Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Fats can make you SLIMMER!




Eat Fat To Burn Fat

It gets a bad rap, but adding some fat to your diet may be the key to a slimmer you!!!  


More supporting evidence we have been mislead for so many years that a low-fat diet was recommended to be healthy and lose weight.  Its a big fat Lie! 


For a long time, we thought avocado's were good for nothing but ready-made guac and a decent California burger every now and then. But these little nutritional hand grenades were having an explosive impact on our diets for all that time. How so? They’re infused with a key nutrient for maintaining healthy weight: fat. 

Wait…fat can help us maintain our weight? Fat doesn’t make us fat? In a word: exactly.



The BEST fat to use is Coconut Oil- see on my previous blog post. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GAT6NG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000GAT6NG&linkCode=as2&tag=donthaveon06d-20


Fat is not something to avoid. For starters, it’s essential for normal growth and development. Dietary fat also provides energy, protects our organs, maintains cell membranes, and helps the body absorb and process nutrients. Even better, it helps the body burn fat, says nutritionist and owner of Nutritious Life meal system, Keri Glassman, RD, who recommends that about a third of any weight-loss plan’s calories come from dietary fat. 

Before you grab a deep-fried hot dog, consider this: not all fatty foods are created equal. The foods you choose can mean the difference between a trim body and one plagued with obesity and disease, Glassman says. While a diet of stereotypically fatty foods like pizza, French fries, and hamburgers can contribute to weight gain and deterioration of health, the dietetic community is learning that the overall nutritional content of these foods—not their saturated fat—is what’s to blame. Sure, research from 50 years ago found that saturated fatty acids, a type of fat that’s “saturated” with hydrogen and typically solid at room temperature, raised LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. 

A reevaluation of that research has shown that they raise HDL (good) cholesterol just as much, if not more, protecting the body from unhealthy cholesterol levels and heart disease, says nutritionist and national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association Tara Gidus, RD. “Instead of making any one thing in the diet a villain, we need to look at total caloric content as well as quality of food, what are we eating that is ‘good’ and helping our body’s immune system and cells to stay healthy.”
Most of the fat that you eat—especially if you want to lose weight—should come from unsaturated sources, both monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA), Glassman says. Why? These good-for-you foods (like fish, seeds, nuts, leafy vegetables, olive oil, and, of course, avocadoes) pack tons of nutrients. Besides removing LDL cholesterol from arteries and promoting a healthier heart, unsaturated fat can help you burn fat big time without cutting calories. A 2009 study in the British Journal of Nutrition, found that participants who consumed the most unsaturated fatty acids have lower body mass indexes and less abdominal fat than those who consumed the least. Why? The unsaturated folks ate higher-quality foods.

Not long ago, the low-fat/no-fat diet craze swept across the food landscape. Manufacturers marketed low-fat and no-fat everything, and consumers responded by chowing down. It’s healthy, right? Wrong. All wrong. Besides stripping our bodies of a much-needed nutrient, low- and no-fat diet movements have increased obesity rates. Why? It turns out that fat provides a big component to the foods we love: Taste. When food manufacturers removed fat from their foods, they had to load the foods with sugar and salt, which are nutrient-free, to increase flavor. For example, the second most prevalent ingredient Kraft Fat-Free Catalina salad dressing, for instance, is high fructose corn syrup, packing 7g of sugar per serving. And just one ounce of the saucy stuff packs 350mg of sodium—that’s 15% of your recommended daily value—and who eats just one “serving,” anyway?

Fat Burns Fat

The body needs three macronutrients for energy: Carbohydrates, protein, and fat. A gram of fat packs more than twice the energy of a gram of the other two. “When you don’t have any fat in your diet its like you don’t have fuel to burn calories,” Glassman says. The body requires energy to keep its metabolism properly functioning, and a 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming fatty acids can boost metabolic health.
What’s more, “old” fat stored in the body’s peripheral tissues—around the belly, thighs, or butt (also called subcutaneous fat)—can’t be burned efficiently without “new” fat to help the process, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dietary fat helps break down existing fat by activating PPAR-alpha and fat-burning pathways through the liver.
Think of mealtime like baseball spring training: young, hungry players (new fat) hit the field and show the general manger (the liver) that it’s time to send the old, worn-out players (subcutaneous fat) home. And away they go.

Fat Keeps You Full

Fat isn’t the easiest nutrient to digest, so it sticks around in the digestive system for more time than many other nutrients. MUFAs may also help stabilize blood sugar levels, according to Mayo Clinic. That means you feel full longer, and you won’t feel the stomach-growling urge to raid the refrigerator after mealtime.
In fact, diets with high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of MUFA that the body can only acquire through food, create a greater sense of fullness both immediately following and two hours after dinner than do meals with low levels of the fatty acids, according to a 2008 study from University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. It’s no surprise that dieters who consume moderate levels of fat are more likely to stick with their eating plans than dieters who consume low levels of fat.
The result? More weight lost.

Fat Makes You Happy

Everyone says that dieting, not to put too fine a point on it, stinks. Eating yummy foods makes you happy, and it turns out low-fat versions just don’t do the trick for one surprising reason: We can taste the fat—not just the salt, sugar, and other goodies in food.
Recent research from Purdue University shows that our taste buds can detect fat in food, which helps explain why low-fat foods don’t curb our fat cravings. According to the research, fat may be an entirely different basic taste than what we’ve long considered the four mainstays: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. On an even happier fat note, omega-3 fatty acids can boost serotonin levels in the brain, helping to improve mood, increase motivation, and keep you from devouring a large pizza like it’s your job. 3.5% of women and 2% of men have suffered from diagnosed binge-eating disorders, while millions more people are occasional emotional eaters, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.

Fat Builds Muscle

“Eating good fats along with an effective exercise program can increase muscle,” says trainer and owner of Results Fitness, Rachel Cosgrove, CSCS, who notes that increasing muscle mass is vital to increasing metabolism and burning calories both in and out of the gym. In a 2011 study published in Clinical Science, researchers examined the effects of eight weeks of PUFA supplementation in adults ages 25 to 45 and found that the fat increases protein concentration and the size of muscular cells in the body. Previous studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids stimulate muscle protein synthesis in older adults and can mediate muscle mass loss due to aging.

Fat Makes Food Better For You

Many nutrients including vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning that the body can’t absorb them without fat. If your body isn’t absorbing nutrients properly, that can lead to vitamin deficiencies and bring on dry skin, blindness, brittle bones, muscle pains, and abnormal blood clotting, according to Gidus.
These vitamins are also key to maintaining energy, focus, and muscle health, all of which contribute to a healthy weight. Vitamin E, for example is a powerful antioxidant and helps maintain your metabolism, while the body’s levels of vitamin D predicts its ability to lose fat, especially in the abdominal region, according to a clinical trial from the University of Minnesota Medical School. So while you can pile your salad high with nutrient-rich spinach, tomatoes, and carrots, you really need to thank the olive oil for sending the salad’s vitamins your way.

Back to my earlier post and the benefits of Coconut Oil!  Replace all your fats with this amazing oils you will be healthier and slimmer! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GAT6NG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000GAT6NG&linkCode=as2&tag=donthaveon06d-20


Excerpts of this article are referenced here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/557726-eat-fat-to-burn-fat/


Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Myths of drinking Hot Lemon Water!

MYTHS of hot lemon water!
Q: Is it true that I should start the day with hot water with lemon? What’s the story behind this theory?
A: Like most health and fitness lore, the magic properties of drinking a juiced lemon in warm water each morning is rooted in a seed of truth, but the impact of the ritual is greatly overstated. Let’s look at the three main purported benefits and any evidence to support those claims.

1. Lemon improves digestion. Actually in some cases the fruit could exacerbate issues with your stomach: Citric acid in lemons can cause or contribute to stomach pains and cramps. So where does the idea that drinking lemon juice improves digestion come from? There is a study from about three decades ago that shows citric acid can improve absorption of aluminum hydroxide (the active ingredient in most antacids). I have read online that the acidic nature of lemon juice is supposed to support an optimal acidic environment in your stomach, but this is complete speculation and, as pointed out earlier, in certain individuals could have the opposite effect. 

2. Lemon juice boosts mineral absorption. The vitamin C found in lemon juice has been shown to enhance mineral absorption, but you don’t need warm lemon juice to get this effect. Vitamin C is one of the most ubiquitous vitamins in fruits and vegetables. We often think of citrus fruits as being the major or even only source of C, but non-yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as bell peppers, kale, strawberries, broccoli, and spinach all contain robust amounts of vitamin C. As long as you are having a fruit or vegetable with your morning meal, then you can expect to reap the enhanced absorption of minerals at that meal.
3. Lemon detoxes. One of the biggest health hypes about lemons and lemon juice is that they help detoxify your body. I recommend that you get very skeptical about any food or supplement claim regarding detoxification. It is such a general term that it is almost useless. The human body is so complex, what is getting detoxified? What are the toxins being removed? Where are they going?
Regarding lemon, there is an antioxidant in the fruit called d-limonene, which is also found in oranges and is most highly concentrated in the peels of lemons or oranges. D-limonene has been shown to activate enzymes in the liver that are part of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification processes. These processes take compounds present in the liver that are toxic to cells and convert them to non-harmful or less harmful versions. These “toxins” can range from caffeine to ibuprofen.
Does lemon juice contain enough D-limonene needed to enhance this process? Probably not. A liter of citrus juice (not made with the peels) contains on average 100 milligrams (mg) D-limonene. Researchers estimate the active dose of limonene is a minimum of 500mg. D-limonene is a fascinating compound that might also work to ease gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), but doses would require supplementation.
As you can see, as a citrus fruit, lemon has a handful of characteristics and compounds that contribute to good health, but one lemon juiced in a glass of warm water probably isn’t going to do much for your health.
reference article by Dr. Mike Roussell
 http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/ask-diet-doctor-hot-lemon-water%E2%80%99s-real-benefits#010714

Monday, January 6, 2014

Making my own coconut oil!

Coconut Oil has so many benefits, try making your own the quality will surprise you!  Many coconut oils mass manufactured are not made from fresh coconut but dried and then further processed! Double check your Coconut oil for ingredients and how it is manufactured. 

Here are three ways to make it yourself: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Virgin-Coconut-Oil

What are the health benefits of coconut oil?
Clinical studies have show that intake of coconut oil can help our bodies to be resistance to both illness caused by viruses and bacteria. It can also can help to fight off yeast, fungus and candida.

Coconut oil can also positively affect our hormones for thyroid and blood-sugar control. People who take coconut oil also tend to have improvements in how they handle blood sugar since coconut can help improve insulin use within the body. Coconut oil can boost thyroid function helping to increase metabolism, energy and endurance. It increases digestion and helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins.

What is COPRA? The problem with some mass produced Coconut Oil is Copra, a dried form of the coconut it is made from.  Copra oil extraction requires large-scale, high-pressure, expensive, energy-intensive equipment. Unhygienic copra means that the resultant oil is normally of low quality with a Free Fatty Acid (FFA) level of 3% or more. (FFA is one measure of rancidity of oil).
Copra oil requires refining, bleaching and deodorising (RBD) to create a commercially acceptable product. The refining process uses hydrochloric acid, solvents and steam to strip out the contamination. Some residual solvents remain in the oil. The process also removes the natural volatiles and anti-oxidants that give pure coconut oil its unique flavour and aroma. The total process from farm to refined oil can take many months. The residual copra-meal is only suitable as animal feed but, even here, care is required because it can be contaminated with carcinogenic aflatoxin. 


Virgin Coconut Oil?

There is no industry standard definition for "Virgin Coconut Oil" like there is for the olive oil industry for "Virgin" and "Extra Virgin" olive oil. Today, there are many coconut oils on the market that are labeled as "Virgin Coconut Oil" so be certain to do your research! 

 Look for the use of fresh coconut meat or what is called non-copra where the use of chemicals and high heating are not used in further refining, since the natural, pure coconut oil is very stable with a shelf life of several years. Here are two alternative methods to look for:

1. Quick drying of fresh coconut meat which is then used to press out the oil. Using this method, the coconut meat is quick dried, and the oil is then pressed out via mechanical means. This is the most common type of "Virgin" or "Extra Virgin" coconut oil sold in the market today that you will find in stores. It is mass-produced.

2. Wet-milling. With this method the oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat without drying first. "Coconut milk" is expressed first by pressing. The oil is then further separated from the water. Methods which can be used to separate the oil from the water include boiling, fermentation, refrigeration, enzymes and mechanical centrifuge

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

2014 Running Fail



Day 1 - 2014 - Well poor planning caused me to hit the gym 20 minutes before it closed.  1 Mile on the treadmill is STILL better than nothing!!!  Love my new Merrell's!!