The 4 BEST foods to eat before bed
Jad | 10:27 AM |
Useful Information
You may have
heard that eating before bed is a big-time "no no" for those looking
to lose weight. In fact, you've probably even heard that eating late at night
will undoubtedly cause you to GAIN weight...even worse!
Well, there's good
news, and that good news is that not every food that you eat past 7PM will be
automatically deposited to your butt, thighs, and love handles.
In fact, there are
certain foods that you can eat as a late-night snack that can actually INCREASE
your fatloss results! The key is knowing which foods to eat, and which to avoid,
as the evening progresses.
Here's a good rule
of thumb: Avoid carbs before bed in favor of slow-digesting high-quality
protein.
Carbohydrate
consumption causes significant rise in the storage hormone insulin, which also
puts the breaks on fat-burning. That's a recipe for disaster in the late
evening hours as your metabolism is winding down, but fortunately,
slow-digesting protein isn't.
Instead, slow
digesting proteins provide your body with a steady flow of amino acids
throughout the night to help you recover from exercise and maintain your
calorie-burning lean muscle as you lose fat.
Here are some of top
pre-bedtime choices:
1. White Meat
Animal Protein (not red meat or fish) - White meat protein sources such as
chicken and turkey are great pre-bed meal choices because they digest slowly
and have a very low insulin release. These sources also promote the release of
another hormone, glucagon, that assists the body with breaking down stored
carbs and fat within your body to be burned for energy...a double win! Red meat
and fish have a significantly higher insulin response so they're best to avoid
in the evening.
2. Cottage Cheese -
Cottage cheese is very slow digesting and coats the stomach to be assimilated
by the body over many hours. As a protein, it also stimulates glucagon release;
a solid pre-bedtime choice. Just make sure you're using plain cottage cheese,
not the flavored varieties with added sugars.
3. Green Vegetables
- While these aren't considered a protein, they contain virtually no calories,
are high in fiber, and they're very filling. Often times when I get a late
night craving I eat a big bowl of green veggies and it completely kills my
craving...a diet savior!
4. A
Slow-digesting, Low-carb Protein Shake - I use a slow-digesting protein shake
before bed literally every day. It's become somewhat of a ritual and great,
tasty way to end my day. The vast majority of my clients have grown to love the
habit as well...who doesn't love dessert before bed? :) I normally blend the
shake with almond butter to get some healthy fats in there, and man, it sure
does taste good with BioTrust protein!
Eat THIS to turn on your fat burning switch
Jad | 10:13 AM |
Have you
ever wondered how your body actually burns fat?
Years ago a popular health magazine decided to try to answer
that same question by looking at how people actually gain weight, reasoning that if we knew all the “tricks” to gaining
weight, we could learn what not to do if we wanted to stay lean.
So they followed around a bunch of people whose job requires
them to maintain enormous stores of body fat – Sumo wrestlers.
Whatever it is they were doing, that’s exactly what we shouldn’t do.
Here’s what the
Sumo guys did …
They worked
out a bit. They lazed around. They worked out some more. They took a nap.
And then, at the end of the day, they ate their one meal, a
veritable Roman orgy of food that would make the buffet at the Bellagio in
Vegas seem skimpy. Shortly after this multi-thousand calorie feast they’d go to
bed for the night.
Okay, folks, what can we learn from this?
One reason this technique is so effective for weight gain is
that it mobilizes every fat-storing mechanism we have in our body. I’ll explain
how in a moment …
The main point here is that if you want to burn fat instead of store it, you have to learn how to turn off your fat-storing mechanisms, and instead turn on what I like to call your “fat-burning switch.”
Needless to say, the fat-burning switch on a Sumo wrestler
doesn’t get much “on” time.
So here’s the
biochemistry behind the Sumos’ weight gain…
When you
eat a big carbohydrate-rich meal, it sends your blood sugar soaring. The body
immediately releases a hormone (insulin) whose job it is to wrangle that sugar
and get it out of the bloodstream and into the muscle cells.
But when the muscle cells don’t need it—like if you’re not
moving around much—insulin takes that sugar into the fat cells. No wonder
insulin is also known as the “fat-storing hormone.”
Insulin does its work with the help of an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which is kind of like the “fat-storing enzyme.” LPL
takes triglycerides from the bloodstream, cleaves them into smaller parts
(called fatty acids), and then promptly helps store these fatty acids in your
fat cells.
Once insulin is riding the seas of the bloodstream, it effectively
locks the doors to the fat cells. They won’t open up and release their bounty
(that is, you won’t burn fat) until insulin levels come back down. Of course,
the more you continue to eat that same high-carb diet, the less your insulin
levels go down.
That’s the (very oversimplified) biochemistry, and it works
that way whether you’re an audience member of the Ellen show or you’re a professional Sumo wrestler.
And Now to
Our Question: How DO You Burn Fat?
You do the
exact opposite of everything I just said, and here’s why …
Insulin has a sister hormone, and its name is glucagon. It’s a critical component of your fat-burning biochemistry.
When blood sugar is low, and you need more energy, (but food
isn’t available), glucagon is secreted. Its purpose is the exact opposite of
insulin’s. Glucagon goes into the cells and causes fat to be released. And it
does so with the help of a fat-burning enzyme called hormone-sensitive lipase
(HSL).
Much like glucagon is the “opposite” of insulin, HSL is the
“opposite” of LPL, the fat-storingenzyme we spoke of earlier.
HSL breaks down triglycerides (the form of fat stored in your cells) into fatty
acids and glycerol, so as they travel around the bloodstream they can be burned
for energy or excreted
This glucagon-HSL axis is what I call the “fat-burning
switch.”
Summing it
all Up…
Working
backwards, we can see the obvious: Fat burning (and weight loss) won’t take
place unless the fat-burning switch (glucagon/ HSL) is turned on.
The fat-burning switch is in the “off” position as long as
insulin levels are high. Insulin levels are high whenever blood sugar is high,
and blood sugar is typically high in response to high-carbohydrate meals.
Hence the solution to the problem of how to burn fat is
pretty simple. Keep blood sugar in a nice, moderate range where it won’t
trigger excess insulin. By keeping blood sugar (and insulin) down, you allow
glucagon/HSL—the fat-burning switch—to do its magic.
If you want to trigger your fat-burning switch, you have to
learn to eat in a way that won’t trigger excess insulin. Fortunately, that
isn’t that hard to do.
Start with a diet composed mainly of what I call “The Jonny
Bowden Four Food Groups”: Food you can hunt, fish, gather, or pluck .
4 simple ways to boost your energy
Jad | 12:05 PM |
Useful Information
Some days, do you feel like the Energizer Bunny with a weak
battery? You start strong, but by midafternoon you can’t quite keep going and
going. Fatigue afflicts everyone at one time or another. Assuming your doctor
has ruled out serious medical causes, there are a few basic steps you can take
to “recharge your batteries.”
1.
Pace
yourself
Go-getters like to keep going, but don’t risk overtaxing yourself.
If you pace yourself, you can still get things done. Instead of burning through
all your battery life in two hours, spread it out between morning tasks,
afternoon tasks, and evening activities — with rest and meals between.
2.
Take a
walk or a nap
There’s
nothing more satisfying than a short power nap when you’re pooped out. However,
if you have trouble sleeping at night, napping can make the insomnia worse. If
that’s the case for you, get moving instead. Get up and walk around the block,
or just get up and move around. If you are not an insomniac, enjoy that 20- to
30-minute power nap.
3. Skip most supplements
You may have heard about energy-boosting
or “anti-aging” supplements. There is no evidence they work.
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DHEA. There is no evidence
that DHEA offers any real benefits, and the side effects remain a question
mark. You especially shouldn’t be buying it from ads in the back of a
magazine, because you don’t know what’s in it.
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Iron. Iron only improves
energy if you are clearly deficient, which a doctor can check with a blood
test. Unless you are low in iron, you don’t need to take it, and getting too
much iron can be harmful.
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B vitamins. It is true that B vitamins (B1, B2, B6,
B12) help the body convert food into the form of energy that cells
can burn, but taking more B vitamins doesn’t supercharge your cells. That’s a
myth.
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4. Fuel up wisely
A sugary bakery roll
delivers plenty of calories, but your body tends to metabolize them faster, and
then you can end up with sinking blood sugar and fatigue. You’ll maintain a
steadier energy level by eating lean protein and unrefined carbohydrates. Try
low-fat yogurt with a sprinkling of nuts, raisins, and honey. Your body will
take in the carb-fiber-protein mix more gradually. Don’t skip meals. Your body
needs a certain number of calories to get through the work of the day. It’s
better to space your meals out so your body gets the nourishment it needs all
through the day.
It's
a fun time of year. And it's great to celebrate with friends. It's the season of office
parties, family get togethers and all those other drinking parties that make up
the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.
Did you know that even moderate
alcohol consumption can seriously increase your fat storage and make it harder
to lose weight?
And did you know that even after just
a few drinks, your body's ability to burn fat can be totally shut down?
Did you know that one of your main fat
loss hormones can actually becompletely
suppressed by
drinking booze?
But
don't worry if you enjoy a cocktail, a beer or a glass of wine now and then.
The news isn't all bad.
In
this very short article you'll discover 3
simple strategies for enjoying Happy Hour without sacrificing
your weight loss goals.
in
an ideal world, if you want to have a magazine-cover body you'll probably have
to give up the booze.But for the rest of us, completely giving up social
drinking is just a fantasy. And as you'll soon discover, you can enjoy a few
drinks, avoid becoming a social outcast AND have a hot body by following 3
simple strategies.
These 3 strategies reveal the
things you absolutely MUST AVOID if you want to keep losing fat without giving up your social life or
your favourite drinks
Just follow these 3 simple strategies
and you'll discover which foods NEVER to eat with alcohol, what the worst drink is for weight gain, and which
mixed drinks will go straight to your belly fat.
1 # ELIMINATE fatty foods
Food and drink are a natural match.
But there's one food you must definitely avoid if your goal is to lose weight.
You see, alcohol has the unfortunate
effect of shutting down your body's ability to oxidize fatty acids. In other
words, it prevents you from using fat for fuel. So when you pound back a greasy
cheeseburger with your favorite drink, your body can't use the fat you're
eating. It gets stored in your fat cells instead!
But you can avoid piling on ugly body
fat every time you have a few drinks just by sticking to lean protein and
veggies. Order a steak and a side salad instead of a cheeseburger and you'll
wake up the next morning as lean as you are were when you took your first sip.
2# AVOID Sugary Mixed Drinks
You've probably heard of insulin. It's
your body's "storage" hormone. And with the right nutrition timing,
insulin can actually accelerate your fat loss by helping you maintain and build
metabolically active lean muscle.
But Happy Hour is NOT the right time
to spike your insulin, which is exactly what happens when you pound down a
sugary Margarita or a sweet Rum Punch. In this case, your insulin spike is
going to drive all those calories straight onto your love handles.
Don't add fat to your midsection while
enjoying yourself with friends. Skip the sugary mixed drinks and sip a glass of
red wine or a Scotch on the rocks instead.
One of the big reasons I recommend
drinks like this is that you won't be as likely to pound them back. These are
drinks that demand to be sipped. But I also like them because of some other
potential health benefits.
Research published in the European
Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that both Scotch whisky and red wine help
to protect against coronary heart disease by raising the body's level of
anti-oxidants.
3# BANISH This Popular Beverage
OK, I'm going to talk about one other
important hormone for fat loss. This one is responsible for causing excessive
lower body fat in women, and chest or belly fat in men.
You've probably already guessed that
I'm talking about estrogen. But did you know a certain alcoholic drink actually
contains something called "phytoestrogens" that mimic estrogen in
your body?
High amounts of phytoestrogens are bad
because they can lead to ugly and stubborn fat storage in some pretty
embarrassing places...
Unfortunately, the offender is a drink
that pretty near everyone loves — beer.
Now don't worry, I don't expect you to
give up beer. But I will recommend that you limit yourself to one or two beers
on each social occasion. And stick with my previous recommendations of wine or
Scotch for the rest of the time.
You might also want to try darker
beers instead. They usually take a little longer to drink, and they're full of
beneficial anti-oxidants. For the rest of the habits I use to avoid
alcohol-related weight gain
Lose Belly Fat Starting Today
Jad | 5:29 AM |
Fat Burning
Eat a low-calorie, low-fat diet
It's not a big surprise that if you want to lose belly fat you need to eat a low-calorie, low-fat diet. There's not a perfect diet that suits everybody and you need to find a solution that works best for you. Many people find that making small adjustments to how they eat each day achieves better results, even if the weight loss is a little slower. Starving yourself will not help and you do need to eat while trying to lose belly fat. But as long as you eat the right foods there is no need to deny yourself of nutritious and tasty foods. Aim to eat good, naturally grown, hormone-free and pesticide-free foods and avoid packaged foods and processed foods.
Exercise regularly
Exercise is one of the best ways to lose belly fat naturally but there is no point in trying to do exercises that you don't like or find too difficult. Not everyone has the time or the inclination to go to the gym every day, so there are many exercises that you can do at home. Allow yourself the time to try various activities and schedules so that you can discover what will work best for you in the long run, not just for a few days or weeks. A simple exercise program should include cardio, strength training and flexibility routines to help you burn calories, build muscle and keep you flexible.
Change your lifestyle
You can lose belly fat fast with a rigorous diet and exercise regime. However one of the most important factors in getting a flatter stomach naturally is that it has to be become part of your lifestyle if it is ever going to be permanent. The best way to lose belly fat permanently is to make your health and fitness a top priority in your life. You must enjoy it whether it's due to the fact you actually enjoy the exercise and healthy eating, or because you enjoy the feeling of energy or confidence that it gives you.
Do you want to know more on how to lose belly fat? Are you confused about healthy eating and do you want to know the best workout techniques to get the results you want?
please visit us
Drinking Water Before Bed and getting enough sleep Promote Better Health
Jad | 5:06 AM |
Useful Information
There are two simple things you can do immediately to impact weight loss right now.
First, drink a lot of water. I know you have heard this before, but do you know how drinking water helps with weight loss? Most people do not drink enough water and walk around in a "dehydrated state." Mild dehydration will cause a 3% drop in your baseline metabolism resulting in the gain of 1 pound of fat every 6 months (Perricone Prescription). Staying hydrated will boost your metabolism.
Another tip on how drinking water helps with fat burning is that it minimizes bloating and water retention in women. These symptoms are often a result of lack of hydration. Those extra "water weight" pounds can fluctuate quite a bit daily but can be regulated by consistent hydration throughout the day. You should be drinking one-half of your ideal body weight in ounces of water per day. Look for your ideal body weight using one of the many ideal body weight charts found on line. Hydration is especially important if you are exercising regularly and dieting at the same time. Drinking plenty of water is how you flush the fat and toxins stored in your fat cells, and also how you can prevent muscle cramps.
There is a condition called "mouth hungry." This is when your brain signals that you are hungry when you are actually thirsty. If you drink a glass of water, you may find that you weren't hungry after all. Try this first before reaching for food. I have seen, from several sources, the recommendation to drink a full glass of water prior to eating to curb your hunger. If you are going to do this, drink your water at least 15 minutes prior to your meal. Water dilutes your stomach acid and can negatively impact digestion. If you experience digestion issues, you might want to curb your water intake during a meal or wait until 15 minutes after eating.
Remember that, downing your 8-10 glasses of water all in one sitting doesn't cut it. For effectiveness, staying hydrated throughout the day is how our bodies metabolize fat and how drinking water helps with weight loss. Also, when exercising, you should try to drink 3-5 ounces of water every 20 minutes.
Some symptoms associated with mild dehydration are weakness, muscle cramps, headaches, irritability, fatigue, trouble concentrating, heart palpitations, and anxiety.
Second, get enough sleep. I know that this seems so elementary, but many people get less than five hours of sleep per night. Did you know you cannot lose weight if you sleep less than five hours a night? Lack of sleep impacts metabolism and hormones. When you don't get enough sleep, the body produces more ghrelin, which is the hormone that signals hunger, and doesn't produce as much leptin, the hormone that signals fullness. Therefore, inadequate sleep can cause an increase in appetite and a decrease in your feeling of fullness. Studies from Colorado University and the University of Chicago have shown that sleep effects what, when and how much you eat. Sleep deprived individuals tend to eat 6% more calories than people who get enough sleep.
Tips To Reduce Belly Fat
Jad | 5:00 PM |
Fat Burning
Fortunately, belly fat can be eliminated or reduced by the same means that other fat can. It just takes the right combination of diet and exercise. There are, however, other factors that can hinder weight loss and cause you to retain belly fat. Below are 50 tips that can help you reduce that belly fat and have those abs you’ve always dreamed of:
1. Avoid stress—Research has found that our bodies produce hormones in response to stress. One of these is cortisol. It will cause your body to look for high-calorie food because it thinks it used a lot of energy handling something that was stressful. It’s kind of like tricking your body into thinking it’s had a big workout,
when in fact, it’s done nothing but become anxious and upset. Years ago, eating that type of high-calorie food was fine when you were stressed, because you used more energy every day working in the fields or on farms. Our ancestors remained thin during stressful times because of their hard work.Now, many of us live more sedentary lives. We simply can’t burn that type of fat intake any longer. When you’re under a large
amount of chronic stress, it tells your body to keep on making cortisol. It becomes a vicious cycle. Gaining weight makes you even more stressed, so you produce more cortisol and eat more fattening foods. You can reduce stress by doing several things. You can get more sleep. The average adult should get at least seven hours of sleep a night. You should keep things that are stressful away from the area you use for sleeping. Don’t do work in bed if you can help it. That area should be for relaxation and rest instead of work. Simply work at leaving your worries outside the bedroom door You should also set aside some time to relax each day. By closing your eyes, breathing deeply, and forgetting your worries for a brief period, even if it’s only 15 minutes a day, you can help reduce stress. Exercise will also help by giving you an outlet for the stress. Keeping your blood sugar level will also help.
2. Tell friends/family that you’re dieting—By telling others that you’re dieting, you have them to help keep you in check. Of course, you’ll hear things like, “You’re dieting aren’t you”or “Are you supposed to be eating that,” but it will help you stick to your diet. You’ll also hear things like, “How much have you lost”or
“You’re looking so good.”Those things can be very encouraging. Once you’ve made the proclamation that you’re dieting, you’ll feel like you have to prove you can do it, so you’re more apt to stick with it and achieve success.
3. Diet with a friend—Having a “buddy”system when you diet is a great way to lose weight. You have someone to help keep you in check, but you also have someone you can eat out with that you won’t have to explain you’re dieting to or someone that will be eating fattening foods in front of you. You can help and encourage each other along the way. You can celebrate each success you make as well as the success of your friends.
4. Stop smoking and/or drinking—People often say if they stop smoking they’ll gain weight and use that as an excuse to keep smoking. That is all it is…an excuse! Both smoking and drinking will cause you to gain weight and keep stubborn belly fat. Find something else to do with the time you usually spend smoking.
Take short walks, exercise, or do something else that is healthy and good for your body instead of smoking which you know is harmful to your body.
5. Eat—I know it may seem like a counterproductive measure, but it isn’t. Eating is important when you’re trying to reduce your weight, including trying to lose your stubborn belly fat. Breakfast is extremely important when you’re dieting. Many people will skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but that’s one of the worst things you can do. It has been proven that eating about an hour after you wake up can keep your insulin levels steadier and aid in keeping your weight steadier. You don’t want to eat a whole pig and a dozen eggs, but eating a breakfast that is high in fiber and protein can really boost your body metabolism and help you burn fat. Foods like eggs, fresh fruits/vegetables, or peanut butter are better for you than the more sugary things such as breakfast cereals, pancakes,or pastries. It is also better to eat four to five small meals a day than eat one or two large ones. This way you keep the signal to your body that is going to get fuel. If you don’t, or if you eat at irregular times and in irregular amounts, your body won’t know it is going to constantly
get fuel. It thinks it has to store that fat for future energy use. Usually where does it store it…right around the mid section. You defeat the purpose of trying to lose belly fat if you don’t eat breakfast.
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