High Protein/Low Fat Foods

A great eating plan for strength training includes high protein, low fat foods. This is because protein gives your body energy and helps to build muscle. Here are 6 healthy proteins:

1. Egg Whites: Just one cup of egg whites will give you 26 grams of protein. Whether you scramble them or make them into an omelet, this choice will give your body energy and essential amino acids that are not created naturally.
2. Black Beans: Most beans in general are a great source of protein and fiber and have little fat. One half cup of cooked black beans has 113 calories, 7.6 grams of protein and only .5 grams of fat.
3. Wild Caught Salmon: is packed with omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acid, which the body cannot produce yet needs for healthy living. A three ounce serving of salmon has 121 calories, 16.9 grams of protein and 5.4 grams of fat.
4. Low Fat Cottage Cheese: A half cup serving of low fat cottage cheese contains 90 calories, 16 grams of protein and just 1 gram of fat.
5. Soybeans (Edamame): half cup of cooked soybeans has 127 calories, 11.1 grams of protein and 5.8 grams of fat.
6. Chicken: The key with chicken is to make sure you remove the skin and avoid the dark meat.Chicken is best, nutritionally, when broiled, roasted or baked. A four ounce serving of chicken is 196 calories, has 35.1 grams of protein and 5.1 grams of fat.

Alcohol?

Studies show that too much alcohol is detrimental to your health. However, if you decide to drink in moderation here are some good caloric tips:

Portion Distortion

Sometimes your caloric intake is not entirely your fault. Portion sizes are stacked against us. When we go out to eat we expect that the restaurant is not trying to kill us. It is often helpful to research calories of your favorite dishes before you go out. Nearly every restaurant has their nutrition facts posted online.

My Favorite Workout

These are my all time favorite workouts.  It is important to change it up to keep exercise fun and exciting.  What are your favorite workouts?

Breast Cancer Prevention:

-Healthy weight (20% of cancer deaths related to being overweight)
-Adopt a physically active lifestyle
-Consume a healthy diet with emphasis on plant sources
-Limit or eliminate alcoholic consumption
A study by the American cancer society found that women who exercised vigorously daily decreased their chances of breast cancer by more than 25%. Women’s Health Initiative study found as little as 1.25 to 2.5 hours per week of brisk walking reduced a women’s risk by 18%. Walking 10 hours a week reduced the risk even more. High-Fat diets and alcohol consumption have also been implicated as factors that increase the risk for breast cancer.

Mayhem and Destruction

Here we can see exactly what being overweight does to the organs, bones and muscles.  The woman on the left weighs 245lbs, the one on the right 119lbs. Their muscles (red), bones (white), organs (black) and fat (yellow) are all clearly defined. Carrying extra pounds may not look attractive from the outside, but now we can see precisely the havoc it wreaks on the inside. The pictures depict crushed lungs, strained joints and swollen heart. 

Neck:

Excess fat around the head and neck would cause pressure on the nerves and may contribute to headaches and neck pains. Chronic daily headaches are common among the obese.   Obesity leads to sleep apnoea, memory difficulties, low energy, shortness of breath, leg swelling and high blood pressure. Long term, it can contribute to stroke, hypertension and even sudden-death syndrome.

Lungs:

Compressed lungs make it harder to breath and harder it is to get enough oxygen circulating in the bloodstream. This can lead to lack of energy, impaired immune system and high blood pressure. 

Heart:

Fat around the organs can be toxic and poison you from within.  It actually pumps out chemicals and has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. The heart is enlarged. This can lead to heart failure.

Arthritis:

For every pound you are overweight, walking increases the pressure on the joint by up to ten times.

 Sobering example of joint strain: excess arm fat will make it more difficult to lift your arm above your head. You’ll feel less flexible. Then as you stop using the joint fully, the soft tissues will start to contract, dragging the ball and socket closer, causing bones to rub and leading to arthritis and pain.

Visceral Fat (stomach fat):

The scan of the larger woman reveals not just the rolls of fat on her body, but large amounts of fat wrapped around her organs (the black patches) in her abdomen. Visceral fat secretes chemicals and hormones in large quantities which are linked to the onset of Type 2 diabetes.  Obesity increases hormones in women causing excess hair and infertility.  Fat breakdown can seriously damage organs such as the liver, causing fatty liver disease.

 Visceral fat affects mood by increasing production of the stress hormone cortisol and reducing levels of feel good endorphins. Being overweight increases the risk of colon cancer by 25% in men and 50% in women.

Men and Women Body Fat Percentage

Muscle weighs more than fat. Don’t follow the scale; follow your health and how you feel. Strength training is a great way to lose fat and increase your metabolism. This means you can eat more of the healthy foods you love!

Drop the Scale for Good!

You all have heard the saying ‘Muscle weighs more than Fat’, but what does that really mean? Look at the image provided: 5lbs of fat is nearly 3x as large as 5lbs of muscle. The female depicted in the picture began a strength training routine, and gained nearly 10lbs. She gained muscle while losing pounds of fat, and she looks much more fit in the after picture. Muscle is very lean. Forget about the number on the scale! It will drive you crazy and deplete your motivation. Pay attention to how you feel and how great you look- this is all that matters.

Mindful Eating

Are you overweight? Do you struggle with your eating habits?  Here is a great serious of questions to ask your self.  Really think about it and write down your answers.

Weight Loss Tip

In a UK study of 1,911 women 71% reported regularly turning to weird weight loss techniques such as baby food diet, laxatives, body wraps, cabbage soup, starvation diets, ect. Nearly half have used weight loss pills at some point. None of these techniques have proven lasting results. The #1 way to lose weight and keep it off is through a HEALTHY DIET.