Going Long - Not Slowing Down With Fat Based Nutrition

Chattahoochee Gold Swim Team is one of the best swim teams in the United States and I had the amazing opportunity to speak to there swimmers about nutrition and how "carb loading" is not necessary for endurance sports. I raced triathlon for eight years and was brought up thinking that carbs are king, but that is not the case. The paleo way of life is catching on and people are starting to realize that real food is the real way. Watch the video below to learn how you can fuel your body with fat! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K22cn45j1V0&feature=youtu.be 

Real people eat real food for real results, 

Mitchel Black, CPT, NC

The Seven Deadly Sins of Weight Loss

I know it sounds too good to but true but weight loss is actually quite easy. I know that many people who read that sentence will go “yeah right!” but weight loss is about eating real food. Read over these Seven Deadly Sins of Weight Loss and see the solution at the bottom.

1.) Don’t Count calories

Always remember that if weight loss was as easy and “eat less and exercise more” I wouldn’t have a job. I would not be writing this and you would not be reading this, if weight loss was about eating a small amount of calories and exercising a lot. If that was true, you would suggesting that everyone who is over weight is a lazy sloth that eats all day and never exercises. 

Counting calories is very stressful and how do you even know how many you’re supposed to take in? How many calories is too many and how many calories is not enough? How many calories do you burn during the day, plus exercise? How many calories do you eat? And on and on and on. You can see that it is impossible to count calories. You have a 3% chance of measuring this out perfectly. There is no way that slim people magically hit that magic number daily. The amount of calories you eat it secondary to what they are. For more information on the type of calorie to eat, reference my other blog post here: http://www.mitchelblackwhatishealthy.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-calories-dont-count.html 

2.) Exercise is almost irrelevant 

There are millions of people who exercise daily or spend hours and hours on the treadmill and do not look any differently. You should not view exercise as a way to lose weight because no matter how hard you work, you cannot out-exercise a bad diet. Exercise should be viewed as a way to preserve your body. A person goes into the nursing home when they lose functional capacity of there body. You should be exercising/training to preserve that so you can walk or tie your shoes at ninety without needing assistance. Exercise will make you feel amazing regardless of your weight but it is not the key to helping you lose weight. 

A trick you can do though his to set a performance goal with your exercise. If you set a weight loss goal or say “I want to look this way” goal then you will probably never be satisfied, which is only human nature. If you set a performance goal of lifting a certain amount, doing a hand stand push-up, or running a certain speed will keep you focused on exercise and when you reach the performance goal you set, you will probably say “hey, I lost 10lb!” 

3.) Not eating breakfast 

I am not saying that breakfast is not important. Breakfast plays a a very important roll with your metabolism and breakfast can help you lose weight but lets look at breakfast for a minute. A typical American breakfast is loaded with carbs and sugars coming from oat meal, cereal, cina-bun, fruit, yogurt, and many more sugar options. Orange juice is commonly used for marketing “healthy” breakfast but due to the sugar in orange juice, it is actually number seven on the top ten foods that make you fat. 

Along with orange juice being marketing as making you healthy, eggs with bacon is marketing as unhealthy which is not true at all. Eating a breakfast filled with carbohydrates and sugar isn’t the breakfast you want you’re actually better off not eating breakfast at all if that is what you would eat. Eating a breakfast high in fats and proteins is what you want and need. Here is a link to another blog I wrote about foods that make you thin with some recipes for breakfast: http://www.mitchelblackwhatishealthy.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-top-10-foods-that-make-you-thin.html 

4.) Eating five to six times a day 

We typically read that we need to eat every two hours to keep the metabolism high. Let’s replace metabolism with blood sugar and that is a little more accurate. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is about 65% carbohydrates and we focus on “snacks” all day day that are carbohydrate based. Chips, crackers, bread, pretzels, etc are snack options for us. Those carbohydrate foods don’t raise our metabolism, they raise our blood sugar to make you feel full and make you think that your metabolism went up. Eating carbohydrates only raises your metabolism 3-5%. If you eat a diet made of protein and fat such as snacking on ham/turkey slices, protein shakes, protein bars, asian tuna, chicken salad, tuna salad, salmon pouches, or any other high protein and fat meal, you will raise your metabolism 23-28%. You do not have to eat every 2-3hrs but if you do, eat proteins and fat. This will actually keep you full much longer so snacks start to disappear from your diet and you will eat meals instead of snacks so you will feel full all day. 

5.) Don’t believe the hype 

Never buy your food from a company that prides themselves in hoe cheap it is. Low fat, low cholesterol, or low calorie is marketing from a company that knows nothing about nutrition. Kraft may say that it is based off of there research from there food scientist but remember that there food scientist work for them, so it is already skewed. Any company that is really good does not have to market how great they are. That is not just with food, that is with any company. When was the last time you saw a Ferrari commercial marketing there year end sale? When was the last time apples were on tv with a health marketing campaign? However, coke, nature valley, Kashi, Cheerios, and more have marketing daily about how great they are. Foods such as vegetables that do not have food labels are the best for you because they do not have any “crap” in them that the company needs to tell you about. When you go shopping again, stay away form food that is trying to tell you how healthy it is. 

6.) “May” - lower cholesterol, etc

This is similar to #5. Just like in politics, you can skew any data to make you look good and make someone else look bad. Cheerios for example has a big marketing campaign for lowering cholesterol. This comes from Cheerios having a small amount of Vitamin E in it and they use that for there marketing. This is not just with Cheerios, this is with most companies that try to market there food as healthy. Look at “diet soda” for example. It’s “diet” because it does not have many calories but if it dos not have calories, then what is is? That means it is full of chemicals and harmful additives. 

7.) Short term success = short term results 

This title says it all. So many people want the quick fix which is normally and I understand it. However, short term success usually results in short term results. You may lose the weight fairly quickly but it will not stay off for very long. There is no magic number liking only losing two pounds a week for example. You can lose ten pounds a week if you want. It is how you lose the weight. If you are stressing over what you are doing to lose weight or if you are making very unrealistic changes in order to lose weight, then it may not last. 

How to be successful in weight loss

1.) Real people eat real food for real results.

2.) Don’t believe the hype. Eat food that does not have to market how great it is for you.

3.) Eat when you’re hungry and eat when you’re full. Don't listen to what adds tell you about eating, listen to your body and if you’re hungry then eat until you’re satisfied. Just eat based off of #1 and #2. 

The Seven Deadly Sins of Weight Loss

Mitchel Black, CPT, NC

Why Calories Don't Count

Why Calories Don't Count

It seems like since the beginning of time that weight loss has been associated with calories and that all calories are equal. Weight loss has been simplified to this equation of eat less and exercise more because it makes sense on paper. Form the outside looking in, it makes perfect sense, that if I eat less calories that I consume, then I’ll lose weight. Perfect, done! Then why are so many people still fat? The answer is very simple and the answer is sugar. Your bodies ability to store fat or burn fat is controlled by hormones. If you elevate hormones that tell your body to store fat, then you will get fat and vise versa. The hormone that tells your body to store fat is insulin. If insulin levels are low, then you do not store fat, if they are high, you store fat. Insulin is raised when you eat carbohydrate foods. You can eat as few calories as you want, even as low as 800cal per day and still remain overweight or even gain more weight if those calories raise insulin levels. Most low calorie diets are low in calories but all the calories come from carbohydrate based foods to make the person feel full but on the back end, it is just sending insulin through the roof and actually making you fatter. How many people do you know that have had to “go on weight watchers again” or “start that diet over”? I want you to have your last first time and here is the answer. 

This idea that calories make a person overweight come from the second law of thermodynamics that was founded in 1828. This law was refereeing to heat and for example, the law refers to the fact that if you open the door to a room and the room feels colder, it is because hot air is leaving (cold air is not entering). This law was then applied to weight loss and the thought was that if you have less energy (calories) then you will lose weight. This is a nice idea but what bout children? If you believe that calories are the reason for a person being over weight and if you believe that weight loss is about calorie in vs calories out, then you believe that in a situation where there is an underweight child with an overweight mother, that the mother is starving her child so she can eat and continue to be overweight. If you believe that weight loss is about calories then you believe that people are lazy sloths that sit around and eat all day with no physical activity and want to be fat. Let's look at the organization of WIC (Women Infants and Children) and there calorie consumption. The average person on WIC consumes 1560cal per day and the average American consumes 2,400cal per day. The average person on WIC weighs 34lb more than the average American. Yes, re-read that statement. The average person on WIC weighs on average 34lbs more than someone not on WIC but they consume nearly 900cal less per day. The average person on WIC consumes 36lbs of sugar per person, per year, while the average American not on WIC consumes 24.6lb of sugar per person, per year. Both of those numbers are astonishingly high compared to places such as Africa that consume less than 1/2 than number but nonetheless, they are the numbers we are comparing (I am also not here today to discuss someones financial situation so please keep that in mind as we are only discussing weight loss). 

Now, we have seen that individuals on WIC consume less calories but more sugar, we now need to know what that means. Sugar is the only thing that spikes insulin. Weather that be grains, cane sugar, a lolly pop, ice cream, a muffin, vegetables, fruit, or anything else that is a carbohydrate. The more starchy carbohydrates or sugar that are in something, the more the insulin will spike. For example, you can eat your body weight in lettuce and your insulin wont go very high because although it is a carbohydrate source, there is not a lot of sugar in it. If you ate your body weight in muffins, then you may have type two diabetes when you’re done haha. To make that analogy a little more relative and easier to understand, if you ate a salad loaded with vegetables, it would only raises your insulin about 1-3points. If you ate a sandwich with two slices of bread (two slices of bread contain the same sugar amount as 4tbl spoons of sugar) you would spike your insulin about 15 points. Basically, the more sugar you take in, the more insulin you have. The more insulin you have the more fat you store (not to mention chances of diabetes, death, stroke, and much more). In order to lose weight, you do not need to be worried about calories, you need to be worried about insulin. Nuts, seeds, and animal proteins will not raise insulin for example so I do not care how much you eat of those items. If you’re eating a wrap and two bagels per day then we are going to have a different discussion. 

Getting back to WIC, there is a massive difference for people on WIC that consume sugar/soft drinks and people not on WIC that consume them. Dr. Robert Lustig has done amazing research on this and here is a link to one of his articles (http://www.inquisitr.com/214109/is-sugar-toxic-dr-robert-lustig-thinks-so/). The question is not how many calories a person eats in a day, it is weather those calories affect insulin or not. Like I said in the last paragraph, meats, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and other “real” foods do not have an big affect on insulin. Candy, grains, milk, and most “fake” foods spike insulin very high. I never ask a client “how many calories was in that?” or how many calories they ate that day or even how many calories they burned in the workout. None of that matters if they are not eating foods that make them fat. 

We are aiming for a no stress environment and I do not want to worried about how many calories you eat or how many calories you burn. I just want you eating real foods that you can find in nature. These foods wont make you fat because there is not any sugar in them and they will not spike insulin levels. Millions and millions of people count calories are are still overweight. If you’re wondering if this concept of eating high amounts of proteins, fats, and vegetables with minimal sugars works, just try it because clearly the current prescription is not working. For more information, read “Why We Get Fat” from this link below as Gary Taubes does and excellent job of portraying this concept. 


Why Calories Don't CountMitchel Black, CPT, NC

Why We Get Fat

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What are you putting on you body?

We focus so much on what we put in our bodies, but when was the last time you thought about what you put on your body? 

In the mid 1990's it was estimated that there where nearly 100,000 different chemicals used in 7,500 cosmetic companies. Don't let those big numbers freak you out because we are going to go over it, in this post. I am not going to dump a list of 100,000 chemicals on you and explain what they do, so we are going to pick the worst 4. When I think of chemicals, there are 4 big ones that stick out in my mind that we really need to stay away from. 

#1 Propylene Glycol

Have you ever got ready to go out for a night on the town and smeared motor coolant all over your body to get the "fresh" smell? If you needed to smell better would you rub latex or paint on your skin? I give you these examples because propylene glycol is industrial antifreeze and is the same active ingredient in most scented products. Anything from shampoo, deodorant, laundry detergent, or anything else you use to smell "fresh." 

Don't worry, I'm just as big of a skeptic as you are. When I first found this out a few years ago I was a proud user of Jergens and rubbed it in with pride. I thought it was a bunch of fluff because after all, your skin only absorbs 0.05% of this chemical into the blood stream. I figured this was too small of a number to do anything. After much research, I found that wasn't true. You're DNA is made up of proteins and those proteins are made of amino acids. The amino acids cannot pull together to form DNA without hydrogen bonds. Even just 0.05% of propylene glycol destroys the hydrogen bonds so your bodies ability to made DNA slows down. 

What does that mean for you? Dry skin, Roscoe, edema, and many other skin disorder. This is very ironic considering lotions and scented items are usually designed to improve your skin quality.  

Here is the shampoo I use and I love it!

#2 Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Just like in #1, this chemical is used in products that scented. That goes for a lot more that just deodorant.  This chemical is very potent in tooth paste however it's primarily used in hair care products such as shampoo and conditioner. I don't know about you, but I hate the taste of my shampoo. Also, just like in #1, sodium lauryl sulfate affects DNA and the affects it has on your body are flakey hair, weak hair, and a dry skalp. This is because hair is made of proteins and just like I said in #1, DNA is proteins. 

This is honestly the best toothpaste I have ever used!

#4 Linaloo

The two products that carry this chemical the most are nail polish remover and dish washing liquid as it is a narcotic. Linaloo has been proven to cause respiratory problems and affect the central nervous system which means your reaction times slow down and the ability to control your body slows down. As far as cosmetics, linaloo is most potent in bars of soap and lotion. It's literally like washing your body with nail polish remover. Since linaloo is classified as a narcotic it also creates an addiction. Not an emotional one but but the skin will crave it by getting dry or cracking and feeling like it needs more lotion. 

Personally, I have not used this product as I do not paint my nails but every female I know that uses it, loves it!

#4 Oxybenzone 

Out of these top 4, this is most likely the one that most have heard of. This chemical is in most sunscreens and it’s job is to absorb UV raise from the sun. However, recent studies show that oxybenzone can get absorbed through the skin and into the blood stream causing a hormone disruption in pineal gland of the brain. The pineal gland produces the hormone melatonin which makes you go to sleep and controls your circadian rhythm (AKA-your internal alarm clock). Oxybenzone has also been shown to decrease cell function which increases caner risk. This is really odd, considering that sun screen is supposed to prevent against cancer. 

Here is a sunscreen for your children

Here is one for the adults - Spray options are also available

What are you putting on you body?

Mitchel Black, CPT, NC

The Top 10 Foods That Make You THIN!

In reference to the blog I posted the other day titled “The Top 10 Foods That Make You Fat!” I wanted to give you a solution because it is easy to expose the problem but we need to have a solution. I have a few notes for you before you read the list...

1.) These foods are not in any specific order. The reason is because healthy living or weight loss should not be stressful. You should not have to count, weigh, or stress over your food. You should eat when you’re hungry and eat until you’re full but eat good (real) food. When you eat food that is good for you, you do not need to measure it. You can eat as much as you want of the foods below. These foods will keep you full and most importantly these foods will not raises any fat storing hormones (fat storing hormone = insulin. Ref back to my blog of the top 10 worst foods for more information on insulin). The foods below keeps your metabolism ramped up for an extended period of time while keeping your body in a fat burning state. 

2.) Don’t limit yourself to only eating things on this list because this list or any other list you can find is not the end all be all. Just keep in mind that real people eat real food for real results. 

3.) I have included a recipe for most foods for you to try. Some of the foods you can add into your current diet or other meals you enjoy. Have fun with implementing new food and try each recipe! I may be a little biased but they are all really good! 

4.) When I say “raise your metabolism” I mean that your body is burning more fat by going into a ketosis state where the body uses fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates. 

1.) Chicken 

Lean, mean, protein filled machine!! You body needs protein no matter what your goal is and most people are not getting enough. Not only is protein used to rebuild and repair your body but for every 9g of protein you eat, your metabolism raises 23-28% as it metabolizes the protein. It’s a no brainier that you want to eat more protein! 

Recipe = Chicken Pesto

• Chicken
• Sliced asparagus (cook the chicken and asparagus together in a pan) 
• Bacon 
• Pesto sauce 

2.) Peppers

This is like natures jumper cables because they jump start your metabolism. The spicier the pepper, the more it ramps up your metabolism. Consuming a milld red pepper will raise your metabolism by 5%. I don’t have a recipe for these because you can add them into anything from salads, omelets, ground beef, or anything you see fit. I like them on everything! 

3.) Avocado 

Do you ever feel sluggish or kind of drained? This drop in energy usually happens when we take in too much salt, the salt/sodium extracts potassium from our cells and makes us feel like poop. Most would turn to a banana but a banana only has 100mg of potassium and along with that, you’re getting 30g of carbohydrates and 30g of sugar. An avocado does not have any carbohydrates or sugar and contains 750mg of potassium. Potassium helps your heart contract and prevents against stroke, heart attach, and kidney failure. 

Recipe = add in

Add this food into salads, slice it on top of eggs, or even eat it as a snack. 

4.) Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are commonly combated with broccoli as the highest nutrient food in the world. This thing is loaded with vitamins and minerals that other food do not have. A sweet potato is also a great way to get a little taste and carbohydrate into your diet without sending insulin through the roof and increasing fat storage. 

Recipe = Sweet Potato fry’s

Holy cow, these are amazing! I may be a health nut but these are outstanding! I have not met an adult of child that did not enjoy these. This is way better than a french fry. 

• Preheat to 450deg
• Peel sweet potato and slice it into “french fry style” 
• Put the potatoes in a bowl with some oil. Mix it around and add 1 tea spoons of sea salt, cayenne pepper and paprika to taste/your liking
• Place on a pan in the oven and bake for 25-30min 

5.) Eggs

Just like the hemp seed (#9) eggs contain all 9 essential amino acids that make up the perfect gram of protein. The whole myth that eggs contain cholesterol is completely inaccurate and not true as eggs raise serum cholesterol (dietary cholesterol). Serum cholesterol is not blood cholesterol and blood cholesterol is what raises the plaque in your arteries. Sugar and carbohydrate raise blood cholesterol. Since this blog post is not about cholesterol, please reference this article for more information (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/30/health-benefits-of-eggs-yolks_n_2966554.html). 

Recipe = The Mitchel Omelet

• Onions 
• Red and green peppers
• Asparagus 
• Mushrooms 

*The above goes in the pan first and let is sauté for a little bit before adding the below 

• 3 eggs - yes, with the yolk
• Scramble it al together
• Once you take it out, place it on a plate and slice up 1/2 and avocado to put on top of it 

6.) Salmon

Salmon is loaded with very high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids which decease inflammation in the fat cells and joints. 4oz of salmon also gives you over 100% of your daily need of vitamin D, vitamin B12, and tryptophan. 

Recipe = Salmon Cakes 

Ingredients

1. 1 large sweet potato (about 10-ounces), cooked and mashed
2. ⅔ cup almond meal
3. ⅓ cup packed finely chopped parsley
4. 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
5. 1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
6. ½ to 1 Tablespoon hot sauce
7. ½ Tablespoon kosher salt
8. 1 teaspoon cumin
9. 1¼ teaspoon paprika
10. ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11. 2 large eggs
12. 2 14.75-ounce cans Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon 
13. 2 Tablespoons organic coconut oil or ghee for cooking (divided) 

Instructions

PREP

1. Wash sweet potato and use a fork to poke several fork-holes in it. Wrap in a paper towel, place on a microwave safe plate and microwave until soft. My microwave has a “potato” setting. I think it’s about 8 to 9 minutes long but check every couple minutes so you don’t overcook it. If you prefer not to use the microwave, you can cook the potato in advance when the oven is on and keep it in the fridge (mashed and ready) for a couple of days.
2. Let cool for a few minutes, remove potato flesh from skin and mash with a fork until the lumps are mostly gone. Toss into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add almond meal, chopped parsley, onion, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, cumin, paprika, black pepper and eggs (Be sure not to put eggs directly on hot potato flesh or they can begin to cook!).
4. Warning – gross looking salmon skin and bones coming. Open the cans and drain most of the liquid out.
5. Take the canned salmon into your hand and look for the “split” where 2 or more pieces of salmon are pushed together into the can. This is the natural place to separate the salmon and where you will most likely find the majority of skin and bones. Use your hands to gently scrape the skin and bones off.
6. Separate the salmon again if there are more “splits” and do the same thing.Finally, using your hands, crush the canned salmon through your fingers into the mixing bowl.
7. Stir until well combined. Line a baking sheet or large plate (that will fit in your fridge) with parchment paper.
8. Use a 1 / 3 measuring cup, scoop out evenly sized salmon cakes (flatten bottoms) until you have 12 patties.
9. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or all day (this is also the point you would freeze any that are not going to be cooked in the next 12 to 24 hours).

COOK

1. Heat a large frying pan (big enough to hold six patties) over medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil or Ghee per six patties. Let fat completely melt and get very hot. Slowly add patties and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Gently flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes on the other side. Serve hot and Enjoy!

7.) Tilapia 

This fish will supply you with 30g of protein every 4oz which is nearly double that of salmon. Potassium, B12, and niacin (this helps keep cholesterol levels low) are all very high. 

Recipe = lemon garlic tilapia 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.
4. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 30 minutes. 

8.) Grass Fed Beef

Iron is the main reason you eat red meat. grass fed been is a rich, pure, and highly absorbable source of iron. Iron increase the hemoglobin in your body. When hemoglobin goes up, you can transport more oxygen to your red blood cells. Why in the world is that so important? The more oxygen you can use, the more fat you can burn. the more fat you can burn...well...you reach your goal, right? Iron also increases brain function by nearly 30% by increasing oxygen flow. 

Recipe = Bacon cheeseburger roll up

*This recipe is the longest one on the list. I would suggesting using this recipe when you have time. This recipe also contains cheese and I am not a huge fan of dairy but I also know that it is unreasonable for me to ask everyone reading this to be 100% dairy free for the rest of there life. Don’t eat this too much, but once ever other week would be fine. 

What you need

1lb.  lean ground beef

4slices  apple gate bacon, chopped

1small  onion, chopped

1/2lb.  (8 oz.) Velveeta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Make it

Heat oven to 400°F.

Brown ground beef with bacon and onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Return meat mixture to skillet. Add Velveeta; cook 5 min. or until melted, stirring frequently. Cool 10 min.

Roll the meat into patties

Bake 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown.

9.) Hemp Seed

Hemp seed is fairly new to main stream marketing but it is taking off! 

• Hemp seed contains  11-14g of protein per serving and the protein is made of all 9 essential amino acids that your body cannot make to make the perfect gram of protein
• This is natures highest source of essential fatty acids 
• Most of the fatty acids are coming f.orm Omega-3 fatty acids which are anti-inflammatory, which is very important for weight loss. 
• The richest source of essential polyunsaturated fats to keep your body in a fat burning state 

Recipe = salad (you can also add them in your shakes - it will not alter the taste) 

- Lettuce or spinach of your choice 

• 1 handful of baby tomatoes 
• 4oz of sliced chicken (about the size of a deck of cards) 
• Almond slices (optional) 
• 1/2 of a sliced avocado 
• Hemp seed - about 2tbl spoons 
• Balsamic dressing 

10.) Coconut 

Coconut is LOADED with good fats and electrolytes. The easiest and best way to add coconut into your diet is to cook with coconut butter. It works better than most oils in creating a non-stick surface on the pan and coconut butter is much healthier that cooking with vegetables oils. Coconut oil has a higher steaming point. Meaning that when you cook with vegetable oil, it breaks down to trans fats as the pan heats up. Coconut oil does not that problem and it will not break down when you cook with it. Don’t worry, if you’re like me and absolutely cannot stand the taste of coconut it wont both you. You cannot taste the coconut at all. 

I get this jar of coconut oil at Costco for $10 and it last me several months. A jar 1/4 this size at a grocery store will run your about $30

The Top 10 Foods That Make You THIN! 

Mitchel Black, CPT, NC

Top 10 Foods That Make You Fat!

Fat does not make you fat. Carbohydrates make you fat. Let's go ahead and get that out of the way. Fat is used in 70% of your brain, every cell in your body requires fat to work, all your nerves are coated with a myeline sheath that is made of fat, and about one-thousand other reasons fat is good for you. There is a hormone in your body called insulin and insulin is the director of fat storage in your body. Other than storing carbohydrates in the muscle cells and managing blood sugar, insulin’s primary job is to store fat on the body. Insulin stores it’s fat in the hips and mid-section. It is a nasty hormone that we need to avoid.

Insulin is raised with carbohydrates and is suppressed with fats and protein. Because carbohydrates raise insulin levels, this is why carbohydrates make you fat - aka they raise your bodies fat storing signals. You can eat “low fat” or “low calorie” all day long and millions of people do, but millions of people are still fat. 

*Look out for my next blog post! This post tells you what makes you fat and my next post will tell you what makes you thin! 

*When I say something like “this food is 75% carbohydrates” I mean that of the total calories, 75% of them are carbohydrates. For example: if something is 100cal and it is 75% carbohydrates, the means 75cal of the 100cal are coming from carbohydrates. 

1: Fructose and Granulated Sugar

Fructose and granulated sugar represent a pure refined carbohydrate and are indeed 99.999% carbohydrate with practically no fats, proteins, minerals or vitamins to speak of. Fructose send insulin levels through the roof and makes your body pack on the pounds! Look for fructose on your food labels. 

- Fructose, high fructose corn syrup, and crystalline fructose are all to be avoided.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

2: Drink Powders/Hard Candies/Gummies 

The large majority of hard candies are simple derivatives of the refined granulated sugars and should be avoided. Gummie candy is also mostly starch and should be avoided as well. These foods tend to be 98-99% carbs with little nutritional value otherwise.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

3: Sugary Cereals 

Most ready to eat cereals which come in a box are packed with sugar, this is even true for those that claim to be "whole grain". Whole grain is useless and does not mean anything because your boy does not need grains. Not only does cereal send insulin through the roof but the dairy from the milk send insulin levels higher than the cereal.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

4: Dried Fruits (Apples, Prunes, Dates) 

Dried fruits like apples, prunes(plums), bananas, and dates are all high in carbohydrates. Refereeing back to #1, fructose is fructose, no matter what the vessel. There are 30g of fructose in a banana and there are almost 30g of fructose in a Snickers. The fructose is not any different. These tricky little snacks can really help your weight go up. Dehydrated apple, prunes, and bananas are 88-90% carbs, dried peaches and apricots are 83%, raisins are 79%, and dates are around 75% carbohydrate.

 Click to see complete nutrition facts.

5: Low fat Crackers, Rice Cakes, and Potato Chips

The large majority of low fat products and snacks on the market have high carb levels to keep items tasty. Low fat crackers, rice cakes, and potato chips are 81-83% carbohydrate. For purposes of comparison honey is 82% carbs. Be sure to consult labels on any low fat products before consuming.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

6: Flour, Cakes, and Cookies

Flour and it is derivative products, usually cakes, cookies, and breads are all high carb foods (depending on the recipe, again, low fat tends to denote higher carb). Cookies and cakes can get up to 84% carbohydrate, and most flours will be 70-78% carbohydrate. 

Click to see complete nutrition facts.

7: Jams And Preserves 

These sweet spreads can be 64-68% carbs, often depending on how "gelled" or dry they are. The less water and the more dry, the more carbs. 

Click to see complete nutrition facts.

8: Potatoes (Hash Browns and French Fries) 

Of all potato products hash browns have the highest percentage of carbs with 35%, french fries contain about 27% carbs, and a baked potato (with the skin) is 21% carbs, or about 36 grams of carbs in a medium sized potato.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

9: Sweet Pickles, Sauces, and Salad Dressings 

Sweet relish can be as much as 35% carbs, and low fat dressings are often sweetened to 32% carbs or more.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

10: Pizzas

The amount of carbohydrate in pizza depends on the thickness of the crust, and people often create ultra-thin-crust pizzas in order to cut back on the carbs. Depending on the toppings and thickness of the crust, pizzas tend to be 22-30% carbs.
Click to see complete nutrition facts. 

Top 10 Foods That Make You Fat 

Mitchel Black, CPT, NC

Espresso Vs. Coffee

In reference to my other post about sugar drinks at Starbucks, it leaves a lot of people wondering what to get on there morning drive-through at the coffee shop. First off, let’s go ahead and set the record straight, that I love Starbucks and I go almost daily. The issue is not drinking caffeine, there are many other affects we are looking at other than just caffeine intake. Ordering an americano means that you are ordering espresso and water which is actually quite tasty. This drink will get you the needed caffeine along with several health benefits. 

                                                              Coffee vs espresso

Coffee brews down, keeping all the acidy which throws off the PH levels in the body and decreases kidney function. Espresso brews up, losing all acids which keeps PH levels in the body stable and does not cause any negative affects on the kidneys. 

                                                                   Blood pressure

Uric acid and the hormone aldosterone control your blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure, the more stress you put on your arteries, which we do not want. 100mg of caffeine raises uric acid and aldosterone about 20%. One cup of coffee contains about 400mg of caffeine and one espresso shot contains about 100mg of caffeine. This does not mean you will not feel the affects of caffeine by only drinking espresso. Espresso is more compact in it’s grinding process which give you a “kick” faster than coffee.

Antioxidants 

There are nearly 300 different coffee beans in the world. There are coffee beans that have higher antioxidant levels than others. Since there are so many different types of coffee beans, this leaves a lot of room for error when trying to find coffee beans with high antioxidant levels. There are less type of espresso beans and all of which yield a higher antioxidant level than the coffee bean. A recent study from Harvard University showed up to 100 different antioxidants in the espresso bean. 

Here is a link to another blog showing four other benefits to espresso 

http://www.myespressouniverse.com/health-benefits-of-drinking-espresso/ 

What to do now

1.) Your best best it to order espresso shots or an americano. It will save you money as well as all the health benefits. 

2.) Go read the last blog post I made about sugar drink and see if you’re ordering anything off of the “Top 10 Worst Starbucks Drinks.” Even if you don’t switch to americano’s for your morning energy, at least stop drinking the 10 drinks on that list.

Espresso Vs. Coffee 

Mitchel Black, CPT, NC

Rethink Your Drink! - The Top 10 Worst Soft Drinks and Starbucks Drinks For You!

These sugar drinks are sneaky, since we order them with a meal. We do not realize to how much sugar we are taking in when it is meal + sugar drink, which is a big “uh-oh.” Tacking on one of these sugar drinks to your meal allows you to eat more. Sugar stops the hormones in your stomach form talking to hormones in your brain that tell you, you’re full. This is why you can eat a 500cal meal and drink 1500cal in Coca-Cola along with it. Use this guide next time you’re out to dinner, or maybe just opt for water :)

10: Coca-Cola Classic

Coca-Cola Classic is certainly not healthy for you, although there are now many soft drinks on the market that have more sugar and caffeine content. Coke Classic is on this list because it essentially started the soft drink phenomena and is the "face" of the industry.

9: Mountain Dew 

A 12-oz. can of A&W Cream Soda contains 29 mg of caffeine and 46 g of sugar derived mainly from high fructose corn syrup. Per ounce, A&W Cream Soda contains 3.83 g of sugar, which is significantly more than Coke Classics' 3.38 g per ounce.

8: Mountain Dew

A 12-oz. can of Mountain Dew contains 54 mg of caffeine and 47 g of corn syrup derived sugar, both of which are higher than most Coke products. In many countries outside the U.S., Mountain Dew contains no caffeine.

7: Rockstar Original

A 16-oz. can of Rockstar Original contains 151 mg of caffeine and 62 g of sugar. Although this carbonated energy drink contains B-vitamins and herbals, the high levels of caffeine and sugar negate any health benefits.

6: Sunkist Orange Soda

A 12-oz. can of Sunkist Orange Soda contains 41 mg of caffeine and 52 g of corn syrup derived sugar, which equates to a considerable 4.33 g per oz. Despite its name, it does not contain any real orange juice.

5: Bawls Geek Beer

Bawls Geek Beer is a 16-oz. carbonated energy drink that contains 100 mg of caffeine and 72 g of total sugar, which equates to 4.5 g of sugar per oz.

4: Jolt Cola

Jolt Cola comes in 23.5-oz. cans, the second biggest in the industry. A can of Jolt contains 280 mg of caffeine and 94 g of sugar, which is derived from granulated sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Jolt Cola does contain morethan twice the caffeine per ounce of its rival, Coke Classic.

3: Lucozade

Lucozade is a carbonated energy drink made by a pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline. A 13-oz. bottle of Lucozade contains 46 mg of caffeine and 68 g of sugar, which is derived from glucose syrup. Per ounce, Lucozade contains 5.26g of sugar, which is exceptionally high compared with other soft drinks.

2: Rockstar Punched Guava

A 22-oz. bottle of Rockstar Punched Guava contains 330 mg of caffeine, a massive amount compared to other energy drinks. It also contains 102 g of total sugar, which is the most of any beverage on the market.

1: Hype Energy Drink

The worst soft drink for your health might well be Hype, a carbonated energy drink that contains 160 mg of caffeine in a 16-oz. can and an industry leading 8.4 g of sugar per oz. The sugar is derived entirely from high fructose corn syrup.

                                             Starbucks

I'm not saying not to go to Starbucks, as I go almost daily. I wold suggest trying an americano on your next trip and I'll explain why in future post! 

Rethink your drink!

Mitchel Black, CPT, NC