Two favourite foods that are killing us!!!

Hi welcome back:

Today’s post is about a simple way to help you and your loved ones to improve your health, support weight loss and yes increase leanness.

It does require some exercise – the exercise of willpower…

Just about the worst 2 foods you can eat / ingest / scarf down are…fries and soft drinks (soda to our American friends!)

Yep – just removing these two ‘foods’ from your diet will lead to improved health, less fat storage, less whole body inflammation and more besides.

This is NOT to say that avoiding fries’ ‘ Soft drinks will cure all diseases known to man, nor will it overnight cure diabetes, obesity or heart disease BUT if enough folk did eliminate these 2 foods from their diet the cumulative effect would be an amazing decrease in overall illness from diseases like those mentioned above.

We’d simply be a healthier society with healthier individuals in it.

Why you ask? Well…

two foods that kill

Pretty much most ‘foods’ or food-like substances have something in that is semi / sort of ‘good’ for you…

In the case of soft drinks they have water. And water is essential for life and wellbeing. But we can water from a whole lot of other sources without having to take on board all of the other crap that soft drinks / soda contain…

Soda is either loaded with sugar (usually of the high fructose corn syrup variety see this post for the evils associated with that), added sugar (variation of dextrose, maltose, sucrose or HFCS again) certainly have loads of chemicals and colourings and even sodium.

In the US of A up to 25% of daily calories come from sugar with a whopping 7% from soft drinks / sodas. That is a lot of sugar, a lot of insulin spiking, a lot of fat storage and a lot of body inflammation right there…

Okay so you’ll drink the zero sugar ones…not so fast!! The diet ones use artificial sweeteners and whilst the jury is still out on their long term effects on human beings (and some of the more hysterical internet rants & warnings have been disproven) they still carry lots of other chemicals & colourings. And they still not be good for you. An increasing body of research shows that people who drink diet drinks actually stimulate their appetite and can sabotage their diets through this mechanism…

Which brings us to fries. They’re made out of potato and spuds are essentially benign aren’t they? Again – it depends. If you are making your own fries (their thicker cousins – chips) from whole potatoes store or market bought and  you are either oven baking or at least frying in lard (yep lard!) then you will end up with a food that has some redeeming features. I mean they would be filling, trans-fat and colouring free. Still not great but acceptable now and again.

The truth is that the store bought fries are loaded with sodium, have colourings added for colour in many cases and are flavoured with more salt and sugar to increase their tastiness. (remember we are genetically wired to love salty and sweet foods and fast food manufacturers in fact processed food manufacturers use this to sell more products.) The potatoes (maybe good quality maybe not) are fried in one of the those pro-inflammatory seed (called vegetable – see marketing) oils which are so high in omega-6 like canola or blended oils – which oil can be used and re-used numerous times before being replaced with ‘fresh’ oil. Two things here – reusing high omega-6 oils for cooking makes them even more prone to become trans-fat laden, more carcinogenic and when I say fresh – I mean not yet cooked in. Most ‘seed’ oils are already rancid when you buy them off the supermarket shelf, never mind about the ones that are supplied by food services.

So trans-fat filled, chemical / sugared / salted yumminess is what a fry basically is. Add to this by glugging down a few teaspoons of sugar, colourings and more chemicals and you have the complete meal if you want to induce inflammation, insulin spikes, fat storage, damage insulin sensitivity, and support the likelihood of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. And that’s before we even think about portion size…

Many folk say that the advice on nutrition is confusing because expert A disagrees with Expert B or opinions change (Remember the crap about no eggs because they’ll raise your cholesterol and give you heart disease which was scientifically proven only it was wrong…).

And you’re right it is confusing and made even more so by the various lobby groups and manufacturers who ‘support’ scientific and University studies into the effects of various ‘simple foods (like sugar) on people.

It’s a play straight out of the Big Tobacco playbook – confuse & muddy the issues and sell lots in the meantime and then say ‘The best available research of the time…’

However when it comes to fries and soft drinks / sodas the only folk you’ll find defending these quasi-foods are the paid spokespeople of the manufacturers or the companies that retail them. Even the oft trotted out ‘as a part of a balance diet’ argument is no longer supported.

Remove these 2 foods from your diet and from that of the people you care about – your body and theirs will thank you by giving you better health and less chance of unnecessary disease.

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See you next week.

Be well and think before you put stuff in your mouth…

 

54 tips to lose fat

Welcome back!

This week some quick but useful tips to help you lose fat (you’ll notice a lot are food based – remember you can’t out train a bad diet!!)

  1. Be clear on your fat loss goal:  Know the amount of fat you want to lose. You’re your time frame. Tell others to invoke accountability. Write in all down in an exercise book or a journal. Be clear.
  2. Have a pair of skinny jeans ready for ‘success’ day. Or a jacket o blouse or bathing costume – whatever. Just have this on display where you can see it every day. It’ll help keep you on track.
  3. Take your ‘before’ pictures. Stick them in a book with your weekly measurements next to your clear goals. (Waist, upper arm, mid-thigh, belly, chest)
    No don’t keep these ones, keep the SKINNY ones where you can see them!!
  4. Don’t weigh yourself every day.  Weigh yourself the same day at the same time every week. Take your measurements at the same time. Write them down in your book. (Don’t have a fat loss journal – get one – any old exercise book will do.) The best 2 ways to judge your progress is how your clothes fit and how you look in the mirror. Muscle weighs more than fat so you have your weight go up yet be losing fat. Be wary. “
  5. Understand that it’s not all or nothing; if you fall off the fat loss wagon, dust yourself off, don’t beat yourself up and get right back into it!! This is a journey of inches not miles…
  6. Be honest. With yourself— The only person that you fool by sneaking food or eating ‘off reservation’ is yourself.
  7. Eat breakfast.  Simply put those that ate a protein heavy breakfast ate less during the day, had more energy and less body fat. It can be eggs & bacon, a protein smoothies, nuts & yoghurt – so long as it is protein plus unprocessed carbs you’re be on the right track.
  8. Drink tea. Lots of research suggests that drinking tea (any tea EXCEPT herbal teas) stimulates your metabolism, works on body weight re-partitioning and lowers your body fat – especially belly fat.
  9. Drink more water.  2 glasses before a meal helps you feel fuller and interacts with fibre from vegetables to bulk them up. Water also helps shift fat by helping your kidneys & liver to function properly. 8 Glasses a day is good rule to follow.
  10. Get at least 8 of these bad boys into each day!

    Drop the store juice and sodas: Change to low or no-calorie drinks. Home- made iced tea, Coke Zero, diabetic sodas – all are good alternatives.

  11. Eat more veggies. Calorie sparse, nutrient dense they fill you up, without loading you up with too many calories.  Avoid the high fat/high calorie dressings.
  12. Eat eggs.  Every day.  Forget the cholesterol BS – eggs don’t raise bad cholesterol and are nature’s perfect fast food.
  13. Get enough fibre.  Think of fibre like a sponge; it absorbs water and makes you feel full. Focus on fibre, not carbs.
  14. Eat more fruits: No one ever gained weight from eating more fruit even the so called “high sugar” fruits, like bananas, melons and others.
  15. Eat more protein.  Lean protein helps satiate you, and increases your metabolism, through the thermic effect of food.
  16. Eat protein at every meal & snack.  This maximises the effects of #10
  17. Eat less Grains. Increasingly it seems that grains and grain based foods are not good for us and predispose us to fat gain and a number of debilitating diseases like arthritis. Try to cut down on them. Besides most grain based foods are highly processed and that’s definitely not good for you.
  18. Start meals with soup or a salad.  Either will help you feel full more quickly so your
    Prefer Chicken? Either is right!!

    calories at the meal will be less. E sensible with your soup and dressing choices.

  19. Steak & Salad Rules. Best way to get your veges & lean protein have a steak & salad meal at least once a day.
  20. Add cayenne pepper to your meals.  A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that when compared to placebo, capsaicin (the active ingredient in cayenne) increased fat burning. Spice up your meals!!
  21. Watch your portions.  Each meal try for a palm sized portion of protein and 2 fists of non-processed carbs. Don’t Supersize.
  22. Bake, don’t fry. Slow cook in the oven or quick stir fry on the stove top. Both are healthier than pan frying.
  23. Switch to smaller plates; visually your plate looks fuller and you’ll eat less.
  24. Use a Barbeque or a grill.  Less fat, more flavour. Marinade your meat overnight to cut down on the potential of carcinogens from naked flame cooking. Don’t cook or eat well done.
  25. Keep it out of your house – or at least out of sight!!

    Keep your house crap free. Chips and Cookies and cakes and banana bread and …you can’t eat them if they’re not in the house. For those of us with families – have less of these in the house and keep them out of sight – in the garage or back shed. Studies show that the food we see more of we eat more of.

  26. Have a big bowl of fresh fruit in plain sight. See above
  27. Don’t grocery shop when you’re hungry.  Recipe for disaster. Have a meal or grab a  handful of nuts first then go shopping for food otherwise you’ll fill the trolley with all the self-control eroding processed foods you’ve been conditioned to love & want.
  28. Become a nutrition label guru: If you have to eat packaged foods check the labels and put back those with heavy sugars, Trans fats or HFCS.
  29. Decrease/eliminate processed carbs wherever possible.  They do nothing for you outside of creating a favourable environment for gaining fat
  30. Eating out? Swap side dishes with steamed veggies.  Restaurants will often allow you to switch the fries or chips with steamed veggies; all you have to do is ask.
  31. Order dressing on the side, dip the fork in dressing, and then in the salad. 
    Ready for what?? Not ready to support health or fat loss…

    This saves a ton more dressing than if one was to order it on the side, then poor the entire cup on the salad anyhow.  Less calories equals less weight.

  32. Skip buffets.  These are a trap to overeating. Don’t.
  33. Skip the Designer Coffees.  Great way to get up to an extra 500 calories in one hit. Have black coffee or a tea instead.
  34. Don’t socialise around the food tables at parties; Grab some food and move away from the table otherwise you’re more likely to pick, and eat mindlessly even though you’re not really hungry.
  35. Try to eat slower.  It takes approximately 15-20 minutes for your stomach to sense it’s full.  Eat too fast and you’ll shovel in more than you need to.
  36. Stay away from the alcohol— I‘ve written on this before – just drink sensibly – 1 or 2 a night is okay but any alcohol will put a dent into your fat loss efforts. Remember your body stops burning fat to deal with alcohol first. Plus having alcohol lowers your inhibition so you overeat other calories too – kebabs at 3 AM anyone??
  37. Take a brown bag lunch. Do this as often as possible – not only will you control what you eat but you’ll save money.
  38. Keep some healthy snacks on hand — like nuts — in your bag, your briefcase or your glove box so you’re prepared at all times. Swap them out regularly so they are always fresh
  39. If you’re working this hard today – carbs aren’t going to be a problem…

    Match your carb intake to your energy output. You need fewer carbs on the days you aren’t working out hard than the days when you are. Up the protein on non-workout days to support recovery and satiety.

  40. Have fish oil – several grams a day.  Omega-3s have more benefits than possible to list in this short blog – but one is more Omega-3 = less body fat!
  41. Wake up and exercise; not only do you burn more fat but you’re more likely to exercise in the AM than at night after a day in real world.
  42. Lift weights. Heavy weights.  Build more muscle, burn more calories.
  43. Do complex exercises like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, chin-ups, shoulder presses and push-ups.  The more muscles you involve in each exercise the more benefit you’ll get. Leave the triceps’ kickbacks to the folk who aren’t serious about getting leaner and stronger.
  44. Cut down rest time between sets.  Just because you’re lifting heavy does not mean that you take a 10 minute break between sets. Rest long enough for your breathing to ease and then do the next set. Repeat. This keeps your metabolism surging and those calories burning…
  45. Do intervals.  HIIT = Faster fat loss. Study after study continues to show intervals are more effective for fat loss (and in less time) than traditional cardio. Ditch the treadmill and the marathon runs – get down get dirty get lean!!
  46. Sprint twice a week. Sprinters have lower fat and more muscle.  Just look at the
    A sprinter. ‘Nuff said…

    body of a sprinter vs. the body of a marathoner.

  47. If you have a dog, take it for a walk—Aim to do this every day. Set it as a routine.
  48. Buy a pedometer and aim for at least 10,000 steps each day.
  49. At work set a timer. Most of us work at a desk so set a 30 minute timer like ‘Cool Timer’ and get up for a stretch every 30 minutes. Go for a brisk walk after lunch, but sit less and move more.
  50. Try not to use internal email. Whenever possible get up and walk to a co-workers desk.
  51. Eat standing up.  In tandem with the above have your snack or lunch at work standing up – you’ll burn more calories. Want quicker meetings? Have them standing up with no chairs in the room.
  52. A classic – Use the stairs, skip the escalator and the lift.  Tried and true every bit of additional movement helps you lose fat. Doing this by itself won’t have a huge impact but as a part of the overall effort to move more it helps.
  53. Even at work – move more sit less…

    Another classic – Fidget. In Australia the Gut Buster program has this as one of its mainstays – fidgeting. Move more and more often. Get thinner.

  54. Change who you hang out with.  If your friends are all overweight, don’t show an interest in getting leaner, eat pizza or other fast foods a few times or more a week then you need to change who you’re hanging with. Research has shown conclusively that the people we hang out with can either assist or undermine our efforts to lose fat and get healthier.

Be well – see you next week.

Lose Fat without a Gym to go to…

Welcome back!

Last week I showed some of my favourite ways to rip fat off at the gym, and let’s face it Gyms are great because of the equipment available. Thing is you can get as good results by working out at home. The truth is you don’t need a lot of machines or equipment to get results.

You can get results like this - via the Gym or at home!!

Now I happen to like using some of the equipment at the gym and it is great to have access to a full run of Kettle Bell and dumb bell weights but you don’t need it. At home I suggest you invest in a good chin up bar, a set of kettlebells (12,16, 18, & 20 kg) a basic barbell with about 30kgs of weights, a couple of dumbbells, a cheap ‘aerobic’ step, a skipping rope and a weighted vest. But even this is more than you need for results – you carry around your best fat loss weapon everyday – your body.

Bodyweight exercise is a great way to burn fat, recondition your metabolism and get a great workout no matter where you are.

Before we look at some routines some commonsense rules apply to this and all other exercise routines. One – check with your doctor or medical professionalism before starting any exercise routine especially if you have not exercised for some time, are overweight or

I love weighted vests...

over 40. Two warm up by skipping on the spot, doing some shoulder swings and moving around – it is important that you warm up your joints and muscles before stressing them. This does not mean do static stretches – save those for warming down at the end of your session when you muscles & tendons are nice & warm and able to benefit fully from stretching.

Here is a simple but effective routine you can do at the beach, in your living room, in a hotel room or at the park.

  • Jumping Jacks x 30
  • Push ups x 10 -2 20
  • Jumping Jacks x 30
  • Prisoner squats x 30 – 50
  • Jumping Jacks x 30

Do each exercise in a non-stop sequence with a rest after the third set of Jumping Jacks. Repeat 3 -5 times. You can swap out the Jumping Jacks for Burpees, or squat Thrusters knee lifts for some variety.

If you add a chin up bar to the mix then you can do my all time favourite:

  • Push ups X as many as you can
  • Rest for 1 minute
  • Chin Ups X as many as you can
  • Rest for 1 minute
  • Squats X as many as you can
  • Rest for 1 minute

Repeat for 5 rounds.

Push ups don't need any equipment & give great results!!

Not tough enough for you? Do the push ups & squats wearing a weighted vest

For something that is really challenging try burpee ladders. The way this works is you do 10 burpees and rest, then 9 and rest then 8 and rest etc all the way down to 1 and then you go back up the ‘ladder’ to 10. Trust me this is a killer. Of course you can substitute any exercise for the burpees. Kettle Bell swings, like just about any exercise, take on a life of their own when ‘laddered’

Speaking of kettle bells – and assuming that you have taken instruction so that you know how to perform a KB swing correctly – try doing 100 KB swings a day for 20 days. You will drop a lot of fat and tighten up your entire physique.

(NB – Kettle Bell swings if you are getting lower back pain when you do these you are doing them wrong and not ‘hinging’ correctly at the hips – an upcoming blog addresses how to do them properly.)

No longer trendy - just a home fitness essential in my opinion

My routine for last March:

Day 1

  • Kettle Bell Swings x 100 (done in sets of 20)
  • Medicine ball above the head throws X 12
  • Kitchen steps step up x 30 each leg

All done circuit style with a heavy weighted vest

Day 2

  • Push ups x 20, 15, 12, 10, 8
  • Chin Ups x 12, 11, 10, 10, 7
  • Squats x 50, 50, 50, 40, 20
  • Training bands shoulder mobility x 12

(Lighter weighted vest on the push ups & squats.) Done circuit style for 5 sets.

Day 3

Bike Ride (including hill climbs and a couple of sprints.)

Short of time?

  • Wall squats / holds for 45 seconds
  • Prisoner squats x 30
  • Mountain climbers x 30

As usual do as a circuit but with only 30 secs rest between each one and 45 secs rest between each of your 5 circuits.

This is the type of home chin up bar to go for...

Bodyweight exercises are great, require little equipment, maintain & build muscle and burn fat. Not being able to afford a gym or a home gym is not a reasonable excuse for not getting lean.

Even better they are fun and with the right attitude can put us back in touch with that younger self who just ran & jumped and swung & played for the sheer hell of it!!

Love body weight!!!

Be well.