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Start Small: 5 Diet Objective to Help You Lose Fat!
Hey,
I’ve had several people ask me how to get rid of fat from stubborn areas on the body. I wish I could tell you to do this exercise and it would magically vanish but there’s no such exercise. Stubborn belly or hip fat boils down to diet. So, instead of providing exercises that won’t work I’ve come up with 5 diet objectives to focus on. Focus your energy on accomplishing these 5 things daily for 30 days and see improvement. Do it for 4-6 months and you might see abs or other things you haven’t seen in years.
Objective 1: Eliminate bread, pasta and white rice from your diet. You’ve probably heard me say this 1000 times but it’s the honest truth when it comes to fat loss. Losing fat ultimately boils down to pushing insulin levels as low as possible. High insulin/blood sugar levels block fat cells from releasing fat. This is the toughest thing for most people to do, but it works if you have the fortitude to do it.
Objective 2: Eat at least 4 cups of vegetables per day. Vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber and are something your body craves. Vegetables are nutrient dense food that satisfy the body like nothing else due to the vitamins and minerals in them. Focus on getting 4 servings per day and you will find yourself wanting fewer bad foods.
Objective 3: Take a multivitamin every day! Research tells us the reason we over eat processed foods are due to the lack of useable vitamins and minerals in the food. If you are lacking vitamins and minerals that your body needs, it will continuously seek food attempting to get the vitamin and minerals we need. There are not a lot of vitamins in a honey bun so you will have to eat a truckload to satisfy the bodies demand. Make sure you use a gummy or liquid vitamin to get the most out of a multivitamin. Other vitamins tend to go straight through you without providing benefits. However, you will be amazed at how this alone will curb hunger.
Objective 4: Eat 3-4 whole eggs per day! Eggs are the best source of protein you can find and is very low in calories. In addition, the yolk contains tons of B vitamins that your body craves. Eggs are a good source of D aspartic acid which is a precursor to testosterone. This is important for both men and women wanting lose fat. Increased T levels in men dramatically improve their ability to lose fat quickly. This is a major reason men tend to lose fat faster than women. However, women need testosterone as well just in lower doses. As women age estrogen increases which causes testosterone to decrease as a result women lose muscle mass, bone density and increase fat. A loss in muscle the primary burner of fat will automatically result in more weight gain. Eat more broccoli to lower excess estrogen levels and eat more eggs and strength train to increase T levels to lower fat in both sexes.
Objective 5: Eliminate soda/fruit juice/Gatorade, diet soda and alcohol from your diet. Soda is a no brainer; everyone knows all that sugar will lead to increased fat. Diet soda is supposed to be no calories and better for you when losing weight, right. Wrong, diet soda will increase your craving for sweet meaning you will ultimately eat more sugar as a result. Not to mention we don’t know the long term effects of artificial sweeteners on the body. Alcohol is another drink that leads to fat gains. Alcohol of any kind comes from grains or fruit and is loaded with simple carbs which act much like soda. However, unlike soda alcohol itself contains additional usable calories which is a double whammy not to mention the loss of inhibition which can lead to binging on certain foods you wouldn’t ordinarily eat.
Sometimes it’s easier to implement change a little at a time. You may want to implement one objective every two weeks until all 5 are a habit. Apply these 5 objectives to your daily routine and watch your body fat disappear. You can’t out exercise a poor diet, make small changes that add up over time.
Providing Simple Steps to Help You Look and Feel Better,
Jeff
Linda B: Improving My Race Walking With Strength Training!
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Why Sauerkraut is Important to Health and Weight Loss!
Hey,
Weight loss and getting fit are great, but the whole reason for losing weight and getting fit is to improve your overall health. I want to help all my clients and people who read my newsletters and blog improve their overall health. I spoke to one of my neighbors a few months ago about the importance of probiotics and adding fermented sauerkraut to his diet. He stopped me today to tell me what a difference it’s made for him and his wife and their auto-immune issues. They take turmeric as well.
Everyone should eat sauerkraut or some other fermented vegetable every day. Why? Most Americans don’t have enough good gut bacteria and as a result sits us up for a health problem called leaky gut syndrome. What you need to know is leaky gut syndrome can cause a host of autoimmune diseases to include arthritis, psoriasis, IBS, and others. Improving your good gut bacteria is the first step to re-taking your health.
Fermented sauerkraut contains about 20 times more probiotics than pills and works far more efficient at restoring gut health. Make sure the sauerkraut you eat is fermented and don’t cook it. Cooking it will kill the bacteria that help you.
Below are just a few other reasons sauerkraut should be a part of your diet.
Sauerkraut
• Contains Vitamin A which is assist with healthy vision, teeth, skeletal tissue and skin
• Contains Vitamin C which contributes to immune health, is an antioxidant, and assist with wound healing
• Uncooked/Unpasteurized sauerkraut contain probiotics that’s extremely beneficial to the digestive tract replacing good bacteria
• Helps synthesize B vitamins for use
• Great source of fiber that protects the body from heart disease and cancer
• Good source of Vitamin K; needed for blood clotting, helps build strong bones, potentially lowers risk for heart disease and cancer
• Contains iron which increase O2 carrying capacity, increases energy, brain function and muscle function
Helping You Get Healthy,
Jeff
Sharon: Age is Just a Number, Strong is How You Stay Young!
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Gut Health: Real Health Begins in the Gut
Hey,
Did you know that up to 70% of your immune system resides in your digestive tract? In addition, an unhealthy digestive tract may play a role many of the chronic diseases Americans suffer from today. An old Ayurvedic Proverb states, “When diet is wrong medicine is of no use, when diet is correct medicine is of no need.” Truer words have never been written because what you eat determines the health of your digestive system and the health of your digestive tract plays a huge role on your total health.
The healthy gut is made up of trillions of bacteria called “flora” that assist in the digestive process among other things. When you truly begin to study the digestive system and the impact it has on total health it can be a bit over whelming. A healthy digestive tract protects the body from infection, regulates metabolism, and promotes immune health. However, an unhealthy digestive system does just the opposite and is increasingly being linked to many of the chronic and autoimmune diseases plaguing America’s health.
The digestive system is designed to be a highly selective closed system. This means the digestive tract contains and maintains sensors that should only allow useful nutrients to exit the intestinal walls and enter the blood stream. However, research is telling us that certain foods and medicines increase the intestinal wall permeability allowing foreign matter to enter the blood stream and cause the immune system to act causing inflammation and potentially disease states. This increased permeability is often referred to as “leaky gut syndrome.”
While the medical community does not fully understand the causes or cures for leaky gut syndrome, they do know that certain things have the potential to improve and cause dysfunction in the digestive tract. The below information has the potential to improve your digestive tract and health. In the case of medications mentioned we do not suggest you stop using the medication but do encourage you to do some research and have a conversation with your doctor about possible alternatives.
- Eliminate or reduce refined and processed foods in your diet. Many of these foods contain chemicals that have the potential to damage the intestinal lining.
- Eat fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, kim chi, and yogurt or learn how to make your own fermented vegetables. Fermented foods increase the good bacteria in your gut and work exponentially better than probiotics.
- However, if fermented food is not an option probiotics is the next best choice and will also increase good bacteria in the digestive tract increasing the health of the digestive system.
- Eliminate or greatly reduce refined sugar in your diet. Sugar can cause an overgrowth in yeast which is linked to increased permeability in the intestinal lining.
- Eat foods high in fermentable fiber like sweet potato, yams and yucca.
- Eliminate or decrease gluten in your diet. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley and is linked to causing damage to the lining of the intestines.
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) have the potential to damage the lining of your intestines and cause leaky gut.
- Increase the amount of Vitamin D in your diet by getting out in the sun or eating more eggs.
- Increase the amount of zinc in your diet, eating pumpkin seed, dark chocolate, and ribs.
- Decrease stress. Make a worry list and determine everything that’s causing stress in your life. Take care of the things that can be solved easily and develop a plan for those things that will take time.
- Antibiotics can kill off too many good bacteria causing a shift in the good/bad ratio causing dysfunction within the digestive tract. Fermented foods and/or probiotics are needed reverse damage done by antibiotics.
If you would like more fitness and health information to include a FREE Super Foods e-book e-mail expectresultsfitness@yahoo.com
Helping You Improve Your Health,
Jeff
Cheryl: Getting Stronger One Day at a Time
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Why I Eat Beets?
Hey,
I’ll be honest, I thought beets were gross and never thought about eating them until I saw the health benefits! After reading several articles on the health benefits I decided it was time to find a way to make them palatable. That’s when I added them to my smoothies. After a while I began to eat them with my salads and now I eat them almost everyday. Read below and discover why beets may be the best vegetable you can add to your diet.
Beets
Release nitric oxide which expands blood vessels and increases mitochondria efficiency. Researchers suggest it may lower blood pressure and increase endurance performance.
Delivers betalains antioxidants that research suggests decreases risk for heart disease and diabetes. In addition, research states it may inhibit the formation of nitrosamines a cancer causing compound. More research needs to be completed but may reduce the risk specifically to lung and skin cancer.
Delivers betain a common substance used to treat depression.
Provides tryptophan which relaxes the mind and creates a sense of health and well-being.
Contains boron a substance directly related to the production of human sex hormones.
Believed to cleanse the body of unwanted toxins which are made water soluble so the toxins can be excreted through urine.
Contains vitamin A,C, B and folate.
Contains the minerals manganese, magnesium, potassium and iron a true super food.
Helping You Improve Your Health,
Jeff
Brooke: My Wedding is Why I Started My Fitness Journey, Personal Growth is Why I Continue!
Hey
Brooke started her fitness/weight loss journey because she got engaged and wanted to look and feel great for her wedding day. However, along the journey her perspective has changed and that’s what makes her story so amazing.
So Brooke, what motivated you to lose weight and get in shape?
What originally motivated me to want to lose weight was getting engaged. I knew I couldn’t look and feel like I did about myself on my wedding day. Now, what motivates me is how much better I feel about not only myself but my relationships with other people in my life. When I started getting healthy so did everything around me. Mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually I have grown and it is something I want for the rest of my life. It’s safe to say this journey is not about the dress anymore.
Will you share some of the things you do?
I am still on my journey of losing weight but I try to exercise 5-6 times during the week whether that is going to boot camp, running, or both. Also, finding fun things to do on the weekend like hiking help keep me active too. Eating good balanced meals, getting plenty of sleep at night, and keeping my stress at a minimum are all things I am continuing to do to lose weight.
When did you really start seeing results? Was there something significant you did?
I really saw the most results in about 6 weeks; this was when I started taking my diet more seriously. I learned quickly that I couldn’t just exercise all I wanted and eat all that I wanted too. Jeff’s meal plan’s and smoothie recipes are what keep me in line but another thing I will say helps me is not being too strict on myself. For me, there has to be a little room for exceptions or I will feel like I am forcing myself to do something that I don’t want to do. It’s okay to have a piece of cake every now and again or to give yourself a day of relaxation. Little things like this are just as important and keep me going!
What are the big changes you made to your diet?
Cutting out late night snacking and taking on portion control have helped me tremendously. I stopped drinking sodas years ago and went to only water but I upped my water intake and it’s nothing for me to drink a full glass before a meal now. I like to let my fiancé, Kyle in on what I plan on eating. Telling him what’s for lunch today or dinner tomorrow somehow tricks my brain into thinking, “Okay this is what you have to eat!” It may sound silly but I don’t want to go back to him with the bad news of having pizza today instead of a salad that I told him about.
How important is diet to weight loss?
Diet is oh so important! Eat smart and you will be successful. I have days where I fall off track but you have to jump right back on, you can’t just unpack and stay there or you will end up right in the place you were when you started. Diet and exercise go hand and hand. I can tell such a difference when I am eating well because my workouts go good and I feel great. If I ate horrible I can literally feel myself dragging and not doing my very best. This alone makes me put my diet first because in the end I am only cheating myself.
Do you have any advice for people who are currently on a weight loss journey or those contemplating starting a journey?
The best advice I can give would be to find an accountability partner. I have gained so many friendships through this change in lifestyle but the most important is the friendship I have with Rachel. She is such an inspiration to me and keeps me on my feet at all times. Days that I don’t feel like going to the gym or on one of our runs I make the choice to go anyways because I wouldn’t want to put her out of a great workout. New achievements and goals that we reach encourage the other without even realizing it sometimes and that is something that I truly believe everyone needs.
Do you have anything to add that might help someone who’s struggling?
Stay with it! There will be days that you feel down or you feel like all of this is too much and too hard but we are harder on ourselves than anyone else. In 6 months all of those negative thoughts will go away and you will truly feel like a new person. I am just an average person who decided to make the best change for myself and for my life and so are you.
Thank you Brooke for sharing your story with all of us. You are doing wonderful and I look forward to seeing pictures of you in your wedding dress soon. You never know who you may have inspired to get up and make a change. You are an inspiration.
Inspiring You To Accept the Challenge,
Jeff
Why Everyone Should Know the Health Benefits of Turmeric!
Hey,
Turmeric is a spice found in almost all Indian dishes. However, over the past several years this spice has shown to have some amazing health benefits that range from cancer prevention/treatment to weight loss. I found this spice when I was searching for foods that lower blood pressure. Because blood pressure was linked to chronic systemic inflammation I started using Turmeric as an anti-inflammatory and feel it’s a major reason I was able to quell my blood pressure with diet alone.
- Turmeric
- Can be used to disinfect cuts and burns. Antibacterial and antiseptic agent and speeds wound healing.
- Potent anti-inflammatory; works as well as other anti-inflammatories without the side effects. Recent research suggest it aids in the treatment of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.
- When used with cauliflower has been shown to prevent prostate cancer and slow growth of tumors already present.
- In animal studies prevented the spread of breast and lung cancer.
- May prevent melanoma and inhibit its growth.
- Improves liver health; natural detoxifier.
- Slows or prevents Alzheimer’s disease removing amyloyd plaque in the brain. Men and women 70-79 years of age in India have ¼ the Alzheimer’s diagnosis as men and women in the US. Indians use turmeric in most foods.
- In animal studies it’s slowed the progression of multiple sclerosis.
- A natural pain killer; a cox-2-inhibitor.
- In research it’s stopped the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors.
- In laboratory research it’s programmed the death of colon cancer cells. More research must be accomplished.
- Suppresses inflammation in the digestive tract associated with inflammatory bowel disease.
- Preliminary studies suggest it may help in the treatment of psoriasis.
- Research suggests it may work as an antifungal treatment.
- Curcumin used prior to cancer treatment makes cancer cells more vulnerable to chemo and radiation. Curcumin gives turmeric its yellow color.
- Notes:
- Should consult with your doctor before using if you have been diagnosed with gallstones or bile obstruction.
- Should consult with your doctor before using if you’re pregnant. Turmeric is a uterine stimulant.
Improving Your Health,
Jeff