Fast Healthy Breakfast Ideas: Quinoa for Breakfast
Seven ways to earn money with your fitness tracker.
Wait. Stop, you say. Your fitness tracker is earning extra cash? Is that actually a real thing that exists? Can I get a piece of that action?
Yes, yes, and OH YES YOU CAN.
Yes, yes, and OH YES YOU CAN.
What's Better for Weight-Loss: Cutting Carbs or Fat?
Lately, it seems everyone is riding the low-carb bandwagon – ditching pasta, forgoing fruits and eating their sandwiches as lettuce wraps. But according to a new Cell Metabolism study, opting for a low-fat diet might actually lead to better fat-loss results.
For the study, researchers with the National Institutes of Health examined the effects of low-carb and low-fat, calorie-controlled diets on 19 obese men and women, none of whom had diabetes. During the study, the participants stayed at the NIH’s metabolic unit around the clock, so researchers could regulate and record everything they did – and what they ate. Each group cut their overall caloric intake by 30 percent, half of them by cutting carbs and half of them by cutting fat.
While the reduced-carb dieters lowered their levels of insulin as well as lost slightly more weight than those who cut fat, the reduced-fat dieters actually lost more body fat than the carb-cutters.
“The reason this happened relates to the balance between how much fat is eaten and burned by the body,” explains lead author Kevin Hall, a senior investigator with the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. On the low-fat diet, participants experienced a greater difference in the amount of fat they were eating and the amount of fat their bodies were burning compared to those who cut carbs.
The Low-Carb Controversy
“There is a popular theory that claims low-carb diets are particularly effective for fat loss because they decrease levels of the hormone insulin, thereby increasing the amount of fat that’s released from fat tissue. Some people even claim that without reducing insulin it is not possible to reduce body fat,” Hall says. “The results of our study run counter to this theory and suggest there is not a metabolic advantage of a low-carb diet.”
However, past research has largely pointed to low-carb diets as the better fat-burner, a fact that critics of the study are quick to mention. For example, one 2014 Annals of Internal Medicine study of 148 obese men and women found that participants who ate a low-carb diet for one year lost 7.7 pounds more than those who had been eating less fat. However, Hall points out that in these longer studies, researchers can’t really be sure of what the participants were and weren’t eating over the course of the study.
“As evidenced from multiple recent meta-analyses, studies consistently show that on average a low-carbohydrate diet does better than a low-fat diet in terms of weight loss and fat loss, and several cardio-metabolic markers,” says low-carb advocate Jeff Volek, a registered dietitian and professor of human sciences at The Ohio State University. “A major reason people have better results with low-carb diets is because they promote greater satiety and people eat less.” He also notes that low-carb diets are especially beneficial to people who are insulin resistant, meaning their blood sugar level excessively rise in response to carbohydrate consumption. “In reality, each person has a level of carbohydrate tolerance, and staying under that level is an effective method to maintain good health,” Volek says.
Pam Bede, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics with Abbott’s EAS Sports Nutrition, also notes that low-carb diets have been shown to help control diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. They also improve HDL cholesterol and triglyceride values better than moderate-carb diets do.
“However, low-carb dieters must understand that carbs give your body fuel to function, especially when you’re working out. Anyone who is moderately to highly active should include some carbs in their diet to stay energized,” Bede adds. “If you work out regularly or are staying active to facilitate weight loss, eating too few carbs from a low-carb diet can cause fatigue and decrease your athletic performance. Carbs are a primary source of fuel for your workout – if you run out of steam quickly at the gym, you may head home early and therefore do yourself and your weight loss a disservice. You may opt to do fewer reps, run for a shorter period of time or pay less attention to safe exercise form because your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs to continue.”
She recommends that even those dieters who are following a low-carb eating plan consume carb-containing foods such as fruit, yogurt or trail mix before hitting the gym to get the greatest weight-loss benefit from their workouts.
Cutting Through the Fat
Meanwhile, although consuming some fat is anything but unhealthy – unsaturated fat promotes healthy metabolic functioning, and a recent Annals of Internal Medicine meta-analysis of 512,420 people concludes that eating more saturated fat may not increase your risk of heart disease – slightly reducing your overall fat intake can cut calories much more easily than can cutting carbs. One gram of carbohydrates contains four calories, while 1 gram of fat contains nine.
“Low-fat diets might be your best route if you want to eat a variety of foods in moderation. A low-fat diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins like lean meat and fish,” Bede says. It really just reduces your intake of high-fat animal products like steak (although grass-fed beef contains less fat), cream, cheese and butter.
“Low-fat dieters need to remember the body requires some healthy fats to maintain the immune system, regulate vital organs and keep good cholesterol levels up. They also help regulate insulin levels, which make you feel more satisfied after a meal than consuming protein and carbs alone,” Bede says. She recommends that, even when on a low-fat diet, men and women consume at least 26 grams of unsaturated fat per day.
Which Would You Rather Cut?
Meantime, a recent review of 59 studies on the low-carb, low-fat debate published in The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that while both diets led to significant weight loss, the low-carb diet led to moderately more pounds shed. Still, the researchers concluded that the effect was small enough that dieters are best off following the strategy that best fits their lifestyle.
After all, to some people, cutting carbs is painless and easy to do over the long term. To others, the thought of forgoing regular pasta nights is almost too much to bear, Hall says. To others, low-fat is synonymous with low-flavor. Maybe they can reduce their fat intake for a couple of weeks or months, but to lose the weight and keep it off, the change has to endure.
“Low-carb diets vs. low-fat diets fuel a constant debate in the nutrition community,” Bede says. “Each has their own pros and cons, but when it comes to effectiveness, one stands out over the other: whichever diet you can personally sustain.”
While the reduced-carb dieters lowered their levels of insulin as well as lost slightly more weight than those who cut fat, the reduced-fat dieters actually lost more body fat than the carb-cutters.
“The reason this happened relates to the balance between how much fat is eaten and burned by the body,” explains lead author Kevin Hall, a senior investigator with the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. On the low-fat diet, participants experienced a greater difference in the amount of fat they were eating and the amount of fat their bodies were burning compared to those who cut carbs.
The Low-Carb Controversy
“There is a popular theory that claims low-carb diets are particularly effective for fat loss because they decrease levels of the hormone insulin, thereby increasing the amount of fat that’s released from fat tissue. Some people even claim that without reducing insulin it is not possible to reduce body fat,” Hall says. “The results of our study run counter to this theory and suggest there is not a metabolic advantage of a low-carb diet.”
However, past research has largely pointed to low-carb diets as the better fat-burner, a fact that critics of the study are quick to mention. For example, one 2014 Annals of Internal Medicine study of 148 obese men and women found that participants who ate a low-carb diet for one year lost 7.7 pounds more than those who had been eating less fat. However, Hall points out that in these longer studies, researchers can’t really be sure of what the participants were and weren’t eating over the course of the study.
“As evidenced from multiple recent meta-analyses, studies consistently show that on average a low-carbohydrate diet does better than a low-fat diet in terms of weight loss and fat loss, and several cardio-metabolic markers,” says low-carb advocate Jeff Volek, a registered dietitian and professor of human sciences at The Ohio State University. “A major reason people have better results with low-carb diets is because they promote greater satiety and people eat less.” He also notes that low-carb diets are especially beneficial to people who are insulin resistant, meaning their blood sugar level excessively rise in response to carbohydrate consumption. “In reality, each person has a level of carbohydrate tolerance, and staying under that level is an effective method to maintain good health,” Volek says.
Pam Bede, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics with Abbott’s EAS Sports Nutrition, also notes that low-carb diets have been shown to help control diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. They also improve HDL cholesterol and triglyceride values better than moderate-carb diets do.
“However, low-carb dieters must understand that carbs give your body fuel to function, especially when you’re working out. Anyone who is moderately to highly active should include some carbs in their diet to stay energized,” Bede adds. “If you work out regularly or are staying active to facilitate weight loss, eating too few carbs from a low-carb diet can cause fatigue and decrease your athletic performance. Carbs are a primary source of fuel for your workout – if you run out of steam quickly at the gym, you may head home early and therefore do yourself and your weight loss a disservice. You may opt to do fewer reps, run for a shorter period of time or pay less attention to safe exercise form because your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs to continue.”
She recommends that even those dieters who are following a low-carb eating plan consume carb-containing foods such as fruit, yogurt or trail mix before hitting the gym to get the greatest weight-loss benefit from their workouts.
Cutting Through the Fat
Meanwhile, although consuming some fat is anything but unhealthy – unsaturated fat promotes healthy metabolic functioning, and a recent Annals of Internal Medicine meta-analysis of 512,420 people concludes that eating more saturated fat may not increase your risk of heart disease – slightly reducing your overall fat intake can cut calories much more easily than can cutting carbs. One gram of carbohydrates contains four calories, while 1 gram of fat contains nine.
“Low-fat diets might be your best route if you want to eat a variety of foods in moderation. A low-fat diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins like lean meat and fish,” Bede says. It really just reduces your intake of high-fat animal products like steak (although grass-fed beef contains less fat), cream, cheese and butter.
“Low-fat dieters need to remember the body requires some healthy fats to maintain the immune system, regulate vital organs and keep good cholesterol levels up. They also help regulate insulin levels, which make you feel more satisfied after a meal than consuming protein and carbs alone,” Bede says. She recommends that, even when on a low-fat diet, men and women consume at least 26 grams of unsaturated fat per day.
Which Would You Rather Cut?
Meantime, a recent review of 59 studies on the low-carb, low-fat debate published in The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that while both diets led to significant weight loss, the low-carb diet led to moderately more pounds shed. Still, the researchers concluded that the effect was small enough that dieters are best off following the strategy that best fits their lifestyle.
After all, to some people, cutting carbs is painless and easy to do over the long term. To others, the thought of forgoing regular pasta nights is almost too much to bear, Hall says. To others, low-fat is synonymous with low-flavor. Maybe they can reduce their fat intake for a couple of weeks or months, but to lose the weight and keep it off, the change has to endure.
“Low-carb diets vs. low-fat diets fuel a constant debate in the nutrition community,” Bede says. “Each has their own pros and cons, but when it comes to effectiveness, one stands out over the other: whichever diet you can personally sustain.”
The Best Time to Workout to Lose Weight
Should I exercise in the morning?
Or should I exercise in the evening? And which is superior? This question has been debated in the fitness community for decades.
Perfect timing isn’t clear-cut since there are benefits to working out at various times throughout the day, though studies are starting to favor a morning routine.
Burn More Fat With Morning Workout
If you are looking to burn more fat, then a morning workout before breakfast is the way to go.
A study published in the Journal of Physiology shows that exercising in a ‘fasted state’ engages our body to burn more fat. Insulin [whose job is to helps move sugar into the cells of your body, where it is used as fuel to make energy] is elevated after eating.
Additionally, cortisol [whose job is to break down the appropriate tissue based on what other hormones are around] will attack muscle.
Fasting
However, if you are fasted insulin is low, cortisol is high, and the cortisol will then go after the body fat reserve.
Supporting studies published in the journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise have shown an increase in physical activity throughout the day after exercising in the morning.
High intensity exercise revs the metabolism; therefore hitting the gym in the A.M will have you burning more calories during the day instead of at night while asleep.
My preference for the time I exercise has very little to do with research and studies, and everything to do with life experience.
As a Fitness professional I am up before the sun most days of the week. I am not a morning person so working out in the morning was not a viable option for me, or so I thought.
Working-out in The Evening
When I saved my workout for the afternoon or evening maintaining a consistent routine seemed almost impossible.
Being a mother, wife, and professional, it seemed that there was always something that got in the way. With life’s distractions and exhaustion growing by the end of the day, it proved to be difficult to stay on track.
Being over 30 I don’t have the luxury of skipping a workout.
With the lack of consistency my physical fitness started to pay the price; losing strength, muscle “tone”, and just overall feeling unhealthy.
I finally decided to give the morning thing a try, though it wasn’t easy. After training with a 6 am client, who wants to spend an hour working on themselves? I didn’t.
Getting started was the hardest part but once I did I felt the benefits almost instantly.
For the first time I felt like a “morning person”, as silly as that sounds. I felt alive, awake, I even found myself singing some mornings.
Morning Workout Routine
Taking on a morning routine was one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I have been able to stay consistent and maintain a healthy life style.
My morning workout also sets the tone for my day, I feel happier, less stressed, more energized, and the benefits didn’t stop there.
I slept better than I had before.
A recent study at Appalachian State University found that morning workouts are best if you want a better night’s sleep.
The sleep changes that occur with morning exercise can alter our bodies mentally and physically, according to Scott Collier, PhD, the leading author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University.
“The better you sleep, the better it is for your body,” explains Dr. Collier. “It increases your cardio health, decreases stress and anxiety, helps you maintain your weight and lowers your blood pressure. Plus the more time spent in deep sleep, the more time your body has to repair itself.”
So whether it’s because morning workouts are superior for burning fat or you just can’t seem to find the time later on in the day, give a morning workout a try… It can change your life.
So set your alarm early tomorrow morning
15 signs that you're addicted to your Fitbit
Look around the room these days and you'll spot someone with a plastic bracelet tracking their steps, miles, etc. No, this isn't some kind of punishment or parole tracker. Most likely they opened a Fitbit on Christmas morning, Hanukkah or New Year's.
Drinking Wine At Bedtime Can Help You Lose Weight
If you’re struggling to lose weight but find yourself peckish around bedtime, try swapping your midnight snack for a glass of wine. So, drinking wine as a nighttime nosh can aid in weight loss?
Linda Monk lost six pounds in three weeks and partially credits her weight loss to a nightly glass of wine. According to Monk, the wine curbs her cravings for sweets and other unhealthy snacks. “My long-held desire to snack on sweets, biscuits and chocolate after my dinner has disappeared,” she said.
Samantha Merritt agrees, claiming that “the calories don’t seem to have made an impact on the bathroom scales… Now, I can happily say no to a dessert and I treat myself to a glass or two around four nights a week.”
According to the Daily Mail, researchers at Harvard University studied 20,000 women over a 13-year period and found that those who drank half a bottle of wine (about two glasses) daily reduced their risk of obesity. In addition, studies have revealed that drinking red wine can help burn fat.
Of course, the trick here is to replace your typical after-dinner nibbles with wine, rather than add the libation to your snacking routine. Wine has fewer calories and less fat than many unhealthy foods. Check out some of these comparisons to other snacks:
Glass red wine
Calories: 135
Fat: 0g
Glass white wine
Calories: 120
Fat: 0g
Slice of cake
Calories: 235
Fat: 10.5g
Ice cream (One cup, Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip)
Calories: 300
Fat: 16g
Cool Ranch Doritos (1 oz., about 10-15 chips)
Calories: 150
Fat: 8g
Moderation, of course, is key. While a glass or two may be fine, bingeing on a bottle every evening might not be such a great idea.
Also keep in mind that for some people, alcohol can impair sleep. While it may induce sleep at first, studies show that people are more likely to wake up during the night and feel less rested in the morning.
Quick Diet: I lost 12 pounds
So I've been doing this 7 day diet to lose a few pounds. I'm currently at the heaviest weight I've ever been in my life. The diet breaks down like this:
Day 1: fruit only, no limit (felt good, pigged out on peaches, apples, bananas, and cantaloupe)
Day 2: veggies only and a baked potato, no limit on veggies but no
carrots, peas or beans (felt good, ate celery, cucumber, zucchini, green
peppers and salad). I ate 2 small red potatoes with spray butter. I
started to feel hungry by night fall but I had two cups of tea which
fulfilled the hunger.
Day 3: fruit and veggies, no limit but no potato. I just ate any fruits
and veggies I had in the house. I cut up the fruit and had a fruit
salad for breakfast (cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches), for lunch I had
a salad with lettuce, cucumbers, green peppers and strawberries and for
dinner I ate half a cantaloupe.
Day 4: bananas and up to 8
weight watchers yogurt, no limit on bananas (felt clear headed and
focused, I ate 5 bananas and 4 yogurts). I was really hungry at night
after a walk but a cup of herbal tea did the trick.
Day 5: poultry and up to 8 tomatoes, drink a glass of water after each
tomato (I feel hungry and a little queasy today. I ate some deli
turkey, a sun dried tomato, some chicken wings, a few carrots (which
weren't on the list for today) and about 5 sweet potato fries (also not
on the list). I've been sipping on water all day and have had two cups
of tea so far. For dinner I had ground turkey with a tomato sauce I
made with fresh tomatoes, garlic and 1/2 an onion with spices. It was
dee to the lish but Travis didn't like it. I was distracted with yard
work and walking one of my dogs last night so I was too busy to think
about food or be hungry.
Day 6: poultry and veggies, no limit, no potatoes. I'll be eating my
leftovers from dinner along with green peppers, cucumbers, lettuce and
tomatoes today.
Day 7: miracle soup recipe: 2-3 onions, 1 head cabbage, 1 green pepper,
5-6 celery stalks, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, & 2 packages of Lipton
soup. Chop veggies and saute, blend tomatoes and add to the veggies,
then add 5-6 cups of water. Add soup mix after the veggies have been
cooking for about 10 minutes. This sounds really good and I can't wait
to partake.
So, I'm currently on day 6. I just weighed in and I've lost 9 pounds so
far. I haven't decided if I'm going to do this again, but my stomach
feels smaller and I feel like I've given my body a chance to reset it's
self since I've basically detoxed from breads and sweets.
I look forward to drinking water and tea and I can taste my food better
and appreciate it more. Gum has really helped me when I feel the most
hungry, but I haven't had any hunger pains, I think it's mostly
psychological. I'm pretty sure my body just thinks I'm supposed to have
something sweet at 3 p.m. every day and after dinner each night, so it
doesn't know what in the hell is going on.
Tips
After Day 7 I weighed myself and had lost 12 pounds in the week. I've
never lost that much weight so fast and I felt like it gave me a jump
start to start eating healthier. I would definitely recommend this to
jump start new eating habits. I think it would be safe to do this every
6-8 weeks, but definitely not everyday. This is just my opinion and
not medical advice. Happy eating!
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