Healthy food that actually tastes good. Who could have known?

As an endurance cyclist, I’ve eaten a lot of energy bars and drinks and gels. Most of them are passable at best, which is why I’d also seek out PayDays and Bit-O-Honeys instead. With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps those weren’t the best choices.

The other day, I had my first Perfect Foods Bar. It tasted so good that I decided to read the package to see what is wrong with it because my mindset for the past 40 years has been if it tastes good, it must be bad for you. I couldn’t see any thing in the nutritional information on the back of the package that jumped out at me so I called Shannon to help me sniff out the hidden badness they must certainly possess.

To my utter surprise, she said these are great fuel and precisely the sort of thing I should be eating. In fact, she said that the only reason she doesn’t more proactively recommend them to people is because they are on the expensive side.

Obviously Shannon isn’t aware of what a Double Western Bacon Burger Meal (a.k.a. a #7) at Carl’s Junior or a few dozen buffalo wings costs these days. Well I am aware and I say $2.50 for one of these bars is a bargain — particularly when you consider a whole one can be used as an entire meal.

The peanut butter Perfect Food Bar looks kind of like a Power Bar but the flavor is much more similar to peanut butter fudge (albeit not as sweet or creamy). Seriously, it’s that good. I haven’t ventured out and tried the other flavors, but I’m optimistic.

You can get these at the local hippie-marts like New Seasons or Whole Foods. I can say for sure that I’ll be buying these by the case once cycling season gets into full swing.

The more you eat, the better you feel

Here are some of the reasons why you should include beans in your healthy eating plan. Enjoy!

• Beans really are “magical” for a lot of things, including reducing your risk of heart disease!
• Beans are high up on the list for one of the greatest foods of all time.
• Gram for gram, it would be harder to find a more nutrient dense food for the same cost.

Outside of fruits and vegetables (both carbs), beans are a winner in the carb category too (and, technically, they are a fruit anyhow) – super high in fiber, yet they offer a good amount of protein and other nutrients too.

In fact, a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2003 showed that black beans had antioxidants levels equivalent even to some fruits! The levels of the particular antioxidant, anthocyanin, which gives beans and dark fruits their color, were 10 times as high in black beans compared to oranges – and were equivalent to grapes, apples, and cranberries!

Now all beans are fantastic (pinto, garbanzo, kidney, cannellini, etc), but this particular antioxidant was particularly high in black beans.

Antioxidants fight something called free radicals; too many free radicals and low levels of antioxidants have been associated with heart disease and other diseases. Aside from antioxidants, we know fiber is fantastic for heart health, but beans also provide folate and magnesium, which both may be responsible for some of their heart health benefits too.

Check this out – in one study, researchers followed more than 16,000 middle-aged men from around the world for 25 years. One of their findings – the higher the consumption of beans, the lower the risk of death from heart disease. And not just a little lower – there was an 82% reduction in risk!

Another study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine followed nearly 10,000 Americans for 19 years … people eating the most fiber, which they found to be 21 grams/day compared to those who ate the least (5 grams/day) had 11% less heart disease. The authors attributed this finding to the high fiber in the diet. This wasn’t just isolated to bean consumption, but since they provide around 10 grams per ½ cup, they’re surely an easy option.

And keep in mind even the “highest” intake of 21 grams/day is less than the recommended intake, which is upwards of 25g+ per day.

So how do you include more beans?

• Add them to a salad
• Use them in place of red meat in dishes like chili, quesadillas, or burritos
• Add them to a wrap with mixed veggies (add avocado for an even better nutrient punch)
• Add them to eggs with mixed veggies
• Mix them with canned salmon and some balsamic vinaigrette (a personal favorite)
• Find a black bean soup recipe or black bean burger recipe online for ideas.
• Aim to include 1/2 cup of beans at least 4 times per week.

Is it worth it? You decide.

Thank you all who commented about my post on Stevia. The information was in response to many questions not only about artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes, but also to provide an alternative to sugar and all of its nasty effects on your fitness and fat loss goals. I probably skipped an important step, and that is to explain exactly what sugar itself is.

For those of you who are uncomfortable with the idea of using artificial sweeteners or any form of sugar substitutes, let me go back and explain what sugar is, how to identify it in many common foods, and how to incorporate it into your healthy eating plan. Then, decide for yourself if you need to use a sweetener (sugar or otherwise) and which one you feel most comfortable with.

To start, it’s important to understand how to identify sugar. Did you know that there are over 30 names for sugar? Some of these are turbinado sugar, raw sugar, agave syrup, fruit paste, raw honey, malt syrup, and the list goes on and on. There are organic sugars too, and you might be wondering if these are any better if you are trying to lose weight.

The simple answer to this is that if fat loss is your primary goal, sugar (all forms) should be used in moderation if at all. I found an interesting statistic about teenagers showing that teens on average are eating 100 lbs of sugar per person each year. Obesity in kids and teens has skyrocketed in recent years and while sugar consumption may not be the reason why, it’s a great reason to revisit the effect sugar has on wellness and weight management-especially at an early age.

Enough depressing statistics, let’s talk about the positives. First, just because something is organic, it isn’t necessarily healthy. Organic sugar isn’t magical health food. It has the same effect on the body (as it relates to weight gain and increased body fat) as plain table sugar.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

This one was invented in the 1970’s. It’s in nearly every food and beverage in the super market — from breads to ketchup, fruit juice to cereals. Some have claimed it’s caused obesity saying, this one sweetener is preventing us from losing belly fat permanently. Interestingly, its use has skyrocketed the same way the obesity epidemic has over the last few decades.  And research has suggested there is a correlation. This caused a negative spiral of media ads pointing the finger at this one ingredient.

And the Corn Refiners Association fought back. They created commercials saying that HFCS is no worse than sugar. What they didn’t say is both are junk, why eat them at all?

My first “problem’ with HFCS is that it was “invented.” I don’t want to eat anything that was “invented.”I want to eat foods as close to the ground as possible. You can avoid HFCS, just like you can avoid other sugars. Sure, it is metabolized a bit differently than sugar, but you know what, the foods that are loaded with HFCS are junk — regardless of the form of sugar.  Soda = junk. Fruit juice cocktails = junk.Popsicles = junk. If you buy organic options of these same foods, they’re all junk and will prevent you from losing belly fat, put a halt to losing fat from your hips and thighs, or getting into your skinny jeans.

Agave Syrup

This natural sweetener recently became popular. Agave nectar is produced from a plant and is popular in organic markets and with vegans. It is touted for its low glycemic index, meaning it won’t cause much of a spike in blood sugar. But no studies are available showing how it compares to other sugars in terms of blood sugar control. It is primarily made up of fructose, which is in fact lower on the glycemic index. One important note – if you try this, look for USDA-certified organic products.Most agave comes from Mexico and there have been issues with recalls because of excessive pesticides in the products.

Raw Honey

Often sold at Farmer’s Markets, supporters of this sweetener love that it’s not processed. Me too. And because it’s not processed, it IS higher in a few nutrients (mainly B vitamins). With that said, honey wouldn’t be my first choice for getting in any vitamins and minerals. I DO like that you can use less of it than table sugar because teaspoon for teaspoon, it’s sweeter. There’s also some very interesting data showing eating local honey may reduce allergies, it can be used as an anticeptic, and much more.  (NOTE: I don’t recommend pouring it on an open wound).

But in the end, will too much honey prevent you from getting the body of your dreams and burning fat? Sure, it’s still empty calories when you compare it side by side with fruit, for example (which also is high in a form of sugar, but nothing I’d worry about).

I could go on and on about sugar and its various forms, but the take away here should be that all sugars have relatively the same number of calories per gram. Organic sugars will slow your fat loss progress. Non-organic sugars will slow your fat loss progress. If you want to lose fat faster, sugar in all forms must be used in moderation.

If sugar substitutes aren’t for you, then opt for local honey and use it sparingly. I really believe that the best way to eat foods is in their natural state. Fruit is sweet and you will develop a sense for this when you stop using additional sweeteners on your food.

Please keep in mind that my post on Stevia was informational and was intended to teach you, not to tell you that you should use it or any of its substitutes. My blog is also from the perspective of a fitness professional which is why the information is geared toward fat loss and other common fitness/wellness goals. That said, my advice on the subject is this: avoid foods with ingredients that were “invented”-if it came from the ground or had a mother, you’re good.

If you have more questions or comments, please leave them, I love discussing these topics with you all.

I do admit, however, that there are a few situations where artificial sweeteners just won’t do

Is it a safe alternative to Splenda and Equal?

OF COURSE — it’s natural!

Hope you didn’t fall for that, did you?

There a lot of “natural” herbs that we should probably stay away from, here’s why:

Stevia is a relatively new comer in terms of popularity, even though it’s been used for 100’s of years.  It’s exploded in the last few years as consumers are looking for a “natural” calorie free alternative to artificial sweeteners.

Stevia fits that bill.  Stevia’s real name is Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) and it is an herb native to Paraguay and Brazil.

But, while it has been used for 100’s of year now, it has always been labeled a “dietary supplement” since it didn’t have the OK from the FDA as a food ingredient.

There were some concerns with Stevia after early studies suggested there may be some issues with its use with fertility and reproductive development and even genetic mutations!  More recent data submitted to the FDA regarding the safety of a Stevia extract, known as Reb A, granted this particular extract GRAS status (generally recognized as safe).  This was in December 2008.

However, the FDA still maintained the position about calling Stevia at dietary supplement with this statement “Reb A is different than whole leaf stevia or other stevia extracts, which can only be sold as dietary supplements.”  They continued “Nobody has provided the FDA with evidence that whole-leaf stevia is safe.”

In fact, one consumer advocacy group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) stands by their position that Reb A GRAS status was granted too early, suggesting not enough supportive safety data is available.

As usual, there are of course two sides to each story.  Let’s look at the pros and cons of this ingredient.

Pros:

• Stevia is about 250-300 times sweeter than sugar
• Stevia is stable to heat, making it safe for cooking
• Stevia is calorie free
• Stevia doesn’t promote dental caries like sugar

Cons:

• It has a bitter taste that some may not enjoy, also making it difficult to include in large quantities (in baking, for example).
• It’s more expensive than most other sweeteners
• Data is mixed here – some show DNA damage with high doses of stevia intake, others show no effect at all.

From what we know now, the FDA considers Reb A safe…

If searching for this in the store, look for either “Truvia” and “PureVia” — the consumer names for the Stevia extract.

Worth it or not? Watch the video and decide for yourself

We all know that high-fat food is bad for you, but what does this really mean? How bad is bad?

This video from ABC news shows you in a way that will make you think twice before you head out for your next meal. If you are craving a big, juicy hamburger and french fries — or worse, a big juicy hamburger wrapped in a quesadilla and chili cheese fries (with or without a side of bacon and blue cheese dressing and a Coke to wash it all down), this video should curb those cravings in a major way. The video is hard to watch, but that’s the whole point. A salad with some lean turkey and dressing on the side will never sound so good.

Marketing hype or corporate responsibility?

Kentucky Fried Fat Loss

This has been all over the news. Kentucky Fried Chicken is trying something new — Kentucky GRILLED Chicken.

This is taken right from a press release off the Kentucky Fried Chicken Website:

“The introduction of Kentucky Grilled Chicken is a defining moment in our brand’s storied history,” said KFC President Roger Eaton. “KGC is the latest menu innovation that showcases our commitment to meeting our customers’ ever-changing needs while staying true to the standards of high quality and great taste pioneered by Colonel Sanders. This product will transform the industry.”

Well, at least they’re trying. Or is it too late? Are they just doing this so they don’t get sued some day for their role in the obesity epidemic?

What do YOU think about the new “KGC”?

New Year's resolutions are easy to make, the hard part is sticking to them

Over the past ten years, I have helped hundreds of people maximize their overall health, performance, and body composition. Put bluntly, I know how to help people lose unwanted body fat fast. Now, make no mistake about it, a big reason for this is because my training programs are fun, highly effective, and they set people up to achieve sustainable results.  My fitness boot camps are second to none, and I guarantee results to anyone who follows the program. I have done the countless hours of research and trial and error and I have had hundreds of people (myself included) as real world case studies to prove that my system for fat loss flat out works. But, today I am going to share something more powerful, something that must be set in place before you can even start to think about following a fitness program.

So, let’s get right to it. What do you think is the real secret behind my clients’ success? Well, if your answer was my aforementioned training system, then your answer is wrong. It is indeed a highly effective program when followed, but unfortunately it’s useless if someone is unwilling to start it AND stick to it.  So, it appears that the most important component of changing your body is finding the motivation to achieve your goals, and that’s the main focus of today’s discussion. I am going to literally walk you through the initial consultation and three step goal setting process that each one of my clients must now undergo before they start working with me. This is so important for achieving weight loss success that I now require it for any new client to be considered for joining one of my programs.

Before I get into this goal setting process, I just need to get something off of my chest. I know a lot of people think goal setting is just a cheesy, useless thing. Unfortunately, these people just don’t get it and frankly if you are one of those people, please stop reading this article and go buy another weight loss book or pill because I simply cannot help you. I can only help people who want to learn. I simply cannot help people who already think they know it all and are unable to solidify exactly what it is that they want to accomplish. The bottom line is that the most successful people out there, and I mean not just weight loss success, I am talking business, lifestyle, etc., are shamelessly goal driven. They know exactly why they want to do something and harness that super motivation to figure out what and by when they will accomplish it. Furthermore, they plan and prepare for every possible roadblock they will encounter in their path to success. This is what I want to teach you how to do today, so let’s get to it!

Step One- The Why: Why do you want to do this?

This is where it’s time to get real. In almost every initial consult I do, when I ask people why they have contacted me today, here is the typical blanket response:

“Well, I just want to get healthy.  If I lose weight, that would be great.”

Sure, I know they want to lose weight and be healthy, but really WHY do they want to do this? What is it that’s going to get them up at 5 am to get their morning workouts in or take a couple of hours on Sunday to plan and prepare their meals for the upcoming week? It sure isn’t “being healthy” because for some reason this just isn’t a very powerful motivator for most people (though it should be).

Let’s face it: everybody, including YOU, wants to look better naked. Stop giggling, you know it’s true and frankly that’s okay because the desire to improve one’s appearance is the most powerful motivator there is. This shouldn’t be such a big surprise since the main life mission of humans, or any species for that matter, is to procreate. This is instinctual. And obviously, looking better makes this more of a reality.

So, after a little digging, I find out the real reason why they want to start an exercise program; I find what has hindered their progress in the past, what is the pain motivating them to get moving now, and then establish their current and future ambitions. Some people want to be able to mow the lawn in the summer with their shirt off and not feel self-conscious. Others want to get back into their favorite pair of pants that they haven’t been able to get one leg into for the last five years. Then there are those who want to look and feel more attractive to ignite some passion back into their relationships and/or put forth their best image at work. And of course, my personal favorite is preparing for big events that have built in deadlines. Wanting to get as lean and tight as possible to rock that dream bathing suit in Hawaii, or get off the plane in Montana when visiting family you haven’t seen in two years to blow them away with your new body, the class reunion, or being a classic beauty in your wedding dress on the big day, it all works! This is the stuff that gets people fired up and ready to commit to making some real changes. How do I know? Well, I just shared with you verbatim the exact “WHY’S” of some of my own clients.

So, the first thing you have to figure out is your personal WHY. To make this even simpler for you, just answer this question: what are your physical dreams? Once you establish this, everything else is easy.

Step Two- The What and When: What do you want to accomplish and when do you want to accomplish it by?

So we already figured out the obvious: you want to look better and feel amazing! So, now we need to establish what objective goal(s) need to be accomplished in order to realize this subjective dream.

Well, from a logistics standpoint and keeping things as cost effective as possible, there are three major ways I track “look better” progress with my clients, in order of importance from least to most important:

1.)    Scale Weight: This is by far the least important goal, but it gives a number that’s worth tracking. Though body fat percentage would be a much better method of tracking progress, it is simply too inaccurate on a small scale and too costly on a large scale. The key is to take your initial weight before you start and then not to weigh in more than every 2 weeks. I have found that most people do better with tracking their weight every month. There are simply too many variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet (and for women, their menstrual cycle), meaning the less frequently you do this the better. If the scale is just too de-motivating for you in general, then skip this one altogether.  Besides, the next two markers are far more important.

2.)    Dress/Pant Size: This is probably the most simple and effective unused method of tracking whether or not your body is changing. I think it’s safe to say that if you are dropping dress and/or pant sizes that you will be looking better, right?  You should immediately select one dress or one pair of pants that you really want to get if that is the true end goal. I tell my clients to assess how they are fitting in their preferred dress/pant size tracker on a weekly or bi-weekly basis because most clients who follow my program exactly as outlined lose a dress and/or pant size every month (until they get to their ideal dimensions). For anyone who wants to argue that every outfitter has different sizes, well that’s irrelevant if you use the same pants or dress to track your progress. There is nothing more satisfying than fitting comfortably into clothes that used to almost rip when you put them on!

3.)    Digital Pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. If you want to look better, what better way is there to assess this than with pictures? I cannot begin to tell you how important this is. Taking a before picture is essentially you telling the whole world that you are ready to change and that you are ready to do whatever it takes to make those changes. The key is to take pictures wearing exactly what you want to look your best in. Maybe it’s taking pictures of you in the dress or pair of pants that you are using to track your dress or pant size. Or maybe it’s a sleeveless shirt and shorts that you want to wear during the summer. And if you want to see your abs, then you should take pictures of your abs to track how much more definition you see each month. Take a front, side, and rear view picture and be sure to note the exact conditions in which the picture was taken (lighting, distance from camera, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment.  I have several clients whose results were dramatic, but they didn’t take before pictures and they all wish they had.  Your before pictures will become your trophy and they are an absolute must if you really are serious about getting results that count. I recommend taking new pictures either bi-weekly or monthly until you reach your goal(s).

Step Three- Planning and Preparing for Roadblocks: What are the big obstacles that will prevent you from having the success you desire? What’s contributed most to past failures?

Preparing for roadblocks in advance is key to overcoming them

Now that we know what you want to accomplish, it’s time to plan and prepare for any obstacles that might get in your way of getting the job done.

The number one excuse I hear is that people are too busy and tired and don’t have enough time to get their workouts in or make their meals. Well, I don’t care how busy you think you are. There is always hidden time throughout the day and week that can be freed up if you re-prioritize. Again, think back to why you wanted to do this in the first place and then examine what’s most important to you. Make your workouts and your meal times just like work appointments. Either you make the appointment or you don’t. And if you want to keep your job (or get your dream body) then you better make that appointment.

Another big obstacle is alcohol. People like to drink and unfortunately alcohol is about as detrimental to burning fat as it gets. Again, what’s important to you?  The choice is yours. Remember, once you achieve your goal(s), alcohol can be added back in with moderation.  Low to zero alcohol consumption is needed if you want to look your best year round and that’s a fact.

Finally, many people deal with boredom eating or emotional eating. Boredom eating means just that, eating to fill up dead time when you have nothing better to do. The best way to deal with this is (you guessed it) to do something! Find an active hobby to keep your mind off of eating when boredom strikes and you can beat this trend. Emotional eating describes the use of food to cope with stress or to reward for accomplishment. Food is not unlike drugs or alcohol in this regard, it can be very addictive. There is no quick fix for emotional eating other than avoiding trigger situations (bars, parties, etc.) and trigger foods (starches, sugars, fast food, etc.) in the short term to break bad habits.

At the end of the day, whether your roadblocks are very individual or if they fall in line with the general roadblocks most people encounter on a regular basis, the key is to be honest about them and to plan and prepare for them. And that’s where social support and accountability come into play. My clients who have experienced the most success with me have undergone their transformations with the support of other friends or family members. This is so critical, especially because most of the poor food and drinking choices that sabotage one’s progress occur on the weekend, when most people hang out with their friends and family. If they are committed with you and your goal to get fit and look better, you can put yourself in a much better position to realize the success you desire and deserve. The last thing anybody needs is sabotage or peer pressure from those closest to them, so get your team on board and get them on board early.

I hope this has been helpful.  Happy New Year and stay tuned for more fitness and nutrition tips to keep you on track with your goals this year.