Your Weight! Your Health! Your Skin!

The first time I heard someone mention the health benefits of fish oil, I was a little confused. After all, aren’t we supposed to avoid oily and fatty food?  My health conscious friends certainly tell me to cut down on oil wherever I can.

Well, I like making my own informed decisions, so I went ahead and did a little digging and was I pleasantly surprised. Research seems to point to certain types of fish oil actually being good for you.  Even the majority of doctors seem to recommend including this in your diet.

The reason is the presence of omega-3 fatty acids.  Research and medical studies have shown that omega-3s have a positive effect on your health, especially on your heart. A diet with regular intake of fish oil can slow down the process of cholesterol build up in your arteries. In fact, cultures where oily fish is eaten frequently seem to show a lower risk of heart disease and strokes.

I also found that the health benefits of fish oil go beyond your cardiovascular system. Studies have shown that people getting the recommended amounts of omega-3 oils could have improved memory and lower risk of age-related problems such as the early on-set of dementia and Alzheimer’s.  Apparently such a diet in men can also help in the prevention of prostate cancer.
Women benefit too, though we have to be careful to avoid certain fish during pregnancy that may contain high levels of mercury.

After reading all this information, I did the smart thing and began to add more fish to my diet. (If you don’t like fish, omega-3 supplements can work just as well).  I looked for darker-fleshed, oily fish that are known to have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids. This includes common species like swordfish, tuna, king mackerel and salmon. Salmon quickly became my favorite choice.

A few weeks into my new diet, I noticed additional health benefits of fish oil: my mood was more upbeat than before and I felt healthier. Even visits to be the gym seemed slightly easier; the lean protein in the fish definitely made a difference to my energy levels.

Today, I enjoy my tasty sardines on wholemeal toast without feeling the least bit of guilt because it’s great for my heart, brain and mood.

One diet I’ve been toying with trying is the Macrobiotic Diet. Not necessarily as a lifestyle way of eating but more as a form of detox or using it intermittently.

I like ‘natural diets’ where the foods predominantly used are enjoyable, or that I like or already consume.

For example with the Mediterranean Diet, which is one of my favourite’s, I adore extra virgin olive oil, red wine, whole grains and citrus fruits anyway, so this makes it a lot easier to follow. I think the Mediterranean Diet along with the DASH Diet, is one of the safest and healthiest diets around.

With the Macrobiotic Diet the main food groups seem to be brown rice, vegetables, beans, miso and fruit, with a smidge of sesame oil.  These are all foods that I already use, except the miso and the oil. I haven’t had miso in years but looking forward to trying it again.

The Macrobiotic Diet’s primary task is not weight loss per se, more in helping the body to detox and restore itself from illness or disease. But being 90% plant based I can’t see how it would not help with dropping a few pounds.

Nutritionally this diet seems low in fat, high in fibre and unrefined carbohydrates. All good things in weight management.

The breakdown of foods consumed under a Macrobiotic Diet by percentages is something like this:

• Whole grain foods, especially brown rice – 50-60%
• Vegetables – 25-30%
• Beans – 5-10%
• Fish, nuts, seeds, fruits, and miso (fermented soy) – 5-10%
• Soups made from above ingredients – 1 to 2 cups per day

Unfortunately some vegetables are dissuaded, mainly the nightshade types, but as I have no problem consuming them, I probably wouldn’t drop them entirely.

Also I should say here there seems to be varying degrees to this diet. It can be taken to extremes especially as a short term detox, but for now that’s not my focus.

The drawbacks to this way of eating for me would be the low levels of Vitamin D, calcium and some would say B12 and protein levels. I think with a bit of planning and not sticking to the ‘classic’ version of this diet shouldn’t make this too much of a hurdle. Or again, using it short term wouldn’t make it an issue.

Any nutritional limitations aside, I think it has some merits and would be ideal for someone who wants to embrace a healthier lifestyle or incorporate more wholesome food choices.

As always though I believe any diet will “work” for you if it focuses on whole unprocessed foods, will fit easily into your particular lifestyle and is not just a short lived attempt to lose weight.

Just including some of the previously mentioned foods into your everyday eating I think will have excellent benefits for you.

With some of us heading into the cooler seasons, I’d thought I’d write something about ways to stay fit and active during winter.

It’s always been one of the hardest times of the year to maintain fitness.  Just like the classic Christmas song states, “the weather outside is frightful,” and curling up under a blanket to watch television or read a book is much more appealing than working out.   But fitness should not be a cycle in which we inevitably gain weight during the winter and work vigorously to lose it before swimsuit season.  Here are eleven simple ways to stay fit during those cold, winter months.

1. Don’t wait till winter to begin working out
Since we usually remain more active during the summer, working out does not seem as important.  But if you wait till the cold sets in to start working out you may find it harder to stay motivated.  It is easier to remain fit during the winter if you have already established a workout routine.

2. Join a gym
There are limited options for exercising outside during the winter; joining a gym is a great way to continue exercising despite the weather outside.

3. Create a home gym
If you do not want to join a gym, you can work out at home. Using home exercise equipment or workout videos are great ways to maintain fitness.

4. Match your fitness program and your lifestyle
Finding a workout program that works for you makes it easier to stay dedicated.  For example, if you like to bike or run outside during the summer, an exercise bike or a treadmill might be appropriate winter workout options.

5. Consider outdoor winter activities
It is both physically and mentally helpful to do outdoor activities during the winter.  These activities can include walking, skiing, ice-skating, sledding, and shovelling snow.

6. Get a friend to work out with you
Consider a workout ‘buddy’ during these times. If you can find a likeminded partner it can be easier to stay motivated and keep to a schedule.

7. Dress appropriately
You may get warm during outdoor activities but you should keep your layers on.  The same principal applies for working out at the gym, it might be warm inside but you need warm clothing when leaving the gym.  Failing to dress appropriately can lead to illness or hypothermia.

8. Boost your immunity
Germs and viruses run rampant during the winter months, and when you are sick working out is the last thing on your mind.  In order to avoid illness, wash your hands frequently, and consider taking supplements that boost your immune system such as Echinacea, Garlic and vitamin C.

9. Eat healthy
The winter months are filled with holidays and it is so easy to overeat.  However, it is important to not overindulge on sweets and high calorie comfort foods.

10. Drink hot green tea
Drinking hot drinks during the winter seems as natural as eating a hotdog at a baseball game, but it’s easy to choose fattening drinks such as hot chocolate.  Instead, try healthy hot drinks like tea and use a little honey rather than sugar as a sweetener.  Green tea is especially good for you since it’s full of antioxidants.

11. Drink plenty of water
We tend to drink more water during the summer when it is hot outside, but hydration is just as important in the winter, especially when you are working out.  You will naturally drink less during these months but you should still be focusing on your water intake.

These simple steps are just some ways to maintain fitness despite the inhospitable weather.  I hope these help you!

My daily cardio sessions have been very ‘on again off again’ lately but the other day I had just finished a light session while watching a re-run of The Sopranos and I noticed that the bike was saying I’d burned off around 250 calories.  I started thinking how the cardio side of things plays such a small part in the whole weight loss battle.  To improve fitness and your heart health, it’s tremendous but for out and out weight loss I think your diet is by far a bigger factor. I know researchers say that you’ll keep burning at a higher rate than you normally would for some time after you’ve finished your cardio session, which is a definite plus but at the end of the day if you treat yourselves to a Big Mac later on at something like 540 calories you’re not going to reach your goals.

Now I’m not saying you don’t need cardio, although sometimes I wish I could, but I’m wondering if a lot of people understand that ultimately you have to be taking in fewer calories than you use to get the scales moving in the right direction. Cardio is a great way to help that equation but your calorie intake should be the primary focus.

Replacing a main meal with a low calorie smoothie, reducing the size portion of your main meal of the day or limiting junk food to maybe once a week are all great ways to decrease your calorie intake. If you’re big into your dairy maybe switch to low fat milk or cheeses. Or in the kitchen try poaching occasionally instead of frying.

Easier said than done sometimes I know, but with a bit of perseverance and determination significant weight loss is well within your grasp.

As always your questions or comments are welcome.  Please feel free to leave a comment below or contact me at info@gearup4success-today.com

We all hear all the time that we eat way too much sugar. They say as Americans we are addicted and we eat on average 22 teaspoons a day. Teens consume around 34 teaspoons. That is a lot of sugar, yet I honestly didn’t think I consumed that much. Personally I knew I was addicted to sugar, yet I figured I was managing it real well. Well my last doctor’s visit and the result of my blood work told different. In no mixed words my doctor told me I needed to cut back on my sugars as I was borderline diabetic. Wow, what an awakening and quite the reality check. So now my job was to start cutting back the sugar by kicking my sugar addiction.

After I got over the initial shock of this, I knew I wasn’t doing as well as I thought I was. Or as good as I kept telling myself I was, yet I knew I was addicted to white sugar and was not controlling it well. Maybe deep down I just needed it confirmed; well now it was and I had to do something about it. So I did lots of research and I came up with some great advice. By the way the American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons a day for a female.

They recommended the following 10 steps to help me reduce the amount of sugar I was ingesting. They are:

• Cut back slowly. The suggestion here is to make the change gradually a little at a time. This will prevent the body from going into shock deprivation mode.
• Start by weaning the sugar slowly from the foods you add it to. This would be like cereal, coffee and so on. Start by decreasing little by little till you rid it all together.
• Look at replacing some of your sugar intake with blackstrap molasses in the short term. At least it’s a sweetener that is actually good for you. I halved the amount of sugar I put in my coffee and topped up with a teaspoon of molasses. It’s also a good source of iron.
• Each day choose one sugar treat. Total deprivation is not good. Start with this small amount each day for a treat. Then lessen the amount you give yourself a treat to maybe every other day.
• Don’t be fooled by all the natural or raw sugar. Sugar is sugar there really is no GOOD sugar.
• Try to avoid liquid sugars. For instance that vitamin water has about 3 grams of sugar. You are not aware as you can’t see it, try to avoid these.
• Try to buy plain yogurt rather than flavored. You can flavor the yogurt yourself and then you are aware of how much sugar, if any is in there.
• Try not to be fooled by healthy treats. For example many energy bars still contain sugar.
• Get fruity. You can satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit and its natural sugars. Dried fruit is awesome as well, and sweet.
• Look into a herb called stevia. It is an all-natural sweetener and has some health benefits as well.
• Check labels on everything. Look for the hidden sugars, there is about 50 of them which makes it harder to avoid them. They may hide the sugars with names such as barley malt, fructose, maltodextrin, dextrose, corn syrup etc but they are all still sugars.

So they are some tips that have really helped me to cut back on my sugar. I have really made an effort to fight this addiction. I think I have cut back my sugar to half of what I was eating and am still trying to reduce it.  Hopefully these steps above will help you also.