What does soda (or “pop” as it is called in the Midwest) offer?

1. Empty calories

2. Aspartame

3. Sugar

4. Phosphoric Acid

More in detail:

“Non-diet sodas contain sugar, derived either from corn or from beets or sugarcane. Refined sugar spikes blood sugar levels for a short time, increasing energy, followed by a sugar “hangover” which can sap energy. Refined sugar  spikes insulin levels in the body which have been connected to heart disease and high blood pressure. Insulin levels also affect how the body processes carbohydrates and determine whether food energy is burned or stored.

Diet sodas contain aspartame rather than sugar. Studies continue to discover new health issues related to aspartame intake and it should be avoided in an emergency situation.The phosphoric acid content in most sodas can prevent the body from storing calcium and cause osteoporosis over long periods of time. It also changes the acid composition of the stomach which can lead to digestive difficulties.”

More:

Prevent Disease, The Real Dangers of Soda to you and Your Children

HFCS - YUk!

What does High Fructose Corn Syrup offer? Some links to answer the question:

Fructose: Sweet, But Dangerous

What are the Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Avoid HFCS

Personally…eliminating both diet and regular soda along with HFCS(High Fructose Corn Syrup) from my diet has made a HUGE impact, positively in my mental, emotional and physical well being.

What do you think?

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”
- La Rochefoucauld

Ectomorphs are generally tall and thin. They have difficulty gaining weight and muscle no matter how much they eat or how hard they train, because their metabolisms are geared to burn calories rather than convert them into fat or muscle.

Mesomorphs are generally muscular and shorter. They are strong and gain muscle mass easily when they do strength training. They may find it difficult to lose weight, but they may not have that much excess fat even though their weight is higher than average for their height.

Endomorphs naturally carry more body fat even at their ideal weight. Their bodies may resist losing weight even when they limit calories; endomorphs don’t necessarily eat more, they just store more calories as fat.

While you’ll always have characteristics of a certain body type, everybody can lose weight and become more fit. What differs from person to person is the number of calories your body uses each day. For example, Ectomorphs burn more calories than everyone else just by sitting around, but it’s still important for Ectomorphs to make healthy food choices and exercise regularly for the health and fitness benefits; Mesomorphs, thanks to their extra muscle, have a fast metabolic rate that boosts their calorie burning during vigorous activity; and Endomorphs benefit from eating smaller, more frequent meals to minimize the opportunity to store extra calories as fat.

Very few individuals fall into one category, most of us have some characteristics of all three. The important thing to know is that losing weight is not going to change your basic body type or shape; you store a certain amount of fat between your skin and the muscles underneath, you aren’t going to see those six-pack abs no matter how many crunches you do. But your body type doesn’t doom you to chronic weight problems, either. When you focus on what you can change, you avoid the frustration that comes with unrealistic weight or appearance goals. Your body is unique to you, and so is your ideal weight.  And because it involves many factors, most weight loss programs will say your ideal body weight is more than a number on the scale. Again, the more you know about your body type, the easier it is to set realistic goals and expectations for your weight loss journey. Makes sense to me, what do you think?

Check out- Lindora’s Weight Loss Programs

More on how genetics play a role : Somatotype and Constitutional Psychology, Body Types,  Body Types for Training,

]]> http://blog.marksalinas.com/2009/11/08/our-body-types-and-genetics/feed/ 9 http://blog.marksalinas.com/2009/04/08/foods-that-accelerate-the-metabolism/ http://blog.marksalinas.com/2009/04/08/foods-that-accelerate-the-metabolism/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:24:24 +0000 Mark Salinas http://blog.marksalinas.com/?p=634 Most of us would prefer a fast metabolism. Of course when we exercise, our bodies require more energy and our metabolism increases in order to supply it. However, most of the time we are not all that active and in my opinion we want to improve the caloric burn when doing very little, like sitting around or even sleeping. Remember a slower metabolism means more of those calories you take in are going to be sitting around waiting to become extra pounds. *Various studies have shown that certain “foods” can assist in the metabolism boost.

**Maybe we should include some foods that speed up the metabolism naturally:

Coffee – A quick boost, consider adding a little extra caffeine to your diet. A cup will give it a quick kick into high gear that can be helpful during the day.

Green Tea -Most will say this is a healthier alternative to coffee. Chemicals known as catechins found in green tea are believed to stimulate your metabolism.

Citrus Fruits – Researchers say that foods rich in Vitamin C, such as oranges, tangerines and grapefruit contain natural metabolism boosting properties that also make your immune system stronger.

Hot Peppers- Capsaicin is the ingredient in peppers that gives them their heat. Research shows that this compound actually stimulates your body’s production of adrenaline which kicks your metabolism into high gear temporarily. Throwing some jalapenos at your sandwich or some hot peppers in your scrambled eggs could help you burn more calories.

Dark Green Vegetables – High in fiber with high levels of vitamins and nutrients our bodies need to be healthy. Spinach, mustard greens and collard greens are good examples

Spices – Cumin, Ginger and cinnamon are all good examples. Adding a decent amount of these spices into your meals can give them more flavor and can help increase your metabolism.

Lean Protein – Protein is harder for the body to digest than carbohydrates, and because it requires more energy the result is more calories. By including lean protein in your meal, you’ll be giving your metabolism a boost when you eat. Try to  include chicken or turkey breasts and fish.

Whole Grains -  Fiber isn’t as easy for the body to digest. It takes more energy resulting in fewer calories available to be converted into fat cells.

So I guess the idea is to stay active and make wise food choices! ? Oh yes of course…

Water- Drink your water! It helps the body flush out excess sodium and toxins. A German study showed that drinking water helped boost the metabolism by 30 percent. Drinking enough water to stay well hydrated also helps to keep you from mistaking thirst for hunger, and can prevent unnecessary calorie consumption and binging.

What do you think, any additions?

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**Always check with your doctor for advice

*Sources: Water, Science Daily, Medical News Today, Bio-Medicine, Scripps Clinic, Diagnose me

Here is my take:

Foods that are high in protein and fiber are the best kinds of food to eat if you want to burn fat. It takes more energy to digest protein than it does to digest fat. So the more protein you eat, the more calories your body burns.

Some foods to try:

Eggs- Eggs are high in protein and essential to helping you burn fat. Eggs contain the vitamin B12 which is a key component in helping your body break down and burn fat. If you’re still concerned about your overall cholesterol intake, you can remove the yolk and still benefit from the high protein contained in eggs.

Low Fat Dairy Products- According to an article in Obesity Research, women who ate low-fat dairy products, such as nonfat yogurt  three to four times a day lost 70 percent more fat than low-dairy dieters. It appears that not only do dairy products help you strengthen your bones, they can also play an essential role in burning that unwanted body fat. Just watch your portions.

Beans- Sure beans have a reputation to cause gas, but Beans are also a very good source of protein, fiber and iron. Some of my favorite beans to eat are; Navy beans, White beans, Kidney beans, and Lima beans. Of course we want to limit our intake of baked and refried beans. Refried beans contain tons of saturated fat while baked beans are usually loaded in sugar, some protein but you’ll also be consuming a lot of fat and sugar. Remember to cook your beans thoroughly as we want to make the beans easier to digest.

Oatmeal- Have you noticed that many of the oatmeal brands are now boasting that eating more oatmeal will help lower your cholesterol level? Apparently oatmeal is loaded with soluble fiber which helps reduce blood cholesterol by flushing those bad digestive acids out of your system. That has to be good..correct? I prefer oatmeal that is unsweetened and unflavored. I avoid the apples and cinnamon flavor that are loaded with butter and sugar. If I need to sweeten my oatmeal, I add fruit and some honey.

Whole Grains- In the “no carb” craze of today we tend to miss out on some of the benefits of carbohydrates. If you go without them completely your body will start to crave them. So it’s not a good idea to exclude all carbs because the right kinds are actually good for you. I try to avoid the processed carbohydrates… the white breads, bagels, pastas, and white rice. The key is to eat “whole grain” foods because they haven’t been processed and contain the fiber and minerals your body needs. So don’t be fooled by a loaf of bread labeled “wheat”. Regular wheat bread is still lacking in vitamins and minerals. Manufacturers add molasses to it so it turns brown.

———–> Go visit Mike at LiveLife365, he will give you the straight facts! <————-

Lean Cuts of Meat- Turkey and beef are great for building muscle and boosting the immune system, but I eat in moderation. Basted turkeys are usually injected with fatty substances while beef contains saturated fat. I look for “loin” or “round” on the labels.

Salmon and tuna- are also good sources of protein. They both contain omega-3 fatty acids which may sound bad, but are actually healthy fats. I will consume Salmon and Tuna at least 3 times a week. Personally I avoid farmed salmon.

Olive Oil- Olive oil is one of those “good fats”. In fact, it’s so good that it helps you burn fat and keeps your cholesterol down. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that researchers are finding provide outstanding health benefits. One ounce of extra virgin olive oil contains about 85% of the daily value for monounsaturated fat.

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Of course we don’t want to forget about water…...

Speaking of wellness, hydration time! Go drink a glass of water. Remember health is wealth, and water is key in creating rich health -Stephanie Quilao

As we continue our journey towards a healthier lifestyle I think it is important, that not only do we keep an active lifestyle that includes a regular fitness routine. We should strive towards consuming healthier foods! What do you think?

Thank you Mizfit for coming up with the post title!

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Do you own a heart rate monitor? If you don’t own a monitor, check your heart rate manually. For accuracy stop walking momentarily to check your pulse. This allows your heart rate to drop. So if you use the manual method, use that number as a guide and consider other factors such as perceived exertion.

You will also need to know your target heart rate range, which for this work out will be 65-75% of your max heart rate. Use the following calculations:

Men:220 – age x 65% = bottom of range
220 – age x 75% = top of range

Women:226 – age x 65% = bottom of range
226 – age x 75% = top of range

The Karvonen Formula can also be used to determine target heart rate but requires that you know your resting heart rate. If you walk regularly, this method is worth the work.

A solid walking workout should last an hour. Warm up for the first 6-8 minutes then spend the next 40 minutes in your target range before you cool down. You might be surprised at how challenging it is to keep the intensity up. You’ll notice that in order to stay in that aerobic range, you have to lengthen your stride and increase your pace to a point that walking doesn’t feel like a leisure activity anymore. For runners and cyclists the increased range of motion at the hip joint can be especially challenging. Runners will find that without the momentum that they are used to, their glutes and hamstrings have to work harder to propel their bodies forward. For you Athletes don’t be surprised if you are sore the next day in unsual places!

Now a special treat is being offered at Workout Mommy, a contest for a Wii Fit! So get over there and enter!

Have a fantastic weekend and go for a walk!

People say that losing weight is no walk in the park.  When I hear that I think, yeah, that’s the problem. ~Adams

Sources:The Examiner, About.com, The Walking Site

People tend to eat very differently on weekends. Our more relaxed weekend schedules leave time for frequent trips to the kitchen for snacks, restaurant meals, parties featuring high-calorie hors d’ouevres and alcohol etc.

How do we avoid the diet danger zone?

Kathleen Zelman of the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic offers some fantastic suggestions:

The 80/20 Rule

There are two basic schools of thought on handling your diet over the weekend. The first strategy is to follow your usual healthful eating plan carefully and get to the gym daily during the week — so that when the weekend comes, you can splurge a little.

This doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind and eating a whole pie in one sitting. It simply means enjoying some of the calories you’ve saved during the week, maybe in the form of a glass of wine or a serving of your favorite dessert. Think of it as the 80/20 rule: 80% of the time, you stick to your healthy routine; the other 20% is your flex time, to indulge in whatever suits your fancy.

Yes, you can have your cake and eat it, too, as long as the slice is small — and you keep up your activity. You need at least 30 minutes of activity each day, whether it’s walking, gardening, or doing an exercise video. Strap on a pedometer and let the steps you take while doing errands or shopping add up (strive for at least 5,000 steps). Getting some exercise almost every day just makes you feel better. As hard as it can be to get started, you never regret lacing up your sneakers.

This approach is my own weight management strategy. I find it easier to be diligent during the week knowing that I can indulge on the weekends. It gives me the motivation and discipline I need to get to Friday.

The Weekend Warrior

The second approach is to use your extra weekend time to prepare healthy meals and catch up on the exercise that gets squeezed out of your schedule during the week.

You can spend more time at the gym or increase the intensity of your regular routine. But be warned: While it’s fine to pump up your activity, tune in to how you are feeling and stop if you are overtired or in pain. Going overboard can result in injury.

With a little advance planning and a few hours to spare, you can stock your freezer with easy meals for the upcoming week. Batch cooking once a week can save you time and money. During the week, it allows you to get healthy meals on the table in minutes. And it can save you money both at the grocery store, where you can buy in bulk, and at the drive-through (which you’ll have no need to visit).

Staying on Track

Weekends are supposed to be enjoyable, with free time to spend on yourself, family, and friends. And there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy the weekends while continuing to make progress toward your weight loss goals.

Successful losers eat breakfast every morning to help control frequent trips to the kitchen for snacks. So start your day with a healthy breakfast like a bowl of high-protein, high-fiber cereal topped with fresh fruit, and skim or low-fat milk. Feel free to enjoy eggs on the weekends; just limit the high-fat sides such as biscuits, bacon, and gravy. Replace them with lean ham, fruit salad, and whole-grain toast.

Don’t let your portion sizes creep up while you’re relaxing. Have a large vegetable salad with light dressing before dinner to help fill you up. If you’re still hungry after your healthy meal, drink a big glass of water and wait 15 minutes. Still hungry? Eat vegetables or fruit.

Be sure to drink unsweetened beverages and water, or small portions of other beverages, to help control your liquid calorie intake. Calories from sweetened beverages, including coffee, tea, soda, juices, and alcohol, contribute as much as 20% of the calories in our diets according to a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Jump on the scale one morning during the weekend to keep yourself on track. Researchers say that people who weigh themselves often do a better job of controlling their weight.
Makes perfect sense…enjoy your weekends without letting them undermine your weekday progress. Are you a weekend warrior? A little caution will go a long way toward keeping you fit and fabulous!

Squat for Pans and Pots-When it’s time to pull out the pans and pots under the kitchen counter, squat down next to the pot instead of bending over. This is exercise is great for strengthening the arms and legs. Grab the pot with two hands and hold it close to the body. Before standing, take a deep inhale. On the exhale, pull in the belly and straighten the legs. Try not to use the hands to assist on the way up. Repeat this exercise while waiting for something to heat up.

Counter Push Ups-A common kitchen move of stirring is good one for the arms, but there’s another exercise that can bring on some results for the arms. Put the hands on the kitchen counter feet away from the counter, like a “push-up.” Keeping the body in one line from toes to the head, keep the chin down, head back, and pull in the belly button. Begin the push up, bend the arms and touch the chest to the counter. Do 10 reps, rest, and then do 10 more.

With so much time spent in the kitchen, maybe spice it up a bit with an exercise or two?

Please share if you have any exercises to add! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

A good balance between exercise and food intake is important, as this helps to maintain a healthy body weight.

1) Set a consistent time for your work out. Make it habit!

2) Prior to the workout visualize yourself having a fabulous workout! Mental preparation….GO STRONG!

3) Set up a punishment list for missing workouts. Skip the workout, you owe your spouse, good friend, child, somebody! Make sure you have this pre-arranged so they can hold you accountable!

4) Remember the hardest part of the workout is often getting your butt started! Once you get a few minutes into your routine, you will be on your way. So remind yourself, “I’ll just go in and do 1 set of the first 2 exercises, then I can go”. Before you know it… you’ll have finished the entire workout.

5) Find a workout partner…If you have a workout partner you don’t want to let them down (more accountability). Or create a blog that you can share your fitness journey with, check out 360 degrees of DC, Annette’s Awakening and DaDiva’s Street for some incredible examples!

6) Crank the tunes! I can’t think of anything that motivates me like music.

7) Reward yourself. Finish your workout and treat yourself to a TV show, some extra time with your family, some new songs for your IPOD, or even a little extra time for yourself.

8)Review your goals everyday. Keeping your goals fresh in your mind will help you stay on track.  Journal it use online resources like Fitday.

Think about it? Who is in control? YOU are! Time to get the butt moving!

“Life is NOT a journey in which you tip-toe to the grave, but rather you slide in loudly proclaiming! WOW, what a ride!!!

If ever there has been a time to get emotional, it’s been these past few weeks. Between the stock market volatility, and the anxious atmosphere that pervades almost any workplace, the tendency is to nest and horde – two psychological behaviors that, when combined, translate into eating endlessly. Who knows if tomorrow we will have money left for food—so let the eating frenzy begin! And before you know it, as the market drops, the scale tops! I should add, that I am writing this from the perspective of a woman who lost 80 lbs. AND whose job was eliminated last February. I am determined not to let market fluctuations and work-related anxiety send me back to size 22!

So how do we quell the tendencies to stuff our anxiety by stuffing our mouths full of food?

I can only tell you what I’m doing:

1. Don’t be “cookie-whipped!” Victim mentality is a state of mind so easy to fall into, as I reference in chapter six (Risky Times) of my book, Joining the Thin Club: Tips for Toning Your Mind After You’ve Trimmed Your Body. Whether it is the market or the milkshake that is your dominatrix, put your mind in gear and take back your life.
2. Stay in motion! Yes, most of us are pretty sedentary most of the day but set aside time EACH DAY to do a cardio-workout. It will boost your brain chemicals and make you feel better AND it will burn some of the excess calories you may consume if you ARE an emotional eater. I kickbox every morning. It takes the edge off the rest of the day.
3. Plan, plan, PLAN! Now, more than ever, if you are working in a traditional workplace, bring your meals with you. You will feel like you are saving yourself money – AND you can control your meals and snacks without resorting to caloric cafe food. If you work at home, make sure that you take a lunch break. When you are your own boss, there is a tendency to just grab easy food and eat in front of the computer. After all, no one is paying you to eat lunch. I take the time and fix myself a healthy snack – and eat it AWAY from the computer. (I only tweet about my snacks! LOL).
4. Keep fueled during the day (small high protein meals will keep your blood sugar from dipping and making you anxious). Opt for green tea instead of coffee. Limit caffeine intake. And add Omega 3 fish oil to your diet. It is a natural anti-depressant. A handful of almonds is good too.
5. Pray! I add prayers to my day to help me meditate and gain perspective. When I realize that I am not always the one in control, it helps me deal with the downturns that life occasionally produces.

So, let the stock market do what it’s doing. I’ll find a way to pay the rent. But when I come out of the economic downturn and times are good again, I want to be able to fit into the sexy gold sheath that fits me just right! No muumuus for this working mama!

*Judith Lederman will give away one signed copy of the book to the lucky winner! To enter for the give away simply share an action(s) that you take to stay on the health path during your journey ?

The winner of the book will be picked on Wednesday Oct. 1st. !

For a copy of the book you can visit Judith Lederman at Joining the Thin Club.

—The Winner of the signed book giveaway is Sagan…Congratulations Sagan!—

Example, you’re an individual with a daily energy expenditure of 2800 per day and you stay on 1500 calories each day for 90 days (starvation diet), according to the mathematical calories in versus calories out calculations, you’ve accumulated a 117,000-calorie deficit. With 3500 calories in a pound of fat, that means you should have lost 33.4 pounds of fat. But you didn’t!! You lost maybe 15 pounds and got stuck at a plateau with that last bit of lower ab flab still defiantly clinging to your waistline. Why? Because you’re no longer BURNING 2800 calories per day!!! Your metabolic fire has dwindled to a tiny flicker. There is no longer a 1300 calorie per day deficit.

Basically you have hit a plateau – metabolically and hormonally. Your metabolic rate is depressed. You’ve lost lean mass, which has slowed your metabolism even further. Last, but certainly not least, your appetite has gone crazy and you have become ravenous, and you seem to get constant cravings!

Obviously we want to avoid metabolic slowdown in the first place and then patiently and persistently follow through until we are as lean as we want to be.

Unfortunately we can’t jump in our time machine and start over! Thoughts are that you put muscle back on through weight training and eating like a human being instead of a little mouse! Patience and persistence will make it worthwhile!

My apologies for my rant, but far too often I have seen friends, family suffer through these frustrating & difficult times. Again these are just my thoughts and I welcome your feedback.

Remember NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up on your journey!