Double Fat Loss Today

Josh Bezoni, Diet, Fat LossWhen we are first being taught about nutrition, the Food Pyramid always springs to the forefront of conversation. Claiming that grains (made up of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta) make up the base of the food pyramid, it was thought we were supposed to receive an astounding fifty percent of our diet from carbohydrates.

Crazy! It’s this sort of fattening advice that perpetuates nutritional misperceptions which relegate people to an unhealthy lifestyle, condemned to believe they are doing the right thing and properly monitoring their diet when, in reality, they are actually making losing weight more difficult, more frustrating, and downright exhausting. What’s the most ridiculous part of all this? We know better.

Fortunately, government agencies and the United States educational system have released massive updates to the outdated policy; it’s just slow to take effect. In fact, the USDA is rightfully now recommending that half of your diet come from fruits and vegetables, and only 30% should come from grains—much better advice. Not to mention, the ‘experts’ are now also suggesting that protein makes up about twenty percent of our diet, a fantastic increase from the nearly nonexistent portion that was advised before.

All this said, there are still some considerable improvements to be made even to this new and improved My Plate System (the new and improved version of the Food Pyramid). For one, it does not really allot for healthy fats like nuts, oils, and organic dairy products—think butter and cream. These sorts of fats are a vital part of any diet, and most certainly should not be eaten sparingly. In actuality, you should be consuming about 25% of your calories through these open fats.

In regards to grains, I would chop it down to size and say they should only make up about 15% of your diet. There are only two meals a day where you should even consider eating grains, anyway, and those are breakfast and the meal after your workout. The reason for this is that research has proven glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity are at their highest during these two points in the day.

With respect to protein, let’s beef that up to at least 35%. By increasing protein, you will have an increased thermic effect of feeding (which means you burn more calories just by eating protein), have better blood sugar control, see a decrease in body fat, and witness a significant increase in calorie-burning lean muscle.

Really, just by lowering grain consumption, you will improve your body’s capacity for processing carbohydrates, and then when you increase your protein intake, you can nearly DOUBLE your fat loss. It’s that easy.

Sodium Linked To Obesity

Sodium is a natural element that the body needs to function. It’ s important for water balance, nerve function, and countless other physiological functions. However you really only need a small amount per day. About 500 mg is plenty. That’s the amount you’d get just snacking on chips, crackers, various cheeses, salted nuts or eating canned food items like soups and canned veggies. The total daily recommended limit of sodium consumption is around 2,300 milligrams.

However, most Americans are eating too much sodium. WAY too much sodium. On average, 4,000 to 6,500 mg a day. It’s not only hurting their health, it’s expanding their waistlines. In fact, the American Medical Association is campaigning for the FDA to withdraw salts designation as a “safe” food additive. They’re pushing for Americans to cut their intake in half.

This isn’t too surprising. Food manufacturers have known for a long time that salt is an addictive substance. That’s why they pack it into more and more processed foods. People will eat more, and then food companies will make more money. A clinical research has shown that salt shares characteristics with addictive substances (like morphine, cocaine, and heroin) which release dopamine (feel-good brain chemicals) when we eat it. That’s why salt addictions are so common and why people have such a hard time cutting down. Often people who don’t even know they’re addicted to salt will experience withdrawal symptoms when trying to cut back.

A 2006 Finnish study published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases found a link between increased salt intake and obesity. From the 1980s to the mid 1990s, the salt intake in the United States increased by more than 50% as Americans started eating more and more processed foods. In the same time frame, obesity has gone up steadily. Also keep in mind that when people eat more salt, they will naturally have the desire to drink more fluids to maintain water balance in their bodies.

Unsurprisingly, between 1977 and 2001 the U.S. caloric intake from sweetened beverages like fruit juice, soft drinks and energy drinks increased by 135%. It’s pretty easy to see that as food companies make foods more salty, people will drink more and more super-sized sugary drinks to wash it down.

High sodium diets also are the leading cause of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. These diseases also go hand in hand with obesity. To alleviate the high blood pressure caused by salt intake, your body will dump extra water into your blood vessels which causes the overall pressure to increase as blood vessels expand. African Americans, Hispanics, and obese men and women have a higher sensitivity to sodium and are more prone to high blood pressure as a result. If you fall into one of these at-risk categories, you should try to limit your salt intake to less than 1,500 mg a day.

For regular salt use, I recommend using Celtic Sea Salt or pure Himalayan Pink Salt, because these have 84 minerals whereas regular table salt has only 2. They also don’t go through an unhealthy refining process like regular table salt does.

Also try to stay away from fast food, as many items at these restaurants will put you over your daily allowance really quickly. A McDonald’s double cheeseburger with small fries, for example, contains 1,310 mg of sodium. If you’re trying to be healthy at a fast food restaurant, good luck. The mesquite chicken salad at Chili’s has 2,710 mg of sodium. That’s more than most adults should eat in an entire day.

You can limit your salt intake by eating less processed food, getting frozen or fresh veggies instead of canned, buying fresh meats, choosing low-sodium options of canned soups and snacks, and asking for unsalted entrees at restaurants.

USDA Awards Grants for Nutrition and Obesity Prevention Research

The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded $2 million in grants today to support research on nutrition education and obesity prevention for disadvantaged children and families at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Utah State University. The funding will help create two new Regional Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Centers of Excellence (RNECE), which have been established through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) andSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (SNAP)

National Institute of Food and Agriculture director Sonny Ramaswamy was quoted as saying “While we are beginning to see promising signs of progress with the epidemic leveling off in children, these grants will help evaluate and strengthen existing nutrition education and obesity prevention efforts to help ensure this progress continues.”

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville will receive $1 million to strengthen their existing Snap and EFNEP education programs for low-income families in particular. They will focus on reducing obesity by working to identify facilitators and barriers as well as training and evaluation needs.

In Utah, the State University in Logan will receive $1 million to look at EFNEP and SNAP-ed program participants and non-participants across many different ethnic and racial backgrounds in five states. The research will improve the USDA’s ability to create and maintine effective nutrition education programs and will, ideally, result in participants’ healthier food choices and increased physical activity. Improved health will reduce the incidents of disease and disability thus reducing the overall costs to individuals and the nation’s healthcare system.

“With one-third of our nation’s children overweight or obese, this issue stands out as one of the greatest health challenges facing our country,” said Audrey Rowe, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Administrator. “As we invest in our nation’s health it is important we leverage partners and innovative strategies to help children from low-income families grow and develop into healthy adults.”

The RNECE were established in 2014 with one institution in each of NIFA’s administrative regions and one National Coordination Center, the result of a partnership between the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, NIFA and several participating universities. They exist primarily to research and develop best practices that address issues related to obesity among poor and underrepresented groups.

SNAP-ed, initiated in 1992 exists in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands. Nearly 100 agencies deliver the program including public health departments, food banks, non-profit organizations and others.

NIFA invests in agricultural research, education and extension and works every day to make discoveries that solve challenges in society. To learn more about NIFA, visit http://nifa.usda.gov/impacts

 

Save the Avocado!

The secret is out, and it’s that avocados are a miracle food. Used in dozens of healthy recipes for its burst of flavor and host of healthy factors, the avocado is equal parts delicious and nutritious. But how can we keep one from spoiling? It’s rare that someone finishes an entire avocado in one sitting, and following these tips will allow you to revisit your favorite food without it having spoiled or gone brown after the first cut.

A Cut Above: Instead of using a traditional pressed-steel blade to cut, try using a ceramic or plastic knife. Metal accelerates the oxidation process, leading your favorite food to brown quicker than you’d think.

The Citric Approach: Citric acid is well-known as both a powerful antioxidant and the worst thing to get in a paper cut. When you’ve cut into your avacado and are preparing to return it to the fridge, rubbing some lemon juice along the exposed flesh will significantly reduce the speed that it browns.

Seal It Up: Oxidation is what brings the brown to your fresh avocado, so a sure-fire way to fight this is by removing all the air from the bag where you’re keeping it. Whether you have a vacuum sealer or just a determined set of hands, the more air you can keep away from your now exposed avocado the better.

Josh BezoniGuard your Guac: One of the lovely byproducts of a good avocado is guacamole. Delicious and good on almost anything, this delectable green paste can go bad just as quickly as your freshly sliced avocado. When sealing it to ensure its freshness, add a half-inch of water on top of the guacamole after you’ve been sure to remove any air pockets. This bag and water seal helps to keep that guac fresh for up to an entire day by ensuring that no air reaches your food.

5 Health Benefits of Walking

1. A Stronger Heart

Walking has proven to reduce risk f heart disease and stroke. Walking also lower bad cholesterol levels while increasing good cholesterol levels this results as a positive way to keep your blood pressure in check.

“According to the Stroke Association, walking briskly for up to 30 minutes can help prevent and control the high blood pressure that can cause strokes – reducing your risk by up to 27 %”

Josh bezoni

2. Lowers Disease Risks

A walking habit can lessen the risks of developing heart disease and diseases such as type 2 diabetes, asthma and cancer. According to the charity Walking For Health, including walking into your regular exercise routine could reduce the risk of developing a life threatening disease by up to 60 %.

3. Keep Your Weight in Check

A person weighing 132 pounds can burn 75 calories by simply strolling at 2mph for 30 minutes. Increase that stroll to 3mph and this person will burn 99 calories. Speed up your stroll to a faster pace of 4mph and burn 150 calories. Do you get the drift here?

4. It can help prevent dementia

For those who are over the age of 65 walking can significantly help prevent Dementia. Dementia affects one in 14 people over 65 and one in six over 80. Being active has a positive effect on brain function and evidently reduces dementia risk.

5. …and osteoporosis, too

Walking is extremely important and also helps stimulate and strengthen bones. Thus increasing their density. This is really important, especially for women. Walking also helps maintain healthy joints!