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If you’ve decided that you need to lose weight – be it for aesthetic or health reasons – it’s often difficult to know where to begin. There are so many different techniques, methods and diets to try that it’s almost impossible to make an informed decision. Luckily, weight loss usually comes down to a few important rules and these are where you should start. This article will take you through the most basic rules of all – reducing your calorie intake and increasing the amount of exercise you do.
Although it isn’t fashionable to say that weight loss is just about creating a deficit in the number of calories your body uses, in reality that’s all that really matters. For that reason if you’re beginning to lose weight you need to work out how many calories you consume on an average day. It can be quite shocking to discover how much you’re eating which is why it’s always useful to make a note of everything you eat over a certain period. Once you have a benchmark you can then work on reducing your average intake.
This is important because many people assume that they have to crash diet in order to lose weight. Fortunately, this simply isn’t true and trying to eat as little as possible can actually damage your health and chances of losing weight in the long run. For example, if you suddenly stop eating then you may lose weight but your body’s metabolism will also have decreased. This means when you go back to eating normally you’ll put on weight much faster. Another problem is that a crash diet is very difficult to keep up for any length of time.
Exercise is the other piece of the weight loss puzzle. If you’ve never been interested in sports then increasing the amount of exercise you do can seem daunting. You might imagine that the local gym is full of slim, fit people and be embarrassed to visit. The truth is that to lose weight you need to start exercising as much as possible. Some experts estimate that you need to perform cardiovascular exercise for around 250 minutes a week in order to lose weight which is a lot more than many people do in a month.
It’s important not to think you have to reach this goal straight away though. Start by setting yourself smaller targets and work up to 250 minutes a week. This will increase your confidence as you can see gains in your fitness. If going to the gym doesn’t excite you then consider going swimming, joining a dance group or taking up a new sport. Jogging is also great for weight loss although you need to be careful not to increase your mileage immediately.
Hopefully this article has given you a few ideas for getting started with weight loss. It’s vital that you come up with a plan – both for diet and exercise – that you can stick to for an extended period. The most common mistake people make when trying to lose weight is not creating a balanced diet which means it’s difficult to be consistent. Yo-yo dieting (where someone loses weight, puts it back on and then loses it again) is not only frustrating but could also potentially damage your health and hence should be avoided at all costs.
In summary, to start losing weight you should work out your daily calorie intake and then decide how to reduce it by at least 20% – potentially more if required. You should then increase the amount of exercise you do in a way that’s fun, enjoyable and sustainable.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Fact or fiction?
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Here are some of the myths,and the real truth:
1. Your genes determine your metabolism and body weight.
I've heard thousands of people say they can't drop pounds because their weight is genetically predetermined. Do you know what percentage of your body weight is truly determined by your genes? Only 25 percent—the rest is determined by your behavior. Please believe me: At any time in life, you can drastically change your body weight by combining low-calorie eating and exercise. You can increase your metabolism at any age by performing strength and resistance exercises. In one case study, scientists found that individuals in their 90s who strength-trained three times a week for eight weeks increased their strength by 300 percent. No, that is not a typo. Individuals in their 90s increased their strength by 300 percent. If you increase your strength, you're increasing your lean muscle tissue. Increase lean muscle tissue and you increase your metabolism. It's just that simple.
2. By performing strength and resistance exercises, women will bulk up.
This is totally untrue! Men have 20 to 30 times the muscle-building potential that women do. This is because of the male hormone testosterone. In all my years offering fitness instruction, I've never witnessed a woman bulking up. On the contrary, those who follow my exercise prescription and perform minimal cardiovascular exercise followed by intelligent strength and resistance exercises typically look lean and thin.
3. You can spot-reduce to lose weight.
I've witnessed women performing hundreds, if not thousands, of lunges and squats in a desperate attempt to slim their legs, hips, and glutes. While I love squats and lunges, they don't spot-reduce body fat. On the contrary, the way to achieve leaner legs, if that's where you're carrying your body fat, is to increase your lean muscle tissue throughout your body. By working all your muscles, you increase metabolism. Up your metabolism and exercise caution with your eating, and you'll start looking the way you want to.
But here's a surprising benefit of strength and resistance exercise: A study at the University of Alabama showed that women ages 61 to 77 who strength-trained three times a week lost more fat from their midsections than their male workout partners! So, if you are a woman interested in losing fat from the midsection (and by the way, a million crunches will not help you reduce your waist; they will only help strengthen that area), start strength training today. And for those of you under 61, why wait?
4. To build muscle, you should lift heavy weights/Xertubes and perform few repetitions, but to tone a muscle you should perform more repetitions with lighter weights.
The first part of this sentence is true. The way to achieve a toned muscle is to build the muscle and burn the fat. You can do it by lifting heavy weights/Xertubes and performing no more that 10 to 12 repetitions. Lifting lighter weights and doing more repetitions won't do much of anything. You're not stressing the muscle enough to stimulate it to change and grow.
5. Strength and resistance exercise doesn't benefit your heart, only cardiovascular exercise does.
This statement has been proven false. New research shows that strength training can increase aerobic capacity. You can derive similar benefits from both strength training and cardiovascular exercise. Plus you boost your metabolism 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
6. I'll lose flexibility if I perform strength and resistance exercises.
Not true. Proper strength-and-resistance training can actually improve muscular balance and flexibility. A recent study showed that formerly sedentary individuals who participated in resistance exercises showed an increase in flexibility. This occurs because of a concept called reciprocal inhibition. In lay terms, it means that when you contract, for example, the biceps muscle in the front of the arm, the triceps muscle at the back of the arm has to relax, elongate and stretch out. Basically, when you contract one muscle, you stretch the opposing one. This clearly will improve flexibility over time.
7. This type of program will take a long time to achieve results.
Fact is, you can see results in as little as four weeks by coupling effective strength-and-resistance exercises two to three times a week with a low-calorie eating plan. The reason this occurs so quickly is that the moment you start challenging your muscles, they will respond.
8. I'm already too muscular.
From my experience, most people are not too muscular, they're simply carrying too much body fat. A woman may feel that she is muscular because her thighs are large but firm. Actually, her thighs are carrying a high percentage of body fat, not muscle. After age 20, the average person loses between one half to seven-tenths of a pound of muscle each year. As a woman approaches menopause, her rate of muscle loss doubles. As all individuals reach age 70, they begin to lose a full three pounds of muscle each year. That's over 30 pounds in a decade!
So start combining cardiovascular exercise with strenth training and a proper diet to see those myths literally "melt away"!
Here are some of the myths,and the real truth:
1. Your genes determine your metabolism and body weight.
I've heard thousands of people say they can't drop pounds because their weight is genetically predetermined. Do you know what percentage of your body weight is truly determined by your genes? Only 25 percent—the rest is determined by your behavior. Please believe me: At any time in life, you can drastically change your body weight by combining low-calorie eating and exercise. You can increase your metabolism at any age by performing strength and resistance exercises. In one case study, scientists found that individuals in their 90s who strength-trained three times a week for eight weeks increased their strength by 300 percent. No, that is not a typo. Individuals in their 90s increased their strength by 300 percent. If you increase your strength, you're increasing your lean muscle tissue. Increase lean muscle tissue and you increase your metabolism. It's just that simple.
2. By performing strength and resistance exercises, women will bulk up.
This is totally untrue! Men have 20 to 30 times the muscle-building potential that women do. This is because of the male hormone testosterone. In all my years offering fitness instruction, I've never witnessed a woman bulking up. On the contrary, those who follow my exercise prescription and perform minimal cardiovascular exercise followed by intelligent strength and resistance exercises typically look lean and thin.
3. You can spot-reduce to lose weight.
I've witnessed women performing hundreds, if not thousands, of lunges and squats in a desperate attempt to slim their legs, hips, and glutes. While I love squats and lunges, they don't spot-reduce body fat. On the contrary, the way to achieve leaner legs, if that's where you're carrying your body fat, is to increase your lean muscle tissue throughout your body. By working all your muscles, you increase metabolism. Up your metabolism and exercise caution with your eating, and you'll start looking the way you want to.
But here's a surprising benefit of strength and resistance exercise: A study at the University of Alabama showed that women ages 61 to 77 who strength-trained three times a week lost more fat from their midsections than their male workout partners! So, if you are a woman interested in losing fat from the midsection (and by the way, a million crunches will not help you reduce your waist; they will only help strengthen that area), start strength training today. And for those of you under 61, why wait?
4. To build muscle, you should lift heavy weights/Xertubes and perform few repetitions, but to tone a muscle you should perform more repetitions with lighter weights.
The first part of this sentence is true. The way to achieve a toned muscle is to build the muscle and burn the fat. You can do it by lifting heavy weights/Xertubes and performing no more that 10 to 12 repetitions. Lifting lighter weights and doing more repetitions won't do much of anything. You're not stressing the muscle enough to stimulate it to change and grow.
5. Strength and resistance exercise doesn't benefit your heart, only cardiovascular exercise does.
This statement has been proven false. New research shows that strength training can increase aerobic capacity. You can derive similar benefits from both strength training and cardiovascular exercise. Plus you boost your metabolism 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
6. I'll lose flexibility if I perform strength and resistance exercises.
Not true. Proper strength-and-resistance training can actually improve muscular balance and flexibility. A recent study showed that formerly sedentary individuals who participated in resistance exercises showed an increase in flexibility. This occurs because of a concept called reciprocal inhibition. In lay terms, it means that when you contract, for example, the biceps muscle in the front of the arm, the triceps muscle at the back of the arm has to relax, elongate and stretch out. Basically, when you contract one muscle, you stretch the opposing one. This clearly will improve flexibility over time.
7. This type of program will take a long time to achieve results.
Fact is, you can see results in as little as four weeks by coupling effective strength-and-resistance exercises two to three times a week with a low-calorie eating plan. The reason this occurs so quickly is that the moment you start challenging your muscles, they will respond.
8. I'm already too muscular.
From my experience, most people are not too muscular, they're simply carrying too much body fat. A woman may feel that she is muscular because her thighs are large but firm. Actually, her thighs are carrying a high percentage of body fat, not muscle. After age 20, the average person loses between one half to seven-tenths of a pound of muscle each year. As a woman approaches menopause, her rate of muscle loss doubles. As all individuals reach age 70, they begin to lose a full three pounds of muscle each year. That's over 30 pounds in a decade!
So start combining cardiovascular exercise with strenth training and a proper diet to see those myths literally "melt away"!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Ways to Boost Your Body Image:
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You can see yourself the way you would like other people to see you.
You might think body image is simply the mental picture you have of your physical self. And you would be right—to an extent. But what you see with your mind's eye isn't the whole story. If, when you encounter a mirror, you can think things like "I'm pretty" or "I'm strong" or "I look damn hot in this bikini (or out of it!)," then you've got a healthy, positive body image. But if there's a nagging little voice in your head constantly throwing confidence-crushing curveballs at you—like "my butt is too big" or "my breasts are too small"—then your body image might need a little work. Here are four easy ways to start seeing yourself the way you want others to see you.
Fake it till you make it:
When it comes to the image you project to others, the way you use your body is far more important than what it looks like. The key is to project confidence. If you stand taller, pull your shoulders back, and stride across the room with purpose, it's unlikely anyone will be thinking, "Wow, she sure could stand to lose a few."
Pay a compliment forward:
Women can be highly competitive about their bodies: After all, deep down we are flaunting our potential to nab a guy and keep the human race ticking along. ("May the wispiest waist win!") You could argue, then, that it's our role in the survival of the species to compare, contrast, and criticize—and, as a result, we're sometimes less than free with the flattery. So when a woman compliments another woman, her words can carry considerably more weight than a man's.
The point is, the more positive feedback you get from other females about your appearance, the more positive your body image will be. The best way to invite compliments? Offer them up yourself. No need to be disingenuous; I'm not suggesting you start passing out plaudits like Halloween candy. But go ahead and tell the woman ahead of you in line at Starbucks that you love her haircut. You'll feel good for making someone else feel good—and you'll create the kind of karma that will bring self-esteem-enhancing kudos your way.
Say "Om":
Yoga can work wonders for improving body image. A 2005 study published in the Psychology of Women Quarterly, found that women who did yoga were less likely to objectify their bodies and were more satisfied with their appearance than those who did only aerobics or who did no exercise at all. In addition, the women who did other forms of exercise (specifically, running and aerobics) were more likely to have the types of negative feelings about their bodies that are associated with conditions such as anorexia or bulimia.
Why does yoga have such a body-affirming effect? "Yoga means 'yoke together,' referring to mind, body, and spirit," explains Jan St. John, who has been a yoga instructor for more than 20 years. "Other fitness classes are externally directed, while a yoga class should be internally directed, with the teacher as a guide, rather than someone who's placing demands on her students. It's an hour that belongs to you, and it should be an opportunity not to judge your body but to appreciate it."
Dance, dance, dance:
A dance class (or dance-inspired workout) can loosen you up and make you feel sexy, something that functional training—such as Spinning or running—can't do. "Dancing is a liberator of all the things that hold us back," says Angel Williams, a fitness trainer and performer in Montclair, N.J., and that includes the negative feelings we have about our bodies. In a dance class, you have to face the mirror.
Look for a class that allows you to move your body freely, such as hip-hop, belly dancing, jazz, or one of the many types of dance with Latin or African roots. The key is to give it time: "You're not going to connect on day one," says Williams. "You have to show up regularly and challenge yourself. If you commit to that, you'll begin to notice little things about your body, how it's changing and what it can do. You'll start to appreciate it more and more. Eventually, you'll be saying to yourself, 'Wow, my body was able to do this,' and you'll look at yourself differently." Even when you're naked.
You might think body image is simply the mental picture you have of your physical self. And you would be right—to an extent. But what you see with your mind's eye isn't the whole story. If, when you encounter a mirror, you can think things like "I'm pretty" or "I'm strong" or "I look damn hot in this bikini (or out of it!)," then you've got a healthy, positive body image. But if there's a nagging little voice in your head constantly throwing confidence-crushing curveballs at you—like "my butt is too big" or "my breasts are too small"—then your body image might need a little work. Here are four easy ways to start seeing yourself the way you want others to see you.
Fake it till you make it:
When it comes to the image you project to others, the way you use your body is far more important than what it looks like. The key is to project confidence. If you stand taller, pull your shoulders back, and stride across the room with purpose, it's unlikely anyone will be thinking, "Wow, she sure could stand to lose a few."
Pay a compliment forward:
Women can be highly competitive about their bodies: After all, deep down we are flaunting our potential to nab a guy and keep the human race ticking along. ("May the wispiest waist win!") You could argue, then, that it's our role in the survival of the species to compare, contrast, and criticize—and, as a result, we're sometimes less than free with the flattery. So when a woman compliments another woman, her words can carry considerably more weight than a man's.
The point is, the more positive feedback you get from other females about your appearance, the more positive your body image will be. The best way to invite compliments? Offer them up yourself. No need to be disingenuous; I'm not suggesting you start passing out plaudits like Halloween candy. But go ahead and tell the woman ahead of you in line at Starbucks that you love her haircut. You'll feel good for making someone else feel good—and you'll create the kind of karma that will bring self-esteem-enhancing kudos your way.
Say "Om":
Yoga can work wonders for improving body image. A 2005 study published in the Psychology of Women Quarterly, found that women who did yoga were less likely to objectify their bodies and were more satisfied with their appearance than those who did only aerobics or who did no exercise at all. In addition, the women who did other forms of exercise (specifically, running and aerobics) were more likely to have the types of negative feelings about their bodies that are associated with conditions such as anorexia or bulimia.
Why does yoga have such a body-affirming effect? "Yoga means 'yoke together,' referring to mind, body, and spirit," explains Jan St. John, who has been a yoga instructor for more than 20 years. "Other fitness classes are externally directed, while a yoga class should be internally directed, with the teacher as a guide, rather than someone who's placing demands on her students. It's an hour that belongs to you, and it should be an opportunity not to judge your body but to appreciate it."
Dance, dance, dance:
A dance class (or dance-inspired workout) can loosen you up and make you feel sexy, something that functional training—such as Spinning or running—can't do. "Dancing is a liberator of all the things that hold us back," says Angel Williams, a fitness trainer and performer in Montclair, N.J., and that includes the negative feelings we have about our bodies. In a dance class, you have to face the mirror.
Look for a class that allows you to move your body freely, such as hip-hop, belly dancing, jazz, or one of the many types of dance with Latin or African roots. The key is to give it time: "You're not going to connect on day one," says Williams. "You have to show up regularly and challenge yourself. If you commit to that, you'll begin to notice little things about your body, how it's changing and what it can do. You'll start to appreciate it more and more. Eventually, you'll be saying to yourself, 'Wow, my body was able to do this,' and you'll look at yourself differently." Even when you're naked.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
3 Tips for Boosting Immune Support:
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You already know you need to eat well to stay healthy, but scientists are now zeroing in on specific diet strategies that can help boost your immunity. With cold and flu season right around the corner, here are three to add to your arsenal.
1. Fill Your Vitamin D Tank:
You may have fewer health problems—ranging from colds to cancer,if you get enough vitamin D. Your body naturally makes vitamin D from sunlight. You can also get it in smaller doses from fatty fish, such as: salmon, and from fortified milk. Most Americans don’t get enough vitamin D, most experts recommend a D supplement. New research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that taking such a supplement may help boost your immune system. In a study of more than 300 Japanese children, those who took daily vitamin D supplements (1,200 IU) were 40 percent less likely to get a common flu virus than kids who took a placebo. Laboratory studies indicate that the nutrient may help immune cells identify and destroy bacteria and viruses that make us sick. Aim to get at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily (check with your doctor before taking more).
2. Get A Daily Dose Of Soluble Fiber:
Mice that ate a diet rich in soluble fiber for six weeks recovered from a bacterial infection in half the time it took mice that chowed on meals containing mixed fiber, according to a recent study. Soluble fiber in abundance is found in citrus fruits, apples, carrots, beans and oats. Soluble Fiber also help fight inflammation. Insoluble fiber which is found in wheat, whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables is still important for overall health, but it doesn’t seem to have the same impact on immunity. Strive for 25 to 38 grams of total fiber a day, paying extra attention to getting the soluble kind.
3. Stay Lean:
Overweight adults who cut their daily calorie intake by nearly a third saw a 50 percent boost in immunity, according to a six-month study out of Tufts University. (Those who cut calories by 10 percent had smaller improvements.) Restricting calories may reduce levels of compounds in the body that depress your immune response. Animal studies suggest that calorie restriction could work in normal-weight individuals too. Try to maintain your body weight at what is considered ideal, because eating more than what you need drags the immune system down. And remember: when you cut back on quantity, you need to be even more vigilant about the quality of your diet. Try to eat more fruits and vegetables. Choose lean protein sources, such as fish, chicken and low-fat dairy.
1. Fill Your Vitamin D Tank:
You may have fewer health problems—ranging from colds to cancer,if you get enough vitamin D. Your body naturally makes vitamin D from sunlight. You can also get it in smaller doses from fatty fish, such as: salmon, and from fortified milk. Most Americans don’t get enough vitamin D, most experts recommend a D supplement. New research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that taking such a supplement may help boost your immune system. In a study of more than 300 Japanese children, those who took daily vitamin D supplements (1,200 IU) were 40 percent less likely to get a common flu virus than kids who took a placebo. Laboratory studies indicate that the nutrient may help immune cells identify and destroy bacteria and viruses that make us sick. Aim to get at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily (check with your doctor before taking more).
2. Get A Daily Dose Of Soluble Fiber:
Mice that ate a diet rich in soluble fiber for six weeks recovered from a bacterial infection in half the time it took mice that chowed on meals containing mixed fiber, according to a recent study. Soluble fiber in abundance is found in citrus fruits, apples, carrots, beans and oats. Soluble Fiber also help fight inflammation. Insoluble fiber which is found in wheat, whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables is still important for overall health, but it doesn’t seem to have the same impact on immunity. Strive for 25 to 38 grams of total fiber a day, paying extra attention to getting the soluble kind.
3. Stay Lean:
Overweight adults who cut their daily calorie intake by nearly a third saw a 50 percent boost in immunity, according to a six-month study out of Tufts University. (Those who cut calories by 10 percent had smaller improvements.) Restricting calories may reduce levels of compounds in the body that depress your immune response. Animal studies suggest that calorie restriction could work in normal-weight individuals too. Try to maintain your body weight at what is considered ideal, because eating more than what you need drags the immune system down. And remember: when you cut back on quantity, you need to be even more vigilant about the quality of your diet. Try to eat more fruits and vegetables. Choose lean protein sources, such as fish, chicken and low-fat dairy.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Benefits Of BCAA:
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What can targeted BCAA supplementation do for you? Science has shown us that BCAA supplementation can have rather far-reaching positive effects in the body. Among These effects include:
Increased Recovery - Perhaps the greatest benefit to hard training athletes is the increase in metabolic recovery that follows supplementation. Most athletes feel a substantial decrease in the amount of post exercise muscle soreness soon after beginning BCAA supplementation. Even without any of the other benefits of BCAA usage this means faster recovery from exercise induced protein damage (remember your muscles grow when you damage them), which in turn means faster size and strength gains. With increased recovery the harder and more frequently you can hit the iron and thus the sooner you can meet your goals.
Endurance - The BCAAs can serve as a donor of nitrogen in the formation of l-alanine, which provides the body with glucose after glycogen stores have been depleted. When you think of sparing glycogen you probably think of high carbohydrate diets but BCAAs have proven their worth here as well. In a 4 week study Japanese
Prolab BCAA Plus researchers administered BCAAs or a placebo to rats and then exercised the animals to exhaustion. The BCAA group exhibited spared glycogen storage in the liver and skeletal muscle during exercise. This means that they may enable you to train at higher intensities for longer periods of time. Supplementing with BCAAs may enable you to maintain your training intensity and endurance as energy normally provided by your diet decreases. Anyone who has ever been on a very low carb or low calorie diet for extended periods can definitely appreciate this!
Stimulate Protein Synthesis - BCAAs by themselves have been shown to independently stimulate muscle protein synthesis. In other words, they have shown the ability to induce muscle gains, even in the absence of weight training! Studies have shown that BCAA supplementation increases the hormones: testosterone, growth hormone, and insulin.
All of these are highly anabolic hormones. Research also shows that under conditions of extreme stress, such as hiking for 21 days at high altitude, BCAA supplementation (10 grams per day) was shown to increase muscle mass while subjects ingesting a placebo had no such change. The important thing here is these people gained muscle under extreme conditions without any anabolic stimulus such as weight training.
Stimulate Fat Loss - Supplementation of BCAAs has been shown to trigger significant and preferential losses of visceral body fat. Located in the deeper layers of the body under the subcutaneous fat, this visceral fat tends to be resistant to dieting and is hard to lose. In one study, 25 competitive wrestlers were divided into 1 of 3 diet groups: a diet high in BCAAs, a diet low in BCAAs, and a control diet. The wrestlers stayed on the diets for 19 days. The results showed that the high BCAA group lost the most body fat, 17.3% on average. Much of the fat lost was in the abdominal region. This may give credence to BCAAs effectiveness at "spot reducing" the abs. In another study 2 groups of climbers were divided into a BCAA supplemented group and a control group. Both groups lost weight but the BCAA group actually gained muscle mass while losing fat and the other group lost muscle mass.
One theory as to how BCAAs exert their substantial fat burning and muscle building effects is this: When present in high amounts during exercise, the body senses high levels of BCAA in the bloodstream which is typically a sign of excessive muscle breakdown. So the body stops muscle breakdown and uses more fat for fuel. At the same time the extra BCAAs in the blood stimulate insulin so the BCAAs are driven directly to the muscle. So the result is people lose body fat and gain muscle at the same time. If my hunch is correct, in order to benefit the most from the fat loss aspect of BCAAs you should make sure you limit carbohydrate consumption during the 2 hour window before your workout.
Boosting Immune Function - Remember if you're sick it's hard to train, much less grow. It's even harder to come back after an illness without losing a ton of strength and size. When you train at high intensity or high volume you risk immune suppression and infections. By supplementing with BCAAs you'll help reverse glutamine loss, which is essential for immune function. In addition to this, the BCAAs help prevent a catabolic state in the body, which in turn can help improve recovery and lessen the damaging effects your exercise sessions may have on the body.
Anti-Catabolic Effects - BCAAs probably exert most of their anabolic effects through anti-catabolic activity. In short, they suppress the use of muscle proteins for fuel, thereby sparing the breakdown of muscular protein. In part this is because they can sacrifice themselves as fuel. With less muscular protein being broken down by the body during training, the net result is increased protein synthesis and more muscle for you! In a study done on obese people put on a starvation type diet, BCAA supplementation was found to induce anabolism and nitrogen sparing so the subjects burned body fat instead of lean muscle mass, thus sparing muscle protein.
Increased Recovery - Perhaps the greatest benefit to hard training athletes is the increase in metabolic recovery that follows supplementation. Most athletes feel a substantial decrease in the amount of post exercise muscle soreness soon after beginning BCAA supplementation. Even without any of the other benefits of BCAA usage this means faster recovery from exercise induced protein damage (remember your muscles grow when you damage them), which in turn means faster size and strength gains. With increased recovery the harder and more frequently you can hit the iron and thus the sooner you can meet your goals.
Endurance - The BCAAs can serve as a donor of nitrogen in the formation of l-alanine, which provides the body with glucose after glycogen stores have been depleted. When you think of sparing glycogen you probably think of high carbohydrate diets but BCAAs have proven their worth here as well. In a 4 week study Japanese
Prolab BCAA Plus researchers administered BCAAs or a placebo to rats and then exercised the animals to exhaustion. The BCAA group exhibited spared glycogen storage in the liver and skeletal muscle during exercise. This means that they may enable you to train at higher intensities for longer periods of time. Supplementing with BCAAs may enable you to maintain your training intensity and endurance as energy normally provided by your diet decreases. Anyone who has ever been on a very low carb or low calorie diet for extended periods can definitely appreciate this!
Stimulate Protein Synthesis - BCAAs by themselves have been shown to independently stimulate muscle protein synthesis. In other words, they have shown the ability to induce muscle gains, even in the absence of weight training! Studies have shown that BCAA supplementation increases the hormones: testosterone, growth hormone, and insulin.
All of these are highly anabolic hormones. Research also shows that under conditions of extreme stress, such as hiking for 21 days at high altitude, BCAA supplementation (10 grams per day) was shown to increase muscle mass while subjects ingesting a placebo had no such change. The important thing here is these people gained muscle under extreme conditions without any anabolic stimulus such as weight training.
Stimulate Fat Loss - Supplementation of BCAAs has been shown to trigger significant and preferential losses of visceral body fat. Located in the deeper layers of the body under the subcutaneous fat, this visceral fat tends to be resistant to dieting and is hard to lose. In one study, 25 competitive wrestlers were divided into 1 of 3 diet groups: a diet high in BCAAs, a diet low in BCAAs, and a control diet. The wrestlers stayed on the diets for 19 days. The results showed that the high BCAA group lost the most body fat, 17.3% on average. Much of the fat lost was in the abdominal region. This may give credence to BCAAs effectiveness at "spot reducing" the abs. In another study 2 groups of climbers were divided into a BCAA supplemented group and a control group. Both groups lost weight but the BCAA group actually gained muscle mass while losing fat and the other group lost muscle mass.
One theory as to how BCAAs exert their substantial fat burning and muscle building effects is this: When present in high amounts during exercise, the body senses high levels of BCAA in the bloodstream which is typically a sign of excessive muscle breakdown. So the body stops muscle breakdown and uses more fat for fuel. At the same time the extra BCAAs in the blood stimulate insulin so the BCAAs are driven directly to the muscle. So the result is people lose body fat and gain muscle at the same time. If my hunch is correct, in order to benefit the most from the fat loss aspect of BCAAs you should make sure you limit carbohydrate consumption during the 2 hour window before your workout.
Boosting Immune Function - Remember if you're sick it's hard to train, much less grow. It's even harder to come back after an illness without losing a ton of strength and size. When you train at high intensity or high volume you risk immune suppression and infections. By supplementing with BCAAs you'll help reverse glutamine loss, which is essential for immune function. In addition to this, the BCAAs help prevent a catabolic state in the body, which in turn can help improve recovery and lessen the damaging effects your exercise sessions may have on the body.
Anti-Catabolic Effects - BCAAs probably exert most of their anabolic effects through anti-catabolic activity. In short, they suppress the use of muscle proteins for fuel, thereby sparing the breakdown of muscular protein. In part this is because they can sacrifice themselves as fuel. With less muscular protein being broken down by the body during training, the net result is increased protein synthesis and more muscle for you! In a study done on obese people put on a starvation type diet, BCAA supplementation was found to induce anabolism and nitrogen sparing so the subjects burned body fat instead of lean muscle mass, thus sparing muscle protein.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Holiday Foods that are good for you:
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Skip the Eggnog! These Holiday Foods Are Good for You:
Careful not to overdo it,but a candy cane won't do any harm and may do some good!
It's hard to avoid indulging during the holidays. But do you have to? Actually, holiday foods aren't all bad. Excluding, say, eggnog, fried latkes, and other calorie-laden treats, some things that could land on your plate this season are in fact healthy.
Oysters: which supposedly taste best in the winter months are one example. Traditionally served in stew on Christmas Eve, the mollusks contain more zinc than any other food. Zinc is a mineral that helps fight off infections and heal wounds, making oysters good for the immune system. They also contain vitamin B12 and iron, required to make red blood cells, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for heart health.
Maybe you have a favorite holiday dish: green bean or sweet potato casserole or, perhaps, oyster stew. Recipes for these and many other festive dishes usually call for whole milk or cream and butter. But with that slice of pecan pie, made with sugar and eggs, a single celebratory feast could easily max out your daily allowance of calories. Still, you can make lighter, healthier versions with a few improvements. Top green bean casserole with sliced almonds instead of fried onions, and use fat-free cream of mushroom soup instead of the regular kind. Try using skim milk and egg whites in lieu of whole milk and whole eggs.
Enjoy foods that make it the holidays for you, but minimize your fat intake by abstaining from sides and desserts to which you are less attached or by tweaking their recipes. And once you've committed to cutting back, maximize your meal's healthfulness by adding these ingredients:
Nuts and Seeds:
Walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, and a variety of other nuts and seeds contain fiber and plant sterols, which may help lower cholesterol; a host of studies have shown that nuts favorably affect the risk of heart disease. One strike against nuts is their calorie content, so snacking on more than a handful or so is a mistake if you're planning to have other fattening treats with your meal. A better way to eat them? Sprinkle nuts or seeds atop vegetables and fruits rather than using them in desserts. The American Heart Association recommends people eat at least 4 servings per week to improve cardiovascular health.
Orange fruits and veggies:
Pumpkins, squash, and sweet potatoes are orange because they contain the plant pigment beta-carotene, an antioxidant that scientists believe protects against heart disease, cancer, and other age-related diseases. Beta-carotene is also a precursor to vitamin A, which is necessary for good eyesight. So go on, have that slice of sweet potato pie, just without the crust and whipped cream.
Cranberries:
Anthocyanins in cranberries give them their red color, and like beta-carotene, these chemicals have antioxidant properties. In addition to preventing cellular damage in the body, anthocyanins appear to have an anti-inflammatory effect, important since inflammation can certainly contribute to cardiovascular disease as well as certain cancers. Resist the urge to camouflage their bitter taste with loads of sugar. Instead, prepare cranberries with sweeter fruits such as chopped apples or pineapple to avoid adding extra calories.
Dark Chocolate:
Antioxidants in cocoa are believed to improve the flexibility of blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate has a higher concentration of cocoa than does milk chocolate, and thus, contains more of the helpful compounds. It might also help relieve stress. Chocolate is not without calories, though, so eat in moderation.
Herbs and spices:
Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and other often used holiday flavorings are beneficial, too. Research has found that ginger helps relieve nausea, for example, and ginger tea is a home remedy for colds and certain viral infections. Some research suggests cinnamon may help diabetics better manage their blood sugar levels, but that doesn't mean binging on maple-cinnamon pumpkin pie is healthy. Cinnamon does not antidote carbs. Clove oil has historically been used to dull toothaches while oil from peppermint, another seasonal favorite is an aid for digestion. In the heartburn-prone, however, peppermint may cause more pain than pleasure. One big bonus of using herbs and spices: They may reduce the need for salt or sugar.
Careful not to overdo it,but a candy cane won't do any harm and may do some good!
It's hard to avoid indulging during the holidays. But do you have to? Actually, holiday foods aren't all bad. Excluding, say, eggnog, fried latkes, and other calorie-laden treats, some things that could land on your plate this season are in fact healthy.
Oysters: which supposedly taste best in the winter months are one example. Traditionally served in stew on Christmas Eve, the mollusks contain more zinc than any other food. Zinc is a mineral that helps fight off infections and heal wounds, making oysters good for the immune system. They also contain vitamin B12 and iron, required to make red blood cells, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for heart health.
Maybe you have a favorite holiday dish: green bean or sweet potato casserole or, perhaps, oyster stew. Recipes for these and many other festive dishes usually call for whole milk or cream and butter. But with that slice of pecan pie, made with sugar and eggs, a single celebratory feast could easily max out your daily allowance of calories. Still, you can make lighter, healthier versions with a few improvements. Top green bean casserole with sliced almonds instead of fried onions, and use fat-free cream of mushroom soup instead of the regular kind. Try using skim milk and egg whites in lieu of whole milk and whole eggs.
Enjoy foods that make it the holidays for you, but minimize your fat intake by abstaining from sides and desserts to which you are less attached or by tweaking their recipes. And once you've committed to cutting back, maximize your meal's healthfulness by adding these ingredients:
Nuts and Seeds:
Walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, and a variety of other nuts and seeds contain fiber and plant sterols, which may help lower cholesterol; a host of studies have shown that nuts favorably affect the risk of heart disease. One strike against nuts is their calorie content, so snacking on more than a handful or so is a mistake if you're planning to have other fattening treats with your meal. A better way to eat them? Sprinkle nuts or seeds atop vegetables and fruits rather than using them in desserts. The American Heart Association recommends people eat at least 4 servings per week to improve cardiovascular health.
Orange fruits and veggies:
Pumpkins, squash, and sweet potatoes are orange because they contain the plant pigment beta-carotene, an antioxidant that scientists believe protects against heart disease, cancer, and other age-related diseases. Beta-carotene is also a precursor to vitamin A, which is necessary for good eyesight. So go on, have that slice of sweet potato pie, just without the crust and whipped cream.
Cranberries:
Anthocyanins in cranberries give them their red color, and like beta-carotene, these chemicals have antioxidant properties. In addition to preventing cellular damage in the body, anthocyanins appear to have an anti-inflammatory effect, important since inflammation can certainly contribute to cardiovascular disease as well as certain cancers. Resist the urge to camouflage their bitter taste with loads of sugar. Instead, prepare cranberries with sweeter fruits such as chopped apples or pineapple to avoid adding extra calories.
Dark Chocolate:
Antioxidants in cocoa are believed to improve the flexibility of blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate has a higher concentration of cocoa than does milk chocolate, and thus, contains more of the helpful compounds. It might also help relieve stress. Chocolate is not without calories, though, so eat in moderation.
Herbs and spices:
Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and other often used holiday flavorings are beneficial, too. Research has found that ginger helps relieve nausea, for example, and ginger tea is a home remedy for colds and certain viral infections. Some research suggests cinnamon may help diabetics better manage their blood sugar levels, but that doesn't mean binging on maple-cinnamon pumpkin pie is healthy. Cinnamon does not antidote carbs. Clove oil has historically been used to dull toothaches while oil from peppermint, another seasonal favorite is an aid for digestion. In the heartburn-prone, however, peppermint may cause more pain than pleasure. One big bonus of using herbs and spices: They may reduce the need for salt or sugar.
Friday, December 3, 2010
12 Days of Weight Loss:
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Have a Healthy Holiday:
There’s a way to ensure your diet and fitness goals don’t end up cast aside with the gift wrappings this year: Make one healthy choice every day leading up to the holidays. These 12 simple strategies will help you control calories, and even burn a few (almost 1,000!), while still enjoying the season. You might just find that these healthy efforts will lead to more virtuous choices, so you’ll look and feel better by 2011.
Eat a Belly-Flattening Breakfast:
Start your day with a hearty breakfast and stay satiated for a morning of holiday errands. This way, you’ll be less tempted to storm the food court during your shopping trip. Try these meal ideas to fill your belly and keep it flat through the new year.
Improve Your Morning Latte:
You can enjoy Starbucks’ seasonal drinks without packing on pounds—as long as you select strategically. Steer clear of sugar-loaded options like the Grande Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream, which clocks in at 540 calories. Instead, opt for the Gingerbread Latte to get your holiday fix for a fraction of the guilt. A Grande size with skim milk contains just 200 calories.
Play in the Snow:
Dust off your ice skates or skis for some wintry fun. A 150-pound person can burn 545calories during an hour of ice skating, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing. Spend the afternoon outdoors and you won’t have to feel guilty for skipping the gym.
Stay Hydrated:
Remember to drink plenty of water despite the frigid temperature outside. Researchers at Virginia Tech recently reported that water can help middle-aged and older adults consume fewer calories. Half of the overweight participants in the study drank 2 cups of water before each meal. At the end of 12 weeks, this group lost 44% more weight than those who didn’t consume water before eating. Start drinking now and you’ll slim down by spring.
Drink and Be Merry:
There’s no reason you can’t include alcohol in your December diet. But be smart when you indulge. At your next holiday party, celebrate the season with a glass of Champagne, which contains only 80 calories. Eggnog with rum, on the other hand, can set you back 400!
Do 10 Minutes of Cardio:
Lifting weights or attending an hour-long Pilates class is probably not your number one priority right now. But squeeze in 10 minutes of cardio today and you can check “exercise” off your list. Grab your iPod, go for a quick jog around the neighborhood, and admire the lawn decorations. By the time you get through three songs on your holiday play list, you will have burned 100 calories.
Play Santa Claus:
Who needs reindeer and a sleigh? Deliver your gifts in person,on your bicycle. A 2010study from Harvard School of Public Health found that just 5 minutes of daily bike riding can help premenopausal women decrease the risk of weight gain. So bundle up baby, it’s cold outside.
Indulge in Cheese:
Every holiday party touts an obligatory cheese plate, and there’s no need to be a Grinch about it. Enjoy your favorite hors d’oeuvres in moderation. A tablespoon of Brie contains just 50 calories, and one mini spinach and cheese quiche has only 45 calories. Plus, the calcium in cheese may even help boost your weight loss, so savor every last bite.
Shop Smarter:
Take an extra lap around the mall when you’re out searching for the perfect present. The average person can burn 56 calories with just 15 minutes of brisk walking. And the more bags you’re carrying, the more calories you’ll burn. You may never find a better excuse to shop until you drop.
Give Yourself a Healthy Gift:
While you’re raiding the aisles of Best Buy fulfilling everyone else’s wish lists, toss a Fitbit in the cart for yourself. This quarter-sized gadget tracks your calories burned, steps taken, distance traveled, and sleep quality. It also links to a personal profile page where you can log your eating, weight, and other health information ($99, www.fitbit.com).
Fill Up Your Plate:
Go ahead and pile appetizers onto your plate, a little plate. You’re more likely to consume fewer calories if you opt for the smaller dish. Remember, you’re trying to monitor your portions, so don’t double the number of trips to the party platter.
There’s a way to ensure your diet and fitness goals don’t end up cast aside with the gift wrappings this year: Make one healthy choice every day leading up to the holidays. These 12 simple strategies will help you control calories, and even burn a few (almost 1,000!), while still enjoying the season. You might just find that these healthy efforts will lead to more virtuous choices, so you’ll look and feel better by 2011.
Eat a Belly-Flattening Breakfast:
Start your day with a hearty breakfast and stay satiated for a morning of holiday errands. This way, you’ll be less tempted to storm the food court during your shopping trip. Try these meal ideas to fill your belly and keep it flat through the new year.
Improve Your Morning Latte:
You can enjoy Starbucks’ seasonal drinks without packing on pounds—as long as you select strategically. Steer clear of sugar-loaded options like the Grande Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream, which clocks in at 540 calories. Instead, opt for the Gingerbread Latte to get your holiday fix for a fraction of the guilt. A Grande size with skim milk contains just 200 calories.
Play in the Snow:
Dust off your ice skates or skis for some wintry fun. A 150-pound person can burn 545calories during an hour of ice skating, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing. Spend the afternoon outdoors and you won’t have to feel guilty for skipping the gym.
Stay Hydrated:
Remember to drink plenty of water despite the frigid temperature outside. Researchers at Virginia Tech recently reported that water can help middle-aged and older adults consume fewer calories. Half of the overweight participants in the study drank 2 cups of water before each meal. At the end of 12 weeks, this group lost 44% more weight than those who didn’t consume water before eating. Start drinking now and you’ll slim down by spring.
Drink and Be Merry:
There’s no reason you can’t include alcohol in your December diet. But be smart when you indulge. At your next holiday party, celebrate the season with a glass of Champagne, which contains only 80 calories. Eggnog with rum, on the other hand, can set you back 400!
Do 10 Minutes of Cardio:
Lifting weights or attending an hour-long Pilates class is probably not your number one priority right now. But squeeze in 10 minutes of cardio today and you can check “exercise” off your list. Grab your iPod, go for a quick jog around the neighborhood, and admire the lawn decorations. By the time you get through three songs on your holiday play list, you will have burned 100 calories.
Play Santa Claus:
Who needs reindeer and a sleigh? Deliver your gifts in person,on your bicycle. A 2010study from Harvard School of Public Health found that just 5 minutes of daily bike riding can help premenopausal women decrease the risk of weight gain. So bundle up baby, it’s cold outside.
Indulge in Cheese:
Every holiday party touts an obligatory cheese plate, and there’s no need to be a Grinch about it. Enjoy your favorite hors d’oeuvres in moderation. A tablespoon of Brie contains just 50 calories, and one mini spinach and cheese quiche has only 45 calories. Plus, the calcium in cheese may even help boost your weight loss, so savor every last bite.
Shop Smarter:
Take an extra lap around the mall when you’re out searching for the perfect present. The average person can burn 56 calories with just 15 minutes of brisk walking. And the more bags you’re carrying, the more calories you’ll burn. You may never find a better excuse to shop until you drop.
Give Yourself a Healthy Gift:
While you’re raiding the aisles of Best Buy fulfilling everyone else’s wish lists, toss a Fitbit in the cart for yourself. This quarter-sized gadget tracks your calories burned, steps taken, distance traveled, and sleep quality. It also links to a personal profile page where you can log your eating, weight, and other health information ($99, www.fitbit.com).
Fill Up Your Plate:
Go ahead and pile appetizers onto your plate, a little plate. You’re more likely to consume fewer calories if you opt for the smaller dish. Remember, you’re trying to monitor your portions, so don’t double the number of trips to the party platter.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
6 Happiest Ways to Lose Weight:
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The old way to a flat belly involved nothing but cardio, counting calories, and control. The new thinking: Relax and live a little! You’re more likely to stick to a plan that allows you some indulgences and actually fits in your life. Recent research shows that you can shrink your stomach while drinking wine, eating carbs, and logging less time at the gym. These six gut-busting strategies will help you melt away the pounds so that you can say goodbye to belly fat for good.
Have a glass of wine with dinner:
Tossing back a little booze doesn’t doom you to a beer belly, says Harvard School of Public Health researchers. In fact, you might experience the opposite. Although wine, beer, and cocktails have long been synonymous with “empty calories,” a recent study found that women who drank one to two servings of alcohol a day, regardless of type, gained less weight and were less likely to become overweight compared to their teetotaling counterparts.
You’re not going to lose weight drinking, but this attenuating effect may be explained by a combination of factors. Women tend to cut back on other parts of their diet when they drink, and there’s evidence that their bodies break down alcohol inefficiently, which can burn a few more calories, says Lu Wang, MD, PhD, lead researcher and instructor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
This isn’t a green light for adopting liquid diet. Moderation is key, and the weight loss effects of light drinking probably don’t extend to men, as guys usually eat just as much, if not more, when they drink.
Skip Sit-ups:
Science confirms what you’ve long suspected: Those hundreds of sit-ups before bed aren’t getting you any closer to a toned stomach. Not only do crunches put your lower back at risk for injury, but they work only a tiny portion of your core.
For a smarter, more effective abs routine, try the Swiss-ball rollout and the Swiss-ball pike. A new Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy study compared ten different abs exercises and found that your core works harder performing these two moves than any other.
Still, abs-centric workouts only get you so far. They primarily strengthen and tone your muscles, not decrease your waist size, so before you can reveal your six-pack, you’ll have to remove the layer of fat jiggling on your stomach. While it’s tempting to just amp up your cardio and watch your number of calories burned climb, take the time to hit up the weight room, too. After all, research suggests that resistance training may be more effective at torching fat than aerobic exercise.
Shorten Your Cardio Workout:
A recent study found that people who did 30 minutes of intense cardio, five days a week, lost more visceral fat than those who exercised for 50 minutes a session at a moderate pace, even though they burned the same number of total calories at the gym. It’s kind of like, if you get in an automobile, and you drive faster, you burn more fuel in a shorter period of time. Your body may burn more energy after an intense workout, since stressed muscles need more fuel to repair and replenish.
You don’t have to kill yourself on the stationary bike to get the benefits of high-intensity workouts, either. The study participants in the high-intensity group were still able to talk and hold brief conversations while exercising.
Get More Sleep:
It’s called beauty sleep for good reason. Canadian researchers looked at the relationship between sleep and weight gain over 6 years and found that people who slept 5 to 6 hours a night gained about 4.5 pounds more than those who rested for 7 to 8 hours. Light snoozers were also 27 percent more likely to develop obesity than regular sleepers.
Rest regulates your hunger hormones gherlin and leptin, and lack of shut-eye simultaneously stimulates your appetite while suppressing feelings of satiety. Stop giving sleep the short shrift and try turning off your electronics and turning down your thermostat. Optimal temperatures for sleep hover around 60°F to 68°F.
Eat 3 Servings of Dairy Every Day:
Dairy occasionally gets a bad rap for being fatty, but eating yogurt, milk, and, yes, even cheese, may help you lose that stubborn spare tire. A recent study found that that people who were on a reduced-calorie diet and ate about 3 cups of yogurt a day for 12 weeks lost more weight than those who cut calories and took calcium pills. What’s more, the extra chub was cinched primarily from their stomachs: Yogurt eaters lost about an inch and a half from their waists, while the calcium pill poppers lost less than a quarter of an inch.
Fat cells make their own cortisol, which creates more belly fat. There are components in milk and yogurt, such as calcium, that interrupt that cycle, reducing the drive to store more fat in the belly. Dairy products are also sources of conjugated linoleic acid, another belly fat-busting compound.
Eat Carbs (Choose Wisely):
Studies show that you don’t have go all-Atkins in order to lose your gut. On the contrary, noshing on the right carbs can actually help you lose weight. A Journal of Nutrition study found that those who stocked up on whole grains (dark bread, brown rice, popcorn, bulgur wheat, couscous) and cereal fiber tended to have less overall body fat and belly fat than those who ate less of the stuff.
Adding more whole grains to your diet may encourage you to cut back on other foods. Whole grains are loaded with fiber, which adds bulk to your meals without adding calories, and are harder to digest. Translation: You’ll feel fuller, longer eating whole grains instead of the refined kind.
Have a glass of wine with dinner:
Tossing back a little booze doesn’t doom you to a beer belly, says Harvard School of Public Health researchers. In fact, you might experience the opposite. Although wine, beer, and cocktails have long been synonymous with “empty calories,” a recent study found that women who drank one to two servings of alcohol a day, regardless of type, gained less weight and were less likely to become overweight compared to their teetotaling counterparts.
You’re not going to lose weight drinking, but this attenuating effect may be explained by a combination of factors. Women tend to cut back on other parts of their diet when they drink, and there’s evidence that their bodies break down alcohol inefficiently, which can burn a few more calories, says Lu Wang, MD, PhD, lead researcher and instructor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
This isn’t a green light for adopting liquid diet. Moderation is key, and the weight loss effects of light drinking probably don’t extend to men, as guys usually eat just as much, if not more, when they drink.
Skip Sit-ups:
Science confirms what you’ve long suspected: Those hundreds of sit-ups before bed aren’t getting you any closer to a toned stomach. Not only do crunches put your lower back at risk for injury, but they work only a tiny portion of your core.
For a smarter, more effective abs routine, try the Swiss-ball rollout and the Swiss-ball pike. A new Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy study compared ten different abs exercises and found that your core works harder performing these two moves than any other.
Still, abs-centric workouts only get you so far. They primarily strengthen and tone your muscles, not decrease your waist size, so before you can reveal your six-pack, you’ll have to remove the layer of fat jiggling on your stomach. While it’s tempting to just amp up your cardio and watch your number of calories burned climb, take the time to hit up the weight room, too. After all, research suggests that resistance training may be more effective at torching fat than aerobic exercise.
Shorten Your Cardio Workout:
A recent study found that people who did 30 minutes of intense cardio, five days a week, lost more visceral fat than those who exercised for 50 minutes a session at a moderate pace, even though they burned the same number of total calories at the gym. It’s kind of like, if you get in an automobile, and you drive faster, you burn more fuel in a shorter period of time. Your body may burn more energy after an intense workout, since stressed muscles need more fuel to repair and replenish.
You don’t have to kill yourself on the stationary bike to get the benefits of high-intensity workouts, either. The study participants in the high-intensity group were still able to talk and hold brief conversations while exercising.
Get More Sleep:
It’s called beauty sleep for good reason. Canadian researchers looked at the relationship between sleep and weight gain over 6 years and found that people who slept 5 to 6 hours a night gained about 4.5 pounds more than those who rested for 7 to 8 hours. Light snoozers were also 27 percent more likely to develop obesity than regular sleepers.
Rest regulates your hunger hormones gherlin and leptin, and lack of shut-eye simultaneously stimulates your appetite while suppressing feelings of satiety. Stop giving sleep the short shrift and try turning off your electronics and turning down your thermostat. Optimal temperatures for sleep hover around 60°F to 68°F.
Eat 3 Servings of Dairy Every Day:
Dairy occasionally gets a bad rap for being fatty, but eating yogurt, milk, and, yes, even cheese, may help you lose that stubborn spare tire. A recent study found that that people who were on a reduced-calorie diet and ate about 3 cups of yogurt a day for 12 weeks lost more weight than those who cut calories and took calcium pills. What’s more, the extra chub was cinched primarily from their stomachs: Yogurt eaters lost about an inch and a half from their waists, while the calcium pill poppers lost less than a quarter of an inch.
Fat cells make their own cortisol, which creates more belly fat. There are components in milk and yogurt, such as calcium, that interrupt that cycle, reducing the drive to store more fat in the belly. Dairy products are also sources of conjugated linoleic acid, another belly fat-busting compound.
Eat Carbs (Choose Wisely):
Studies show that you don’t have go all-Atkins in order to lose your gut. On the contrary, noshing on the right carbs can actually help you lose weight. A Journal of Nutrition study found that those who stocked up on whole grains (dark bread, brown rice, popcorn, bulgur wheat, couscous) and cereal fiber tended to have less overall body fat and belly fat than those who ate less of the stuff.
Adding more whole grains to your diet may encourage you to cut back on other foods. Whole grains are loaded with fiber, which adds bulk to your meals without adding calories, and are harder to digest. Translation: You’ll feel fuller, longer eating whole grains instead of the refined kind.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Age Erasing Foods for Your Body:
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The most powerful weapon against aging isn’t a plastic surgeon’s scalpel— it’s the food you put into your body.
Outsmart fate by filling your shopping cart with foods that will fight for your right to look and feel amazing. From your brain to your bones, researchers agree that these foods have healing powers that can help keep you in top shape inside and out for life.
Your Hair:
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese:
Hair is almost all protein, so attaining a strong, vibrant mane starts with eating enough of the stuff. Reduced-fat cottage cheese is a protein heavyweight, with 14 grams in half a cup.
Pumpkin Seeds:
Add a tablespoon of these zinc-heavy seeds to cereal to reduce shedding.
Your Girl Parts:
Blueberries:
From vision-protecting vitamin C to appetite quelling fiber, there are plenty of reasons to be sweet on these antioxidant powerhouses. And scientists now believe that, like cranberries, blueberries battle urinary tract infections. Opt for wild blueberries whenever possible as they contain 26 percent more antioxidants than cultivated blueberries.
Kefir:
Yeast infections put a serious damper on bed play. Having lots of fermented milk products, including kefir, is a good way to reduce infections. These products may add beneficial bacteria to the vagina, keeping infectious bacteria in line, early research indicates. Blend 1/2 cup lowfat plain kefir (Lifeway is a delicious, easy-to-find brand.) with 1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk, a handful of berries, and 1 tablespoon almond butter for a creamy smoothie.
Your Brain:
Arctic Char:
This cold-water fish is a great source of the omega-3 fats docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which can improve brain function and ward off the blues. Omega-3s help squelch inflammation in the brain and regulate feel-good neurotransmitters. Sprinkle fillets with sea salt, ground black pepper, and fresh lemon juice, then pan-fry on medium-high until one side is slightly brown. Flip and cook until the inside is slightly pink (6 to 8 minutes total).
Kale:
Feed the 100 billion neurons in your noggin with nutritious kale. A study in the journal Neurology found that getting two-plus servings per day of veggies, especially leafy green ones like kale, slows cognitive decline by 40 percent. Temper kale’s bitter flavor by cutting a single bunch into inch-wide ribbons and sautéing it with 1 teaspoon lemon juice, a chopped garlic clove, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, and a pinch of salt.
Your Nose:
Sunflower Seeds:
Hay fever affects more than 40 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Halt the drip with vitamin E. Researchers suspect it calms the parts of your immune system involved in allergies. An ounce of these seeds contains 49 percent of your daily vitamin E needs.
Your Eyes:
Whole Eggs:
Add a yolk to that egg-white omelet. The yolks are an all-star source of two antioxidants—lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that fight cataracts as well as macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness. (The hands-down best source of these antioxidants, though, is kale.) Don’t worry about your cholesterol levels. Researchers have concluded that eating an average of one egg yolk a day will not raise them.
Orange Cauliflower:
Food scientists reworked the standard white variety to provide 25 times as much beta-carotene, which maintains the protective covering of the cornea. As with any low-calorie vegetable, you can enjoy peachy cauliflower with reckless abandon, provided you don’t drown it in salt and butter. Try steaming it or roasting it with curry powder and paprika instead.
Your Skin:
Tomatoes:
As if you needed a reason to cozy up to your nearest Italian eatery, this ubiquitous red fruit is especially beneficial when cooked. More of the carotenoid lycopene makes it into the skin, where it can limit ultraviolet (UV) damage to lower skin cancer risk and hold off wrinkles.
Hemp:
The omega-3 fatty acids in hemp help your skin retain moisture so you don’t look like a cast member from Twilight. Toss a tablespoon each of lemon juice, pine nuts, and shelled hemp seeds into a blender with 1 cup hemp seed oil, a chopped garlic clove, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup fresh basil. Whirl to create a delicious and healthy pesto.
Your Lips:
Walnuts:
To get moist, beautiful, chap-free lips, your body needs to constantly replace old skin cells with new ones. Omega-3 fats help regulate this turnover so that it happens all the time. And unlike almonds, walnuts have tons of these fats. So do your lips a favor and pucker up to an ounce (about 14 shelled halves) a day; eat them plain or add them to oatmeal, trail mix, or your favorite muffin recipe.
Your Nails:
Beef:
Of all the sources of highly absorbable iron in your supermarket, beef is among the best. Low iron levels, which are common in women, not only zap your zip, but,they can also cause brittle nails. With the least fat of the common cuts, top round (and other round cuts) deserves high billing on your broiler pan. Opt for grass-fed beef whenever possible, as its ratio of detrimental omega-6 fatty acids to beneficial omega-3 fatty acids is about half that of corn-fed beef.
Your Breasts:
Broccoli Sprouts:
Sulforaphane, which is found in baby broccoli, fires up enzymes that may stop breast cancer cells from growing. Researchers have recently discovered that broccosprouts have up to 20 times more of this compound than full-grown plants. Boost your sandwiches and salads with 1/2 cup; a 1-ounce serving contains 73 milligrams of the naturally occurring precursor of sulforaphane.
Your Heart:
Asparagus:
Italian researchers have found that the B vitamin folate reduces homocysteine, an amino acid believed to promote inflammation, which can up your risk of heart disease. Eight steamed asparagus spears deliver 20 percent of your daily folate requirement, as well as other heart-chummy nutrients like potassium.
Purple Grape Juice:
Pull over, OJ! According to recent research, purple grape juice is high in phenolics, “a group of powerful antioxidants that swallow up heart-damaging free radicals”. To cut calories while guarding your arteries, mix equal parts grape juice and seltzer.
Your Belly:
Prunes:
These high-fiber fruits help keep your gastric system working like a finely tuned machine. They may shrink your stomach, too. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that of the 74,000 women surveyed, those who ate more fiber were 49 percent less likely to experience weight gain. Make your own trail mix with a handful of chopped, pitted prunes plus walnuts, pumpkin seeds, dried blueberries, and hemp seeds.
Tempeh:
Made from whole soybeans that are then fermented, tempeh pads our guts with beneficial bacteria. After taking up residence, these live microorganisms improve digestion, reduce gas production, and kill bacteria that cause ulcers. Like tofu, tempeh soaks up the flavors around it, so crumble a block and toss it into chili, soup, or pasta sauce.
Your Bones:
Chocolate:
Chocolate is rich in magnesium, vital to bone health. It forms the crystal lattice that gives bone its structure. That may be why University of Tennessee scientists linked a higher magnesium intake with greater bone mineral density. Nibble an ounce, or about half a bar, of the dark stuff each day.
Canned Salmon:
Research suggests that omega-3s in these fatty swimmers can boost bone density. Canned salmon in water is inexpensive and typically lower in heavy metals like mercury than many other fish. Canned salmon [with bones] is also a good source of calcium, another bone must. For a better burger, make patties starting with 1 can of salmon, an egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup chopped onion, and 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder.
Your Teeth:
Mango and Kiwifruit:
Together, these fruits deliver more of the proven gum protector vitamin C than an orange. Researchers in Italy have also found that each fruit portion you down daily—even a single kiwifruit—reduces your risk for oral cancer by nearly 50 percent.
Shrimp:
Research has shown that vitamin D can put the smackdown on cytokines, proteins that stimulate inflammation. Three ounces of shrimp provides 65 percent of the dietary reference intake of vitamin D, so cast them into a wok with vegetables.
Your Muscles & Joints:
Ricotta Cheese:
Loaded with all of the amino acids muscles need to grow and mend, whey protein is a virtuoso when it comes to helping you build a buff bod. While milk curd is used to make most cheeses, ricotta is produced from the whey that’s left behind in the cheese-making process. Mix low-fat ricotta with scrambled eggs, salsa, and broccoli sprouts for a killer breakfast.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:
Ditch fat-free dressings. Olive oil contains oleocanthal, an anti-inflammatory that may work like ibuprofen, report scientists in the journal Nature, and it’s known to lower bad cholesterol levels while raising the good. Start drizzling 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil onto your veggies before grilling or sautéing them.
Outsmart fate by filling your shopping cart with foods that will fight for your right to look and feel amazing. From your brain to your bones, researchers agree that these foods have healing powers that can help keep you in top shape inside and out for life.
Your Hair:
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese:
Hair is almost all protein, so attaining a strong, vibrant mane starts with eating enough of the stuff. Reduced-fat cottage cheese is a protein heavyweight, with 14 grams in half a cup.
Pumpkin Seeds:
Add a tablespoon of these zinc-heavy seeds to cereal to reduce shedding.
Your Girl Parts:
Blueberries:
From vision-protecting vitamin C to appetite quelling fiber, there are plenty of reasons to be sweet on these antioxidant powerhouses. And scientists now believe that, like cranberries, blueberries battle urinary tract infections. Opt for wild blueberries whenever possible as they contain 26 percent more antioxidants than cultivated blueberries.
Kefir:
Yeast infections put a serious damper on bed play. Having lots of fermented milk products, including kefir, is a good way to reduce infections. These products may add beneficial bacteria to the vagina, keeping infectious bacteria in line, early research indicates. Blend 1/2 cup lowfat plain kefir (Lifeway is a delicious, easy-to-find brand.) with 1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk, a handful of berries, and 1 tablespoon almond butter for a creamy smoothie.
Your Brain:
Arctic Char:
This cold-water fish is a great source of the omega-3 fats docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which can improve brain function and ward off the blues. Omega-3s help squelch inflammation in the brain and regulate feel-good neurotransmitters. Sprinkle fillets with sea salt, ground black pepper, and fresh lemon juice, then pan-fry on medium-high until one side is slightly brown. Flip and cook until the inside is slightly pink (6 to 8 minutes total).
Kale:
Feed the 100 billion neurons in your noggin with nutritious kale. A study in the journal Neurology found that getting two-plus servings per day of veggies, especially leafy green ones like kale, slows cognitive decline by 40 percent. Temper kale’s bitter flavor by cutting a single bunch into inch-wide ribbons and sautéing it with 1 teaspoon lemon juice, a chopped garlic clove, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, and a pinch of salt.
Your Nose:
Sunflower Seeds:
Hay fever affects more than 40 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Halt the drip with vitamin E. Researchers suspect it calms the parts of your immune system involved in allergies. An ounce of these seeds contains 49 percent of your daily vitamin E needs.
Your Eyes:
Whole Eggs:
Add a yolk to that egg-white omelet. The yolks are an all-star source of two antioxidants—lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that fight cataracts as well as macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness. (The hands-down best source of these antioxidants, though, is kale.) Don’t worry about your cholesterol levels. Researchers have concluded that eating an average of one egg yolk a day will not raise them.
Orange Cauliflower:
Food scientists reworked the standard white variety to provide 25 times as much beta-carotene, which maintains the protective covering of the cornea. As with any low-calorie vegetable, you can enjoy peachy cauliflower with reckless abandon, provided you don’t drown it in salt and butter. Try steaming it or roasting it with curry powder and paprika instead.
Your Skin:
Tomatoes:
As if you needed a reason to cozy up to your nearest Italian eatery, this ubiquitous red fruit is especially beneficial when cooked. More of the carotenoid lycopene makes it into the skin, where it can limit ultraviolet (UV) damage to lower skin cancer risk and hold off wrinkles.
Hemp:
The omega-3 fatty acids in hemp help your skin retain moisture so you don’t look like a cast member from Twilight. Toss a tablespoon each of lemon juice, pine nuts, and shelled hemp seeds into a blender with 1 cup hemp seed oil, a chopped garlic clove, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup fresh basil. Whirl to create a delicious and healthy pesto.
Your Lips:
Walnuts:
To get moist, beautiful, chap-free lips, your body needs to constantly replace old skin cells with new ones. Omega-3 fats help regulate this turnover so that it happens all the time. And unlike almonds, walnuts have tons of these fats. So do your lips a favor and pucker up to an ounce (about 14 shelled halves) a day; eat them plain or add them to oatmeal, trail mix, or your favorite muffin recipe.
Your Nails:
Beef:
Of all the sources of highly absorbable iron in your supermarket, beef is among the best. Low iron levels, which are common in women, not only zap your zip, but,they can also cause brittle nails. With the least fat of the common cuts, top round (and other round cuts) deserves high billing on your broiler pan. Opt for grass-fed beef whenever possible, as its ratio of detrimental omega-6 fatty acids to beneficial omega-3 fatty acids is about half that of corn-fed beef.
Your Breasts:
Broccoli Sprouts:
Sulforaphane, which is found in baby broccoli, fires up enzymes that may stop breast cancer cells from growing. Researchers have recently discovered that broccosprouts have up to 20 times more of this compound than full-grown plants. Boost your sandwiches and salads with 1/2 cup; a 1-ounce serving contains 73 milligrams of the naturally occurring precursor of sulforaphane.
Your Heart:
Asparagus:
Italian researchers have found that the B vitamin folate reduces homocysteine, an amino acid believed to promote inflammation, which can up your risk of heart disease. Eight steamed asparagus spears deliver 20 percent of your daily folate requirement, as well as other heart-chummy nutrients like potassium.
Purple Grape Juice:
Pull over, OJ! According to recent research, purple grape juice is high in phenolics, “a group of powerful antioxidants that swallow up heart-damaging free radicals”. To cut calories while guarding your arteries, mix equal parts grape juice and seltzer.
Your Belly:
Prunes:
These high-fiber fruits help keep your gastric system working like a finely tuned machine. They may shrink your stomach, too. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that of the 74,000 women surveyed, those who ate more fiber were 49 percent less likely to experience weight gain. Make your own trail mix with a handful of chopped, pitted prunes plus walnuts, pumpkin seeds, dried blueberries, and hemp seeds.
Tempeh:
Made from whole soybeans that are then fermented, tempeh pads our guts with beneficial bacteria. After taking up residence, these live microorganisms improve digestion, reduce gas production, and kill bacteria that cause ulcers. Like tofu, tempeh soaks up the flavors around it, so crumble a block and toss it into chili, soup, or pasta sauce.
Your Bones:
Chocolate:
Chocolate is rich in magnesium, vital to bone health. It forms the crystal lattice that gives bone its structure. That may be why University of Tennessee scientists linked a higher magnesium intake with greater bone mineral density. Nibble an ounce, or about half a bar, of the dark stuff each day.
Canned Salmon:
Research suggests that omega-3s in these fatty swimmers can boost bone density. Canned salmon in water is inexpensive and typically lower in heavy metals like mercury than many other fish. Canned salmon [with bones] is also a good source of calcium, another bone must. For a better burger, make patties starting with 1 can of salmon, an egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup chopped onion, and 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder.
Your Teeth:
Mango and Kiwifruit:
Together, these fruits deliver more of the proven gum protector vitamin C than an orange. Researchers in Italy have also found that each fruit portion you down daily—even a single kiwifruit—reduces your risk for oral cancer by nearly 50 percent.
Shrimp:
Research has shown that vitamin D can put the smackdown on cytokines, proteins that stimulate inflammation. Three ounces of shrimp provides 65 percent of the dietary reference intake of vitamin D, so cast them into a wok with vegetables.
Your Muscles & Joints:
Ricotta Cheese:
Loaded with all of the amino acids muscles need to grow and mend, whey protein is a virtuoso when it comes to helping you build a buff bod. While milk curd is used to make most cheeses, ricotta is produced from the whey that’s left behind in the cheese-making process. Mix low-fat ricotta with scrambled eggs, salsa, and broccoli sprouts for a killer breakfast.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:
Ditch fat-free dressings. Olive oil contains oleocanthal, an anti-inflammatory that may work like ibuprofen, report scientists in the journal Nature, and it’s known to lower bad cholesterol levels while raising the good. Start drizzling 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil onto your veggies before grilling or sautéing them.
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