Lets Talk Carbohydrates And Individuality
Carbohydrates are only used in the body for energy while fats and proteins are used for production of hormones, cell membranes AND energy. What most people don’t realize is that this means the intake of carbohydrates should correlate with the amount of exercise that you do in a day.
When you have a high intake of carbohydrates such as white bread and refined sugars it causes your blood sugar levels to rise and will then cause hormonal changes in the body that causes most of us to become unhealthy and store fat. In children it has also been linked to ADHD, mental health issues, development of diabetes and obesity.
While there is some controversy regarding the amount of food an individual should eat from each of the four food groups to maintain a healthy diet, one should also keep in mind that each person has individual nutritional needs (i.e. athletes versus non-athletes, diabetics versus non-diabetics). These differences mean that one diet will have a very different effect on different individuals. This means that the required carbohydrate intake will vary from one person to another and is largely determined by the amount of lean muscles and the amount of daily exercise. It is suggested to make sure that your diet includes but is not limited to lots of lean meat, fish, eggs and is combined with lots of dark green vegetables.
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It’s leaves are changing, the air is crisp which means it is fall. That means that it is pumpkin pie season. Pies can be high in carbs as well as sugar and fat content. Here is a pumpkin pie shake recipe that is a fast and easy healthy alternative. This is one of my favourite recipes that can be used for a post-workout, breakfast, or as a snack. If you love pumpkin flavour anything like I do I promise that this shake won’t disappoint you because this shake isis thick like a milkshake and tastes like a creamy pumpkin pie. Perfect for your fall taste buds.
In a blender combine the following ingredients:
– 3 scoops of pumpkin out of a cone
– 2/3 ice cubes
– 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk or any other milk of your choice
– 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
– 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon stevia, coconut sugar or sweetener of your choice
– 1/2 of a banana (I prefer frozen)
– 1/2 – 1 tablespoon non-fat plain Greek yogurt
Blend ingredients thoroughly and pour into a glass and enjoy!
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- See more at: http://livingcivil.com/pumpkin-protein-shake-recipe/#sthash.XjMdV96X.dpuf
There are a lot of misconceptions about the foods that should be include on the dinner plate. The following are some healthy choices as to what you should include. Make sure it is well rounded and includes multiple food groups. The following foods should be considered as options for an “anytime plate” according to Precision Nutrition. The portions will vary depending on your goals (weight loss, weight gain etc), as well as timing (pre or post workout). More information can be found through the Precision Nutrition Plate Guide.
Drink: Choose water or tea instead of juice or soda as your main beverage.
Leafy Greens and Vegetables: You should choose steamed, raw or roast greens such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, collards, kale, bok choy, chard, watercress, broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, corn, onions, green peas, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes.
Healthy Fats: Seeds, nuts, olives, and avocados. Try to eliminate extracted oils and processed fats (example: margarine).
Whole Grains and Starch Based Vegetables: Some foods include rice, oats, Quinoa, buckwheat, millet, spelt, barley, whole grain pasta. This category also includes beets, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash. Beans, lentils, soybeans, split peas and tofu are also included in this category.
Lean Meats, Poultry and Fish: Lean ground turkey, lean ground beef, chicken, and fish are all included in this category.
Salt: You should minimize your salt intake by using products with no sodium or low in sodium ingredients. Use salt as a seasoning sparingly. Try and stay inspired and use herbs, spices, vinegars, lemons and limes for seasoning.
For more tips on fitness and healthy eating check out
Alicia Bell is a Toronto based Personal Trainer
www.twitter.com/trainitright
wwww.trainitright.com
- See more at: http://livingcivil.com/create-healthy-dinner-plate/#sthash.uHVGrtzo.dpuf
Why You Need To Hydrate More
Did you know that water makes up one half to two thirds of your body weight? That means someone who is approximately 150lbs has about 10 gallons of water in their body at any given time. Keep in mind that each and every day you lose several gallons of water in urine, sweat and breathing. You need to replace the water that you lose. However, who has the time to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day?
According to recent studies on average most people consume all of the water they need. Nutritionist, doctors and fitness experts recommend that you drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. If you are more active you need to drink more. Soda and coffee etc do not count. Also keep in mind that if you eat a lot of vegetables or water based foods you don’t need quite as much water. This applies especially towards vegetables which are composed of a lot of water themselves. If you are wondering if you are properly hydrated keep an eye on your urine. If your urine is pale it indicates that you are properly hydrated. The darker it is the less hydrated you are. If you take vitamins it may darken or brighten your urine even if you are properly hydrated so don’t be alarmed. Another way to tell if you are properly hydrated is that you have to empty your full bladder at least once every 2 to 4 hours.
Drinking water also suppresses your appetite and burns calories. Studies have shown that drinking cold water temporarily burns more calories because your body has to warm it up once it is ingested. It also may facilitate weight loss because it helps people feel full. So drink up!!!!
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According to the Huffington Post most of use consume an excess of up to and beyond 500 extra calories of sugar per day. One pound weight gain is equivalent to approximately 3500 calories. This means that the average person is putting themselves at risk to gain a minimum of one extra pound a week.
Here are 10 more reasons to cut back on sugar:
Sugar sweetened beverages are related to obesity
Canadians are drinking roughly twice as many soft drinks now as they did in 1970. Sugary liquids may make us fatter because they don’t curb our appetite for more food.
Sugar enriched beverages are linked to diabetes
Sugar sweetened soft drinks might increase the risk of type 2 diabetes because they’re high in rapidly absorbable carbohydrates. Also, studies have shown that people who eat foods that raise blood sugar levels have a higher risk of diabetes.
Sugar contains empty calories
There’s no question that sugars are a major culprit in obesity, because they’re a source of empty calories that most people don’t need. Sugar has no nutritional benefits whatsoever. Added sugars crowd out healthy foods, or make you fat if eaten in addition to healthy foods.
Sugar-sweetened drinks can raise the risk of heart disease
Excess weight isn not good for the heart. A big belly is one part of the metabolic syndrome, which raises the risk of heart disease (and diabetes). But sugar-sweetened beverages may promote heart disease whether or not they make you gain weight.
Sugar raises triglycerides
When you consume a large dose of glucose, the liver doesn’t pull much of it in if you don’t need the calories. In contrast, fructose ends up in the liver whether you need the calories or not. What does the liver do with all that fructose? It converts some of the fructose into fat, which gets sent into the bloodstream, resulting in higher levels of triglycerides.
Sugar promotes belly fat
According to the Huffington Post A 2010 2010 study in children found "excess fructose intake (but not glucose intake) actually caused visceral fat cells to mature -- setting the stage for a big belly and even bigger future risk for heart disease and diabetes."
Sugar may be linked to cancer production and may effect cancer survival
According to research done by the Huffington Post. A 2013 study found that "sugars in the intestine triggered the formation of a hormone called GIP (it is completely dependant on sugar levels), that in turn, increases insulin released by the pancreas. Researchers found that β-catenin may in fact affect the cells susceptibility to cancer formation. They found an associations between high sugar and starch intake and survival rates in both breast cancer patients and colon patients." This link between sugar and higher cancer risks should make you wan't to cut back if nothing else does.
Sugar can cause over-eating
Leptin is a hormone made by fat cells. It’s supposed to make you stop eating. Over time a high sugar diet blocks the leptin signal in the brain. The result is that you keep eating and no longer know when you are full.
Minimizing added sugars has been known to keep blood pressure down
There’s a possibility that sugar raises blood pressure, but it is not definitive. It is clear that there’s little place for sugar in a diet that’s designed to lower blood pressure.
Most sugary foods are low in nutrients
When you consume high sugar foods from companies such as Coca-cola, Pepsi, Hostess, Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme etc you are getting over fed and under nourished. These foods are high in sugars and low in nutrients. Many are also packed with white flour which does not contain much nutritional value.
Alicia Bell, BSc Kin, CPT, NCCP, CF-L1
For more info follow Alicia on twitter or check out her website
There are a lot of misconceptions about the foods that should be include on the dinner plate. The following are some healthy choices as to what you should include. Make sure it is well rounded and includes multiple food groups. The following foods should be considered as options for an "anytime plate" according to Precision Nutrition. The portions will vary depending on your goals (weight loss, weight gain etc), as well as timing (pre or post workout). More information can be found through the Precision Nutrition Plate Guide.
Drink: Choose water or tea instead of juice or soda as your main beverage.
Leafy Greens and Vegetables: You should choose steamed, raw or roast greens such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, collards, kale, bok choy, chard, watercress, broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, corn, onions, green peas, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes.
Healthy Fats: Seeds, nuts, olives, and avocados. Try to eliminate extracted oils and processed fats (example: margarine).
Whole Grains and Starch Based Vegetables: Some foods include rice, oats, Quinoa, buckwheat, millet, spelt, barley, whole grain pasta. This category also includes beets, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash. Beans, lentils, soybeans, split peas and tofu are also included in this category.
Lean Meats, Poultry and Fish: Lean ground turkey, lean ground beef, chicken, and fish are all included in this category.
Salt: You should minimize your salt intake by using products with no sodium or low in sodium ingredients. Use salt as a seasoning sparingly. Try and stay inspired and use herbs, spices, vinegars, lemons and limes for seasoning.
For more tips on fitness and healthy eating check out
Alicia Bell is a Toronto based Personal Trainer
www.twitter.com/trainitright
wwww.trainitright.com
