In one often quoted article, MTV asked celebrity trainer Jeanette Jenkins how she helps stars like Beyonce get back into shape after their pregnancies.  Her advice makes a lot of sense and is consistent with the “balanced” health philosophy I teach.  Jeanette says:

I couldn’t agree more.  It’s counter-intuitive that if you want to lose weight, forget about chasing down the latest diet and exercise routines and focus instead on creating and installing a healthy mindset.  In other words, FIRST you’ve got to “get your head straight.”

If you don’t do this, it doesn’t matter which diet or exercise routine you start on, you’ll constantly backslide and the weight will pile right back on.  Why?  Because in spite of all the physical activity, your mindset, your attitude towards food, your beliefs about exercise haven’t changed – and if that’s the case,  you’ll always convince yourself that it’s OK to only do half a set, or eat a second piece of fried chicken, or to select the mashed potatoes instead of the broccoli.

On the other hand, if you work on developing a healthy mindset, you’ll automatically make healthy decisions.  You’ll automatically reach for the green veggies instead of the bag of chips.  You’ll automatically grab the dog and head out the door for a brisk walk instead of plopping down in front of the TV when you get home from work.

Change your mindset and the effects are dramatic.  All of a sudden, eating healthy and exercising are not just things you force yourself to do, they become part of who you are.  All of a sudden, living a healthy life becomes automatic and because you’re consistently making healthy choices, the pounds drop off by themselves.

Want to lose weight like Beyonce and have a “botylicious” body?  Then get your head straight.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: beyonce, weight loss, health, balance, diet, nutrition, baby, pregnancy, exercise, choices

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Every meeting, party, or social gathering I go to this time of year, and I mean EVERY ONE has a “Holiday Spread” of cakes, cookies, and assorted edible things – all designed to add inches to my waist.  How do you ever survive the Holidays and still lose weight?

Portion Control is the Key

The answer to that question is portion control, portion control, portion control.  Yes, I know that’s easy to say but hard to do.  Yes, I know.  I’ve gone through buffet lines and holiday lunches where even though I only took about a teaspoon-ful of several different dishes, there was simply SO MUCH FOOD that I still ended up with an overfilled plate.

You’ve got to fight that.  Here are two things that I do that seem to work for me:

1. Start with a smaller plate.  Grab a dessert plate or a salad plate instead of the over-sized dinner plate.  The smaller your plate, the less likely you’ll feel compelled to fill it to the brim.
2. Second, get a salad and make sure that it fills 1/3 to 1/2 of your plate.  The good part about a salad is that it’s bulky and will automatically fill a big portion of your plate.  Let your salad be your main course.
3. Next, focus on getting some veggies BUT try to say away from casseroles or veggies that are swimming in cream sauce or gravy.  Steamed vegetables are best but may be hard to find on a traditional holiday spread where everything seems to be drowning in some form of thick cheese or butter sauce.
4. Skip the bread.  Period.
5. Last, get a small sliver of meat or fish.  Let this be no more than 1/4 of your total meal AND only stick to one kind of meat.  Many Christmas dinners include several kinds of meats to choose from.  Choose only one kind.

The key to making through a Christmas or Holiday dinner with your waistline intact is to not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by all the choices that are available to you.  There will probably be 5 kinds of vegetables in all kinds of sauces, casseroles of all kinds, 3 kinds of meats, several kinds of breads, biscuits, or rolls, and 10 different kinds of cookies, cakes, and frosted desserts.  It’s so easy for your good judgement to get overwhelmed.

Remember that you DO NOT have to try everything.  If you do, even if you only take just a “little taste,” there’s simply so much food that you’re going to overeat.  Don’t fall victim to this.  Be very selective in your choices – and try to make those choices good ones.

Another thing to remember is not to be bullied.  Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE is going to be shoving food in your face and saying something like, “You’ve just got to try this.”  You DO NOT have to put up with this!  Yes, I know it’s really hard (really, really hard) to turn down your Aunt Bertha’s chili-cheese-fri-casserole that she spent all day cooking but you’ve got to be strong.  It’s perfectly OK to say, “Thank you so much but I’m totally full.”  Take home a foil-wrapped serving that you can dispose of later if you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  We’re talking about YOUR HEALTH here so don’t allow yourself be bullied.

Increased Activity

In order to balance the increased calories that the Holidays just naturally seem to bring, you’ve got to increase your activity levels.  Go to the gym, take a walk, go shopping, do ANYTHING that will keep you moving.  Increased activity is not something for a New Year’s Resolution.  It’s something that you should build into your Holiday plans and be doing as you enjoy the season.

Watch Your Stress Levels

Lastly, don’t stress.  Yes, I know you have no idea what kind of gift to get that special someone but believe me, anything you get them will be fine.  What’s important is that it’s from you.  So quit stressing about finding the “perfect” gift.

Remember that most stress is self-imposed.  You have control so turn down the dial.  One way to do this is to remember all those less fortunate than you and to try to do something for someone else.  Give to a charity, volunteer, visit, drop off a gift – there are numerous ways to help those who would otherwise not have any Christmas at all.  Keeping things in perspective is a great way to relieve holiday stress.

Keeping all of these thoughts in mind should help you “survive” the holidays with your diet, and your sanity, intact.

I hope you all have a great Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!  Remember the “Reason for the Season” and take the time to give thanks at the house of worship of your choosing.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: Christmas, weight loss, diet, nutrition, holidays, eating, dinner, stress, sanity, exercise, New Year

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I stumbled upon this formula while making some improvements to my own dietary habits.  Within 2 and a half weeks, I had lost 10 pounds without having to do  single push-up.  Here’s exactly what I did:

1.  Reduce the amount of MEAT in your diet – especially RED meat.  This does NOT mean you need to go all vegetarian (although that’s not altogether a bad thing).  Just quit going to the local Sizzler Steak House and getting the 12 oz T-bone with the “loaded” baked potato and thinking you’re eating healthy – you’re not.

“Reduce” does not mean I eliminated all meat from my diet.  I still eat chicken and fish.  HOWEVER, these meats are NOT the biggest portion on my plate.  If you do continue to eat meat, make sure it’s a side dish, not the main course – and eat a big salad with every meal you can.

You see, when you reduce the amount of meat you eat, you automatically increase the amount of vegetables.  As a result, your overall diet naturally becomes higher in fiber and lower in fat.

2.  Reduce the amount of WHEAT products in your diet – especially PROCESSED wheat.  Again, this does not mean totally eliminate them, although the more you take out, the better.  Reducing the amount of processed wheat products in your diet will take out most of the cakes, white breads, cookies, cupcakes, and so on – none of which are good for you.  Remember to also take it easy on any wheat-containing gravies or stuffings.

3.  Reduce the amount of DIARY in your diet.  I know what you’re going to say:  ”Where am I going to get my calcium?”   You’ll get plenty of calcium from eating dark green and leafy vegetables, a natural byproduct of eating less meat in Step 1.  Reducing the amount of dairy in your diet will force you to cut down on whole milk, cream filling, ice cream, and cheese.  Again, you don’t have to totally eliminate it – just take it easy.  Quit thinking of milk as a beverage.  It’s a food with calories and fat content, just like any other food.

Now use some common sense with this one.  Diary can be an important part of your diet if you’re nursing or are making changes to your kid’s diet.  I didn’t say eliminate, I said reduce.

4.  Reduce the amount of SUGAR in your diet – especially PROCESSED sugar and HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP.  In fact, even if you skipped the other 3 steps and only did this one, you’d probably still 7 or 8 pounds easy.  Obviously, this one is the most important.  In order to lose weight, you’ve got to significantly reduce the amount of processed sugar and high fructose corn syrup in your diet.  This means no soft drinks, no fruit juice drinks (100% juice is OK), no cookies or cakes with frosting or creamy centers, no candy, no fudge, none of that stuff.

If you’ll make these 4 changes to your diet, I guarantee that you’ll lose anywhere from 6 to 12 pounds pretty much automatically, with no physical effort at all.  Better yet, as you reduce the amount of processed wheat and sugar in your diet, you’ll find that food begins to taste differently – more flavorful and filling.

Give it a try and see for yourself.  What have you got to lose except a couple of ugly pounds?

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: diet, nutrition, health, sugar, meat, processed, wheat, weight loss

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The Holy Grail of Nutrition

That’s where I was a couple of weeks ago.  I had just finished watching a great movie called “Forks over Knives” (available on Netflix) as a result of someone’s recommendation.  It had a profound effect on me.  I thought, “Finally!  Someone’s found the Holy Grail of Nutrition:  the “Optimal Diet.”  Someone’s finally got scientific proof on which kind of diet works best.”

I was in 7th Heaven.  I thought the mystery of which type of diet is really the best in terms of health and nutrition had finally been solved.  It was like someone had actually discovered which “one true religion” out of all the “one true religions” that are out there really was the one, true, religion.

If you haven’t seen the film, here’s a short summary from the film’s webpage:

“FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.”

Let me run that past you again:  …examines the profound the claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and process foods.

Holy Moley!  That’s way more than a “profound” claim.  That’s revolutionary!  That’s monumental!  That’s bat-crazy astounding!!

But is it really true?

Bitter Disappointment

I really, really, really wanted to believe everything the film presented at face value.  Watching the movie had been almost a religious experience.  I was convinced.  I was converted.  I was “saved.”  I was ready to turn totally vegetarian.  However, it wasn’t long before the air was let out of my emotional “high” and I came crashing down to earth.

Being the skeptic that I am, the next morning I Googled “is ‘forks over knives’ legit?” just to see what came up.  That’s when I came face-to-face (virtually, of course) with Denise Minger, a very unique and talented young woman.  Denise has written a blog post titled “Forks Over Knives”: Is the Science Legit? (A Review and Critique) that has gone viral and it immediately caught my attention — and started putting my feet back on solid ground.

Denise is a raw-food advocate as well as a self described “numbers geek.”  She’s not part of any lobby group nor does she have the backing and financial resources of the major food manufacturers.  She’s simply an individual with a critical mind, some sharp analytical and research skills, and a flair for writing.  The firestorm that she started with her post has been nothing short of amazing.

First of all, Denise’s post on “Forks over Knives” is not a “review” in the normal sense.  A “review” of a movie is when some blogger takes 2 or 3 paragraphs to say, “Yo, I saw such-and-such movie and I really liked it.  You guys should go see it.  Click on my affiliate link to buy your tickets….”  Now THAT’s a “review.”  What Denise wrote however, is a detailed, fully documented, point-by-point critique of the movie’s assertions, primarily those based on the research of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, that spans more than 40 screen pages (not counting another 80 or so pages of comments, some of which are quite informative).  Her critique is so thorough and so detailed that it elicited an actual response/rebuttal from Dr.  Campbell himself, something that most researchers rarely deign to do.

You really need to read Denise’s post and subscribe to her website if you’re at all serious about nutrition.  Her writing style is easy to understand and she does a super job of explaining the research.  The link again is:  “Forks Over Knives”: Is the Science Legit? (A Review and Critique)

“Slight of Hand” Conclusions

Denise brings up a lot of serious questions with the research cited in the movie.  One of the points that impressed me the most early in the movie was the chart that graphed Norwegian mortality rates due to circulatory disease during the Nazi occupation of their country in 1940′s.  Here’s a copy of the graph I’m talking about:

As you can plainly see, mortality rates start plummeting right after the Nazi’s come marching in.  Dr. Campbell explains in the move that this is because the first thing the Germans did was confiscate all the livestock for their own use.  This left the poor Norwegians with no meat in their diet and as a result of this primarily vegetarian diet, their mortality due to circulatory disease dropped like a rock.  In 1945 when the Nazi’s left and meat began to be reintroduced into their diet, the Norwegian heart disease mortality rate began to increase again.  Therefore eating meat equals increased mortality rates due to circulatory disease, and not eating meat equals lower mortality rates.  So sayeth Dr. Campbell.  It is logical, right?

This chart impressed me more than any of the other data in the movie and I was ready to accept Dr. Campbell’s conclusions hook, line, and sinker.  I was sitting in my living room waving my arms overhead and singing, “I believe, I believe.”

However, like most stories, there’s more to it than meets the eye and it takes someone like Denise Minger to ask insightful questions like:

– “Is that really the case?”

– “What else was going on at the same time?”

– “Could there be something else that might explain this effect?”

Denise not only asked those questions, she researched the answers.  What she found blows some pretty serious holes in Dr. Campbell’s arguments.

Denise reasoned that just because the Germans took away their livestock doesn’t necessarily mean that the Norwegians had no meat in their diet.  She figured they’d probably try to find substitutes.  That’s what you or I would do.  Oh by the way, isn’t Norway by the ocean?  Aren’t there fish in the ocean?  If you lived in Norway during this time, wouldn’t you go out and find a way to catch, barter, or buy fish to feed your family with, especially if all of your livestock has just been confiscated?  Of course you would.

Here’s what Denise found when she researched the dietary records of Norwegians during the Nazi occupation and plotted the results (this is Denise’s graph and is part of her post “Forks Over Knives”: Is the Science Legit? (A Review and Critique)):

 What you see is just what you would expect if you really gave it some thought.  Sure, the amount of meat (pork, beef, chicken) decreased during the occupation because the nasty Nazi’s kept taking it all for themselves.  However, the amount of fish increased to compensate for the loss of meat.  And as Denise says in her article, “the last time I looked, fish is not a vegetable!”  (I’m paraphrasing.  If you want the exact quote, read her post.)  Isn’t it possible, Denise poses, that the drop in mortality might be because people were eating more fish and not because they all turned vegetarian as Dr. Campbell states?

I felt like I had been had.  ”Damn you Denise,” I thought.  I had really hoped that I had finally found the “One True Diet,” the “Diet to Rule Them All.”  Instead, what Denise did was rip back the stage curtain and expose the guy working the springs and levers.

The Problem with Nutritional Research

I’ve known and written about the problems with traditional research for years so it’s even harder for me to believe that I fell victim to Campbell’s conclusions so easily.  But I did.  Maybe it’s because the movie did such a great job getting me emotionally involved that my common sense and skepticism went to sleep.

In order to perform proper research, a researcher typically spends a significant amount of their time trying to find funding.  After all, somebody’s got to pay for all the fancy lab equipment and lab rats.  However, more and more of today’s research gets funded by groups that have a vested interest in the outcome of the research.  Even grants doled out by the government are often times reviewed by committees and/or legislators with ties to and/or backgrounds in industry groups.

Researchers are no fools either.  In order for them to win funding and to have that funding extended or increased, they do everything they can to design experiments that are highly likely to produce the types of results their financial sponsors are looking for.  What you end up with is a lot of research that sounds and looks impressive, but really has little application to real world applications.

For Dr. Campbell, his pinnacle research project was the compilation of a massive study on the Chinese mainland that looked at diet, lifestyle, and disease in a wide variety of locations.  Titled “The China Study,” it forms the basis for much of Campbell’s assertions in the movie.  Denise does a great job of analyzing some of the data in The China Study and pointing out some of the problems with the correlations that are drawn.  Basically, she shows that if you create a large enough pool of data points, you can pretty much correlate anything you want.

Trust Me, I’m a Professional

The thing that really left a sour taste in my mouth was Dr. Campbell’s response to Denise’s post on a number of vegetarian and vegan websites (here’s one for example).  Although Dr. Campbell was polite, his responses at times seemed downright condescending.  What he basically seemed to be saying was that since he’s got several degrees, he’s the only one that can understand and interpret his data.  In other words,  he seemed to be saying ‘trust me, I’m a professional.’

Sorry Dr. Campbell, not good enough.  Denise brought up some very specific questions and all we get is ‘don’t worry your pretty little head missie??’  (obviously not a direct quote <grin>)  I expected more.  Much more.

If anyone performs a study and comes up with any kind of conclusion, especially one as profound as this one, they should be able to explain exactly what they did and how they did it.  There should be no unexplained gaps or assumptions in logic.  And they should be able to explain it a way that you, I, or anyone else can follow along, step by step, and reach the same conclusion.  Like the cartoon at the right, you can’t just say “and then a miracle occurs” or respond to questions by saying “because I say so.”  You need to be able to prove your results in a way that’s reproducible.

Somewhere along the “vegetarian yellow brick road,” I get left behind unable to jump over the gaps in logic.

So Where Does That Leave Us?

So after spending way more time than I can really afford reading blog after blog and trying to decipher all kinds of statistical charts and tables, where did all this leave me?  Well, actually in a pretty good place.  I’ve learned, or in some cases re-learned, the following:

1. There is no “Holy Grail of Nutrition” after all, even though I really wanted to believe in one.  There is only the path that is best for you, at your current stage of life, taking into account your environment, lifestyle, culture, and health goals.
2. Judging from the comments on some of the websites, you can only conclude that a lot of hard-core vegetarians and vegans are flat out kooks.  To them, diet is more like religious dogma rather than an issue of optimal nutrition.  These people believe what they believe and nothing will ever change their minds.
3. Judging from the comments on some of the websites, you can only conclude that a lot of hard-core carnivores and paleo-diet followers are flat out kooks.  To them, diet is more like religious dogma rather than an issue of optimal nutrition.  These people believe what they believe and nothing will ever change their minds.
4. Research on nutrition, in fact pretty much research on anything, is often times funded by groups with a significant stake in the outcome.  As a result, it’s really difficult to conduct research that is truly objective.  Since the primary purpose of every researcher is to acquire the next round of funding, studies can be inadvertently biased in one direction or another.  This results in conclusions that have little or no application to real world issues.  We’ve done so much research in the field of nutrition that you can literally find a study that will support ANY conclusion you care to make basically proving the maxim that too much knowledge leads to ignorance.
5. Everybody’s got an opinion to sell, and as a result, relevant facts sometimes get left out because they may not totally support the case you’re trying to make.  It’s human nature.   We ALL have “selective memories.”  This human tendency to try to “push the facts towards what we already believe”  tends to creep into books, movies, and yes, even scientific research.  You’ve always got to listen to the skeptic inside you and evaluate all sides of an issue.
6. The best diet is the one that works for you – and that may be totally different than what someone else is eating.

Thanks Mike.  Great advice.  The Holy Grail of Nutrition may truly be “Eat a Balanced Diet – whatever that means to you.”  That may be as specific as science can get simply because we’re all individuals and because our bodies are made up of complex interconnected systems.  Throw in the fact that we all come from different cultural backgrounds, each of which have different customs and beliefs about food and eating, we live in different environments and have different foods readily available and you can easily see why there will never be a “one size fits all” type of diet recommendation.

What I Eat Now

I did learn enough through this experience to change my diet in a way that is currently working for me.  I’m actually losing a couple of pounds that I though I’d never get rid of.  My energy level is steadily increasing so I feel confident that I’m giving my body what it needs.

Although I learned that “Forks Over Knives” took quite a few liberties with the facts (maybe THAT’s why the work of the researchers is not so well known and not because of some sinister plot by Big Pharma or the Media), some of the lessons did stick.  My dietary “rules” now include:

1. Rather than a totally “Meatless” diet, I’ve gone to a “Less Meat” diet.  This is not totally vegetarian (ie: meatless) nor is it the typical American diet (where meat is the primary component).  I still eat meat – it’s just a much, much smaller portion of my total meal than it used to be.  What little meat I do eat is usually in form of soups or stews – and always with a salad.  Gone are the 12-oz T-bone steaks with the tiny “garnish” of vegetables.
2. The majority of the meat I do eat is fish.  I’ve pretty much eliminated beef and pork from my diet completely.  If I do occasionally have chicken, it’s in soup.
3. No red meat.  I covered this already.  Nuff said.
4. No deep fried foods.  I reduce fried foods as much as possible and avoid all deep-fried foods.
5. No dairy.  God, I hated to give up my Blue Bell ice cream but I feel better for it.  I do occasionally have cheese as part of a dish but no more cookies and milk, which brings me to:
6. No sugar or high fructose corn syrup.  Cut out the sweet stuff period.  No cakes, no cookies, no soda.  This alone will significantly improve your health and help you lose a couple of pounds.
7. No processed foods.  If it comes in a cellophane wrapper with cartoon characters on it, don’t eat it.  If it’s made with “refined” anything (sugar, wheat, flour, etc), stay away from it.  There’s a scene I remember from some old boxing movie in which someone offers one of the characters a sandwich.  The boxer says something like, “I ain’t eating no white bread.  That stuff will kill ya.”  Stay away from breads and cereals made with refined flour.
8. Reduce the starchy vegetables.  Yes, that means go easy on the potatoes.
9. Increase your intake of dark green, leafy vegetables.  Have a spinach or mixed green salad before every meal – or better yet, have the salad AS your meal.
10. Drink water instead of soda, tea, coffee, or the “power” drinks.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: diet, nutrition, vegetables, processed foods, sugar, high fructose, dr. campbell, forks over knives, denise minger, vegan, paleo, meat, optimal health

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Now, there’s even more reason to stop – and this time, to stop for good.  A recent infographic has shown up on the Internet showing the various organs in the human body that the ingredients of soda can negatively affect.  Some of these I already knew about.  Some of them are new.

Although it’s been claimed that this infographic is from “the insurance industry,” that’s not the case.  It’s from a site called TermInsurance.org, a domain which according to a WhoIs search,  is registered in the Grand Cayman Islands.  From what I could see, it looks like an affiliate site.  However, don’t let the apparent lack of authority of the website detract from the information on the infographic.  

The health problems listed on the infographic supposedly come from reputable sources and can include things like:

• Increased Tooth Decay
• Asthma Attack
• Heart Disease
• Kidney Disease
• Reproductive Issues
• Sugar Overload
• Obesity
• Diabetes

Check out the original article here, where you can get a larger image of the graphic that you can read and/or print out.

IDEA TIP: this would be a great graphic to print out and tape to your refrigerator door. If that doesn’t make you think twice about reaching for another soda, I don’t know what will!

The empty calories coming from the high amounts of high fructose corn syrup sending your insulin levels sky-high is reason enough to stop drinking — or at least significantly reduce — your soda consumption.  This infographic should convince you the rest of the way.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soda, coke, corn syrup, fructose, heart, disease, health, fitness, diet, nutrition, diabetes, obesity, calories, sugar, kidney

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I had one of those “Internet Emails” forwarded to me the other day.  You know the type – “forward this to someone you care about” or “don’t break the chain” or whatever.  Anyway, this one actually seemed to contain some useful information about drinking water.

Now we all know we’re supposed to get around 8 glasses of water per day, right?  We all know that hydration is critical to good health, right?  Well, what you might not know is that there’s an optimal time to be drinking water.

The following information supposedly comes from a cardiologist.  Now again, this was from an email that someone forwarded to me so I can’t vouch whether it really does come from a cardiologist, or from any other healthcare professional for that matter, so take it with the appropriate grain of salt.  However, it does make sense.

According to the information I received, drinking water at certain times maximizes the body’s ability to utilize it.  Specifically, you should:

• Drink 2 glasses of water immediately after waking up to help activate internal organs,
• Drink 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal to help digestion (and to help reduce hunger pangs so you don’t end  up overeating),
• Drink 1 glass of water before taking a bath in order to help lower blood pressure,
• Drink 1 glass of water before going to bed to help avoid a stroke or heart attack while you sleep.

Let me emphasize once again that I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this information or its source.  However, I do know that water makes up a large percentage of the body and keeping the body supplied with enough clean water is an important part of staying healthy.  I’m also a big believer that your body should be getting the majority of the water it needs from eating water-rich fruits and vegetables and from drinking clean water, not from sodas, coffee, teas, or other flavored drinks.

Take a close look at the graphic for the many ways that water is used in the body – and then make sure you’re getting enough of it.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: hydration, water, water-rich, health, healthy, weight-loss, diet, nutrition

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Unfortunately, in many cases it isn’t and it isn’t long before some of the same people have packed it right back on again.  So what’s the problem?  Maybe it’s the fact that many people rely on exercise alone as a way to lose weight, and that’s a sure path to failure.

You can’t use exercise alone to lose weight.  Period.  Why not?  Well, think about it.  Exercise increases the amount of calories your body burns.  That’s good, right?  Yes but your body then seeks to compensate for that calorie loss by making you hungrier than you would otherwise be.  In other words, exercise increases your appetite making it much more likely that you’ll stop by the fast food drive-through on your way home from the gym.  You tell yourself, “After all, I worked hard, right?  I deserve a “reward” for working out.”

See how it works?  The more you workout, the more your appetite increases to compensate for the calories you burned.  The more your appetite increases, the harder it is to make good food choices and maintain portion control.  Also, the easier it is to feel like you “deserve” some dessert or an extra helping of your favorite food.  And boom, before you know it, you’ve not only erased all the good you did at the gym (from a weight-loss standpoint), but you’ve probably added calories to boot.  This is exactly why many people exercise all day long and don’t lose an ounce – and also why quite a few actually gain weight when they exercise.

So here’s the bottom line:  you don’t exercise to lose weight. You exercise to get fit.  You exercise to tone your muscles.  You exercise to increase stamina, build flexibility, and maintain coordination.  You exercise to maintain muscle strength.  You exercise to keep your heart and lungs healthy.  You exercise to reduce stress.  You exercise for a hundred-and-one really good and valid reasons — but sustainable weight-loss isn’t one of them.

Losing weight is about 2 things and 2 things only:

1. Eat less calories (ie: portion control)
2. Making better food choices.

That’s it.  There is no more.  That’s the whole “secret” to successful and sustained weight-loss.  It really doesn’t matter what diet program you’re on or are thinking of trying out:  Atkins, South Beach, Primitive, etc.  These diet programs provide all sorts of recipes that are designed to help you eat less total calories (number 1 on my list) as well as help you make better food choices (number 2 on my list).  That’s all they do.  And now that you know the “secret,” you can do it too without having to buy all the books and CD’s and whatever.

If you really want to lose weight, eat less – way less. Pay strict attention to portion control.  Don’t use the huge dinner plates that most people (and restaurants) use and start eating your meals on the smaller salad plates.  Get yourself a kitchen scale and find out what a “normal serving” of food looks like.  Hint:  A “normal” serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards and does NOT spill over the side of the plate like the chicken-fried steak special at the local steak house.

Which brings me to the second point, if you really want to lose weight, make better food choices. That means passing on the chicken-fried steak special covered in cream gravy and going with a grilled salmon instead.  Choose foods that not only contain less calories, but are also better for you.

So what have we learned here?  Well, first, if you’re exercising, don’t stop – just understand that it’s not really going to help you lose much weight.  Second, serious and sustainable weight-loss is all about eating less calories and making better food choices.

Once you start working on the right things, you’ll begin to see real progress!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S. Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.” This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

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Then right after the first of the year, Teri and I took a great winter vacation to Jackson Hole, WY.  We had a blast playing in the snow.  No time for exercise – having too much fun.

Lastly, as we flew home from vacation, I started getting a tickle at the back of my throat.  You guessed it, I got home with a royal case of the flu.  Definitely no exercising now.

For the next 2 and a half weeks, I battled the flu.  Every time I started to feel better, I’d make plans to start exercising again and sure enough, I’d wake up the next day feeling like crap all over again.

Finally, I’d had enough.  I wasn’t feeling 100% but well enough to get out and take a brisk walk.  I figured that if I waited until I felt completely recovered, we’d be well into July.  It took effort but I got up off the couch and started moving.

You know what?  The more I moved, the easier it was to move some more.  Getting my cardio up to the point where I was breathing hard seemed to open up my chest and break up some of the congestion.

I felt I was finally able to start my New Year’s Resolution – yep, in February.  What is my resolution?  It’s to “get serious.”

What do I mean by that?  Easy.  2011 is the year to get serious.  It’s time to get serious about:

• Getting into shape
• Eating healthier foods
• Losing weight
• Getting fit

I also included some financial goals as well (“it’s time to get serious about getting my company back on the growth path”, etc).  The point is that you can “play at” getting into shape, you can “play at” trying to lose weight.  Or you can get serious and actually do it.

How many times have you told yourself, “I really need to start working out” and then immediately said, “tomorrow.”  See, that’s “playing at” getting into shape because we all know that “tomorrow never comes.”

How many times have you told yourself “I’m going to cut out junk food” immediately followed by the thought, “right after I finish this piece of cake?”  That’s “playing at” losing weight and I used to fall into the same trap.  I was always going to do something to improve my health or fitness tomorrow, or down the road, or right after this bowl of ice cream.

If  you’re serious about change, you don’t play those games. If you’re tired about being weak, or overweight, or broke, or whatever, then get serious about changing it.  Get serious about doing what it takes to get yourself from where you are now to where you really want to be.  And then get serious about staying there.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S. Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.” This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

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Organized into 6 chapters, the 2010 edition of the Dietary Guidelines covers the following topics:

• Chapter 1:  Introduction
• Chapter 2:  Balancing Calories to Manage Weight
• Chapter 3:  Foods and Food Components to Reduce
• Chapter 4:  Foods and Nutrients to Increase
• Chapter 5:  Building Healthy Eating Patterns
• Chapter 6: Helping Americans Make Healthy Choices

But let me get right down to the nitty-gritty:  Chapters 3 and 4, what foods should I be eating less of and which foods should I be eating more of?

According to the USDA, you should try to REDUCE the following in your diet:

• Sodium, especially if you’re African American or already have diabetes, hypertension, or chronic kidney disease.  However, since food manufactures tend to put salt in just about everything, this recommendation takes real effort.  However, it can be done.
• Saturated Fats
• Dietary Cholesterol
• Trans Fats and Hydrogenated Oils
• Solid Fats and Added Sugars
• Refined Grains
• Alcohol should be limited to 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men.

Obviously, foods that combine some or all of the above should be doubly-avoided – like Twinkies(tm)and most other “junk” food, for example.

The USDA also recommends that you try to INCREASE the following foods and/or nutrients in your diet:

• Fruits and Vegetables (nothing new there)
• Eat a Variety of Vegetables, especially dark green, red and orange vegetables, as well as beans and peas
• Whole Grains
• Fat-Free or Low-Fat Dairy Products such as milk, cheese, or yogurt
• Eat a Variety of Protein Foods including seafood and lean meats as well as nuts, eggs, beans, and soy products
• Increase the Variety of Seafood
• Stick to Lean Meats
• Use Oils to Replace Solid Fats
• Choose foods rich in Potassium, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin D, and Calcium.

There are also specific recommendations for various groups such as Seniors and Women who are pregnant.

There really shouldn’t be any surprises so far.  We’ve all heard the standard “eat more fruits and veggies” line for years.  So what is new in this edition?  There are a few new shifts in USDA “philosophy” including:

• Consider Using Supplements and Fortified Foods. The USDA’s official stance used to be that if you maintained a balanced diet, there was no need for supplements.  However, it seems that the USDA has finally recognized how difficult it is for a modern American to achieve a truly ”balanced diet.”   Note that the USDA does not endorse the use of supplements, they just acknowledge that their use may be appropriate in various situations.
• The Problem of Obesity. The new guidelines attempt to tackle obesity head on rather than treating it as a side issue.  This is in obvious recognition of the problem obesity has become in the US.
• The Role of Patterns and Habits on Diet. The Guidelines recognize that many Americans overeat or eat the wrong foods mainly out of habit – eating junk food during a sporting event, or at a movie, for example.  You’re not really hungry when you head for the movie theater but you buy a bag of popcorn anyway.  It’s a habit.  A pattern that you can change once you recognize the negative impact it’s having on your health.
• The Role of Environment and Social Factors on Diet. Go to a party and you practically have to stuff yourself with the “pigs in a blanket.”  Why?  Because everyone else is.  It’s what people do at a party.  These are example of environmental and social influences on your diet.  The USDA Guidelines include ideas and actions you can take to keep these factors from wrecking your diet.

Although there’s a lot of repeated “common-sense advice” that we’ve all heard before, the new edition of the Guidelines add some new material that adds much-needed context to how and when we eat.  As I said earlier, this is a must-read.  Go grab your copy right now!

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Here’s one case in point.  I love Pillsbury’s Toaster Strudel, especially the ones with the cinnamon filling.  To me, there’s nothing better than starting off my day with a breakfast of 2 pieces of toaster strudel and a glass of cold milk.  After all, I just did an intense hour of a P90X workout (I usually exercise in the morning before breakfast).  Having something besides my usual protein shake can’t hurt, right?

Well, here’s the problem. My usual protein shake is only about 200 calories – and that includes the banana and strawberries I throw in. However, a quick look at the label on the strudel package rocked me back on my socks.  The first thing to notice is that the “Serving Size” for the nutritional information on the label is based on 1 pastry.  ONE pastry?  Who eats just ONE pastry?  So I knew I was trouble from the very start.

I normally have 2 pastries at a time.  At 190 calories EACH, that’s 2 X 190 or 380 calories.  Add in the calories from the glass of milk (2% milk) and you’ve got a grand total of 380 + 120 = 500 calories.  500 calories!  Yikes!

Although the high number of calories is bad enough, a second major problem is the TYPE of calories.  Notice in the label that 60 of the 190 calories – about 31% – come from FAT.  Ugh!  So out of the 500 total calories I had for breakfast, 120 of them are pure fat that I’m sure went straight to my midsection.

A third problem (this just keeps getting better and better) is the type of fat.  Again looking at the label, we see that more than half of the Total Fat is the WORST type of fat:  Saturated Fat and Trans Fat.  There are a total of 4 grams of saturated and trans fat.  Since there are 9 calories per gram of fat, that’s 9 x 4 or 36 calories of “bad” fat in EACH pastry.

And if you haven’t already sworn off Toaster Strudels, there’s more.  Last but not least, each pastry contains 5 mg of Cholesterol.  Although cholesterol is a natural part of many foods, a strudel is probably not the best source of it.

That’s why it’s so hard to lose weight.  The stuff you love to eat usually contains an abundance of extra calories that are very easy to lose track of.  However, it all eventually shows up around your midsection!

So what are my takeaways from this (besides “ditch the strudel”)?  Here are a couple:

1. Read the label FIRST. Always evaluate what you are ABOUT TO EAT, not what you just ate.
2. Be Aware of the Serving Size. Manufacturers will always try to down play the amount of calories in their products by reducing the serving size.  Don’t get fooled by this.  Do the math and then decide how much (or how little) you’ll have.
3. All Calories Count. If you’re trying to lose a couple of pounds, calories – ALL calories – count.  Make sure you don’t let extra calories sneak in just because you take a “pinch of this” or a “spoonful of that.”  There’s no such thing as “just one.”  It all adds up and it all counts.
4. Know the Content of Your Calories. It’s critical that you not only know the amount of calories you’re about to consume, but also the type of calories.  Are most of the calories made up of Protein?  Carbohydrates?  Fats?  If it’s listed first on the label, then that’s what makes up the majority of calories.
5. Be Aware of the Type of Fats and Carbs. You should also evaluate the type of fats and carbs you’re eating.  I shouldn’t have to tell you (or tell myself!) that saturated and trans fats should be at the absolute bottom of your list, not at the top.  Refined carbohydrates and sugar should low on your list as well.

The bottom line is that this breakfast “food” bombs out in all nutritional categories.  Little wonder that even after killing myself at the gym, when I step on the scale, my weight still hasn’t changed.

Losing weight is like playing detective.  You have to ferret out all the places that extra calories are sneaking into your diet and plug the holes.  You have to scrutinize every single calories to see what type it is and you have to decide whether eating it will support your goal or not.

It’s not as difficult as it sound but it does take awareness and effort.  As for me, the box of Toaster Strudel is now sitting at the bottom of my kitchen waste basket (small tear at the corner of my eye) and I’m back to my low-fat protein shakes in the morning.  I’m more determined than ever to control my weight.  How about you?

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Sorry.  There’s no such thing.  Let me say that again so you can stop your frantic searching — there is no secret way to losing weight.  All you have to do is eat less, way less as it turns out.

I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking, “But I already cut out eating bread with my meals” or “I already skip dessert and I STILL can’t lose weight.”  The problem is that you haven’t cut enough.

That lesson was brought home to me in an interesting way.  I’m reading a fascinating book titled, “Physics for Future Presidents: the Science Behind the Headlines,” by Richard A. Mueller.  In it, this Physics Professor takes much of the hype out of many of the issues that crowd today’s headlines.  In a very straightforward way, he tackles issues such as “dirty bombs,” terrorism, energy, climate change, and so on.

It was on his chapter on energy where he’s talking about how much energy a gallon of gasoline contains that I found, of all things, a comparison to the energy content of food.  Mueller states that “food is almost as good as gasoline” in terms of energy content.  He goes on to say that,

“If you find this high energy content implausible, watch a hummingbird.  It uses enormous energy to flap its wings just to sip a tiny amount of nectar.  Clearly the energy in the nectar must be more than enough to cover the work being done by those rapidly beatings wings that hold the bird in front of the flower.  It is.  Food is almost as good as gasoline.”

Because food has such a high energy content, it actually takes very little of it to completely nourish our bodies and fuel our daily activities.   The problem is that we’re typically greatly overloading our bodies with way more food than what we actually need.  Professor Mueller goes on to say that,

“On the downside, the enormous energy content of food is what makes it so difficult to lose weight without serious dieting.  One 12-ounce can of soda contains, typically, 150 food calories.  A person can work that off with a half hour of vigorous exercise (running, not jogging; basketball, not baseball; swimming, not golf), provide, of course, that he doesn’t reward himself with a can of soda.  The best way to lose weight is to eat less, not to exercise more.“

Make sure you pay particular attention to that last line:  “the best way to lose weight is to eat less, not to exercise more.”  It’s simple physics.  To eliminate 150 calories from your diet, you can do half an hour of hard exercise, or you can simply pass on the soda and drink water instead.

Now, to be clear, note that he didn’t say that you didn’t have to exercise at all or that exercise isn’t important or that it doesn’t help you lose weight.  He didn’t say any of these things.  All he said is that from a physics standpoint, it’s easier to lose weight by eating less than by exercising more simply because food has such a high energy content.

So let me summarize:

1. If you want to lose weight, eat less – way less. Although when you first start a diet it feels like you’re dying, your body will actually adjust after a couple of days.  Your stomach will get smaller so that small portions will be more filling and your digestive system will get more efficient since you’re not constantly overloading it anymore.  If you can make it past the first week, it really does get easier.
2. Yes, I did say “eat way less.” Just making token cuts like skipping the bread or desert isn’t enough.  Not eating bread reduces your total calorie count by what, maybe 250 calories?  Big deal.  That’s not nearly enough.  You need to cut your total caloric intake by 1/2 to 2/3.  No, this is not a typo.  Cut your meals by one half to two thirds of what you’re eating now.  Unless you make really radical changes to your diet, your body simply adjusts to not having bread or not having dessert and you end up weighing the same.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  radical changes to your diet does put a strain on your body at first so make sure you’re in good health to begin with and that you’ve discussed your plans with a healthcare provider.
3. Exercise is still important. Physical exercise still plays an important part in your weight-loss plans.  You still have to keep your metabolism rate at a high level, you still need to keep your muscles toned, and you still have to encourage your body to burn fat instead of muscle.  Exercise does all these things so it’s critical that you work in as much as you can.

How have I used this information?  Well, here’s the diet that I try to follow (notice I said “try” because honestly, I do occasionally cheat).  I try to follow the “reduced calorie” routine for as many days as I can during the week.  It doesn’t always work out that way but I try to follow it as many days as I can.  On weekends, I eat whatever I want but obviously try to keep from undoing all my progress.

My “Reduced Calorie” Diet

Breakfast:  One 8-oz Protein Shake (I use Syntha-6) with one small banana or 2-3 strawberries mixed in.  Calories:  about 150

Lunch:  One cup (about 8-oz) of soup.  I love Campbell’s Chunky Healthy Request (not the “condensed”) soups, especially the Beef Barley.  Keep in mind that most cans of soup contain 2 portions so make sure to read the label!  Calories: about 150

Dinner:  Another protein shake.  Calories:  about 150

So during the week, I try to get by on around 500 calories per day (more or less).  Am I always successful?  Of course not.  I occasionally throw in a snack in between lunch and dinner that probably adds another 100-150 calories.  The key is to make sure that your “snack” is a wise choice like a piece of fruit, some nuts, or a granola bar.  It’s critical that you stay away from sugary “empty” calories.

Again, this diet is not for everyone – and not everyone will be able to stay on it for long.  Make sure you are in good health before starting ANY diet (or exercise) plan and discuss your plans with your doctor or healthcare provider.  That being said, use your head and take things slow and easy at first.  Like I said earlier, it does get easier once you get past the first week.

Now 500-600 calories per day isn’t much, but then, I’m a little guy (5′ 10″) so don’t take the actual number of calories as gospel.  Simply take what your normal diet is and try to get buy on half.  Do that as many times as you can during the week.  If that means you do it every other day, that’s fine.  If you can only do it on Wednesdays, that’s a good start.  The point is to start.  Once you do, you’ll find that adding an additional day gets easier and before you know it, you’ll be getting by on much less food.

Make sure you keep up your exercise routine.  In fact, when you start getting hungry, go out for a brisk walk instead of reaching for the chips.  Drinking lots of water will also help to keep your stomach from grumbling.

So to sum up, “token” dieting doesn’t work since your body simply adapts to the slight changes in food intake.  The end result is that you end up weighing exactly the same.  To lose weight, you’ve got to make a radical reduction in the amount of food you eat – on the order of 1/2 to 2/3 of what you’re eating now.  Drink plenty of water, get plenty of exercise, and above all, use common sense and check with your doctor along the way.  I think you’ll be pleased with the results you start getting.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

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Contented cows?  Butterflies gliding slowly over green fields of clover?  Close, but not exactly.

In order to be classified as “organic” by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and be able to display the organic logo, a farm or food processing facility must be certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agency.  The name and address of the certifying agent must be displayed on the information panel.

Under the requirements of the USDA’s National Organic Program, the certifying agencies verify that:

For plant-based foods, they must have been grown:

• Without the aid of genetic engineering,
• Without the use of ionizing radiation,
• Without the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer,
• Without pesticides not allowed for organic agriculture (note that this implies that some pesticides ARE allowed for organic agriculture).

For meats, it must have been raised:

• Without the use of antibiotics,
• Without the use of growth hormones,
• By being fed an organic diet (note that “organic diet” is still a pretty broad term).

For food products that contain multiple ingredients, the USDA has 4 distinct categories:

1. “100% Organic.” In order to be labeled “100% Organic,” all of the ingredients in the food (excluding water and salt) and all of the processing aids used to process the food must be organic.  If these conditions are met, the USDA “Organic” logo can be displayed on the package.
2. “Organic.” A food labeled “Organic” means that the product contains between 95 to 99% organic ingredients.  The ingredients that are not organic must have been approved by the USDA’s National Organic Program.  If these conditions are met, the product can display the USDA “Organic” logo on the package.
3. “Made with Organic Ingredients.“  Foods “Made with Organic Ingredients” must contain between 70 to 94% organic ingredients.  Up to 3 of these organic ingredients can be listed on the front of the package.  However, the package cannot display the USDA’s “Organic” logo.
4. All others. Food products with less than 70% organic ingredients can only list the organic ingredients on the information panel of the package.  They cannot use the USDA’s Organic logo and no other “organic” claims can be made.

Note that the USDA does not regulate or restrict the use of other food labeling claims such as:

• “Free Range”
• “No Drugs or Growth Hormones Used”
• “Hormone-Free”
• “Sustainably Harvested”
• “Pesticide-Free”

These are marketing or advertising claims and would fall under the “Truth in Advertising Act” administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Although a civil penalty of up to $11,000 can be levied on any person who knowingly sells or labels as “organic” any product that does not comply with National Organic Program requirements, the chances of getting caught, especially for small operators, are pretty slim.  The USDA’s National Organic Program is a good step-in-the-right-direction and the majority of the large, brand-name food manufacturers and processors who have national reputations to uphold comply with the program pretty closely.  However, for the rest of the food industry, you still need a healthy dose of  “Buyer Beware.”

The best way to know you’re purchasing real organic products is to get to know your supplier.  If you purchase from local farmers or co-ops, don’t hesitate to ask the hard questions or to even request a visit to the farm(s).  Don’t take their claims at face value.  Ask to see proof.  Reputable dealers will be very up-front and open about their operations.  It’s the people that won’t look you in the eye, won’t fully answer your questions and act shady that probably have something to hide.

Although there’s still plenty of controversy about whether or not organically produced food is any better for you nutritionally than commercially prepared food, for many people, the choice is to go with organic whenever they can.  Hopefully this article will help make sure that you’re getting what you’re paying for.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: nutrition, organic, diet, food, growth hormone, pesticide, USDA, National Organic Program, NOP

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Yet, the concept of “organic” food production – that is growing and/or processing food without artificial chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, or additives – makes a lot of sense.

It’s estimated that every day, the average American is exposed to 10 to 13 different pesticides and/or residual chemicals from pesticides simply through the foods we eat and the the beverages we drink.  That’s every, single, day.

And that’s just the chemicals from pesticides.  Add in the chemicals from fertilizers, the preservatives, the growth hormones and antibiotics given to cattle, pigs, and chickens, the artificial sweeteners and colors, and the list goes on and on.

Ongoing medical research is showing that these chemicals can be linked to all sorts of adverse health effects including cancer, organ damage, thyroid problems, and nerve disorders, to name just a few.  And as if these health effects weren’t enough, many of these chemicals are now thought to affect our body’s hormones – especially the ones that help regulate body weight.

Reducing your exposure to chemicals, especially pesticides since those tend to be some of the worst, makes perfect sense.  But is going “organic” the best way to do that?  I found the answer to be both yes and no.

When Going Organic Doesn’t Help Much

Some foods are just naturally pest-resistant (or have been genetically engineered to be pest-resistant).  These types of crops just don’t need to be sprayed with tons of chemical pesticides in order to produce high yields.  Therefore, they’re going to have very low amounts of pesticide residues anyway.  For these types of foods, going “organic” doesn’t really mean much since they’re pretty organic to begin with.

Commercial foods that are typically grown without a lot of pesticides include:

• Onions
• Avocados
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Mangoes
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas
• Kiwis
• Cabbages
• Eggplants
• Papayas
• Watermelons
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Sweet Potatoes

So for these foods, you can save some money by going non-organic and not loose any of the benefits you’re looking for.

Foods Where the Organic is Best

At the other end of the food production spectrum, there are some commercial food crops that just seem to attract pests and plant diseases like sugar attracts flies.  In order to increase crop yields, farmers spray a variety of pesticides and fungicides to keep away pests and prevent diseases.  These chemicals get absorbed by the plant and some residues can end up in the parts we eat.  These foods, therefore, tend to have the highest levels of pesticides and pesticide-related byproducts.

For these crops, going organic can reduce, sometimes significantly, the amount of pesticides and related chemicals that you’re exposed to.  However, keep in mind that growing these foods without the use of chemical pesticides is more expensive (because of lower crop yields) so be prepared for a sizeable price difference between organic and non-organic versions of these foods.

The foods where going organic makes the most difference include:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Imported Grapes
• Carrots
• Pears

Reducing the amount of pesticides and chemicals in your food is always a good idea.  And even though the term “organic” is used pretty broadly (and sometimes inappropriately), it’s still a good rule-of-thumb to go by.  Knowing the types of foods where it means the most will not only provide the benefits you’re looking for, it will help save you money in the process.

Hiram
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

PERSONAL NOTE: yes, I am aware of a number of well-researched articles (like this one at QuackWatch – a site I highly respect) stating that residual pesticide levels are too low to worry about and that there’s no discernible difference between organic and non-organic foods.  However, I tend to remain skeptical since most of the cited research is pretty dated.  Newer research has the benefit of technology that is much more accurate and we’re finding that even extremely low concentrations of chemicals can create adverse health affects in our bodies.  Unfortunately, to this day, there are still no definitive studies that put the issue completely to rest. As a result, my personal opinion is to “err on the side of caution” and eliminate or reduce your exposure to as many chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones in foods and beverages as you can, regardless of whether the concentrations are “below recommended FDA levels” or not.  However, this does NOT suggest that you should reduce consumption of fruits and vegetables.  Just try to make better choices.

Technorati Tags: pesticides, growth hormones, food processing, farming, food production, organic, health, nutrition, diet, healthy eating

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According to a national survey by the American Dietetic Association, over 40% of Americans choose being on some form of diet as one of their New Year’s Resolutions.  Unfortunately, only 1 in 5 are still on it by the time February rolls around.  As we all know, getting on a diet is easy.  Sticking to a diet is really difficult.

There are some basic things that you can do however, that will significantly increase your chances of sticking with it for more than a day or two.

Use the Buddy System

Remember going swimming in the lake at Summer Camp?  What’s the first thing they always did?  They paired you up with somebody and told each of you that it was your job to look out for the other person.  They even occasionally did “buddy checks” to make sure that you and your buddy really were watching out for each other.

Well, the same concept applies to dieting.  Enlist the help of a “buddy” who also is dieting to help keep you on track. Now you’ve got someone that will hold you accountable to your goals as well as someone that you can help reach their goals. A buddy can encourage, nag, or shame you into sticking to your diet and you can do the same for them.  By working together, you both have a great chance of success.

Take Control of Your Environment

Go through your house, car, and workplace and remove all temptation.  That means throw out all candy, chips, soda, cookies, ice cream – everything sugary and sweet (and loaded with calories) that calls your name in the middle of the afternoon.  Don’t just hide it.  Get rid of it.  Otherwise, you’ll always find a reason to sneak in “just one.”  And once you’ve done that, your diet goes out the window.

The second part of controlling your environment is watching who you spend time around.  Make sure the people you’re normally around have positive  attitudes and eating habits that will support your efforts.  It’s difficult to stay on a diet when all of your friends keep of bowl of M&M’s on their desk.  It’s like trying to quit smoking when everyone around you is a smoker that keeps blowing smoke in your face.

That’s not what you want.  You want people around you that will understand and support what you’re trying to do.  And that might mean making the decision not to meet the guys or girls in the break-room for donuts and coffee every morning.

Make Absolute Rules – and Stick By Them

Although the other two tips are pretty good, I think this one is the most powerful.  Make up absolute rules about what you’re going to do, or not going to do, and then stick by them.  An absolute rule says something like, “I will not eat any candy, period.”

There’s no room for misinterpretation there.  There’s no room for “just one” or “only as a reward after I exercise.”  It’s pretty absolute.  No candy, period.

When you do this and someone offers you some M&M’s, the first thing that will pop into your mind is “I will not eat any candy.”  It provides a mental break, a brief pause for you to think about what you’re doing instead of just automatically reaching for the offered candy.

There’s one thing I know about myself, and probably about you too, and that is that if I allow some room to wiggle out of a rule I’ve set, I probably will find a reason to do so.  And here’s the thing – the “reasons” will all sound sooo good.  Reasons like:

• “I really exercised hard today.  I deserve a piece of candy.”
• “I’ve really done well on my diet and I’ve actually lost 3 pounds.  I can afford to eat just one little piece.”
• “I really need to finish this report but I feel so tired from working out.  Eating some candy will help wake me up.”
• “Just one piece won’t hurt.  I’ll get back on my diet first thing tomorrow.”
• “It’s an emergency!  I need candy to survive!”

Did I get any of yours?  I guarantee that if you leave yourself some wiggle room,  you’ll always find a way to rationalize breaking your diet.  Always.  Rationalization is what human’s do.  So don’t leave any room for it.  Make your rules absolute and then stick by them until you’ve reached your goal.

Lastly, remember that you stick to a diet the exact same way that someone quits smoking or drinking – one moment at a time.  Your goal shouldn’t be to stick to your diet for the next month.  Your goal should be to stick to your diet for the next hour.  You can handle an hour, right?  That’s all you need to do.  Stick with it for one hour.

And when that hour is up, you know what to do.  Commit to sticking with your diet for the next hour.  Before you know it, you’ll have made it through the day, the week, the month and will have reached the weight goal you set for yourself.

Use the Buddy System, control your environment so it supports your goals, make absolute rules and stick by them.  Do these things and sticking to your diet should be a snap.

Hiram
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

Technorati Tags: diet, dieting, overeating, nutrition, resolution, weight loss, scale, weight goals, new year

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