7 Principles of Healthy Eating

The remedy for eating better isn’t deprivation, blandness, or a rigid diet―it’s incorporating good habits into your life. The key to eating right and maintaining weight is a plan that fits your life. Consider these points…


1. Know Yourself

Some people revel in the art of food preparation. For others, the microwave is a lifesaver. What matters is that you find a healthy way to cook and eat that works for you. If you love a large, sit-down dinner, for example, ignore conventional wisdom that says it's best to eat lots of small meals (just be sure not to snack all day if you plan to feast at night).

Do You Need to Worry About These 12 Health Symptoms?

Knowing yourself also means planning for pitfalls. If, say, you often nosh while you work, keep food as far from your desk as possible or bring in a healthy snack from home. If your downfall is salty junk food, don't eat directly from a multi-serving package; take out a handful and put the rest away.

Slight changes don't feel like sacrifice, says Brian Wansink, a professor of marketing and nutritional science at Cornell University, but they do make a difference: "Eating 200 fewer calories a day can mean 20 pounds of weight lost in a year."


2. Mix It Up

It's easy to say "Eat more vegetables," but what about people who don't like spinach and broccoli? With a little attention to food prep, even vegephobes should be able to find greens (and oranges and reds) that are appealing.

"People, when they cook, focus on the recipe for meat," says Margo Wootan, the director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Then they serve plain steamed broccoli on the side. And that's boring. You need to put the same care into vegetables." Wootan suggests dipping Brussels sprouts in Dijon mustard or sautéing spinach, collards, or Swiss chard with garlic―or bacon.

Think about using leftover or fresh vegetables in risottos, soups, casseroles, and stews and putting leftovers in breakfast frittatas or pureeing them with olive oil to make a spread or a dip for a sandwich or an appetizer, suggests Laura Pensiero, who co-wrote The Strang Cancer Prevention Cookbook.

Another benefit of piling on the vegetables is that you can pump up the volume of a meal, even as you trim calories. By adding water-rich vegetables and fruits and substituting leaner cuts of meat in a recipe, you can create lower-calorie, healthier meals--and trick yourself into thinking you're eating as much as you always have.




3. Eat Less Meat

The mainstays of a healthy diet should be grains, nuts, and seeds, as well as non-starchy vegetables and fruits, rather than meat. Whole grains (oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat bread) provide fiber, which aids the digestive system and makes you feel fuller, and B vitamins, which can boost energy and aid metabolism. Nuts and seeds contain nutrients, such as vitamin E in almonds and sunflower seeds, that are otherwise hard to come by. Legumes―including beans, soybeans, peanuts, and lentils―provide fiber, too, along with protein, iron, folate, and other nutrients. Replacing meat with legumes as a protein source is a good strategy for reducing saturated-fat intake.



It's easier than you think to work these foods into your day. Open up a can of kidney beans or chickpeas and add them to soup, chili, or pasta. Or try a bowl of fortified breakfast cereal, 1 1/2 ounces of shelled sunflower seeds on a salad, or two ounces of almonds. You'll be one of the less than 3 percent of Americans who get the recommended daily dose of vitamin E.




4. Eat Less Meat

When it comes to fats, there's perhaps no other area of nutrition in which researchers have learned so much and confused so many consumers in the process. What you need to know is this: Fat has more calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein, so if you're trying to maintain or lose weight, limit the amount of fat you eat.



That said, not all fats affect the body equally. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are the "good" fats; they're found in nut and vegetable oils and oily fish, such as salmon, trout, and herring. They don't raise blood cholesterol levels and may even reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems. According to the American Heart Association, eating seafood with omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and sardines, twice a week may reduce the risk of certain forms of heart disease.

Saturated and trans fats, also known as the "bad" fats, are found in dairy and beef products and palm and coconut oils. The more of them you eat, the higher your risk of cardiovascular disease. Trans fats are also found in French fries and many commercially baked products, such as cookies and crackers, but are becoming less common.




5. Watch Those Portions...

Even as you try to eat foods that are loaded with nutrients, pay attention to the overall amount you consume. Brian Wansink, a professor of marketing and nutritional science at Cornell University, explains that people have three measures of satiety: starving, could eat more, and full.

"Most of the time, we're in the middle," he says. "We're neither hungry nor full, but if something is put in front of us, we'll eat it." He suggests announcing out loud, "I'm not really hungry, but I'm going to eat this anyway." This could be enough to deter you, or to inspire you to eat less.

Restaurants bring challenges, because portions are huge and tend to be high in fat and sodium. "Eating out has become a big part of our diet, about a third of our calories," says Wootan. "When eating out, we should apply the same strategies we do at home―not on your birthday, but on a Tuesday night when there's no time to cook."

One strategy: Share an entrée. You'll eat a healthier portion size and also save money.

6. Eat, Don't Drink, Your Calories

Beverages don't fill you up in the same way that foods do: Studies have shown that people eat the same amount whether or not they wash down their food with a 150-calorie drink. And most beverages don't contribute many nutrients.

In fact, all you really need is water, says Barry Popkin, head of the division of nutrition epidemiology at the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill. "In a historical context," says Popkin, aside from breast milk, "we drank only water in the first 190,000 years of our existence.

7. Cut-Out Packaged Foods and Read Labels

Be aware that three-quarters of the sodium and most of the trans fats and added sugar Americans ingest come from packaged foods.

The trick is to turn a blind eye to all the enticing claims on the fronts of packages―low-fat, low-net-carbs, zero trans fats!―as some are empty, some are unregulated, and some are misleading. Instead, cast a critical eye over the nutrition-facts box. Look first at calories, saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium.

Saturated fat and sodium are presented in grams and milligrams, respectively, and as a percentage of the recommended limit of what we should eat in a day; calories and trans fats are listed simply as amounts. If the numbers seem high, check out a few competing products to see if you can do better.

Note that you may need to multiply if there's more than one serving in a package and you realistically expect to eat two or three servings. Also read the figures for fiber, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and E. These are the nutrients you need to be eating more of every day.

Source

6 Steps to Ending Bad Eating Habits

Whether quitting your addiction to snacking, too much sugar, or quitting smoking it  starts with knowing what you want, checking obstacles then handling them in advance. Follow these six steps and you'll more easily reach your goals.

A client wrote, "Help me! I thought I was finally getting a handle on my weight issue but the sugar is killing me. I had an awful day. I won't even tell you what I ate today because it is just so unbelievable. All I will say is that 90% of my food today consisted of sugar! I really, really need some help getting past these cravings. I am no doubt a sugar addict. If I could get past this there is no doubt that I will reach my goal."

 

 If you see a little of yourself in this message, you're not alone. Many describe themselves as sugar addicts. They believe if it were only for that one thing, then they could reach their weight loss goals. If you believe only one thing stands in your way of losing weight, consider this: What if that one thing (an  addiction to sugar for instance) were gone? Do you really believe, "If I could get past this, there is no doubt that I will reach my goal," or is it an easy excuse to stay stuck?

If I told you I could show you a way to stop craving sugar, would you want me to show you how?

Think about that for a moment. Close your eyes and really think it through. You've said if only you didn't crave sugar, then you could lose weight, but is that really true for you? Ask yourself these questions:

Would you eat differently, and if so how?

Would you act differently, and if so how?

What else would change, and what would stay the same?

What would you lose?

What would you gain?

Until you know what you want, know you can achieve it, and know what else will change (i.e. how your life may be different), you can't discover any obstacles that first must be considered. For instance, you may want to stop eating anything after 7 PM yet your husband doesn't come home from work until 8 and he wants you to join him for dinner. That's an obstacle.

If you've got a habit of watching your favorite TV show with a bowl of ice cream, then breaking that habit is another obstacle.

 

If you don't work out ways to overcome your obstacles perhaps through discussion and compromise with your husband, or habit breaking exercises for your ice cream habit, there's bound to be a problem. Just saying you're not going to do something any mroe rarely works. Instead determine what might stand in the way of achieving your goals, find a way around them, and you're much more likely to actually achieve those goals once and for all. 

The statement, "if this one thing were handled, then everything else would fall into place" is an "If Then" statement and gets people into trouble. They want a fairy godmother to make it all better. A strong belief that one single thing such as, "eating sugar is my problem," sets you up to fail, especially if you really like eating sugary foods.

 

Getting a handle on your cravings is not an all-or-nothing proposition. You must leave room for occasional deviations. It's not the occasional side trip that causes weight trouble, it's the road we usually travel.

In NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) a good starting point is the exercise called Establishing a Well Formed Outcome. "Well formed" means it meets all criteria of a well thought-out end result.

NLP: How to Create a Well Formed Outcome & Get What You Want

Here are the steps to creating a well formed outcome:

1) State what you want (not what you do not want). "I want to weigh 135 pounds."

2) Determine whether you can achieve it (do you believe it is possible?).

3) What resources do you have and what do you need (time, money, gear, clothes, equipment, coaching, whatever).

4) Check whether anyone else is involved and any potential obstacles that may come up regarding others. Think of everyone involved in your day-to-day life.

5) Picture yourself "as if" you've obtained what you say you want and see if that picture fits. Do you like what you see?

6) Put together a plan of action for the achievement of your outcome.

While it may seem like a lot of effort simply to decide what you really want, going through these steps at the beginning helps you find potential obstacles which previously stopped you from moving forward. For example, if you decide you want to join a gym and start exercising every day but you've forgotten you don't even own a car and just lost your job, that exercise plan might not work out right now. If you did join a gym, you'd end up not going and then you'd think you'd failed, yet it was the plan that failed, not you. You didn't think it through.

A better plan in this instance may be doing exercises at home, or within walking distance (or simply walking for exercise). Later, when you do have transportation, you can rethink the plan and perhaps join a gym then. There are always options.

It's better to look at what you want from every angle, then put together a plan you know can and will work. Then when you know what you want, you'll also know you can make it happen and begin by taking that first step toward making it a reality.

Damian@FitnHealthy check out our FB Page

High Protein Bread

 

I use this product daily.  If you want a delicious high protein bread try this. This is a super low carb, high protein, high fat loaf, it is gain-free, sugar-free and has dairy-free options. Delicious served toasted with eggs or avocado (or both) or just use as a sandwich base and fill with your favourite ingredients.

Prep time: 15mins
Cook time: 50mins
Yield: approx 20 slices

Ingredients:

• 3 scoops Coconut 180Superfood
• 1 cup ground linseed
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbs chia seeds
• 2 Tbs sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 60g melted butter or coconut oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup natural yoghurt or coconut cream
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180c and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Place pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in a food processor and process until ground but still with some chunky bits.
3. In a large bowl mix together 180, ground linseed, chia seeds, sesame seeds, salt, baking powder, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients until well combined.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix gently to combine – will make a thick batter (not a bread dough), if it seems too dry add some extra yoghurt or coconut cream.
6. Transfer to loaf tin and bake for approx 50mins until firm.

Nutritional Information:
Amount per slice – approx 20 slices 

Calories	154.8	Total Carbohydrates	4.9g
Total Fat	12.4g	Dietary Fibre	3.2g
Saturated Fat	4.0g	Sugars	0.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat	3.4g	Protein	7.5g
Monounsaturated Fat	2.9g	Sodium	53mg

Net Carbs per slice = 1.7g (Total carbs – indigestible fibre which has no impact on blood sugar).

Enjoy !!

We'd love to hear how yours turns out please post up your comments :)

Delicious Protein Pancake Recipes

Delicious Protein Pancake Recipes

Pancakes, hotcakes, flapjacks…whatever you call them, these tasty thin, flat cakes of cooked batter may be delicious for breakfast, but can ruin all your hard work in the gym. White flour, sugar, and a lack of protein make most pancake recipes less than ideal for your post-workout meal. But you don't have to designate them to your “cheat meal” because we've tweaked the ingredients to make them a healthy recipe for recovery.

It has been well documented that the meal immediately following your workout is key for repair and recovery. The winning combination of high-quality protein and “smart carbs” (fruits, vegetables, unrefined grains—all high in fiber) will help your body replenish your spent glycogen stores and repair damaged muscle tissue. Studies have shown that a small amount of protein (10 to 15 grams) consumed with carbohydrate right after training promotes muscle gain and prevents excessive protein breakdown.

Traditional pancake recipes are high in carbohydrates and low in protein. The key to boosting more protein in pancakes is adding two key ingredients—whey or plant protein powder and cottage cheese. To improve the carb quality of this recipe, swap out the refined, white flour for high-fiber old-fashioned oats. You can also add ground flax seeds or chia seeds to the recipe to further boost the protein and fiber, as well as add in some healthy fats.

We’ve taken our favorite Protein Pancake basic recipe  to give you a gluten-free, high-protein pancake batter that you can “rock” three ways: Chocolate Chip Protein Pancakes, Banana Walnut Cinnamon Protein Pancakes and Blueberry Lemon Protein Pancakes.

Protein Pancakes

Makes 8 pancakes ~ Serving size 2 pancakes

    3 eggs (2 egg whites + 1 egg)
    ¼ cup unsweetened rice milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk
    ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (dry uncooked)
    1 tsp. baking powder
    1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese
    1 tsp. honey (preferably raw)
    1 scoop vanilla protein powder (whey or plant) we use our favorite Isalean Pro 
    1 Tbsp. unrefined coconut oil

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender (except coconut oil) and blend until smooth.
2. Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. unrefined coconut oil to pan. When it melts and is hot, ladle 2 Tbsp. of batter onto the griddle. Let cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until light golden color develops on bottom; flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter

 Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Add 5 dark chocolate chips on top of each pancake. Let cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until light golden color develops on bottom; flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Banana Walnut Cinnamon Pancakes

 Add 4 slices of bananas, 1 tsp. walnut pieces and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top of each pancake. Let cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until light golden color develops on bottom; flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.


Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

Dr Michael Colgan - Quality & type of PROTEIN - Part 2

WHEN YOU EAT PROTEIN WHAT DOES IT DO?

A GUIDE FOR ATHLETES

Part 2 of 4 QUALITY & TYPE OF PROTEIN

Dr Michael Colgan 24 February 2015

Quality of Protein
In my 1981 book, YOUR PERSONAL VITAMIN PROFILE, I documented why meat proteins are effective only if they come from animals fed their natural diet (1). The book became a best seller and, understandably, members of the meat and poultry industries criticized me as, “a nut living in the past”, and “How does Colgan think that farmers could ever afford to go back to those days?” By then, because of stupid US agricultural policies and subsidies of the 1950s, to expand corn, soybean, sugar beet, and wheat farming, about 80% of all cattle, and almost all poultry, had been forced off the land into feedlots and battery farms. I predicted then it would get a lot worse.

In my 2007 book, NUTRITION FOR CHAMPIONS, I document how it has got a lot worse. Since 1950, feedlot and battery farming has progressively degraded livestock, generation after generation (2). Today, this terrible mistake in farming development in North America breeds animal grotesques for our meat. The protein from these degraded animals bear little relation to that of healthy livestock of the early 20th century (2).

Beef is a good example. Designed by evolution to thrive only as grazers roaming open range, most cattle today are confined to stand shoulder to shoulder in their own feces for all their short and brutal lives. Instead of continuous grazing on grassland, the way in which the gut of cattle evolved to work, they are fed intermittently, with unnatural foods, such as chicken feathers.

Cattle evolved for more than 100 million years, to develop a rumen as their main stomach. A rumen is essentially a fermentation tank for grass. To work properly the rumen has to be kept fermenting by constant grazing and movement. Livestock in feedlots are confined in movement, and intermittently fed unnatural foods that their rumens struggle to digest. They cannot operate as evolution designed them. Hence, the progressive degradation of our beef (and milk) proteins for the last 65 years (3).

Corn too, a completely unnatural food for cattle, was so bad from the get-go, that cunning agribusiness had to resort to the old advertising trick of fooling folk into believing that a sin is a virtue. “All corn fed” was distorted into a virtue to seek, rather than the horror it is to avoid. Whenever we test protein from these animal grotesques, its biological value is less than that of GMO soy (2,3).
Hence also, the whole sick spectacle of growth stimulating drugs and antibiotics. These chemicals, including more than five times all the antibiotics used by humans each year, have to be fed, and injected, and stuffed up the fundaments of our beef, just to keep them healthy enough for a 40-week short and ugly life before sending them to slaughter.

As I have documented in previous articles, this veterinary use of antibiotics is largely responsible for the massive increase in antibiotic resistant infections, such as MRSA, that now plague our hospitals. If you want to achieve your athletic potential, do not allow any of this meat into your nutrition.

Now, thanks to numerous books and articles and constant complaints to government by thousands of scientists, including me, rumens are starting to churn happily again, and “organic grass-fed” and “organic free-range” meats have reappeared in our supermarkets (3,4). They are not as good as wild meats, and still do not provide the protein quality of livestock before 1950. Nevertheless, the meat and milk proteins from organic, range-fed livestock, and meat and eggs from organic, free-range poultry, and wild fish, are the best animal sources of protein athletes can get.

Best Form of Protein
Current government criteria compare proteins by what is called the protein-digestibility-corrected- amino-acid-score (PDCAAS). The reference protein is whole egg, the best protein science knew in the 1980s. Whole egg was arbitrarily given a PDCAAS of 1.0, representing 100% digestibility and absorption. Big mistake.

When research on whey proteins began recording scores of 120-140 % compared with whole egg protein, these scores were disallowed by government, because over 100% did not make sense to regulators (5). Consequently, commonly recommended proteins for athletes from whey, casein, egg-white, and fish, were all arbitrarily labelled the same, “high quality”, and capped by regulation with a PCDAAS of 1.0. Bigger mistake.

As research advances, science is self-correcting. Regulations, however, are never self-correcting, and are seldom corrected, even when obviously wrong. On the contrary, regulations are jealously guarded, usually by old men, appointed long after their due-by date, to guard the past. Happily, real science is concerned with the future.

We know now that muscle protein synthesis is largely regulated by the amino acid profile of the protein, especially its content of the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Greatest action occurs to leucine, for muscle protein synthesis, and for adaptation to training (6-9), Whey proteins have the highest content of leucine (10).

And it is also leucine alone that has the ability to “switch on” the DNA codes and the cell signaling machinery governing protein synthesis (11,12). Official “high quality” proteins, rated as exactly the same by government, differ greatly in their amino acid profiles. All leading sports scientists I know are well aware that government classification of proteins uses the obsolete science of the 1980s, not the science of today.

In addition to amino acid composition, proteins also differ greatly in their rates of digestion and absorption. How rapidly a protein increases muscle amino acids, especially levels of leucine, regulates the extent of muscle remodeling that night.

Meat and fish proteins, and all solid forms of protein, including most protein bars, are slowly absorbed, Protein dissolved in a drink is better. Nevertheless, common drinks of egg, casein, soy, and mixed vegetable proteins, are all more slowly absorbed than whey protein drinks (13,14).

As an athlete, you need the fastest possible protein to take advantage of what I christened, “the anabolic window”, in 1993 (4). This is the period of about 90 minutes immediately after exercise, during which muscle amino acids are in greatest flux. Muscle can uptake more protein during the anabolic window than at any other time.

To trigger the greatest muscle protein synthesis, all athletes on our program take a 36-gram whey protein shake immediately after each training period. They take the shakes early in the anabolic window, to allow at least 45 minutes for amino acid absorption into muscle.

Most other proteins are too slow, taking two hours or more for absorption. Athletes do best who take 25-40 grams of undenatured, cold extracted, whey protein concentrate, together with its co-factor vitamins and minerals immediately after training. It’s the most rapidly digested and absorbed protein drink that we know (2,4,15,16). Our winning team of athletes from various disciplines, make it the basis of their protein nutrition.

In Part 3 of this series I will cover timing, frequency and amount of protein for optimum sports nutrition.

For the best of sports nutrition and training, join our winning team at drmichaelcolgan.com

1. Colgan M. Your Personal Vitamin Profile. New York: William Morrow, 1981.
2. Colgan M. The Anti-Inflammatory Athlete. Indian Fork UT: Sound Concepts 2012.
3. Colgan M. Nutrition for Champions. Vancouver: Science Books, 2007.
4. Colgan M. Optimum Sports Nutrition. New York: Advanced Research Press, 1993.
5. Schaafsma, G. The protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score. J. Nutr. 2000;130(7): 1865S–1867S. PMID:10867064.
6. Tipton, K.D., and Witard, O.C.. Protein requirements and recommendations for athletes: relevance of ivory tower arguments for practical recommendations. Clin. Sports Med. 2007;26(1): 17–36. doi:10.1016/j.csm.2006.11.003. PMID:17241913.
7. Tipton, K.D., Ferrando, A.A., Phillips, S.M., Doyle, D., Jr., and Wolfe, R.R.. Postexercise net protein synthesis in human muscle from orally administered amino acids. Am. J. Physiol. 1999a 276(4): E628–E634. PMID:10198297.
8. Tipton, K.D., Gurkin, B.E., Matin, S., and Wolfe, R.R.. Nonessential jamino acids are not necessary to stimulate net muscle protein synthesis in healthy volunteers. J. Nutr. Biochem. 1999b; 10(2): 89–95. doi:10.1016/S0955-2863(98)00087-4. PMID:15539275.
9. Phillips, S.M., Tang, J.E., and Moore, D.R. The role of milk- and soy-based protein in support of muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein accretion in young and elderly persons. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 2009;28(4): 343–354. doi:10.1080/ 07315724.2009.10718096. PMID:20368372.
10. Tang, J.E., Moore, D.R., Kujbida, G.W., Tarnopolsky, M.A., and Phillips, S.M. Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men. J. Appl. Physiol. 2009;107(3): 987–992. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00076.2009. PMID:19589961.
11. Drummond, M.J., and Rasmussen, B.B.. Leucine-enriched nutrients and the regulation of mammalian target of rapamycin signalling and human skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Curr. Opin. Nutr. Metab. Care. 2008;11(3): 222–226. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e3282fa17fb. PMID: 18403916.
12. Phillips, S.M., and van Loon, L.J. Dietary protein for athletes: From requirements to optimum adaptation. J. Sports Sci. 2011;29(Suppl. 1): S29–S38. doi:10. 1080/02640414.2011.619204. PMID:22150425.
13. Pennings, B., Boirie, Y., Senden, J.M., Gijsen, A.P., Kuipers, H., and van Loon, L.J. Whey protein stimulates postprandial muscle protein accretion more effectively than do casein and casein hydrolysate in older men. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2011;93(5): 997–1005. doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.008102. PMID:21367943.
14. Pennings, B., Groen, B., de Lange, A., Gijsen, A.P., Zorenc, A.H., Senden, J.M., and van Loon, L.J. Amino acid absorption and subsequent muscle protein accretion following graded intakes of whey protein in elderly men. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 2012;302(8): E992–E999. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00517. 2011. PMID:22338070.
15. Breen, L., Philp, A., Witard, O.C., Jackman, S.R., Selby, A., Smith, K., et al. The influence of carbohydrate-protein co-ingestion following endurance exercise on myofibrillar and mitochondrial protein synthesis. J. Physiol. 2011;589(16): 4011–4025. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.211888. PMID:21746787.
16. West, D.W., Burd, N.A., Coffey, V.G., Baker, S.K., Burke, L.M., Hawley, J.A., et al. Rapid aminoacidemia enhances myofibrillar protein synthesis and anabolic intramuscular signaling responses after resistance exercise. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2011;94(3): 795–803. doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.013722. PMID:21795443.

Pre and Post Workout Strategies for Kettlebell Training

Pre and post workout nutrition strategies for kettlebell training

The right nutrition plan and timings of your food or supplements before and after your workouts are some very important components to think about when kettlebell training. This article will shed some light on these key factors and it will discuss some nutrition guidelines, so that you hit the ground running when are performing your kettlebell workout. Plus it will enable you to recover effectively. A key point to consider is that an excellent workout is always planned in the kitchen even before you even step foot into the gym.

If you don't have the right nutritional strategy for your kettlebell regime; then you are doing yourself an injustice when it comes to you achieving your goals. If you are working out when you are in a starved state, you will not have enough energy for you to maximise your fitness gains. If you are exercising for a long duration without eating, you are limiting your body's ability to burn calories and to sustain the intensity of the kettlebell workout. In addition, if you don't feed your muscles and restock your energy stores after exercise, you will not have the essential recovery tools in your armoury.

What should you eat before your session?

As mentioned previously the main aim of the pre workout nutrition plan is to start the kettlebell session in a fed state and to ensure that all of the foods that you have eaten have been digested and absorbed properly. The last thing that you want to do is eat a meal that is very high in slow acting proteins and fats, because they take longer to digest and they can make you feel sluggish and zap you of your energy. When you eat, the blood is redirected to the digestive system to help with the breakdown of foods. This essentially takes away the blood from the skeletal muscles; thus reduces the oxygen supply and waste removal when exercising. So the kettlebell session will be much harder work when you have eaten a meal which is high in fats and proteins. More often than not stomach ache is attached to this scenario when training.

To ensure that you are full of energy when you perform you kettlebell session, eat a meal that is roughly 300-500 calories, high in fast acting carbs and proteins, 2 hours before you begin the session. Try consuming a small bowl of porridge, whole meal cereal or even a small yam or sweet potato as these are a good example of some fast acting carbs. If you have to eat 5-10 minutes before you workout then consume half a banana or a small spoonful of peanut butter along with a small handful of almonds.

Staying hydrated is essential for kettlebell athletes because without proper hydration your body will find it harder to deliver the nutrients to the muscles, along with oxygen and water to the cells. This will decrease your energy levels and it will make the session a lot harder. Try to drink at least 2 litres of water per day but don't over do it before your workout because you will feel bloated and sluggish. A good strategy is for you to drink your water intake gradually and continuously before you begin your workout!

In terms of supplements you can drink a whey protein shake that is high in branched chain amino acids 1 hour before you train, as this will ensure the following:

· They are a catalyst for muscle protein synthesis and then it binds together the muscle amino acids to create a stronger muscle infra-structure

· They boost insulin levels to facilitate an anabolic environment during protein synthesis. This mechanism enables the right balance of nutrition, hormones and metabolic actions that are essential for you to create muscle and burning fat

· They enhance human growth hormone levels and decrease the stress hormone's (cortisol) levels. Cortisol is a hormone that breaks down muscle tissue to be used as body fuel. This is very bad news for muscle building and weight loss.

A post workout nutrition strategy

The supplement intake post exercise is very important for aiding recovery along with growth and repair. Branched chain amino acids (BCAAS) are again an excellent choice to consume post exercise; the question is why?

Well, BCAAs are broken down quickly and used in the working muscle effectively because they by-pass the liver. It is this process within the body that stops muscle soreness after you exercise because it blocks muscle damage and increases muscle growth and repair. Plus, it increases insulin levels post exercise and this induces an anabolic environment which is a primary factor in muscle growth and repair.

They should be consumed within 45 minutes of stopping your session and this is a very important timeframe as enzymes and hormones are actively repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue, as well as restocking your glycogen stores. This makes your muscle tissues very susceptible to the nutrients and building muscle hormones. You should be using a simple carb such as maltodexrin because it raises your insulin levels and this will drives the amino acids into the muscle tissue. This will also increase your glycogen stores and add want more energy  lost electrolyte levels, as this will further your recovery.

Article Source: Troy Van Spanje

How to Fall in Love With Whole Foods

Have we fallen in love with convenient, processed foods? With busy schedules, fast-food restaurants on every corner, and an abundance of comfort foods available (even at the local Starbucks), it’s no wonder we opt for all those fatty, salty and sweet foods. It just tastes so good. And it’s so easy to get. Food manufactures know exactly how to get us “hooked” without us even knowing it, and many of us have lost the desire and taste buds for whole, unprocessed foods. It’s time to go back to the basics and rediscover a love for whole foods. It may not happen overnight, but with these tips you may just have a new love affair for healthy and tasty “real” food.

Add Flavor With Spices and Herbs

Put down the salt shaker and start enhancing the flavor of your food with spices and fresh herbs. Not only do herbs and spices taste good, they are loaded with anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Turmeric, for example, is made from the turmeric root and often found in curry dishes. It also happens to be a powerful anticancer agent. Cinnamon (one of our favorites) can be added to any sweet or savory dish and gives both an earthy and sweet taste. Plus, cinnamon has been shown to help lower blood sugar in people who have diabetes or who are prediabetic. Fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano can be added to a pot of homemade chicken soup to help fight the common cold. Make sure to check the spices and dried herbs you keep in your pantry and buy new ones every six months as they lose flavor and potency over time (except salt and pepper, which last longer). 

Shop Local and In Season for Fresh-tasting Produce

Do you have a farmer’s market near where you live or work? If so, make a trip there as soon as possible and check out what’s in season. Or check out websites like Natural Resources Defense Council and Epicurious, which provide information on what foods are in season in your area each month of the year.

Eating food that is locally grown and in season is less expensive and usually tastes much better than food that is grown in a hothouse or transported thousands of miles. Produce that comes from far away is usually picked unripe and transported in refrigerated containers, which affects its ability to properly ripen. Stick with local, seasonal food for better taste and to save money. 

Healthy and Convenient?

There is something to be said about the benefits of pre-packaged foods. Sure, they’re easy and quick, but most packaged food is full of refined carbohydrates, sugar, bad fats and preservatives. Read the ingredient list and see what you find. If there's anything on that list that you can't pronounce, you probably shouldn't be eating it. Instead, make your own convenience foods that are healthy and tasty. The best snacks are a combination of protein and fiber as they work together to keep your blood sugar balanced and energy level higher for longer periods of time. Here are some ideas to get you started: an apple (or other seasonal fruit) with some almonds (or other nuts); veggies and hummus; black beans, quinoa, and salsa; a homemade muffin made with almond flour (for more protein and healthy fat); a snack-size baggie of mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruit; homemade egg salad; a container of Greek yogurt with some chia seeds and berries. Taking a little time each week to shop for ingredients and put them together into small packages will save you time and money during the week when you're on the go.

Turn Off Electronics and Tune Into Your Food

Everywhere we go, we see people on cell phones, laptops and tablets. We're wearing monitors that record every step, heart rate, calories burned and quality of sleep. And there's no turning back. While we're happy for all that technology brings us, there is a time and a place for it, and a time for turning it off. When you eat is a perfect time to turn off the computer, put down the cell phone and tune into your food and your body. Be present. Allow yourself to feel what hunger and fullness feels like. Distraction-free eating enables you to notice the flavors, texture and temperature of your food. And it allows you to eat at a slower, more relaxed pace. Not only will you be able to appreciate all the elements of your meal, you will walk away from that meal feeling more satisfied.

Source : Tiffani Bachus, R.D.N., and Erin Macdonald, R.D.N

High Protein Bread!

I use this product daily.  If you want a delicious high protein bread try this. This is a super low carb, high protein, high fat loaf, it is gain-free, sugar-free and has dairy-free options. Delicious served toasted with eggs or avocado (or both) or just use as a sandwich base and fill with your favourite ingredients.

Prep time: 15mins
Cook time: 50mins
Yield: approx 20 slices

Ingredients:

• 3 scoops Coconut 180Superfood
• 1 cup ground linseed
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbs chia seeds
• 2 Tbs sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 60g melted butter or coconut oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup natural yoghurt or coconut cream
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180c and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Place pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in a food processor and process until ground but still with some chunky bits.
3. In a large bowl mix together 180, ground linseed, chia seeds, sesame seeds, salt, baking powder, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients until well combined.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix gently to combine – will make a thick batter (not a bread dough), if it seems too dry add some extra yoghurt or coconut cream.
6. Transfer to loaf tin and bake for approx 50mins until firm.

Nutritional Information:
Amount per slice – approx 20 slices 

Calories	154.8	Total Carbohydrates	4.9g
Total Fat	12.4g	Dietary Fibre	3.2g
Saturated Fat	4.0g	Sugars	0.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat	3.4g	Protein	7.5g
Monounsaturated Fat	2.9g	Sodium	53mg

Net Carbs per slice = 1.7g (Total carbs – indigestible fibre which has no impact on blood sugar).

Pure protein vs manufactured protein

Which whey protein is right for you? With Isagenix, the answer is easy: New Zealand whey. See our “Which Whey Protein is Right for You?”  by clicking here

If the old saying, “you are what you eat,” is right, you will rethink consuming products from grain-fed cows. A new study shows that cows fed high-grain diets have a higher incidence of metabolic disorders related to the build-up of several toxic and inflammatory compounds as well as changes in amino acid profiles in their digestive fluids compared to cows on low-grain diets. Having these metabolic complications (and the need for antibiotic use) negatively affects the quality of dairy products produced, including the whey protein found in milk.

In the study, cows were fed diets consisting of 0-, 15-, 30-, or 45-percent barley grain. Scientists used a combination of measuring techniques to identify 93 metabolites in digestive fluid samples taken from the cows. What they found was shocking. The cows that were fed the high-grain diets (>30 percent) had significantly increased amounts of toxic and inflammatory compounds in their digestive fluids including:

• Putrescine—a foul-smelling organic chemical compound that is produced in the breakdown of amino acids in living and dead organisms. It is responsible for the odor produced during flesh decomposition and contributes to “bad breath.” It is toxic in large amounts.
• Methylamine—organic compound with a strong odor similar to fish that is used to make agricultural chemicals such as herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides.
• Ethanolamine—a toxic, flammable, corrosive liquid used in the production of detergents, polishes, and pharmaceuticals.

The anatomy of a cow was built to live off a diet of grass and shrubbery. However, due to high market demands, farmers have turned to grains such as corn for feed because of convenience and money. It is a lot more economically sound to confine cows to feedlots and feed them grain, which can be digested faster allowing them to “fatten up” quickly. In the eyes of a businessman, this is advantageous; however, science is showing that high-grain diets promote the development of disease and illness because cows are not built to digest grains.

The several perturbed amino acid profiles in the digestive fluids of cows fed high-grain diets included phenylalanine, ornthithine, lysine, leucine, arginine, valine, and phenylacetylglycine. While microbial protein in the rumen (main digestive organ of cows) is an excellent source of high-quality protein, it is not sufficient enough to meet the requirements for high levels of milk production. If amino acids are disrupted in the rumen, their ability to be absorbed is severely reduced.

Unfortunately, it is not just high-grain diets that are of concern here. Byproduct “feedstuffs” are used as cheap fillers in feed for cows and include poultry feather pellets, animal fat, potato waste, soy cakes, poultry carcass, and meat processing waste.

Dairy cows have been turned into machines with the goal of pumping out large amounts of milk at the expense of their health, and consequently, the quality of dairy products. You can trust that Isagenix is not one to choose convenience over quality. Isagenix uses an undenatured whey protein blend sourced exclusively from grass-fed dairy cows raised on the pristine pastures of New Zealand. The “Cheerful Cow Certified” label on IsaLean, IsaLean Pro, and IsaPro shakes is a reminder of the unbeatable quality you receive from Isagenix.

 Source Rob H / CFL
 

Why we need to add Supplements in our Daily Nutrition….

I used to be that person who believed wholeheartedly in only eating “whole” foods. What does the term “whole” mean anyways? Well, it is defined as a food that is processed and refined as little as possible. So in essence this means all of your fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. As a health nut, I honestly believed this was the ONLY way to go, and some still do. It is simply a matter of opinion and your beliefs. I still felt as if I was missing something because I felt sluggish, tired, and had cravings all the time. I know I was eating enough food and taking in all of the right nutrients (so I thought), but what was I missing? Did you know that our fresh fruits and vegetables are missing 80% of their nutrients!? WHAT!?? Even when we do have good intentions of eating the right foods, we are still missing out on all of this wonderful nutrition we are supposed to be getting. THAT IS INSANE!!

There are quite a few reasons as to why our fruits and vegetables are so nutritionally bankrupt and other reasons why we need the supplementation from other sources….
1. Herbicides and pesticides are being thrown on our fruits and vegetables to kill all the bugs eating them. Here is the kicker, “kill”. So, this was made to get rid of these creatures, which sure, it does, but it also kills most of the nutrition. Should we really be consuming it?
2. Our foods today are highly processed and prepared in a way which again, destroys much of the nutritional value.
3. Depleted soils! When you have a diet high in fruits and vegetables, chances are you are getting them from a fairly natural source. The problem is most soils are used over and over again to grow fruits and vegetables. With each growth, the mineral content becomes insufficient.

4. Skipping meals! In today’s society, it seems the norm has now become to sleep in as late as we possibly can, then grab a poptart or a bagel on our way out the door….OR we just skip breakfast all together and do not eat until lunch time. These do not count as an entire meal because they are not nutritionally dense and only leave you feeling hungry. 

5. STRESS is another big factor! We all live busy lives; constantly running from place to place leaving little time to eat or even think about getting proper nutrition into your body. Did you know that fueling your body with the right nutrition can help to normalize your bodies functions and help rid it of stress!?
 

These are the biggest factors that come to mind when thinking about supplementing in nutrition. Now, there are MANY supplement companies out there promising to be the very best and that they deliver everything you need, but what they don’t tell you about are all the artificial flavorings and chemicals poured into these supplements that are just as harmful to your body as not getting the nutrients at all. Like many of you, I was a HUGE skeptic of any type of supplement bought off the shelves or any of these fad meal replacement shake companies. I tried many protein powders, but all just left me feeling bloated and crappy.
What to look for in a supplement or meal replacement shake….
1. Soy free
2. Gluten free
3. No sucralose (Splenda) http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2013/06/splenda-the-little-packet-of-death/
4. Non GMO
5. Where your shakes are being manufactured
6. Belief in the company producing the products
7. Natural ingredients
8. High quality ingredients
My choice of supplementation is Isagenix. Let me tell you, I have NEVER been a supplement person before. I had taken various protein powders before, but all they left me with was a sour stomach. I was strictly whole and organic foods, but as mentioned before, even that is not always enough. Isagenix protein is undenatured whey and comes from what I like to call “happy” cows in New Zealand. They are strictly grass fed and even fed and milked according to season. Because my body is getting the nourishment it needs, I am left feeling the way our bodies should, ENERGIZED AND HAPPY!!

 

 Want to know more about Isagenix Products Isagenix Online

Processed Food: What Makes Isagenix Different

A food revolution is starting across America. It’s one where consumers are no longer purchasing any kind of food-like stuff that comes in a box, a bag, or a wrapper in an act of defiance against the culture created by the food industry; with its seemingly endless products that drive us to overeat, gain weight, and from which we derive little nutrition.

Replacing these hyper-palatable, overly processed foods is a new food trend epitomized in a few words from the acclaimed food writer Michael Pollan, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants” (1). In his books, this is taken to mean whole-type, or minimally processed “real food”, containing only recognizably few ingredients. And it means cooking more at home, plus choosing to prepare meals made up mostly of fruits and vegetables.

From the outset, it’s easy to find value in the movement. The huge increase in the diversity of processed foods in the supermarket in the last half-century has been anything but helpful for people’s waistlines. The general formula food companies used in creating these has not been nutrition. In fact, the very definition of “processed” in this regard has been to remove all that doesn’t taste that great or that is satisfying—namely protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols—and leave only sugar, salt, and fat.

The goal of laying sugar, fat, and salt on top of each other is to arrive at what other writers including Michael Moss and David Kessler have called the “bliss point” or the “you can’t eat just one” phenomenon (2). In perspective, an epidemic of obesity rising in an environment where food companies have been focused entirely on hijacking the brains and taste buds of people to eat limitless amounts of their products is not surprising.

But not all processed foods are the same in their design to encourage overindulgence. There’s a point where even the simple advice of shunning all processed food can go too far. To borrow a phrase, there’s risk of throwing out the processed baby with the salt-sugar-fat bathwater. Also, while the general idea of adhering to a diet comprising of mostly whole foods is praiseworthy, it’s well known that 90 percent of people who try them can’t stay on them for long.

Wherein processed foods are formulated with express intent to improve and satisfy nutritional requirements and appetite is a major difference. Bringing some perspective is a recent review in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition that makes the case for several processed foods being useful in enhancing nutrition in foods and making them available for more people, as well as reducing food waste (3). These include canned fruits, vegetables, and protein-foods like beans, meats, yogurts, trail mixes, and meal-replacement shakes and bars. It’s unfair to place these types of foods in the same category of potato chips, ice cream, pizza, and soft drinks.

Here’s where Isagenix is completely different from most people’s perception of processed food. As opposed to formulating foods where protein, micronutrients, and fiber are removed for the purpose of accentuating salt, sugar, and fat, Isagenix does exactly the opposite. The company focuses on putting back the protein, micronutrients, fiber, as well as other bioactive components of food from fruits, vegetables, and herbs—and of the highest quality, as determined through rigorous testing—in food in a way that is also convenient and tastes delicious.

The company’s meal replacements shakes, bars, and soups as well as snacks, are formulated for nutrient density, portion control, and appetite satisfaction. The company also invests heavily in clinical research for substantiation of their use within systems for healthy weight management, lean muscle gains, and nutritional support. For this alone, Isagenix deserves to be set apart in its own category for advancing the definition of nutrition and health through food technology in improving people’s health.

References

Pollan M. In Defense of Food (1st ed.). New York: Penguin Books. 2009.
Moss M. The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food. The New York Times. 2013 Feb 13. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html
‘0wWeaver CM, Dwyer J, Fulgoni VL, King JC, Leveille G, MacDonald R, Ordovas J, Schnakenberg D. Processed foods: contributions to nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Apr 23;99(6):1525-1542. [Epub ahead of print]