The 'Supersize' Legend Lives on for Obesity.

By: Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

A New York University study has concluded that fast food portions are larger than ever.  Although McDonalds has eliminated it 'Supersize' meals, though their portion options are still large their rivals have created monster size burgers.

Hardee's, Burger King and Wendy's  have each created 1,000 calorie plus sandwiches.  Most of these sandwiches contains 12oz of beef or more.  Now I am not saying protein is a bad thing, but this isn't your [tag]lean protein[/tag] that you should be eating. 

Now I always use McDonalds as an example as to why we are eating the extra large portions that we do.  Other obviously are making sure we don't ditch this bad habit. 

Since we as individuals tend to finish off whatever is on our plate or purchase in this example this will only lead to more [tag]obesity[/tag] and overweight problems.

Instead there is a solution.

Instead of going out and eating 1500 some calories at a fast food restaurant whip up one of [tag]Rachael Ray's[/tag] meals in under 30 minutes.  I also can assure you that you won't be eating 1500 calories with this meal.

It is called Park City Cashew Chicken

This is a very flavorful chicken meal that uses garlic, red bell pepper, chipotle, cashews and of course chicken. The starch source for this meal is brown rice so you are consuming a slower digesting starch to go along with this great meal. 

To top it off add a couple of servings of your favorite vegetables on the side and you not only have a low calorie meal.  You will have a meal that is very filling that is helping you achieve your weight loss FAST.

If you haven't yet purchased Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats cookbook what are you waiting for?  What better way to break your habits of choosing unhealthy meals then opening up this book and choosing from 365 recipes.  Some are already perfect for a weight loss meal plan and others need only minor modifications.  For those that need minor modifications I will give you the healthy alternatives here.

If there is a meal you see in this book and would like to know how to make it healthier then make sure to leave a comment on this blog and I would love to critique the recipe. 

 

Fish Food: What is Safe to Eat for Weight Loss?

by: Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

If you thinking about what type of [tag]lean protein[/tag] you should choose that will help you feel full and assist with that FAST weight loss then look no further than fish.

The problem is these days all you hear about is that fish contains high levels of mercury and it should be avoided.  Here are some quick facts about fish and the guidelines for each type.

Salmon:  Choose wild salmon when possible and don't worry about it being higher in fat.  It contains an abundance of [tag]Omega 3 fats[/tag] which are the healthy fats you should be consuming every day anyways.  Salmon is ok to eat 2-3x a week. 

Tuna:  This is an excellent source of protein and is lower in fat then salmon when you choose light tuna packed in water.  Tuna has been getting all the attention lately because of the potential risk of higher mercury levels, but it is still safe to eat 1x a week.

Tilapia:  Did you know that Tilapia is one of the most popular seafoods consumed in the U.S?  It is low in fat and calories as well as contains a decent amount of protein.  Just avoid the fried tilapia, which is popular on menu restaurant menus or else the low fat option goes out the window.  Feel free to eat this 2-3x a week.

Now of course there are other lean protein choices you can eat for fast [tag]weight loss[/tag], but you will miss out on the benefits of the [tag]essential fatty acids[/tag] and Omega 3's.  Your choices are to eat fish 2-4x a week, which may get tiring for some or the alternative is to consume a high quality krill oil and you won't have to worry about the risk for toxic levels of mercury. 

Now I am not suggesting you abandon fish all together because it is a great lean protein source, but you could eat fish 1-2x a week.  If you are taking your high quality krill oil then not only are you getting the health benefits of krill, but you are also potentially blocking permanent fat cells from being formed as well as using fat cells for energy rather then storing them. 

Check out a previous post I did regarding Krill oil and weight loss by clicking the link below.

Omega 3's and Weight Loss

 

 

Your Reference Chart for Fiber and Weight Loss Foods.

by: Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

Here is a quick chart you can use to get more [tag]fiber[/tag] into your diet.  Incorporating these foods into your daily meals will help control your appetite by not overeating and also help you feel fuller longer.  These all lead to your [tag]weight loss[/tag] success. 

High Fiber Foods (sources of fiber per cup)

Pinto Beans  19.4 gms
Black Beans  19.4 gms
Split Peas  16.3 gms
Red Kidney Beans 13.1 gms
Raspberries  8.0 gms
Whole Wheat spaghetti 8.0 gms
Blackberries  7.6 gms
Raisins   5.4 gms
Broccoli  5.1 gms

Good Fiber Food (sources of fiber per cup)

Brown Rice  3.5 gms
Strawberries  3.3 gms
Almonds   3.3 gms
Orange   3.1 gms

Start today by incorporating at least 2 of these foods into your diet today.
 

Do we actually have evidence that saturated fat may actually be good for you instead?

Here is part 2 of Mike Geary's stunning saturated fat article.   To read more about Mike and what he does click here. 

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Well, let's consider a few examples…

Did you know that there are several well known tribes in Africa… the Masai, Samburu, and Fulani tribes… where their diet consists mostly of raw whole milk, tons of red meat, and cows blood?  Despite their very high [tag]saturated fat[/tag] intake, they display extremely low body fat levels, and heart disease to natives of the tribe is virtually non-existant.

Now most critics of this example will say that it must be related to superior genetics… however this is false, as when they studied tribesman who had moved out of their native lands and started eating more modern day diets, their blood chemistry skyrocketed with heart disease risk factors.

This is true of certain pacific island countries inhabitants as well.

Several studies have shown that certain pacific island nations had VERY high intakes of total fat as well as saturated fat from tropical fats such as palm, coconut, and cocoa. Despite super-high intakes of saturated fat, these island natives were typically very lean and heart disease was virtually non-existant.

However, when researchers followed up with islanders that had moved away from their native island and adopted a typical western diet, the heart disease factors were through the roof.

In fact, did you know that although saturated fat intake does increase your LDL bad cholesterol, it actually increases your HDL good cholesterol even further, hence improving your overall cholesterol ratio, which has been proven to be more important that just total cholesterol level (actually total cholesterol is an almost useless number… inflammation is the REAL problem, but that's a whole different topic).

Another fact worth noting in favor of saturated fat…

Saturated fat is comprised of various different types… the 3 most common types are stearic acid, palmitic acid, and lauric acid.

Stearic acid is found in animal fat and cocoa in higher levels. Research continues to show that stearic acid has no negative impacts on heart disease risks. If anything, it's either neutral or beneficial. In fact, your liver breaks down stearic acid into a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, which is the same type of fat that makes up most of heart-healthy olive oil. Bet you didn't know that!

Lauric acid is beneficial as well. Not only has it been shown to increase your HDL good cholesterol levels significantly, but it is also lacking in most Americans diet and has even been shown to have some powerful immune-boosting effects potentially. It is even being studied currently in HIV/AIDS research to help improve immune function in patients.

Tropical oils such as coconut and palm are the best sources of lauric acid.

Palmitic acid is the other main component of saturated fat and has also been shown to increase HDL good cholesterol to the same, if not greater extent than LDL bad cholesterol, thereby making it either neutral or beneficial, but certainly not bad for you.

So, if all of these researchers have tried so hard over the years to point the finger at saturated fat, but have continued to fail to show a correlation between saturated fat and heart disease risk, what are the REAL culprits for heart disease?

Well, here are the REAL causes of heart disease risk:

*Trans fats (artificially hydrogenated oils)… see my previous article here for a full explanation - Truth About Abs  Scroll to the bottom and click on Exercise, Workout, and Nutrition articles.

*Heavily refined vegetable oils such as soy, cottonseed, corn oil, etc.(inflammatory inside the body, and typically throw the omega-6/omega-3 balance out of whack)

*Too much refined sugar in the diet (including high fructose corn syrup)

*Too much refined carbohydrates such as white bread, low fiber cereals, etc

*Smoking

*Stressful lifestyle

*Lack of exercise

*Other lifestyle factors

So why does it seem that so many attempts over the years have tried to lay the blame on saturated fat… do you think it might have anything to do with the muli-billion dollar vegetable oil industry, which has taken over for cooking oils for what used to be mostly animal fats and tropical oils in decades past…

hmm… do multi-billion dollar industries really have an influence on the way data is portrayed to the public? Of course they do! And don't even get me started on the cholesterol meds industry! Again, I digress.

I hope this article has opened your eyes about the truth about saturated fat and how you've been misled over the years.

The true FACT is that saturated fat is a neutral substance in your body, and even beneficial at times, not a deadly risk factor for disease. The REAL risk factors are what I listed above.

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To read more articles from nutrition specialist Mike Geary click here then scroll to the bottom and click on Exercise, Workout, Nutrition articles

The Lies You've Been Told About Saturated Fat

I have a great post for today from my colleague Mike Geary from the truthaboutabs.  He read a riveting and stunning article in the latest Men's Health magazine regarding saturated fat.  I have broken it up into 2 posts because of the length and I didn't want to cut any of it out so that you can get all the facts. Enjoy!

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I've written many times in the last couple years about the mistaken beliefs in society about saturated fat and the false perception in the media AND with MOST health professionals that saturated fat is bad for you.

If you've seen in some of my articles, I've even showed you why saturated fat can even be GOOD for you in some cases, despite every health/fitness professional in the world just accepting the false belief that it's bad for you.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to FINALLY see a big name publisher have some guts to publish an article about why everyone in the world may be wrong about their beliefs about saturated fat.

I received my new issue of Men's Health magazine over the weekend (Nov issue), and they have a huge 6-page article in there about the faulty research in the past about [tag]saturated fat[/tag], and some new emerging research that is showing why it may actually be more good for you than you would believe.

I've got to give them credit… the article was VERY well researched and put together beautifully to summarize where the studies in the past have gone wrong, and why recent studies are showing that everyone may have been wrong for the last 5 decades about saturated fat.

I'd highly suggest you read the entire article if you can. If not, I'm going to try to give you a quick summary of the findings here since it was a long article…

First of all, did you realize that although doctors, nutritionists, fitness professionals, and the media all have told you that it's a FACT that saturated fats are bad for you, this "FACT" has actually never been proven!

It's actually not a "fact" at all. It was a hypothesis! This goes all the way back to a flawed research study from the 1950's where a guy named Ancel Keys published a paper that laid the blame on dietary fat intake for the increasing heart disease phenomenon.

However, there were major flaws to his study. For one, in his conclusions he only used data from a small portion of the countries where data was available on fat consumption vs heart disease death rate. When researches have gone back in and looked at the data from all of the countries, there actually was no link between fat consumption and heart disease deaths. So his conclusions were actually false.

Second, his blaming of fat intake for heart disease was only one factor that was considered. There was no consideration of other factors such as smoking rates, stress factors, sugar intake, exercise frequency, or other lifestyle factors.

Basically, his conclusions which blamed heart disease deaths on fat intake were really just a shot in the dark about what a possible cause may have been, even though all of those other factors I just mentioned, plus many others, may be the bigger cause.

Unfortunately, Keys study has been cited for over 5 decades now as "fact"
that saturated fat is bad for you.  As you can see, there certainly is nothing factual about it.

Since that time, numerous other studies have been conducted trying to link saturated fat intake to heart disease. The majority of these studies have failed to correlate ANY risk at all from saturated fat. A couple of them made feeble attempts at linking saturated fat to heart disease, however, it was later shown that in those studies, the data was flawed as well.

========================

Return tommorrow for Part 2, when you will find out if there is actual evidence that saturated fat may be good for you.

Feel free to read more about Mike Geary and his insider secrets to a lean body by clicking here.

 

 

 

The Perfect Rachael Ray Recipe For Dramatic Dress-Size Reduction

by: Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

I have a perfect light recipe today by Rachael Ray.  It fits right into the dramatic dress size reduction diet with no modifications. 

It is Grilled Halibut with Fennel, Orange, Red Onions and Oregano

Not only are you getting great [tag[protein[/tag] and Omega 3 fatty acids with the grilled Halibut you are also consuming Extra-virgin olive oil, which is another great [tag]essential fatty acid[/tag] source.  Don't forget the powerful [tag]antioxidants[/tag] from the red onion and orange.

Here is the quick ingredient list for this recipe.

2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
4 6-ounce halibut fillets
1 Orange
1 Fennel Bulb, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1 Red Onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
7 ingredients is all that is needed to make a low calorie fat burning recipe.  It also tastes great. 

I am telling you if you are tired of hearing or repeating that old saying of "I don't know what to cook for dinner" then you need to stop procrastinating and go purchase Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats cookbook and take action.

If you are thinking that you need to gather a few more recipes and layout out your plan stop analyzing and start doing.  There is a phrase called "paralysis by analysis" and it means that you are always trying to get that one more bit of information or find that one more answer before you start exercising or eating healthy. 

Just get STARTED!!!

Once you are taking action in your weight loss then you tweak, analyze and modify your information, habits, and plan.  Until you take action there is nothing to analyze. 

That is why in Dramatic Dress Size Reduction Diet ebook that is set to release here in a couple of weeks lays out your first 30 days so that you can't use the excuse of analyzing or learning one more thing before you start.  I throw you right into action and then when you have started forming new habits is when I will continue to teach you more information so that you can analyze and tweak your eating habits yet still continue to lose weight and look great.

 

Kevin Trudeau's Weight Cure Ads Are Misleading

By: Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

The Federal Trade Commission states that Kevin Trudeau's Best-selling book "The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About" has used misleading ads and infomercials to sell it.

Trudeau claims that you can eat whatever you want and you will be immune to weight gain after learing this cure.  He states a diet that includes prime rib, gravy, butter, wine and beer.  

"No hunger, no deprivation, no exercise" Trudeau states in his ad. 

FTC officials say he violated a 2004 court order that bars him from using misleading infomercial ads to sell his books.  It appears he didn't learn his lesson from the first time he got caught trying to mislead consumers because he is in court again.

The FTC has sued Trudeau repeatedly over the last 10 years forcing him to stop selling, "pain relief" adhesive tape, an "addiction" breaking system and a cancer cure involving coral caclium.

Pain relief adhesive tape???

This guy sounds like quite the witch doctor and con artist. 

It just goes to show that [tag]weight loss[/tag] and [tag]fat loss[/tag] still takes hard work and dedication.  

Eating the proper foods in the proper quantities and combining it with higher intensity exercise is still the tried and true method to successful weight loss even though Trudeau recommends like he does in his book to eat only 500 calories a day and consult a therapist to cleanse their colon with water or inject themselves in the buttocks with a prescription drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved for weight loss.

Want to know a fat loss cure?

Eat [tag]lean protein[/tag] and a vegetable at every feeding opportunity.  Include a whole-grain higher fiber starch and strength train 3x a week.  This is just one of many fat loss cures you should be following and it doesn't include any injection into your butt.

 

Want A Recipe That Packs a Punch?

by Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

I have a great recipe for you today that I eat as my lunch sometimes.  It isn't a Rachael Ray recipe, but is just as healthy and will do wonders for helping you lose weight.

It is called Grilled Chicken and Bean Salad.

It is a great meal to take with you for lunch and is loaded with [tag]protein[/tag] and [tag]fiber[/tag].

Here are the ingredients:

1 can (16oz) whole green beans, drained
1 can (15oz) garbanzo beans, drained
1 can (15oz) kidney beans, drained
2 grilled chicken breast, chopped
1 can (12oz) whole-kernel corn, drained
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 cup fat-free French dressing

Cook and chop the chicken and then mix the beans, corn, onion, and chicken together.  Pour in the 1 cup of fat-free French Dressing and you are finished.  You now have an excellent meal that is portable and can be eaten cold or hot.  It tastes great both ways. 

You might be wondering why this is a great [tag]fat loss[/tag] meal.  It is because you are eating a good amount of protein which provides fullness and has a high Thermic Effect Factor.  A high Thermic Effect means that it requires more calories to used for digestion than other nutrients such as carbs and fat.  So your net calorie intake is lower.  This meal also provides a great source of fiber, which again provides satiety and fullness as well as slow down the digestion process so your insulin levels stay controlled.  Controlling your insulin level is key to fat loss. 

Enjoy and as always leave your comments about this recipe for others to read. 

Worry About Losing Inches and Dress Sizes Instead of The Scale

by:  Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

I was in the gym the other day and I commented to a frequent member that it seemed like he had been working hard because he seems to keep looking slimmer. 

His response was yeh I guess, but the scale doesn't seem to be going down very much. He was very disappointed with this.

So I then started to explain to him why the scale isn't that important.  Listen up because this applies to anyone trying to lose weight.

First, if you are actively strength training which you should be if you want to [tag]lose weight[/tag] then that means you are going to build new lean muscle.  Lean muscle adds weight.  So if you lose 5 pounds of fat and add 3 pounds of new lean muscle the scale is only going to show a 2 pound body weight loss.  Yet, you will look significantly better with this 2 pound scale difference.

If you used that scale number as the almighty answer to your [tag]weight loss[/tag] you would be disappointed and think you are failing when in actuality you are making superb progress.  Especially if that 5 pounds came from you hips, or the backs of your legs and arms or waist. 

What should you be looking at to measure your fat loss progress?

Look at how your clothes fit.  Are they looser?  Do you have to go down a notch or two on your belt buckle to tighten your pants up?  Do you need to have the seamstress take in your slacks some so they don't fall down.  These are the things that you should be measuring for fat loss.

The scale is not an accurate tool when you are trying to gauge [tag]fat loss[/tag] because to achieve successful fat loss you need to add lean muscle. 

Do what I told this guy in the gym.  Hide your scale or throw it away.  Do not use the scale to measure your fat loss.  Instead use your belt as a measuring tool and view how your clothes fit to determine if you are losing fat. 

If you are the type that likes more information about your progress then use a cloth measuring tape (you can find these at most craft or fabric stores) and measure your waistline at the belly button level.  Measure the circumference of your legs and arms or hips.  Note where you took the measurement so you measure in the same spot each time.  Repeat this every 3 weeks and you will then have an accurate picture of the type of progress you are making.

 

MSN Diet & Fitness: Who Needs Snacks?

by Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

This is an article right now on MSN.com in their diet and fitness section. 

The answer to this is Everyone? 

It is discussed that snacking may lead overeating and that it may be good for some and bad for others.  Well, so can eating too much at any meal, or skipping meals, or eating fast food all the time. 

The point is that anything can be bad for you, but here is why snacking it vital to weight loss when done properly.

Snacking between meals helps keep your [tag]metabolism[/tag] elevated so that you burn more calories throughout the day.  It prevents you from eating too much at your next meal because you were able to take in a small amount of calories between meals.

It also allows your body to burn food for energy rather than trying to store the calories because you have trained your body to know that it will get fed every 2-3 hours while you are awake.  This is a key point for a highly efficient metabolism and [tag]weight loss[/tag].

This MSN article also discusses that snack foods tend to be junk and high in calories.  This is no surprise with all the convenience foods on the market today and vending machines. 

This is why I preach eating a [tag]lean protein[/tag] source at your snacks and meals along with a vegetable serving.  First off you should be eating 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day so unless you are going to eat all of that in 3 meals you will need to eat more frequently. 

The lean protein and vegetable are also great satiety foods, which means they make you feel full on less food for a longer period of time. You are less likely to be drawn to those junk food items when you don't feel hungry.

The MSN article does bring up a great point about water.  The author recommends you try making a big glass of water standard with your snacks.  This is a great idea because many times are body gets confused between thirst and hunger.  We think we are hungry when really we are just thirsty. 

I recommend that you drink an 8-12 ounce glass of water with every feeding opportunity and if you feel hungry between these feedings drink a tall glass of water and wait 15 minutes.  If you are still hungry after that then eat, but 99% of the time you won't be hungry because in actuality you were just thirsty. 

So your take home message for today is to eat snacks, but choose the proper foods that will make you feel full longer with less food and consume an 8-12 ounce glass of water at every feeding opportunity. 

 

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