big-bellied-man

Today I’d like to talk to you about a food item that needs to be cut completely from the diet if you desire a healthier existence and flatter stomach. Wheat! When I say wheat I’m not only referring to brown bread as opposed to white bread. I’m referring to the ingredient “wheat”. I’m not sure if you realize bu the only difference between white and wheat bread is bleach. The fact of the matter is “wheat” should be cut from the diet no matter what form it’s in. bread-baked-from-wheat-flour     How does wheat make your belly fat increase. Here’s an excerpt taken from Dr. William Davis’s article on wheat…….. High glucose and high insulin–This effect is not unique to wheat, but shared with other high-glycemic index foods (yes: whole wheat has a very high-glycemic index) like cornstarch and rice starch (yes, the stuff used to make gluten-free foods). The high-glycemic index means high blood glucose triggers high blood insulin. This occurs in 90- to 120-minute cycles. The high insulin that inevitably accompanies high blood sugar, over time and occurring repeatedly, induces insulin resistance in the tissues of the body. Insulin resistance causes fat accumulation, specifically in abdominal visceral fat, as well as diabetes and pre-diabetes. The more visceral fat you accumulate, the worse insulin resistance becomes; thus the vicious cycle ensues. For this reason it was left out of the Fitness Freak Meal Plan. If you didn’t understand that I’ll break it down.

  • Wheat spikes your blood sugar just like candy.
  • Wheat can lead to diabetes.
  • Wheat makes you gain fat predominately in the midsection.

Here’s a list of aliases that wheat goes under to seem more appealing:

  • Binder or binding
  • Cereal
  • Cereal binders
  • Cereal protein
  • Edible starch
  • Farina
  • Filler
  • Flour
  • Food starch
  • Fu
  • Gum base
  • Hydrolysed wheat protein
  • Kamut
  • Manna
  • Modified food starch
  • Modified starch
  • Rusk
  • Semolina
  • Special edible starch
  • Spelt
  • Starch
  • Thickener or thickening
  • Tritical

Foods that contain wheat include but are not limited to:

  • Pasta,
  • Couscous,
  • Bread,
  • Flour
  • Tortillas,
  • Cookies,
  • Cakes,
  • Muffins,
  • Pastries,
  • Cereal,
  • Crackers,
  • Beer
  • Oats,
  • Gravy,
  • Dressings,
  • Sauces

This not about looks, its about living a healthier lifestyle. Belly fat has been linked to heart disease and diabetes. So don’t think I or anyone just wants yo to join the six pack gang. It is my desire to keep you out of the hospital and off medication. The look is a side effect of being healthy.For more healthy eating tips, check out my new new book Fitness Freak Meal Plan available on Amazon.

Book Cover

~its about what YOU see in the mirror~ 

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ronald exercising

 

I read the best quote I’ve seen so far when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. YOU CAN’T OUT EXERCISE A BAD DIET! For instance, if you walk on the treadmill for 30 min, you’ll burn roughly 300 calories. If you eat a Burger King meal (Whopper with cheese, small fry, and med coke) over 30 min……and you know it doesn’t take that long), you would be consuming 1290 calories. You starting to get the picture? Paying attention to what you eat, AND how many calories you consume is important. I had a friend that had the philosophy that if he exercised he could eat what he wanted. A month later he gave up exercising because it wasn’t working…..funny how that works, and what he gave up isn’t it? Once you know how many calories are in the foods you eat, it will be a lot more simple to pick what you want and how much you want to consume. The other solution is to consume healthy foods and abstain from the ones that will spike your blood sugar and sodium levels. Eat natural growing, unprocessed foods. Stop eating science experiments with ingredients you can’t pronounce and can’t find on your own. Consequently you will consume less calorie, improve your health, and lose weight in the process if you’re overweight.

Let me lay this fact on you….. The human being is the only creature on this earth that will eat him/herself to poor health. Most other creatures eat for survival. We’ve turned eating into a source of entertainment. Everything we do now is centered around food. Weddings, funerals, open houses, birthdays, holidays, long time-no see “lets go get something to eat!!!” You ever said “hey its been ages since I’ve seen you! Let’s go for a walk and catch up!” Maybe we should do that…..ijs

Here’s a different point of view. Do you get exited to go to the gas station. “Man were gonna get Shell today! Maybe we’ll get some BP next week! Oh, Oh, how about some Exxon! No, we put gas in the tank and go. We should treat food the same. Stop playing with your it as if you own you own cooking channel. If food is supposed to be for energy, why can’t we just put gas in the tank and go?

I want you to make a conscious effort to change the way you view, prepare and eat food….NOW! I know you can do this. All you have to do is try it one meal at a time.

For all you need to know about nutrition, check out my new book “Fitness Freak Meal Plan” available on Amazon.com. A paperback version also a Kindle version is available for download. I f you don’t have a Kindle, download the Kindle app via your app market. If you want to know what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, and why you should eat it, its all in here. All the work has been done for you, just follow along.

Fitness Freak Meal Plan available @ Amazon.com

Book Cover

~it’s about what YOU see in the mirror~

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thanksgiving-food

I was thinking about the pitfalls of sticking to a healthy lifestyle during the holidays. Food is the number one culprit to stalling your progress. This prompted me to come up with a list of rules for holiday eating…….

 

IT’S CALLED A HOLI”DAY” NOT A HOLI”MONTH”!

1. Know how much food you need for all that will be attending dinner.
Don’t prepare too much food.

2. If you aren’t cooking you shouldn’t be “tasting” any components of the dinner before hand……..That’s the cook’s job.

3. There is no snacking before, or after on ANYTHING you have for that meal. This means no sampling slices of pie days before the dinner. No sampling the rice & gravy while waiting for the turkey to be done.

4. Drink 8 oz of plain water before you eat your first bite.

5. You can eat whatever you want for that ONE holiday meal.

6. Your meal is finished when 30 minutes has passed and you haven’t anything else.

7. No left overs!!! Give them away or throw them away. I you feel that its a waste of money to throw away food then make sure you reread number 1 above.

8. When you visit family or friends and you’ve already eaten, JUST SAY NO. They will try every tactic possible to get you to eat again. They will tell you “You look good, you can eat more!”, “It won’t hurt, its only for one day!”, “Here, take some with you to go then.”

RESIST! RESIST! RESIST! You can do this.

9. Exercise ASAP!!!

I hope this helps you. I pray for strength in your life. I pray that food becomes less important, and fellowshipping with family and friends become more important.

#1975fitnessfreak

 

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Did you think the gym or the track was the only way to burn calories? Read up on these sexy ways to burn some extra calories without even knowing it. I guarantee you’ll want to keep going back for more.

 

Sex—and smooching and snuggling and everything else on the spectrum—is great for your relationship and happiness, but intimate time with your sweetie is also terrific for your physical health. Not only does that “loving feeling” get your heart rate up, it can burn some serious calories, too! Check out the calorie-burning profile of each romantic activity below (based on the body weight of a 150-lb woman) along with tips from experts on ramping things up to maximize the amount of calories burned.

Kissing: 68 calories per hour

Remember how, when you were first dating, you’d start locking lips and 30 minutes later you’d come up for air? See if you can get into that groove again, say experts. Not only is smooching a great way to show affection and improve your bond as a couple, it can also help you burn fat. “If the kissing is vigorous and involves some petting, it could be even closer to 90 calories burned in an hour,” says Jaiya Kinzbach, a Los Angeles–based sexologist and the author of Red Hot Touch. Try her technique for turning kissing into an honest-to-goodness workout session: “Kiss in unusual positions,” she recommends. “Have the guy on his back and do ‘plank pose’ or a push-up on top of him, coming down to kiss him and then pushing back up. Push-ups burn 171 calories in 30 minutes.”
Photo by Getty.



Undressing: 8+ calories total

You probably don’t put much thought into undressing when you’re getting intimate with your husband, but an Italian researcher looked into the matter and found that the mere act of taking one’s clothes off burns about 8 to 10 calories. Even more fascinating, the researcher reportedly found that a man attempting to remove a bra with his mouth burns as many as 80 calories. While that may not be applicable to you, here’s what is: By upping the energy you put into undressing, you can burn some extra calories. Don’t just strip down in seconds, says Kinzbach; instead, “draw it out and make it part of your foreplay, while getting a great a workout going.” Or undress to tease him, adds Gilda Carle, PhD, a psychotherapist and relationship expert. “Find your favorite silk scarf, and do a seductive dance with it,” she says.
Photo by Getty.



Massaging: 80+ calories per hour

Who doesn’t like a good rubdown from their partner? But if you’re the giver, you get an additional benefit other than making your guy happy: burned calories. As it turns out, giving a good massage can get your heart rate up and kick your body into calorie-burning mode. But the way to ramp things up even more isn’t to speed things up. Instead, consider going slower, recommends Kinzbach. “This may seem counterintuitive to burning calories,” she says, “but going slower and deeper is not only more sensual, it works different muscles. I also recommend getting a massage table—it’s better on your body, and standing to give a massage burns more calories.”
Photo by Shutterstock.



Having Sex: 144+ calories per half-hour

You knew sex was a workout, but who knew that a half-hour romp in the hay with your guy could burn off the chocolate you nibbled on after dinner? The key for high-calorie-burning sex is making it hot and making it last, say experts. You can also add a little moaning and sighing, says Kinzbach, which can help you burn an extra 18 to 30 calories. And try a position change for a better workout. “If you are on top, try moving your hips like a belly dancer; this feels great and will give you a workout,” she adds. “Also try a position where you squat on top of him and then bounce up and down. This is a great workout for your thighs and butt, and it can burn up to 207 calories in 30 minutes.” Perhaps the best way to maximize calorie-burning during sex is to make sure you orgasm. Experts estimate that women who orgasm during sex burn more calories during lovemaking than those who don’t.
Photo by Getty.



Giving Oral Sex: 100 calories per half-hour

Here’s a stat you don’t hear every day: Being on the giving end of oral sex may be just as effective as a quick stint on the elliptical machine. But if you want to take your calorie-burning to the next level, Kinzbach recommends this calorie-blasting technique: push-ups (yes, in the act!). “Also you can do a little yoga, suggests Kinzbach. “Try plank position into downward facing dog, and back into plank where you can lower down and do some oral stimulation.” Tack on 71 extra calories blasted when you do push-ups, and 35 additional calories by mixing in some yoga.
Photo by Getty.



Using Your Hands: 100 calories per hour 

Of course, the old-fashioned hand job is a calorie burner, but you can zap an additional 50 calories per half-hour by taking things up a notch. “Get lots of stuff going at once,” suggests Kinzbach. “Try really slow sensual strokes, and position yourself so that you can use your body as well.” Rocking your body against his and varying the pressure and frequency can help, too, she adds.
Photo by Getty.



Romantic Dancing: 103 calories per half-hour

A little dirty dancing—even with your clothes on—can be a workout for you and your husband. Couples who take dance lessons (and practice in the privacy of their homes) can attest to this. Bonus: “It has been shown in scientific studies that right after an aerobic exercise, women become aroused and lubricated more easily,” says Barbara Bartlik, MD, a New York–based psychiatrist and sex therapist. Slow dancing is fine, but you have to rev things up—and add in a few surprises—to get a real workout. “Add kissing, nibbling the neck and touch,” suggests Kinzbach. And increase the pace, too!
Photo by Getty.



Making Out: 238 calories per half-hour

A sizzling clothes-on make-out session with the man you love may be the most intense caloric blaster yet. Why? Anticipation, says Dr. Carle, can get your heart rate going. “It gives way to heavy breathing, which gives way to a great calorie burn,” she explains. But you can still maximize the workout by making it hotter and sweatier! “The hotter the room—think Bikram (a.k.a. “hot”) yoga—and the sweatier the make-out session, the more calories you burn,” adds Kinzbach. Also, try rolling around on the bed or changing your scenery. “Make it playful and erotic and you have a great combination for a pleasurable workout.”

Bottom line, don’t be a lazy lover 

~ it’s about what YOU see in the mirror~

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http://www.womansday.com/

spinach pizza resizespinach on hotdog resize

My kids and I went to a famous amusement park last week. One thing I knew from eating healthy on the road is sometimes you have no choice but to make due with what you have. I knew we wouldn’t eat at the park food for 5 days, so I went to the grocery store since we had a full kitchen. Keep in mind we were dealing with 90 degree weather. I bought eggs, sausage, cereal, milk for breakfast.  Hotdogs & buns, pb & j, whole grain bread, fresh fruit for lunch. For dinner we ate hamburgers, frozen pizza, fries, hamburger helper………basically everything I tell people not to eat normally. These foods will slow your digestive system down a great deal and the nutritional value is about as close to zero as you can get. My secret weapon to keep our systems regular and and add a healthy kick is raw spinach and plenty of water. I put it on pizza. I line the bun of the  hotdog with spinach before I put the mustard & ketchup on. I make salad using only spinach, no lettuce. Fortunately my children are healthy eaters. I raised them to love veggies. They’ll actually eat plain raw spinach so I don’t have to hide it from them. Also the water will help keep you hydrated and aid in digestion. So why raw spinach?

Raw spinach is a healthy way to improve your digestive system. It contains certain essential nutrients, such as thiamine and fiber, that are used by your digestive system. There are also enzymes located in raw spinach that will help break down your food and improve digestion even further. By eating spinach on a daily basis, you will improve the efficiency of your digestive system without adding any unnecessary calories or fat into your diet.

Thiamine

A single cup of raw spinach has 2 percent of the recommended daily value. Thiamine is essential to digestion because it is used in the creation of ATP. ATP is the body’s energy storage system. ATP powers digestion and without enough ATP you would find it impossible to digest your food.

Fiber

Raw spinach is good for your digestive system because it has 3 percent of the dietary fiber that you need every day. Dietary fiber works in several different ways to improve the function of your digestive system. Fiber may reduce symptoms of constipation because it improves the bulk of your waste which makes it easier for the large intestine to push it out. Since waste is being removed from the large intestine faster, constipation symptoms are alleviated. Fiber also alleviates diarrhea by absorbing excess water in the large intestine.

Ok now don’t go making up some hair brained diet that states you can eat whatever you want as long as you put spinach on it! This is a dire situation where we needed food that would travel well, and let’s face it, my kids aren’t going to eat kale veggie wraps 24/7 on vacation while others are eating hamburgers, nachos and ice cream sandwiches in their faces. Sometimes you have to bend a little and just make the best of the situation. Its not normal life, that’s why its called a treat.

spinach tj 2 resize spinach pooh resize

~ it’s about what YOU see in the mirror~

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www.livestrong.com

I’ve been talking to people about their diets lately. The one consistent thing I’ve been hearing is “Iv’e started eating healthy. I cut out sugar (candy), and have been eating more healthy (fruit, corn, wheat bread, etc).” See, the problem with the whole idea of cutting back on sugar is we are so “sweets” focused, but the fact is glucose is the sugar that the body uses for energy and stores as fat for later. The most important question that can be asked is what foods break down to glucose? People that are trying to decrease in size and lose fat need to know the answer to this question if they realistically plan to achieve their goals.

We know sweets turn to glucose, thats why they’re the first thing to be cut from the diet. Let’s look at some of the not so obvious foods that deter us from our goals.

 

glucose wheat

Wheat

Wheat turns to glucose when it is broken down. The difference between white bread and wheat bread is the bleach added to the flour. Most pastas are made from wheat. I recommend that wheat and anything with wheat in it be cut completely from your diet. Wheat has been known to spike your blood sugar higher than a candy bar.

 

glucose corn resize

Corn

Corn is the next food I recommend be cut completely from the diet as soon as possible. Heres  link on the health risks of corn and its derivatives. http://fatloss-gateway.com/nutrition/corn-health-risks/

 

glucose brown rice resize

brown rice (white rice is not recommended)

This can be use as a great pre or post workout carb.  I recommend 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice. Keep to in moderation.

 

glucose potatoes glucose

sweet potatoes (white potatoes not recommended)

No more than 1 cup of this starch for lunch or dinner with a healthy protein.

 

 

glucose legumes resize

legumes 

1/2 cup cooked legumes, 3 to 4 times a week, be aware of the amount of sodium added when preparing.

 

 

glucose fruitn resize

 fruit

I recommend be consumed no more than 3 oz of solid fruit,twice a day and never alone. Should be eaten with a healthy fat to slow the release of the sugar to your blood stream. What do I mean by solid? and actual piece of fruit, not juiced, emulsified, or processed in any way. Although its a natural sugar, at the end of the day its still sugar and will be broken down . People tend to go overboard with fruit when trying to live a healthier lifestyle.

Hopefully this insight will lead to healthier choices when making nutritional lifestyle changes. Most other veggies you can eat as much of as you want, especially green leafy. Just be aware of how you prepare them. I tend to stick with fresh spinach leaves, kale, red peppers, zucchini. These foods among others are nutritious and very low in calories. They should be the focal point of your meal.

 

~its about what YOU see in the mirror~

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