« Older Entries

The Hidden Calories in Your Favorite Spread

Understanding Food Labels for Healthier Choices
The Deceptive Nature of Processed Foods
Many of us fall into the trap of choosing processed foods that appear healthy at first glance. However, these products often contain hidden ingredients that can sabotage our diet. For example, white bread, a common choice for sandwiches, typically includes refined flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils—all of which can lead to an increase in body fat.

Selecting Better Bread
When it comes to bread, opting for whole grain varieties is a smarter choice. Whole grain bread should list whole grains as the primary ingredient and be free of high fructose corn syrup. While these breads may come with a slightly higher price tag, the investment in your health is undoubtedly worthwhile.

Peanut Butter Pitfalls
Peanut butter is another staple that can be deceptive. Many brands add processed sugar and hydrogenated oils to their products. To avoid these unhealthy additives, look for peanut butter that contains only peanuts, or consider alternative nut butters made from macadamia nuts, pistachios, or other nuts. Although these may cost more, they align better with a healthy weight loss plan by reducing intake of processed sugars and unhealthy oils.

Jam and Jelly Alternatives
Jams and jellies are often little more than sugar and water. A healthier option is to top your sandwich with fresh fruit like bananas, raspberries, or strawberries. Alternatively, you can make your own jam using natural sweeteners like Stevia instead of processed sugar.

Making Smart Food Selections
Choosing healthy food products can be a challenge, but reading and understanding package labels can be incredibly helpful. For a nutritious twist on the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, try whole grain bread with natural peanut butter and fresh fruit. This simple switch can make a significant difference in your diet.

Interesting Stats and Data
According to a study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology, many commercial peanut butters contain added sugars and hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are not necessary for the preservation or flavor of peanut butter and contribute to increased caloric intake (source).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 70% of sodium intake for Americans comes from processed and restaurant foods, which underscores the importance of reading labels to manage sodium intake, a factor often overlooked in discussions about healthy eating (source).

By making more informed choices and opting for whole, unprocessed foods, individuals can better manage their weight and overall health. Remember, the key to a healthier diet is not just about cutting calories, but also about understanding what goes into the food we eat.

Tags:

Summer Is Coming- Do You Know The Link Between Colon Cleansing And Weight loss?

With Summer Coming, are you aware of the link between colon cleansing and weight loss? As a personal trainer, my clients are always coming to me for tips on how to look better in their swim suits. A few have even approached me with questions regarding colon cleanse weight loss. Up until recently, I could offer little in the way of helpful advice. Finally, I decided to investigate the question myself.

Let’s face it, the average American diet leaves MUCH to be desired. It is a diet largely comprosed of refined carbhydrates, white sugar, and saturated fats.

YUCK!

The problem with these foods, as it relates to colon cleansing and weight loss, is really 2 fold:

1) Sugars and fats are high in calories, and if eaten in excess, can lead to an increase in body fat.

2) Sugars and fats don’t include dietary fiber, which is critical for the elimination of foods from the colon.

Consequently, if an individual’s diet is low in fiber, the chances are great that a build up of digested food will accumulate in the colon. This accumulation can add as much as 10-15 lbs of unwanted weight!

Are we getting enough fiber?

Probably not. The average individual takes in 10-15 grams of fiber daily. We need 25-35 grams of fiber for efficient elimination of waste.

The solution?

If you guessed colon cleansing, you’d be right on the money! Colon cleansing helps to remove impacted waste from the walls of the small intestines. The removal of this impacted fecal matter can result in a weight loss of 10 or more pounds!

Granted, the weight being lost is not body fat. However, individuals report HUGE increases in vitality and energy levels after a colon cleansing. The end result of colon cleansing and weight loss is looking much better in a swimsuit!

Colon cleansings tend to remove that unsightly bulge that accumulates in the lower stomach.

So, Is a colon cleanse right for you?

The key is to prove to YOURSELF that colon cleansing is right for you. While researching all the top colon cleansing products for my personal training clients, I only found one product that had both remarkable customer testimonials, and a 14 day F-R-E-E trial! Click Herefor all the juicy details!

Tags:

Is Paleo diet a meat diet?

The paleo diet is a regime that helps us eat the freshest, healthiest and nutrient-filled food there is. The paleo diet is based on a balanced diet. The typical Paleo recipes includes

meat of grass-fed cows,
Poultry, seafood, and meat,
Fresh and organic vegetables and fruits of all colors,
Complex carbohydrates coming from tubers and fruits such as sweet potato (potato / sweet potato), potato and banana
Healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, olive oil and animal fat.
Based not only on what our ancestors ate that suffered from fewer chronic diseases than we, despite having no access to modern medicine,

Many people see the list of foods removed from the paleo diet and remove them from the diet without adding new things. When they remove processed foods and cereals from their diets, often only meat, eggs, and bacon remain. But just as important as eliminated foods (processed foods, sugar, cereals and in some cases dairy and vegetables) are the foods we add to our diets.

A typical paleo diet recipes is half veggies (carrot, broccoli, zucchini, and spinach) and a quarter of protein (often meat or seafood) and a quarter of carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes. A “paleo recipes” diet can be balanced or not, depending on what you put on your plate – just like any other diet. It is essential to note that every person has different body needs.

In the paleo recipes diet, there is also an emphasis on the quality of the food consumed – we try to avoid genetically modified organisms, eat organic vegetables when possible and meat/poultry/seafood that was fed properly, without hormones or inadequate food for their species. We try to eat “all the animal products” because we know that there are essential nutrients and amino acids in the parts of the animal that we cannot find in the most common cuts. Eating “booze” such as liver, paws, cola, bone broth, and any other part of the animal helps to maintain a balanced diet.

The paleo diet recipes does not restrict the consumption of fat or cholesterol. Contrary to what we have been taught, fat does not make us fat (consumed in moderation). Fat is essential to assimilate some vitamins (A, D, E, and K) that are necessary for the functioning of our body. Without fat, those vitamins cannot enter our body to do their job. Every cell in our body needs fat to function.

An old article in Time Magazine admits that consumption of saturated fat has no proven link to increased risk of heart problems, and high consumption of sugar and carbohydrates did. In fact, our use of cholesterol in food has nominal influence on the level of cholesterol in our blood. There is no reason to be afraid of eating fat. A paleo diet recipes with enough protein and fat often helps people to lose weight because they are foods that make us feel satiated and as a consequence, we eat less. In fact, if your goal is to lose weight, a paleo diet can be the key to your progress.

Tags: