Fitness Tip #10 of #31 Eat Lean Protein

October 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Eating protein is vitally important to your overall health. Not to mention your goals. The body doesn’t store protein so it is important to eat protein several times each day. Protein has numerous benefits.

1. Protein is an important component of every cell in the body
2. Protein is used to build and repair tissue
3. Protein is necessary to make enzymes, hormones and many other body chemicals
4. Hair and nails are made primarily of protein
5. Protein is the building block of muscles, cartilage, skin and blood.

 
So how much protein should you eat?

There is some variance among experts on the appropriate amount of protein that should be consumed each day. Some of the factors that affect protein consumption are; gender, age, size (weight), and activity levels. I’m going to give you some general guidelines that through my experience have worked incredibly well for many different people. I’m not an advocate of high protein and low carbohydrate diets, so the amounts I recommend will work for most everyone. Please check with your doctor to be sure, especially if you have compromised kidney function.

1. Eat a serving of protein 5-7 times each day
2. Each serving should be about the size of your palm

How simple is that?

Ok, What are the best sources of protein? Ok let’s get real. We know that high fat meats aren’t good for us. So avoid, burgers, cheese, bacon, ham, pork chops, sausage, etc.

Here are some great sources of lean protein

1. Chicken (skinless)
2. Turkey
3. Fish
4. Round steak
5. Lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey
6. Eggs, (whites are great)
7. Seafood
8. Powdered egg, whey, vegetable protein
9. Deli meats

 

Since we’re trying to stay healthy we want to prepare our lean protein in the most healhful way possible. Here are the top three ways to prepare protein.

1. Grill
2. Bake
3. Broil

Simple enough. And oh yes feel free to get creative with spices and flavoring.

Enjoy…

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Fitness Tip #7 of #31 Have A Cheat Day Once A Week

October 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Ok, I know were only a week into this program and it might be premature to already be talking about “Cheat Days”. But I’ve laid down a lot of foundational stuff this week that will help you to live a much healthier life. The fitness and nutrition advise is going to start coming at you a lot faster in the next three weeks. As you begin to integrate this information into your life and lay out your plans, I want you to do so knowing that cheat days are part of the plan.

“Cheat Days” are immensely important to your overall success. Let me explain. First of all when I refer to cheat days I’m referring to the nutrition aspect of your program.  Whenever you engage in vigorous physical activities (Cardio and Resistance Training) you always want to give yourself on day off each week. So that break from exercise is not considered cheating. You can still be active on your rest day, just avoid your normal structured exercise. It’s fine if you want to stretch or do low level cardio (hike, walk, bike ride).

Cheat days serve two important functions
1. Cheat Days allow you to eat your favorite foods.

This allows you to deal with any emotional or psychological attachments you might have with specific foods. It also allow you to eat really tasty food and satisfy some cravings. Also you avoid any sense of deprivation which typically leads instantly to quitting any healthy eating plan.

2. Cheating will help you to avoid plateaus

Our body is designed for adaptation. And our body adapts quickly, in as little as 4-7 days. So if you eat the same way every day, your body will adapt and will plateau much quicker than if you add cheat days to your program. Nothing shakes up your body like consuming high-fat, high-calorie foods after eating healthy for six straight days.

Here are the Rules for cheating (I know Oxymoron)
1. If you are trying to lose weight cheat one day each week
2. If you are at your goal weight cheat two days each week
3. Plan your cheat day to coincide with any social event you have (so your cheat day may vary from week to week)
4. Indulge in your cheat foods only after eating your normal healthy meals.
(Note) you can attempt to cheat all day if you like, but you’ll feel really sick (you’ll only do this once)
5. Eat your cheat foods outside of your house or workplace (don’t have tempting foods available on non-cheat days)

Look at your schedule for the next three weeks and schedule your cheat days. This is the easiest Tip yet, but I’m going to be all over you tomorrow…see you then.

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Fitness Tip #6 of #31 Eat Brown Rice (Instead of white rice/bread)

October 6, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Eliminate both bread and white rice from your diet and replace them with brown rice. Whenever you typically have bread with a meal have brown rice instead. If you are planning to have white rice with a meal, don’t, eat brown rice instead every time. Both bread and white rice are highly processed and increase your blood sugar levels more than brown rice will. When your blood sugar spikes, the pancreas begins to produce large amounts of insulin. Insulin maintains stable blood sugar levels by telling the body’s cells when to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. If you eat a lot of foods that increase your blood sugar level you can begin to develop insulin resistance. Being insulin resistant means your body stops responding to insulin, and instead stores more calories as fat.

Brown rice has antioxidants and phytonutrients that boosts the immune system, lowers cholesterol, reduces risk of heart disease, stroke and colon cancer, and reduces severity of asthma. Brown rice can substantially reduce the risk of colon cancer, as it is a very good source of selenium, a trace mineral that helps with DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells and inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells. Selenium is also an antioxidant and is essential for thyroid hormone metabolism and immune function. Brown riceis great source of dietary fiber; so it minimizes the amount of time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with colon cells.

             Here are some more benefits of Brown Rice

1. Provides all necessary carbohydrates requirements.
2. Rich in fibers.
3. Helps control blood sugar.
4. Helps control cholesterol.
5. It is a body building food.
6. Beneficial for stomach and intestinal ulcers and for diarrhea. It is easily digested starch food.
7. Because of the mineral content, it supplies important nutrient for the hair, teeth, nails, muscles and bones.
8. It contains B vitamins, Thiamine, Niacin, B6, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron Phosphorus, and Potassium.

Now get to the store and buy some brown rice (you know you don’t have any!). See you tomorrow..

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Fitness Tip #4 of #31 Drink A Gallon Of Water

October 4, 2010 by 1 Comment

Staying properly hydrated is crucial to your health. But there is some debate on how much water is necessary to maintain proper hydration. It’s safe to say that with all the various body types, sizes and levels of activity that there is a range of appropriate water consumption to maintain hydration. Studies show that we typically lose about 3 liters (a little more than 3quarts or 96 oz) of water each day. This water is eliminated through, urination, bowel movements, breathing, and sweating. For the body to function properly you’ll need to replace this fluid.

How do you know if you’re getting dehydrated? If you have a dry mouth, produce less urine, have very dark urine and/or feel dizzy or faint you probably need water, quick. Drink at least 12 glasses a day. Although I’m recommending even more, 16 glasses a day. That is a gallon of water each day. A gallon of water is 128oz. I’m letting you know this so it’s easy to add up your water consumption each day (who really drinks from an 8 oz glass anymore). So why am I recommending that you drink a gallon of water each day instead of 96oz? I’m erring in the side of caution. As long as you eat food (and a minimal amount of sodium) there are no negative side effects to drinking a gallon of water each day. If you don’t drink this much water currently you’ll begin to notice immediate positive effects with your body.

Here are some major health benefits to staying properly hydrated

1.   Drinking water enhances fat loss
Water is an essential nutrient. All chemical reactions in the body depend upon it. If you’re trying to lose weight, this can’t be ignored. You won’t be able to lose weight without water to flush out the by-products of fat breakdown. When there isn’t enough water to dilute the body’s waste products, kidney stones may form. When the kidneys aren’t working to their full potential, the liver must step in and help. Once this happens the liver can’t optimally perform its other important functions. As a result, burning fat has to wait.

2.   Combat ailments by drinking more water
In many cases, fatigue, headaches and back pain may be caused by dehydration. If you suffer from an afternoon nod off, try drinking more water at lunch. If you or your children complain of frequent headaches, the amount of water you’re drinking could be responsible.

3.   Drinking water can reduce hunger
Hunger pangs are often misinterpreted cravings for water. Try drinking water before your regular meals and see if it helps you cut down on the amount of food you eat. It really works as an effective appetite suppressant. Avoid counting tea, coffee, sodas and juices in your fluid intake. Coffee and tea contain caffeine which has a diuretic effect and makes you lose water. Sodas and juices are too sweet—because the body must dilute them, they cause more dehydration.

4.   Look younger – drinking water hydrates your skin
When the skin is properly hydrated, it looks plump and more radiant. Water will keep the toxins flushed out and help you to cool off through perspiration. Muscles need to haveenough water to make them look full too. Deprive yourself of water and you’ll see the difference in the mirror.

Other reasons you need to drink a gallon of water everyday

1. Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and improve concentration.

2. Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. You’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises and water helps to fuel your muscle.

3. Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps with digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.

4. Less Cramps: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps.

5. Less Likely to Get Sick and Feel Healthy: Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack. Adding lemon to water can help with ailments like respiratory disease, intestinal problems, rheumatism and arthritis etc. In other words one of the benefits of drinking water can improve our immune system.
 
6. Relieves Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks of water, your heart, for instance, needs to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, and other vital organs. Your organs will be exhausted and so will you.
 
7. Good Mood: When your body feels good it can’t help but to improve your mood and make you feel happy.

8. Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

Ok enjoy your water (and the frequent trips to the restroom). I’ll be back again tomorrow with Fitness Tip #5 (and you’re going to really like Tip #5 a lot!).

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Basic Nutrition Principles

August 31, 2010 by 1 Comment
Nutrition

Proper Nutrition is essential to your health.

It should also be priority number one when it comes to reaching your goals. A large majority of the success you’ll experience in reaching your weight loss and fitness goals is the result of a solid nutrition plan. To reach and maintain your goals you’ll need to develop realistic eating habits that you can follow every day for the rest of your life. I know that sounds daunting, but it is the solution to getting off of the on again, off again, Yo-Yo dieting carousel that many of you’ve been on for your entire life. If you’ve ever experienced any frustration with your weight or you’ve lost weight in the past only to put it back on, then what I’m offering here at Fitness Know How Headquarters will change your life.

The Truth About The Diet Industry

Here is the primary reason why you have to avoid dieting, proof that it doesn’t work. I was online checking some stats on the diet industry. There are some conflicting numbers so I’ll keep it really general. In 2003-2004 Americans were spending in the mid 30 billion dollar range on diet programs per year. By 2008-2009 we increased that spending to over 55 billion dollars each year. With all that money being spent you’d think we’d be a very fit and lean country. Quite the opposite is true, during that same period of time obesity rates have continued to escalate. So we know that the diet industry doesn’t have the answers that you want. You want to lose weight and keep it off. They need you to stay fat so that you can come back and buy their products and services over and over again.

A diet is a temporary change in eating that results in temporary changes in your weight. You can lose weight on any diet, but if you go back to eating the way that you do now, you’ll go straight back to being; obese, overweight, fat, heavy just needing to lose that last 10 pounds, whatever you want to call it. And by doing so you are going to drive yourself crazy, over and over again for the rest of your life. And that just isn’t any fun. Achieving the weight loss goals that you want and maintaining that weight: now that is FUN!!!

Change The Way You Think, Right Now

I want you to completely let go of the idea of dieting. Seriously, let it go! Say to yourself right now, “I will never go on another diet for the rest of my life.” Now don’t you feel better? The pressure is off, you can do this you can succeed!

Ok here is the bottom line. You are going to eat food every single day for the rest of your life (that sounds pretty obvious and easy). If you are obese, overweight, fat, heavy, just need to lose that last 10 pounds, whatever; you just need to change the way you eat every single day for the rest of your life. Now that might sound scary to you, but you’re already eating every day. You just need to eat differently. Either way you are going to eat food every single day, choose now to eat food that will help you to feel strong, lean, confident and healthy.

What I’ll share with you will help you to change the way you approach food and eating and you’ll discover that reaching your goals and feeling great have never been so easy! It will simply be the way you live your life each and every day. And I have a lot to share with you, but for now I like to introduce “The Big Three Basic Principles” of the Fitness Know How Headquarters Nutrition Plan.

The Big Three Basic Principles
1. Eat Whole, Natural Foods
2. Eat Proper Portions
3. Eat Every 2.5  to 3 Hours

Eat Whole, Natural Foods

Eat food that is as close to the form you’d find it in nature as possible. Food that has been minimally processed is more nutrient dense. Nutrient dense foods supply and nourish the body with the vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants etc. that it needs. The primary purpose of eating is to supply your body with the fuel that it needs. If food is in a box, bag, wrapper, or full of artificial ingredients and/or preservatives avoid including it in your nutrition program. Here are examples of some foods that are whole and natural:

Fruit
Vegetables
Whole Grains
Nuts and Seeds
Lean Meat, Poultry and Fish

Eat Proper Portions

Now that you are eating natural and whole foods it is also important to eat the proper portions. Eating the proper portions helps to regulate blood sugar, insulin, cortisol and many other hormones. Eating proper portions also allows your body to utilize the nutrients and calories of each meal. If you eat too little you’ll often experience hunger before it’s time to eat your next meal. When this happens it is common to snack on junk food simply to quickly increase blood sugar levels. When portions sizes are too large some of the extra calories (energy) will be stored as body fat. Here are some general guideline for proper portions.

Protein – 4oz. (size of a deck of cards)
Carbohydrates — 1/2 Cup (size of your palm)
Vegetable – 2 cups (size of two fist)
Fats – 2oz. (size of your thumb)

Eat Every 2.5 to 3 Hours

Meal frequency, or what I call “Meal Cadence” should be between every 2 – 3 hours. When you are eating whole natural food and eating the proper portions, you will find that you are hungry every 2 – 3hours. When you eat this way you will boost your metabolism, which is essential for losing body fat. Two things happen to increase your metabolism. One your body uses energy to digest food. It’s called the thermic effect of food. So when you eat 5 – 7 times each day (which you should depending on how long your day is) your digestive system spends more time working.. And two, the body learns that nutrients will be coming in regular intervals so it adapts and starts to use that energy immediately instead of storing it as fat. All sorts so good things go on hormonally that will help you to lose body fat.

More to Come

I’ve just scratched the surface when it comes to providing you with information on the Nutrition Principles of Fitness Know How Headquarters.  Click here to read more super exciting articles on proper nutrition.

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Supplement Review

July 29, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Supplements2

Supplements. Do you really need to take them? Find out

Supplement reviews are coming soon

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