Category Archives: Diet

September 12, 2014

SHOULD YOU ALWAYS REMOVE CHICKEN SKIN?

Each piece of skin contains 69 calories and six grams of fat, so it makes sense to separate it from the breast before popping it in the oven, right?

Not really. The skin locks in moisture, so you get tender, more flavourful chicken for not a lot of extra calories.

Don’t remove the skin until right before serving, and the chicken won’t need as much calorie-rich sauce, salad dressing, or mayo.

The exception, however, is if you’re making a soup or a casserole. The fat from the skin will drain into the dish, so peel it off beforehand.

September 5, 2014

OVERCOOKING PASTA COULD BE BAD FOR YOUR DIET.

By taking that pot off the stove a little earlier, your pasta will have a satisfying bite and keep you full for hours.

Hot water breaks down the bonds between starch molecules. The longer you boil your pasta, the quicker your body converts those carbs into fuel. This sets off a rapid rise in blood sugar that is followed by a hunger-inducing plunge.

Al dente noodles take longer to digest, delivering a steady stream of energy. Go with the shortest time in the recommended range on the back of the pack, then bite into a slightly cooled strand. There should be a tiny white circle of raw pasta in the center.

The residual heat will continue to cook the noodles, so they’ll be perfectly al dente by the time you serve them.

August 15, 2014

WHY TOO MUCH SALT CAN LEAVE YOU FEELING BLOATED.

Biologically speaking, salt attracts water in the body, so you hold onto that extra weight instead of eliminating it.

To counteract the problem you should take two steps to keep bloat at bay:

1. Keep it fresh.
Since salt is a preservative, everything that’s packaged or processed will be high in sodium. Plan on making sure that all items you choose are fresh, such as fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean protein.

If you’re really in a bind for a snack, make sure that packaged bites are low in sodium at 140mg or less. Also, choose foods high in potassium, which is a nutritional counter-balance for sodium. Foods rich in potassium include leafy greens, most ‘orange’ foods – oranges, sweet potatoes, carrots, melon – as well as bananas, tomatoes, and cruciferous veggies like cauliflower).

2. Keep hydrated.
You should drink water all day long, but kick start your morning with coffee or tea. Caffeine is both a natural diuretic and an excellent source of antioxidants, which protect your cells from damage. Herbal teas work too, such as dandelion or fennel root for the best bloat defence.

Also keep in mind that a lot of your hydration throughout the day should come from fruits and veggies. Choose cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, asparagus, grapes, celery, artichokes, pineapple, cranberries – all of which contain natural diuretic properties that will also help you stay full due to their higher-fiber, high-water content.

July 10, 2014

YOGHURT WARNING!

Plain yogurt naturally contains about 16 grams of sugar per cup. But if you eat flavoured yogurt, you could be downing 15 or more additional grams of sugar, which is the equivalent to four extra teaspoonfuls.

Choose plain, low-fat yogurt and stir in a teaspoon of honey, maple syrup, or all-fruit spread for a hint of sweetness. Or opt for fat-free Greek yoghurt, which is lower in sugar than even regular plain yogurt but often has double the protein to keep you satisfied longer.

June 27, 2014

FOODS THAT BOOST YOUR BRAIN POWER.

Turmeric: A study has shown that older adults in India are 4.4 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the same demographic in the UK. Turmeric also has anti-inflammatory abilities to protect cell erosion and carries antioxidant effects that fight against breakdown in cell membranes.

Berries: These sweet fruits are rich in polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, shown in studies to increase sharpness and speed of processing in areas of our brain function that are the first to go as we get older.

Avocado: Foods rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids will help your head and your heart. Stick to healthy fats only, of which avocadoes have many, and skip trans and saturated fats. Swapping avocado for butter in a lot of your traditional baked good recipes, such as cakes and breads, can provide the same emulsifying effect (and taste), but with an added cardiovascular and neuro-protective effect.

Orange fruits and veggies: Such as sweet potatoes, carrots, melon, butternut squash, and oranges serve as great defenders of cell breakdown, causing better brain function into older age.

Chickpeas: Chickpeas have high vitamin-B content (like B6 and folate), meaning lots of brain benefits. In our bodies, folate is responsible for the conversion of homocysteine, a byproduct of cellular metabolism, into methionine, which is another amino acid. High levels of homocysteine are responsible for blood vessel damage.

June 20, 2014

3 FACTS ABOUT VITAMINS AND YOUR HEALTH.

Fact 1: Vitamins don’t cancel out bad health habits.
There are many different disease-causing culprits in our lives, one vitamin cannot protect against them all. Vitamins can’t significantly undo the toll that risk factors like smoking, excess alcohol, air pollution, obesity, and lack of physical activity take on our health. In fact, research suggests that some people may be more likely to put their health on the line when taking vitamins, because they believe the pills will shield them from harm.

Fact 2: Megadoses are useless and possibly even harmful.
Our bodies have individual requirements for each nutrient, and once they’ve been met, we don’t get an additional benefit from taking more, either from food or supplements. Taking too much calcium, for example, can cause kidney stones and may increase your risk for heart attacks. What’s more, some vitamins and minerals rely on the same mechanisms for absorption. So if you flood your body with one compound, you may interfere with the absorption of other nutrients.

Fact 3: What you put on your plate matters most.
Supplements are not a substitute for the nutrients found in whole foods. Spinach, for instance, is a great source of iron, but it also contains literally thousands of other nutrients; an iron supplement contains only one. As long as you’re eating a varied diet, it’s extremely difficult to overdose on the vitamins and minerals you get from foods, but exceeding your RDA is easy when you’re popping supplements.

June 13, 2014

BEST FOODS FOR WEIGHT LOSS.

Chocolate: Savor one to three ounces of at least 70 percent cacao chocolate a day. Chocolate contains flavonoids called catechins, which seem to reduce insulin sensitivity and the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Erratic insulin levels and cortisol are powerful in their ability to pack on belly fat. Dark chocolate is also high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which fight inflammation. Fat cells, particularly those in visceral fat (the dangerous kind in the belly that can lead to diabetes and heart disease), churn out molecules that set inflammation in motion. It’s a vicious cycle, because inflammation leads to belly fat, and belly fat leads to more inflammation.

Dairy: Dairy contains the two highest-quality sources of protein – casein and whey. This, in combination with nutrients like calcium and vitamin D, aids in muscle preservation, appetite regulation and fat loss. What’s more, dairy fat contains conjugated linoleic acid, which has been shown to help reduce visceral fat.

Green Tea: Like chocolate, green tea is rich in catechins that appear to whittle your waist by prompting your body to burn more fat and calories, particularly in the period just after each meal. The average cup of brewed green tea contains 111 milligrams of catechins, so just two to three cups a day could be beneficial.

Blueberries: You’ve heard that these little guys are packed with a host of health-boosting properties. Now preliminary studies suggest they’re effective at combating belly at too. Blueberries are filled with manganese, which helps convert proteins, carbs, and fats to energy, and is the key to shedding abdominal fat. The high antioxidant content also works to reduce stress hormones and inflammation in the body.

June 6, 2014

WHAT SHOULD I BE EATING AFTER A WORKOUT?

Breaking down your muscles burns calories for sure, but what really torches them is building those muscles back up – and that’s where post-workout nutrition comes into play.

Eating a mix of carbohydrates and protein within an hour of your cool-down helps increase your body’s levels of muscle-repair-signaling hormones. That way, you’ll not only build more calorie-torching muscle, but your muscles will actually spend extra energy during the repair process.

Carbs help replenish your muscles’ glycogen stores. Post-workout, aim to consume a snack with a 3:1 ratio of healthy carbohydrates to protein, such as a smoothie made with plain yogurt and water-rich fruits. Around 150 to 200 calories should do the trick.

Keep in mind though that your need to refuel isn’t an excuse to binge. So make sure you don’t fall into the trap of feeling like you ‘deserve’ a post workout snack and eat way too much, replacing all the calories they’ve just burned while training.

May 16, 2014

BEAT STRESS.

We all feel the pressure from time to time, but if you feel as though your stress levels are going into overdrive – and causing you to eat all the wrong things – it’s time to take some action!

Exercise can be a massive de-stressor after a hard day in the office or a busy day with the kids.

What you eat also plays a major factor in how you feel from morning to night.

Try out the following calming foods below to ward off stress.

Nuts – munching on a handful of raw nuts every day helps to regulate magnesium levels, which is important for keeping stress levels low.
Brown rice – complex carbohydrate foods, such as brown rice and pasta, help to raise levels of the happiness hormone serotonin, which boosts your mood.
Oily fish – oily fish, such as salmon and trout, is rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, which keep brain cells firing on all cylinders so you can deal with your stress symptoms effectively.
Chocolate – a couple of squares of the sweet stuff help to produce those all-important endorphins. But aim for dark chocolate with no less than 70% cocoa solids and, remember, everything in moderation!
Turkey – turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which helps to produce the happy, feel-good hormone serotonin.
Green tea – green tea is a source of the amino acid L-theanine, which acts as a relaxant.
Blueberries – a good source of the antioxidant anthocyanin, blueberries help to lower your blood pressure – which can rise thanks to high cortisol levels.
Garlic – our immune systems often bear the brunt of our stress, so make sure you’re fighting fit with garlic, which contains an immunity boosting compound called allicin.

May 9, 2014

IF I WORKOUT REGULARLY I CAN EAT WHAT I LIKE, RIGHT?

WRONG!

In order to lose weight and maintain general health and fitness, you must integrate healthy foods into your lifestyle in addition to your training regime.

It is not possible to out-train a bad diet – eating unhealthy, processed foods after a workout will counter the good work you put into your training, and can even cause you to overeat and gain weight.

By all means allow yourself the odd treat, but do not reward your hard efforts with unhealthy foods.

Lanima Fitness

Personal Training for Women