The Health and Fitness ChannelApril, 2002 IssueYour Truth In Fitness Source
NUTRITION AND HEALTH SECRETSThis month I'm going to give you a quick tip that will improve your health and nutritional status and even help you lose more fat. Calcium and Fat LossDid you know that increasing your
calcium intake can help you lose weight (fat)? A new study shows that calcium
may help prevent fat formation and aid in weight (fat) loss. Sardines - 3 ounces = 371 mg. Collard Greens - 1 cup = 148-357 mg. Turnip Greens - 1 cup cooked = 194-249 mg. Kale - 1 cup cooked = 94-179 mg. Chinese Cabbage - 1 cup cooked = 158 mg. Shrimp - 3 ounces = 98 mg. Brocolli - 1 cup cooked = 94 mg. Green Beans - 1 cup cooked = 67 mg. Dried beans - 1 cup cooked = 50-90 mg. Eggs - 1 large egg = 30 mg. 10 Best Fitness FoodsRegular exercise is only part of the formula
for a better body and health. Eating balanced meals featuring a variety of
nutrient-rich foods is another essential component. I would venture to say it
is the most important component if achieving your best shape is your goal. 1. Lean Beef There are many people who, upon
embarking a diet, try and limit their consumption of red meat. Although there
are cuts of red meat you should stay away from if losing fat is a priority,
there are also very lean cuts of beef available. Some are even leaner than
chicken. Plus lean beef is a great source of
iron, zinc, and high quality protein. Just make sure you choose the leanest
cuts and trim away any excess fat you see on it. The best cuts of lean beef are flank,
eye of round, top sirloin, top round, and even the ground beef available
today that is 96% fat free. 3 ounces of roasted, lean eye of round
steak = 153 calories, 5.4 grams of fat (of which only 2 grams is saturated),
0 grams of carbohydrate, 24.5 grams of protein, 59 mg cholesterol, 53 mg
sodium, 333 mg potassium, 15% of the USRDA for iron, 31% of the USRDA for
zinc, plus many other important minerals in significant quantities such as
niacin, vitamin B-6, folic acid, vitamin B-12, phosphorous, magnesium, and
copper. 2. Fish/Fish Oils Rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids,
which research suggests provides protection against heart disease. Eating
fish rich in omega-3’s (salmon is amongst the richest source although it is a
little high in total fat) may be enough to reap their heart-protective
benefits. The other great thing about the fats
found in fish is they help one to actually lose more fat. Gram for gram, the
fat found in fish has been found to be a potent fat decoupler. They help to
“release” the fatty acids found in your fat cells and allow them to be put
into circulation in your bloodstream. Since your body needs fuel to exercise
these fat cells can then be more easily used since they are immediately
available. For this reason they are the perfect for dieters. I recommend eating fish 2-5 times per
week as well as supplementing with fish oil capsules every day. I’ve found
they truly do help in your fat loss efforts – plus they’re also good for you. 3. Collard Greens What was the first impression that came
into your mind when I said collard greens? Was it an appetizing one? Typically a traditional southern food
usually eaten boiled with added ham hocks or other meat, most people are
unaware of collard greens impressive fat loss potential when eaten raw. One of the keys to losing fat is in
curbing your appetite. One of the best ways to do that is to eat foods high
in fiber. Fiber slows the digestive process down and creates a feeling of
fullness. These two in concert go a long way towards keeping the “munchies”
at bay. I’ve found that collard greens has one
of the highest fiber content to total carbohydrate content of just about any
other food around. Here’s what I mean, 2 cups of raw, chopped collard greens
are only 24 calories. There are only 4 grams of carbohydrates in those 2 cups
and of those 4 (and here is the key part), a full 2.5 grams are pure fiber.
This means over 60% of the carbohydrates found in collard greens are fiber.
No other food can come this close. Here’s what this means to you with regard
to fat loss. Fiber goes mostly unprocessed through your digestive system.
This means it adds little to no “real” calories to your body, especially
since your body has to work (and expend energy) in order to process it. Now, when you eat a food that has a lot
of ‘bulk’, or fiber, but little calories associated with it, you will become
much less hungry. And If you don’t get hunger pangs you are less likely to
sabotage your diet. Most people bust their diets because they eat too many
processed foods with little to no calories. What happens is they get larger
blood sugar swings which results in hunger pangs. After a few weeks of eating
the wrong types of diet foods a person begins to feel as if they’re deprived.
This is the mortal enemy of the dieter. Once you put yourself into a deprived
state then it’s only a matter of time before you can’t take it any more and
binge. By eating high fiber foods you help keep those very powerful hunger
pangs at bay and will be less likely to bust your diet. And although raw collard greens may not
sound appealing to you here’s what might help. Start to think of collard
greens as any other salad vegetable. Instead of using romaine lettuce for
your salad use raw, chopped collard greens instead. They actually have a very
mild taste and go well with other salad vegetables like finely chopped red
cabbage, kale, cucumbers, sweet green and red peppers, tomatoes, etc. I’ve actually created a special salad I
call “The Ultimate Meal”. This salad has a very high fiber to
carbohydrate and calorie count, tastes good, and will go a long way towards
reducing any extra ‘baggage’ you happen to be carrying around. It’s available
in my Ultimate Results Program and
includes some of the salad ingredients I mention above in specific ratios to
help you achieve your fat loss goals. If you’d like to read about the
benefits you’ll receive from this program please Click Here. If you’d
like to see everything you’ll receive if you get it then Click Here. Also, if you’ll recall in my list of
high-calcium foods in the first part of this month’s newsletter, it showed
collard greens as being one of the highest calcium containing foods
available. Since you also read how a high calcium intake also helps you lose
fat, this is yet another reason to ensure collard greens become one of your
top 10 foods too. Bottom line – if you’re not eating
collard greens on a regular basis then you’re missing out on its very
powerful health and fat loss benefits. 4. Broccoli One of the best nutrition bets around.
Not only is it a vegetable of the cruciferous family (which may help fend off
cancer), but it’s a good source of vitamin C (190% of the USRDA), vitamin A
(25% of the USRDA and mainly in the form of non-toxic beta carotene), and an
excellent source of soluble fiber, important as for keeping blood sugar
levels steady and helping you lose fat. Broccoli also has certain compounds in
it that help men bind excess estrogen in their system. And too much estrogen
in your system will make it much harder for you to get leaner. Broccoli is also one of the better
sources of folic acid (31% USRDA) and a good source of calcium (21% USRDA)
and magnesium. 5. Blueberries In numerous studies blueberries have
been shown to be one of the highest antioxidant-containing foods in
existence. Not only high in the traditional antioxidants, it also contains
rare and very powerful forms of antioxidants not found typically. And as I’ve written before, a high
antioxidant intake is essential not only for health, but also for improving
your results in the gym. Antioxidants such as vitamin C help reduce the
muscle-destroying effects of high cortisol in your body (which is typically
raised following an intense exercise session). I personally love using them in my
protein shakes. I buy bags of frozen, unsweetened blueberries and store them
in my freezer. Then, when I’m ready to have a protein shake I throw ½ cup of
blueberries into a blender along with my protein mix, then top it off with a
couple of teaspoons of healthy essential fats. Delicious, nutritious, and
results producing. 6. Papaya An untapped treasure of nutrients.
One-half of this exotic fruit provides almost as much potassium as a banana
and more than 100% of USRDA for vitamin C. It’s also a good source of the
cancer-fighting beta-carotene. Plus, papaya is also low in calories for its
bulk and size. ½ papaya = only 58 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and
plenty of fiber (½ papaya has over 12% of your daily recommended allowance). Papaya is also an excellent source of
natural digestive enzymes. Giving your digestive system a little help with
your 5-6 meals a day eating pattern is a smart thing to do. Folic acid is
another strong point for papaya as it contains 15% of the USRDA for ½ of a
papaya. 7. Kiwi The strange little fruit in the fuzzy
brown wrapper imported from New Zealand proves that good things come in small
packages. Each sweet and tangy kiwi fruit provides 100% of the USRDA for
vitamin C and 12% of your daily fiber requirement. For a powerful antioxidant
punch, kiwi fruit is right up there at the top of the list. 8. Essential Fats In last month’s newsletter I talked in
detail not only about the benefits of essential fats, but also of the
necessity to make sure it is a regular part of your diet. The best sources of this “can’t live
without” nutrient are fish and plant sources (such as flax seed). Also,
another great way to get it is to supplement with carefully pressed oils. The
FLORA COMPANY makes the best ones; they invented the extraction process of
getting oil from the seeds without using heat (heat destroys the beneficial
effects of essential fats). Finally, don’t be scared of the word
fat. This type of fat actually helps you lose fat. Salud! 9. Cottage Cheese Cottage cheese has long been known as
the “dieter’s friend”. And it deserves its reputation as the one food a
dieter should never be without. It is one of the most bioavailable sources of
protein available. There are few better protein sources for building muscle
and helping you lose fat. And it’s in the “helping you lose fat”
department where it shines. You see, almost all dairy foods contain a very
powerful substance called CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid). Numerous studies
have revealed the powerful fat-inducing and muscle building effects of this
compound. However, with the push for lower fat
foods over the past couple of decades, including low-fat dairy, the amount of
CLA we get today pales in comparison to what we used to receive. You see, CLA
is found in high concentrations in the fat of dairy products. And with the
push to lower our overall fat intake we inadvertently are also lowering our
CLA intake as well. This is not insignificant, as the
studies on CLA have shown it is a very powerful fat loss stimulator. Animals
and human subjects supplementing with CLA have shown over a 60%+ decrease in
body fat. This is one of the reasons I recommend
full-fat, not low-fat, cottage cheese. The fat in the cottage cheese contains
high amounts of the CLA that will help you lose body fat and gain lean muscle
(another beneficial effect the studies discovered). If your overall diet is derived from
mostly natural foods that contain little fat then eating full-fat cottage
cheese will still place you far below the amounts typically eaten by most
people. Plus, the fat it does contain promotes fat loss. Finally, the protein found in cottage
cheese contains 2 important muscle-building properties. First, it contains high amounts of
Glutamine, which is the most abundant amino acid in your body. It is
extremely important to make sure you get enough glutamine in your diet because
of the high demand for it by your body. If not supplied by your diet your
body will pull it from other areas in your body high in glutamine. And this
is practically any muscle group in your body. This can potentially compromise
the lean muscle you’re trying desperately hard to increase. Finally, cottage cheese is composed of
effective combinations of whey and casein protein. Whey is a fast acting protein
that, when eaten, gets into your bloodstream very quickly. Casein is a much
slower, timed-release type of protein. It’s important to get both of these as
they each have unique benefits that will help build muscle quicker and more
effectively than most any other natural protein source. 10. Protein Powders Protein powders are probably the food product
most responsible for building better bodies than any other supplement in the
world. And I say this with conviction. From numerous studies and real-world
experience, an increased protein intake ALWAYS leads to greater muscularity
and increased lean muscle mass, especially for those that were not
supplementing with protein powder supplements before. The effect, in most
cases, is very dramatic. Increasing one’s protein intake is a
very reliable way to increase lean muscle accretion on your body. Most people
don’t take this serious enough. They think, “I get plenty of protein from the
foods I eat.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
In order to put serious amounts of lean muscle on your body you have to
supplement with much more protein than the USRDA recommends (and even women
want to build as much lean muscle tissue as they can – more muscle helps burn
more fat). Of course it’s assumed you’re also employing
a serious weight-training program as well. Extra protein all by itself will
do very little to build more muscle tissue. You have to create the demand in
the weight room in order to use the extra protein to rebuild your muscles. Even if you’ve been taking in 1 gram
of protein for every pound of bodyweight in the past, once you up your
protein intake into the neighborhood of 1-½ to 2 grams of protein per
pound of bodyweight, Your muscles will feel fuller and harder, and you should also feel leaner. A higher protein intake (as long as carbohydrates are kept in check) almost always leads to increased muscularity and reduced body fat.
To read more about the benefits of 2 engineered protein powders I feel are among the best in the world CLICK HERE and HERE.
Also, I'm not the
only one that thinks this way as Jeff Everson of Planet
Muscle Magazine has independently ranked these proteins as #1 and
#2 in the ENTIRE world. I believe this says loads when you consider
the enormity of protein powders there are in this world.
Harry "Hank" Johnson Jr,
President Harry is the creator of the "Amazing Fat-Loss/Ultimate Results Program" - the most effective method ever developed for losing fat - It will help you lose fat quicker than anything else available today. If you follow Harry's instructions you will have a lean, muscular or sexy body (it's your choice) in 12 - 15 weeks or less -- guaranteed!
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