pay me for writing such a good review), but I can say with confidence the primal eating philosophy alone drastically helped me make some huge changes to my body composition, and I’m absolutely certain it can do it for anyone else who may be struggling to lose weight! Integrate this eating plan and a guided “intelligent” exercise program from a fitness professional, and you WILL see the changes you deserve!

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As you’ve heard me write about many times, I’m a big advocate for eating organic. The word organic encompasses many different practices for different types of foods. As a general rule of thumb, it means that no hormones, anti-biotics, or pesticides were used in the production of that food.

For live stock it means that they weren’t confined and fed a diet(corn) that wasn’t its natural diet. In the case of cattle, they roam freely and eat grass. Hence the commonly used term “grass fed beef”. Fish are caught wildly instead of raised in fish farm tanks. Chickens roam wildly eating worms and their natural diets instead of living in a case or overcrowded dark hen house walking on their own feces and trampling each other to death.

Recently I watched a documentary that has enforced my commitment to eating organically stronger than anything I could have expected. It’s a documentary called “Food Inc.”. In this movie they highlight so many cruel, un-sanitary, and downright ridiculous ways that everyday food is modified in order to increase profit, decrease price, and decrease nutritional value.

Our food has changed more in the last 50 years that it has in the previous 10,000. It is now cheaper to eat a bag of potato chips than a bag of carrots. A trend has been taking place in front of our very eyes where the poor are getting fatter, experiencing more disease than they did 50 years ago. The nutritional education we’ve received as kids and adults is a joke. The truth is that your everyday “conventionally” grown foods are poisoning you. The big food companies just like the big drug companies are doing everything they can to keep this information from getting out.

The US government has subsidized corn farming in the US to where its now they main ingredient in the majority of foods. It’s what we feed cattle, chickens, pigs, etc… Not what they were intended to consume. Anti-biotics and growth hormones are used so that a chicken can reach full maturity(larger than normal) for slaughter in 49 days instead of 90 days.

They actually show a side by side comparison of raising a chicken all the way through the slaughter process in both the conventional fashion and organic natural farming fashion. It’s pretty eye opening.

Check out the trailer for the movie:

I can’t do justice to the information shared with you in that documentary. All I want to say is that if you truly care about what you are putting in your body(and your families). Please watch this documentary. It will change your life.   Go to www.FoodIncMovie.com

Dedicated to your health,

Dennys Passeto, CPT
www.achieve-fitness.com

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It’s that time of year again! Ok, now that I have your attention, what I really mean is it’s that time when people typically feel tired, lethargic and drained of energy. The good old winter blues have struck again!

This is the time of year that people dread. The buzz from the holidays has worn off, the days are short, and it’s too cold to get outside and be active. Sure, part of these feelings  just seem to come with the season. However, there are also internal changes that occur within our body that make this time of the year seem unbearable.

One of the main reasons for these feelings during this time of year is due to the lack of sunlight.

There is hope, however, and the beauty of it is that we as human beings have the power to make a few small lifestyle  changes that can make the winter season just as happy and  productive as any other time of year. One of the most  powerful things you can do to keep you feeling energetic,  lively and enthusiastic through the winter season is by adding one of nature’s critical elements to your lifestyle.

What is this miracle substance that I refer to? No, it’s not a magic pill that I’ve discovered on the Wal-mart shelves. It’s one of nature’s healthiest nutrients for the human body, it’s called…..Vitamin D!!

The benefits of Vitamin D cannot be overstated. Vitamin D regulates growth in just about every cell of our body. It is absolutely critical to developing strong bones, teeth, and eyesight. It also aids in the absorption of other key nutrients, mainly calcium and Vitamins A and C. It has also shown to play a role in the prevention of various types of  cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause some frightening effects  as well. It has been linked to elevated cholesterol levels and hypertension in older adults. Because of its critical role in calcium absorption, the lack of Vitamin D can also cause weakened bones, which in turn leads to severe joint pain and inflammation. People who have tested low for Vitamin D levels in the bloodstream have also reported lower energy levels, depression, and overall lack of motivation.

….Try combating the Winter Blues without it! No thanks!

So, where can we get Vitamin D. There are a lot of answers out there – in our diet, supplementation, and sunlight would be the most common. All of these are good sources.

Supplementation is a great way to get the necessary  Vitamin D3.  I usually try and take about 5000 IU’s per day.  It’s very inexpensive and effective at maintaining healthy energy levels.

Some great food sources for Vitamin D include eggs (particularly egg yolks), some meats (especially liver),milk, sardines, salmon, and cod liver oils. While these are all great resources for getting Vitamin D in your diet, ingested sources are generally insufficient for ensuring adequate Vitamin D levels. However, that doesn’t mean you should give up. Foods that are high in  Vitamin D usually contain other critical nutrients for overall health as well.

Sunlight may be the most effective way to get adequate amounts of Vitamin D. Conventional wisdom would tell us to avoid the sun at all costs, however, regular moderate exposure to sunlight is the best way to get Vitamin D that the human body can use.  Without getting adequate sun, you would need to drink almost 40 glasses of milk to achieve adequate Vitamin D levels. Excess Vitamin D is actually destroyed by the sun itself, so it is impossible to overdose on it through sun exposure.  The greatest benefit of getting sunlight is that the Vitamin D that is specific to sun exposure contains a natural mood elevator, something that can play a necessary role in
combating the Winter Blues!

So the solution to picking your spirits up this season? Eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of natural Vitamin D sources, and try to endure the cold and get outside, even if it’s just for a few minutes every day. Even if its just sitting by a window with sunlight coming through it for a few minutes per day.  Your body (and mood) will thank you for it, as you re-energize during this typically “down” time!

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All of us, as human beings, require a certain level of stress in our lives in order to remain stimulated and motivated. If  stress existed solely for this purpose, it would be a purely positive thing. Unfortunately, in today’s world, stress levels are excessive in most people and for the most part are negative in their nature.

But what does that have to do with overall health, and more specifically, weight loss? The answer is – everything!

One of the ways the body reacts to stressful situations is  by releasing a stress hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol is a scary word, but it really shouldn’t be! After all, it’s a good thing! Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands for energy production to respond to stressful events. In the days of our ancestors, cortisol is what was generated to elicit the “fight or flight” response in the face of danger.

We certainly can’t argue that having this hormone running through our bloodstream isn’t a positive thing when it comes to evading danger. However, when the stress response is being triggered repeatedly over time, the adrenal gland becomes fatigued and eventually loses its ability to release cortisol at normal levels. Just like any other hormone in the body,when its levels are constantly elevated, it loses its effectiveness.

Now, in this day and age, chances are we’re not going to come across a Bengal tiger while enjoying a leisurely stroll through the National Mall. However, we are constantly in a  state of stress to meet the demands of the hectic pace of a busy, driven lifestyle. Battling traffic, fighting for  parking spaces, meeting deadlines at work and watching the  evening news elicit the same physiological responses as  running for your life! Unfortunately for us, however, these stimuli never go away.

Therefore, without proper stress management techniques in our lives, stress levels and cortisol levels remain chronically elevated. If you’re trying to lose, or even maintain your weight, this is a recipe for disaster. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol can lead to weight gain in several ways.

Sugar Cravings – When you’re stressed out, are you reaching for a nice bowl of mixed greens or are you gravitating toward the candy dish? My guess is the latter. People just tend to  use sweet foods as a coping mechanism for stress. This of course spikes the blood glucose levels and ultimately leads to excess fat storage.

Slowed metabolism – Another bad side effect of over an over-stimulated adrenal gland. Cortisol eventually slows down your metabolism, which in turn slows your body’s ability to use calories efficiently.

Emotional Eating – This is a powerful thing! Increased stress levels create excess nervous energy which can often cause people to over eat as a way to cope with a situation. I’m sure we’ve all found ourselves absent-mindedly munching on food when we’re stressed out even when we’re not hungry.

Sleep Deprivation – When stress levels are high, we generally  don’t sleep well. When the body doesn’t get enough rest, the first thing it will crave to achieve an energy boost is a  glucose spike. Where do we get glucose? From sugary, processed foods. And so the viscous cycle continues.

Decreased energy levels – Remember that the adrenal gland is responsible for producing hormones for energy production. If it becomes fatigued from over stimulation, so will your body. With declined energy levels, obviously the motivation to exercise decreases as well. With all the other demands on your schedule, the tendency is going to be to plop in front of your television from exhaustion, not to exercise.

So what’s the solution? You certainly can’t eliminate stress from your life all together. If I could find a way, I’d be the first to share it with you. The key to making stress manageable (and in turn making weight loss more manageable as well) is finding stress reduction techniques. Everyone is different, but there are a few things that you can do that tend to work for  most people. Among these are exercise, different forms of meditation and breathing techniques, Yoga classes and low glycemic eating. You have to find what works for you, but you will find your weight loss struggles drastically easier once you do!

Also, don’t forget that time is running out to get FREE Personal Training! January 31st is the last day to take advantage of our offer to get 3 FREE sessions when you purchase a package of 12 or more. Call Mike at 888-872-7961 ext. 1 to get signed up!

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Clients are always asking me advice about their diet. But more than anything, I get asked about the popular diet programs that are out there. Do they actually work? Are they actually healthy for you? Can you lose weight if you do them? In this article I will show you the advantages and disadvantages of the four most popular fad diets.

The Atkins Diet
Probably more than any other, the Atkins Diet has held a position of controversy. I mean, who would follow a weight loss diet that told you to eat fat and cut carbs. Well, tons of people! So let’s look at it more closely.

Pros — The diet has proven that people who follow it do in fact lose weight and improve their blood lipid profile(HDL LDL cholesterol and triglycerides). And if you love to eat meat and dairy and fats in large quantities this is surely diet heaven for you. However, you are steered away from eating carbohydrates, which is difficult for many people. That means that pasta, rice, potatoes, bread and whole grains and even fruits are off limits. Yet the diet claims that once you successfully cleanse these from your system by eating nothing but proteins and fats, their cravings disappear.

Cons – Since this diet is based on a no-carb regime, it begins losing its traction and benefits when even “low-carb” items are eaten. Atkins essentially eliminates an entire macronutrient all together. In terms of non-weight health issues, this diet does place a lot of stress on the body, forcing it into a state of relative ketosis, or the “I am sick” state. This creates marked energy loss, tiredness, and lack of energy available for exercise. If you’re going to stay active and exercise regularly, your body needs some carbohydrates from healthy food sources.

Conclusion — Making yourself ill to lose weight does not seem as important as being robust and healthy with the drive and energy for all life has to offer. In short, Atkins is an unhealthy way to lose weight.

South Beach Diet
Like Atkins, South Beach is a low-carb diet, but somehow managed to be structured in a way that didn’t bring on controversy.

Pros – The biggest pros of this diet is that it does bring with its weight loss aspect other positive health results, including reduction in triglycerides, blood sugar and blood pressure while raising good HDL cholesterol. The diet provides a simple form to follow, as it does not require people to track caloric intake with too much detail. It conveniently places foods in various lists to choose from. It also offer a tiered system designed to work back in more of the foods you would like to eat.  Thus making it a more sensible approach but with a definite shock factor to kickstart it initially.

Cons – The biggest complaint from dieters is the difficulty of the first phase of South Beach due to its tight food restrictions. In fact, they are so restrictive that even the author doesn’t recommend people stay there more than a few weeks. This makes it even more difficult for its followers to transition into the second phase of the diet where they are allowed to slowly re-introduce carbohydrates. There are no true guidelines to the quantities that are allowed in this phase and most followers report that the urge to carb load becomes extremely overwhelming.

Conclusion — For the most part this is not a terrible diet. It begins with a no-carb, low saturated fat phase then slowly brings you back into a more balanced eating approach. However, the diet is a bit “dated” in that it emphasizes the glycemic index of foods. This causes the diet to recommend quite a few foods that have a high glycemic load, as this concept was not really understood until after the book was written.

The Zone Diet
The Zone Diet isn’t a low carb diet but it follows a pie chart of macronutrients: 30% of the calories derived from protein, 30% from fat, and 40% from carbohydrate. And it is the strict balance of this equation that leads to the success or failure on the plan.

Pros – According to Dr. Sears, the founder of The Zone, if you are able to maintain a 30/30/40 balance of protein/fat/carbs then you will successfully maintain steady blood sugar levels. When insulin production is at the correct levels your body is able to effectively burn fat. The best part of this diet is that its proponents claim to have elevated energy and mental alertness and many athletes subscribe to it for this very reason. What’s more, with stable blood sugar comes a decrease in cravings for simple carbs and sugar laden foods, so weight is easier to keep off.

Cons – You have to follow a strict guideline of portion control, even when hungry in the initial stages. Also people say the rules are difficult to follow and the structure requires quite a bit of time to plan out meals and stick with its restrictions. If you don’t pre-plan your meals or portion them out in advance, it is extremely difficult to stay within the guidelines.

Conclusion – It is true that athletes say the diet gives them more energy. Yet many sports nutritionists and trainers are now saying their athletes are bottoming out during practice and games after long bouts of Zone dieting. This, they claim, is due to the lack of complex carbohydrate intake. Though, this is still avoidable within the Zone standards.

The Low Fat Diet
Pros – Eating low fat can be an effective way to eliminate harmful substances from your diet, including trans fats, hydrogenated oils and excessive amounts of animal fats. These, as we know, have been linked to several serious health issues including heart disease and various types of cancer.

Cons- Eating low fat substantially decreases your intake of an entire macronutrient that is critical to your overall health. As I’ve pointed out in other articles, there are definite benefits from eating the right fats, including the infamous saturated fats. Eating the right fats supports heart health and a healthy metabolism, and therefore is a critical tool for weight management.

Conclusion – Your body needs a steady, consistent intake of fat to properly dispose of stored fat, so why would you drastically restrict fat if you’re trying to burn it off? “Low fat” has also become synonymous with “high sugar” in most foods, so eating a low fat diet simply is not an effective weight loss tool.

The Bottom Line
All of these diets bring both positive and negative aspects to the table. So what’s the best approach to take? The best advice I can give is not to follow any fad diet. Rather, you must educate yourself in the pros and cons of all aspects of nutrition and focus on eating clean, quality calories.

When all is said and done, a healthy diet must contain a balanced combination of protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, fruit, vegetables and plenty of water. This will ensure that you’re eating to support  ANY of your fitness and wellness goals.

So if you’re considering jumping on one of these diets in 2010 to meet your weight loss goals, you might want to reconsider. We are still offering a more effective way to achieve your fitness goals this year. Until the end of January, we are giving away 3 FREE Personal Training sessions when you purchase a package of 12 sessions or more. Don’t miss your opportunity to pursue your goals the right way this year. Call Mike at 888-872-7961 ext.1 to get set up for your free trial with one of the area’s best personal trainers!

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by Dennys Passeto

There is an abundance of misinformation that exists when it comes to developing nutritional plans that support weight loss. The majority of people who are striving to lose weight or transform their bodies by dieting end up failing, not because they lack the motivation, but because the information they receive on how to do so is inaccurate.

There are tons of fad diets that we have come across in the past few years that force people to make extreme changes in their diet by either excessively restricting caloric intake or by drastically cutting out certain macronutrients. These diets are not only detrimental to your metabolism, they also require a huge amount of effort.

However, there is a solution that will not require you to  work harder on your diet or to make drastic changes. By implementing a simple technique that is relatively easy to execute, you can make positive changes to your metabolism and to your body. This powerful technique is know as calorie cycling.

Calorie cycling accomplishes weight loss through constantly  varying your eating routine by reducing your caloric intake in short, 2-3 day cycles. In most of today’s fad diets, you end up shocking your body into a rapid weight loss scheme and your body reacts by slowing down your metabolism so it can store fat for energy use later. Calorie cycling, however, does not allow your body to fully acclimate to a particular routine, and, in turn, your metabolism stays up to speed.  This enables you burn off more fat with regular exercise.

So, how does this technique actually work? Let’s look at  an example. If you are used to eating a 2000 calorie/day diet, then your body becomes accustomed to burning that amount of energy each day. With calorie cycling, you would cut 400 or 500 calories out of your regular intake for a short period of time, about two days or so. Luckily for us, our bodies will take about 2 days to recognize this change,  and in the meantime, will continue to burn the 2000 calories a day that it is used to getting.

Therefore, if your body is still burning the 2000 calories but you’ve only been feeding it 1600, it must find the  energy elsewhere. As long as your diet consists of some core healthy foods in the form of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, then your body will use those missing calories in the form of stored body fat. The beauty is, you don’t  need to make enormous sacrifices or changes to your current diet for this technique to be effective.

Obviously, this type of strategy has to be done correctly to be effective, so you have to exercise some common sense. Ideally, the calories you cut out of your diet for those  short periods should be calories that come from unhealthy foods, primarily flour, sugar, and any heavily processed foods. In addition, your cycles of calorie restriction should not be permanent, about a day or two before you return to your normal intake.

The powerful part of this program is that you can continue to increase the efficiency of your metabolic system by continuing  to cycle your calories. In other words, your metabolism will continue to increase throughout the cycles until it has reached  its maximum fat burning level!

The end result of this “diet” is that you’re not really dieting at all! You are simply eating healthy foods in varied caloric cycles, therefore you’re not shocking (and damaging) your metabolism. Once your metabolism is in high gear, with the assistance of regular exercise, you’ll start to see that stubborn fat be blowtorched!!

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There’s a nasty word out there in the weight loss world, and it’s “fat.”  Everyone is trying to lose weight, to lose “fat.” All the diet foods are labeled “fat free” to be appealing to dieters, even if they are laden with sugar. When people see an overweight person they say, “Oh man, look at that fat person.”

But fat is not just a bad word. In fact, there is an entire family of fat that is beloved by healthcare professionals, dieticians and is healthy for you.  In fact, these fats are not only healthy they are essential for your body and can aid in weight loss efforts. They are known as Omega, or the Omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s are the good-for-you unsaturated fatty acids comprised of the polyunsaturated trio of a-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

While the Omega-3 fatty acids are the big buzz word of today where healthy living and weight loss are concerned, they were discovered way back in the 1930s. During that decade it was found that these polyunsaturated fats were actually necessary for normal human growth to occur.

In the 1970s researchers studied the diets of the Eskimos of Greenland and it was discovered that two of the 3 Omegas (DHA and EPA) were essential to heart health. These fatty acids were eaten in large doses via the Eskimos’ seafood-rich diet. Moreover, they showed almost no cardiovascular disease as these Omega-3 fatty acids naturally reduce triglycerides and arterial plaque while reducing heart rate and maintaining healthy blood pressure. What an amazing family of fats!

Now where most supplements have to add the tag line “these claims have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration,” two of the three Omegas HAVE been evaluated. In fact, EPA and DHA have both been awarded “qualified health claim” status by the FDA.

Here’s the statement from the FDA: “Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA [n-3] fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”

The Canadian Government has done additional research and has publicly stated: “DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, supports the normal development of the brain, eyes and nerves.”

As one might guess, with the rise in popularity of the Omega-3 fatty acids, advertisers are producing supplements and adding it to foods or just prominently labeling those foods that already have these good fats in them. A diet high in fish is all that is needed. But for those of you who either don’t enjoy fish or who want more Omega-3 in their diet, the places to get the highest dose are in fish oil and flax oil supplements.

No matter how you look at these Omega fats, they are good for you and essential for health. Who said all fat was bad?

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Weight loss supplementation is a billion-dollar industry. Every supplement known to man has come and gone, from laxatives, to metabolic boosters, to fat trappers. Some work and others only drain the wallet. The new kid on the block is Açaí berry, and Oprah and Rachel Ray are its biggest fans.

The açaí “berry” is actually a fruit. Its shape, size and color remind people of grapes. But unlike grapes, it doesn’t contain very much pulp. And similar to the pit of a plumb, açaí contains a single large seed. The fruit grows on trees, with approx. 800 units per panicle (which is something like a branch). Açaí are harvested and are a staple food in under-developed regions of the world. In fact, in a 1999 study of three ethnic groups in the Brazilian Amazon, açaí palm was found to be such a major part of their diet, that more than 40% of their meals contained this fruit.

Acai juice, extract and pulp are consumed in various blended drinks, smoothies, ice cream, liqueurs and even in sodas. In the south of Brazil it is consumed in a bowl mixed with granola. Aside from the popular talk show hosts named above, physicians such as Dr. Perricone have publicly called it one of the Earth’s Superfoods. But why?

Theoretically, if one eats less, has more energy, is not bloated, has regular bowel movements, proper digestion and their liver and kidneys are working properly… they should lose weight. But does taking açaí supplements or enhanced juices actually lead to weight loss?

To be honest, it doesn’t seem this is true. As of today, there have been no controlled studies carried out to support all these claims—let alone the weight-loss miracle claim! Even Dr. Oz is rethinking his stance on the issue and digging deeper into the facts to determine if açaí is truly the new weight-loss giant that marketing firms keep telling us it is.

However, research has found (in varying degrees) that açaí contains very high levels of antioxidants. It is touted and marketed in the United States as being able to simultaneously decrease appetite, increase energy, remove excess waste from the body, cure constipation, decrease bloating and water retention, relieve muscle cramps, aches and pain, lower cholesterol, reverse diabetes, improve heart and digestive health while cleansing the system. Wow!

So if açaí can’t shed those pounds like the natural miracle berry we have been told it is, at least consuming it can help you remain healthy and strong. And while the researchers prove the weight loss aspect true or false, get to the gym and burn those calories… and leave the bacon behind.

The lesson learned here is this: Let’s not wait around to discover if research can prove that acai is the new weight loss miracle. Let’s face it – quick fix weight loss products have never proven to be effective. Get back to the basics and take control of your health the natural way!

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