Holiday Eating Tips

My Dad grew up working on a farm, and if you have ever heard of “farmboy” strength, you know that he was a strong dude! He used to tell me stories of hoisting a bale of hay in each hand and throwing them into the barn loft – that’s strong!

He was fast too. When I was about 15 we were doing some roofing on the big chicken house, about 20 feet up a ladder. For some stupid reason I smarted off to my mother and headed as fast as I could down the ladder. He was on me so fast I didn’t know what hit me. So much for being stronger and faster (or evidently smarter) then the old man. Ahhh, good times!

So anyway he sent this list on holiday eating tips, so having wised up a bit, I figured I would share them with you too.

Thanks Dad!

• Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a Christmas buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit.. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

• Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

• If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

• As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

• Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

• Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

• If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

• Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

• Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards. Unless it’s been soaked in rum for a year. (My mother’s recipe)

One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Have a great holiday season!!
Merry Christmas

Ah, Sugar, Sugar!

We’ve all heard that “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” but did you know there’s already plenty of the sweet stuff in that decongestant you are swallowing? And your spaghetti sauce? And even the canned veggies you feed your kids?

Carbohydrates include fruit, vegetables, starches (like bread and potatoes), and of course, sweet ole sugar. An essential nutrient, carbohydrates are the body’s main source of both quick and sustained energy. All carbohydrates have approximately four calories of energy per gram of weight.

That doesn’t sound like much, but they add up very fast! When eaten in large quantities, simple carbs (like sugar) provide excessive calories that can ultimately lead to weight gain and other concerning medical issues.

And it’s not just “sugar” that you’ll need to be aware of on your favorite food labels — you’ll need to also recognize the other forms, including honey, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, brown sugar, confectioner’s sugar, powdered sugar, high fructose corn syrup, concentrated fruit juice, dextrose, glucose, molasses, corn syrup, maltose, sucrose, xylitol, or mannitol. This list is not all-inclusive, there are more names for sugar on a food label.

Why worry about sugar? Aside from providing empty calories, one of sugar’s major drawbacks is that it raises your insulin levels. An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body’s blood sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to maintain blood sugar at a constant and safe level. Prolonged, elevated insulin levels can increase the risk for disease by causing inflammation within your body and by inhibiting key hormones that regulate the immune system. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, so that when you eat excessive sweets high in sugar, you’re making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglycerides, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular disease.

Are there sugars I can eat? The sugars we need to pay particular attention to are the sugar we add to food. However there are sugars that are naturally found in food, and those count in your overall intake as well

Sugars that occur naturally in foods that also supply key nutrients (“Good Sugar”).

• Dairy products (milk, cheese, and plain yogurt. This does not include ice cream)
• Fresh and frozen fruits (apple, blueberries, orange, pineapple, strawberries, banana, cantaloupe, etc.)
• Most Vegetables (carrots, tomato, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, etc.)

“Bad” sugars

The only good sugar is one found in nature. You can’t grow, pick, or raise high fructose corn syrup, let alone all the names for sugar you can’t pronounce. If you have to use a sweetener, stick with one you can find out in nature. But use all sugars in moderation.

The following foods are typically loaded with sugar. Read through and learn to limit your intake by reducing the portions of your favorite sweet foods.

(1 teaspoon = 3.5 – 4 grams sugar on the food label)  
1 teaspoon sugar = 1 sugar cube = 1 sugar packet

Everyday products

• Fruit Loops, 1 cup = 3.75 teaspoons
• Low fat, fruit-flavored yogurt, 6 oz. = 7 teaspoons
• Pancake syrup, 1/4 cup = 8 teaspoons
• Ketchup, 4 Tablespoons = 4 teaspoons

Foods that sound healthy, but are loaded with sugar!

• Granola, 2/3 cup = 4 teaspoons
• Dried fruit, 1 cup = 21 teaspoons

Beverages

• Orange juice/ apple juice, 8 oz. = 5.5 teaspoons
• Snapple, Lemon Iced Tea, 16 oz. = 11.5 teaspoons
• Strawberry Passion Fruitopia, 20 oz. = 17.5 teaspoons

Snacks & desserts

• Balance/ Power Bar = 4.75 teaspoons
• McDonald’s Vanilla Shake, 21 oz. = 24 teaspoons
• Frozen yogurt, 8 oz. = 8.5 teaspoons
• Restaurant chocolate cake, 1 slice = 13 teaspoons

Movie theatre combo

• Twizzlers, (movie size) 6 oz. = 17+ teaspoons
• Soda, (movie large) 44 oz. = 37 teaspoons
• Total = 54 teaspoons!

As you can see, sugar is everywhere, in very large amounts. Sugar may be inexpensive as far as dollar and cents go, but over consumption of sugar and other sweeteners in large amounts are responsible for the obese and diseased society we are.

Our “Carbohydrate Changeover” is designed to help you move from the empty calories of processed flours and sugars to natural, unprocessed foods over a 21 day period. You won’t believe the difference in how you feel! Talk to your doctor or registered dietician before beginning this or any other eating and lifestyle change.

It is possible to break your sugar addiction, and the benefits are well worth it! If you would like a complimentary copy of our 21 day “Steps To Success” guide, which includes the “Carbohydrate Changeover” program, please Contact Us Here and we will send you the download link.

I look forward to hearing of your success!

Nancy

Re: My Favorite Fad Diet

Q. What is my favorite fad diet?

A. The one you are NOT on!

I believe it is critical to wrap our heads around the fact that there IS NO EASY FIX!

And as long as we keep searching for it we are taking our focus off the tried and true principles that will lead to a leaner and healthier body.

(Excerpt from our “Master Your Metabolism” e-course. Subscribe by entering your email into the box to your right…)

“Nutrition has by far the greatest impact on fat loss. Eating supportively will not only allow you to improve your health and energy, and it also provides the ideal environment for your transformation – maintain lean muscle while reducing unwanted fat.

If your goal is to lose body fat, you must eat slightly fewer calories than you burn.  This may seem simple, but when calories are reduced, the body becomes imbalanced.  It is the body’s job to restore balance, and it inevitably does so by either reducing the amount of calories it burns for energy ( by using muscle instead of fat) or by forcing you to eat more through hunger and cravings.  This is one of the main reasons why fad diets do not produce long term results.  The goal of our program is to ensure that you lose fat, not muscle.

Most fad diets are simply low-calorie diets disguised by great advertising or a clever marketing gimmick.  There are currently thousands of diets listed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  This number alone proves that no one diet works long term.  If a magic diet or formula for fat loss existed, everyone would be on it and no one would be overweight.

But why is it that some people do lose weight on diets?  The immediate success most people experience from fad diets is due to water loss, eating fewer calories or a combination of the two.  However, less than five percent of these dieters are able to keep the weight off.  Diets simply don’t work long term because of improper nutrition and the failure to change exercise and eating habits for life.

America is fatter as a society today because we consume approximately 300 to 500 more calories per day than we did 10 years ago, yet we move less because of advances in technology such as computers, escalators and other labor-saving devices.

Supportive nutrition can be mastered by understanding that everything you eat and drink can either positively or negatively affect your fat loss goals.”

Read that again, because you need to understand and embrace that concept. Your weight, your health, and how you look and feel is affected by every decision you make regarding nutrition. You are the sum total of the choices you have made in the past and are making right now.

Choose Wisely!

Dean

Fast Food Shopping at the Grocery Store

I’m late for a meeting, I’ve been teaching classes all day, the kids were acting up, and I walked out of the house unprepared for the evening ahead. Have you ever been in a situation like this before? Of course you have, but how can you change it around and end the day on a good note? What can you do?

Go hungry?
Stop at the dreaded hamburger joint on the corner?
Grab something at the gas station convenience store?
Or go grocery shopping?

I say go grocery shopping. Yes, hit the nearest food store for you dinner meal. Here’s a few ideas to grab quickly and go.

Hit the salad bar. Most store now feature a salad bar stocked with all the trimmings. As always you want to avoid items in heavy sauces and oils. Fill your container with salad greens, add your favorite veggies, throw in a few pieces of fruit, top with a sprinkling of cheese, sunflower seeds, and add a hard boiled egg or a few slices of ham and your good to go. Don’t forget a fork or you’ll be hard pressed to look good at your meeting with salad drippings all over you.

Go to the Deli. What a great way to build your own sandwich. Delicatessens are more than happy to slice 3-4 pieces of your favorite meats and cheeses. No need for bread. Just roll the cheese inside a piece of meat and eat it naked. No, you’re not naked  – the sandwich is!

Some delis also carry rotisserie chicken, They are already cooked and kept warm. Again don’t forget to pick up a utensil pack at the salad bar.

In a real rush, grab a single serving of almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds along with your favorite piece of fruit that has a peel. Fast Food Grocery Style!

When Dean and I were in New Jersey a while ago, we couldn’t find a decent restaurant to eat in that was close to the hotel so we went shopping. We stocked the small fridge in the hotel room with roast beef, swiss cheese, fruits, and nuts. It was fantastic to have the option just to run up to our room in between seminars for a light snack. It was way better than hitting the candy machine.

Don’t settle for less than the best choices for your best body!

Nancy

Keep Your Gut In Check With Natures Probiotic – Yogurt!

Yogurt has long been cited as healthy, but many people don’t realize how valuable it can be for your health. Yogurt is helpful for boosting your immune system, relieving ulcers and helping to fight yeast infections. Yogurt has these great benefits because of the unique way it is made. Milk or cream is mixed with live active cultures of ‘good’ bacteria. These ‘good’ bacteria actually fight off the ‘bad’ bacteria that can make us sick and that cause yeast or urinary tract infections. We also need a balance of these bacteria to keep our immune system healthy and promote good digestion.

Antibiotics are one of the most harmful medicines when it comes to this perfect balance our bodies require. Lets compare taking antibiotics to clear cutting a forest. Clear cutting a forest is cutting down every tree and brush in a certain area. This basically leaves the land barren. Now apply this to our body. Antibiotics are the initial clear cutting of every organism in our digestive tract. The diarrhea that often occurs while taking antibiotics is like the erosion that happens after clear cutting the land. The Yeast infection is the quick undergrowth that occurs next. The tree farmer wants new tree growth but the quick growing undergrowth cuts back the amount of young saplings that survive because they don’t have the sunshine and other nutrients they need. So when you have to take antibiotics you should also take a probiotic to return your digestive track back to its healthy state full of live healthy bacteria. One form of probiotic is Yogurt.

When purchasing yogurt look for these qualities:

• A natural product. Organic is best.
• A yogurt that does not have added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or trans fats.
• A yogurt that is not pasteurized after the cultures have been added as this will kill the cultures and you will not reap their benefits.
• Buy yogurt farthest from the sell by date. You want to eat fresh yogurt. The live ‘good bacteria are at their best and most active. Buying local yogurt instead of big commercial yogurts help to ensure they are the freshest.

Yogurt can be incorporated into your diet in a variety of ways. By adding fruit, berries, granola or nuts to your yogurt, you can turn it into a delicious replacement for your usual dessert.

One way to make sure the yogurt you are eating is fresh is to Make It Yourself! I use starter from Stonyfield as it is local and organic, plus it just makes great yogurt. It might take you a couple of tries to get it just right, but it is well worth it. Give it a try, and if you have any questions just let me know!

Nancy’s Recipe for the Freshest Yogurt Anywhere

¼ cup plain yogurt
4 cups milk

Heat milk in a double boiler until it reaches 180 degrees. You can use a regular pot but you will have to stir it constantly so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Let the milk then cool to 120 degrees. Using a whisk slowly add the yogurt into the milk and mix well. You do not want the mixture to foam up so mix slowly. It is essential that you use a thermometer to keep the yogurt at the right temperature. If the yogurt cultures go above 120 it will kill them but if they are below 100 they do not grow and multiply which thickens the yogurt.

After you have mixed the yogurt in with the cooled milk pour this into quart size glass jars and seal with lids. This mixture needs to be kept at 120 until it thickens. This time will vary depending on your yogurt culture. Remember the freshest is the best so try to buy a local organic brand. I use Stonyfield yogurt. You can keep the yogurt in your oven with just the oven light on but I like to use a small cooler. I place the jars in the cooler and fill up the cooler with warm water. The water and the cooler insulate the heat inside the box as the cultures do their thing. Check it after an hour. You are looking for yogurt that is just starting to gel or thicken. If you wait until it is solid the yogurt will have a sour flavor. (if this happens just use it for cooking or smoothies and make more for eating). When your yogurt is done just put it in the refrigerator. Let it cool and then eat.

Making yogurt takes time to master. Here are a few tips I have learned:

• Always use clean sterile equipment so only your yogurt culture is growing.
• Use a thermometer.
• Don’t get discouraged if your first batch isn’t exactly right, Practice makes perfect.
• Some whey will separate from your yogurt as it cools simple stir it back in or pour it off.
• If your yogurt is not as thick as you want leave it in the warmer for a longer time.
• Sweeten your yogurt as you use it instead of trying to add sugar to the milk culture.
• Use yogurt in recipes in place of milk, in smoothies, or top with your favorite fruit, nuts, or granola for a quick snack or breakfast.

You’re Making It Too Hard

I was reading an article yesterday in which trainer and coach Alwyn Cosgrove was being interviewed. He was asked what he would do if he had to get a movie star in the best shape possible in 8 weeks.

There is a quote within this quote that really resonated with me, as it is the foundation of my own nutrition and what we do with our own clients who are committed to changing their body rapidly.

Cosgrove said: “You could make some great changes in that time frame. I mean, if you had someone prepare all your meals to the perfect caloric amount for the next 56 days, you’d make amazing changes in your body even without training. Consistency is an amazing thing.

For the regular guy who doesn’t have a blank check I’d just design a four-day meal plan and rotate through it for the entire 56 days. Like I said, consistency is key. As Chad Waterbury once said:

“If I told you to consume one gram of protein per pound of body weight, fibrous vegetables, water, green tea, 12 grams of fish oil, and spread those out over the course of six meals each day, you’d be anything but impressed. But if I held you in captivity and forced you to do that every day for a month, you’d be blown away by the results.”

Do that for 8 weeks and people will accuse you of being on something.”

Let that sink in – the best trainers and coaches in the world don’t so rely on exotic supplements and complicated diets to get their clients into the body of their dreams. It’s CONSISTENCY that counts. Daily effort repeated over and over.

Lean protein, fibrous carbs, essential fatty acids, water, green tea. There is not one person that can’t do that if they really want to.

If said it before and I’ll say it again – STOP looking for the magic bullet. DO what you know to do today. And then do it again tomorrow. Then do it again the next day. If you can eat well one day, you can do it two, then three, then four. Before you know it 30 days goes by and you’ve made SERIOUS progress.

You feel better. Friends start noticing you look better. It’s exciting, it’s motivating, and it makes you want to push on.

Don’t start Monday, because Monday never comes.

Make It Happen – Do It Now – Let Us Help.

Have a great weekend,

Dean

Sugar By Any Other Name

Congratulations to the first “graduating” classes of Get Fit NH Bootcamp at the Concord Dance Academy, as well as all of our Epsom members who “survived” bootcamp!

Here’s a few pictures styling with the new shirts – Great Job!

Making It Happen!

***

I admit it,  I am getting a bit cynical regarding food manufacturers, even the ones who purport to sell “healthy” food.

I have come to the conclusion that the first rule of food shopping I need to remember is this – The vast majority of manufacturers will say anything legal (i.e. – legal but not necessarily ethical) to sell their product.

Case in point – the trend to call sugar anything but “sugar”. My new favorite is “Organic Cane Juice Crystals”. Think about that one!

We have been encouraging you to read labels, so I thought we would share some names for sugar – some recognizable, some not. If you have any more you’d like to add, write it in the comments below.

Sugar By Any Other Name

1. Barley malt
2. Cane juice crystals
3. Demarara
4. Dextran
5. Dextrose
6. Diastatic malt
7. Diatase
8. Ethyl Maltol
9. Fructose
10. Fruit juice
11. Galactose
12. Glucose
13. Golden syrup
14. Lactose
15. Maltodextrin
16. Maltose
17. Malt Syrup
18. Maple Syrup
19. Molasses
20. Muscovado
21. Panocha
22. Refiners syrup
23. Rice syrup
24. Sorbitol
25. Sorghum
26. Sucrose
27. Treacle
28. Turbinado

and that doesn’t even touch all the forms of Corn Syrup…

Take control and know what you are eating – it makes all the difference.

Make It Happen!

Dean and Nancy

5 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Fat

Today we are sharing a great post from our friends Drs. Chris and Kara Mohr. These two are the real deal when it comes to losing bodyfat and integrating healthy habits into a busy lifestyle.

Besides being PhD’s, the Mohr’s run bootcamp classes in Louisville Kentucky, and they understand that exercise plus optimal nutrition equals fat loss success.

Here’s a summary of the “5 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Fat” – Click the link below to read the whole article.

Top 5 Fat Loss Mistakes

1. Portions are out of control.
2. Thinking all calories are created equal.
3. Outeating your exercise.
4. Skipping breakfast as a way to “save” calories.
5. Thinking exercise is your answer to losing fat.

Find out the total scoop by clicking here: 5 Fat Loss Mistakes

Make It Happen!

Dean

Your Questions Answered

Last week we asked you to give us your top 3 nutrition questions, and today we are going to start giving some answers.

The first one we chose to answer covers a lot of ground, and addresses a topic that many of our members struggle with. I think it can be summed up like this: How perfect do I have to be with my nutrition and still get results?

The question was prompted as the questioner looked through Nancy’s food log and noticed that there were snacks where protein and vegetable were not consumed. Isn’t that “non-compliant” with the food plan? Shouldn’t Nancy be flogged in the public square?

Before I answer, consider this – Are your goals and Nancy’s goals the same?

Now I know you don’t know her specific goals, so I’ll frame it this way – Will the goals of a woman who is 5′ 7″ tall, weighs 135 pounds and has between 16 and 18% bodyfat going to be the same as a woman who is 5′ 7″  weighs 190 pounds and carries 30% bodyfat? (this is a hypothetical woman, not the questioner)

Of course the answer is no. There can be a significant difference in nutrition specifics because woman #2 needs to drop bodyfat, while Nancy does not. In this case we need to separate the two questions “Am I eating to support my weight loss goals?” and “Am I getting all the vegetables, vitamins and fiber I need?”.  Make sense?

So here is (finally) the question and the answer I gave. It was a great question, and I appreciated it being asked. Let’s hear your thoughts and any followup questions you might have in the comments below.

Question:

Here I’ve been, wiping myself out to eat protein and veggies at EVERY meal….I can just snack smartly between meals and get all the veggies and protein I need three times a day or so….

RIGHT?!

Not sure if I would snack on prunes, though. Yuck.

Fruit or yogurt or a small snack of mixed nuts is usually what I can easily find between the larger meals. This is “acceptable” or “compliant,” eh? Or am I on the right track (getting burned out) to eat so many veggies and protein each time I put something in my mouth?

Answer:

I applaud your hard work and making some significant changes in your nutrition. Let’s back it up a bit. When it comes right down to it the most important thing is making your plan something you can live with – adding stress to the equation (getting burned out) is not what we are after.

Let’s talk about the reasons we are looking to get protein and vegetables in every time we eat. The typical American diet does not contain close to the amount of fruits and vegetables that is recommended in order to meet the nutritional requirements of a sedentary person, never mind someone like yourself who is training hard. The recommendation to eat veggies at each feeding is in order to help meet these requirements. I don’t know anybody (including myself) who eats too many vegetables. Eating protein, even a small amount, helps maintain blood sugar levels throughout the whole day and supports building lean tissue, which in turn helps raise your overall metabolism.

So that’s the theory and strategy. Now let’s talk reality. I have seen what compliance to the nutrition plan can do, and I believe it is optimal for rapid body composition change. That being said, what are the consequences of backing off that and developing a pattern of 3 solid protein/veggie meals and supportive snacks in between? The answer to that lies in the progress you achieve doing it that way, and we find that out with your weight and waist measurements. So try the “new” plan for two weeks, take your measurements, and re-evaluate. If you are making the desired progress, we stay with it, if not something needs to change.

So August 7th is two weeks out. Take your measurements then and shoot me an email so we can re-evaluate. Sound like a plan?

Make It Happen!

Dean

Is This The Reason You’re Not Losing?

What is the most important weapon in the fat loss arsenal? What one thing do I truly believe will make the biggest difference in achieving your body composition (fat loss OR lean muscle gain) goals?

From a practical standpoint the #1 thing you can be doing right now is this:

Keep a food log!

Not too sexy I guess. I mean I’ll admit it’s not something you are going to see advertised in an infomercial or endorsed by a celebrity, it’s not a pill you can swallow twice a day and see the fat “melt away before your eyes”, blast your buns or burn your abs.

The bottom line is this – probably 9 out of 10 people believe their nutrition is better than it really is, and in a lot of cases it’s really not your fault. After all you don’t know what you don’t know.

The fastest way to find out how you are really doing nutrition wise? Start writing it down, every bite of food, every drop of beverage.

There is only one reason you won’t do it – because you don’t really want to know (be honest with yourself)!

Consider this – studies have shown that the average person underestimates how many calories they are eating in a day by over 500 calories per day.

Eating 500 calories a day more than your body requires would result in gaining a pound of fat a week – not what we are looking for.

So here’s the deal – We are providing two resources for you to start your food log today.

The first resource you can download and make copies for each day – Nutrition Log

The second is a free online resource that not only shows you what you eat, but gives you total calories and breaks down your protein, carbs, fat, etc.  – Fitday.com

Which one do I recommend?

The biggest advantage of a paper log is that you can carry it with you to work, travel, etc. and you don’t have to rely on your computer, or try to remember it all and enter it later (which you know you won’t do). The disadvantage is the double entry into Fitday or manual calculation to get your breakdowns.

A combination of both is ideal. Log your food daily on paper and enter a day or two a week into Fitday to see how you are tracking.

If you want Nancy and I to take a look at your logs we are happy to do so. We will do a brief overview with you and make recommendations based on what we see. We want to see 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day of the same week. Why? Because it is easier to maintain discipline on the structured days of the week, then the weekend comes and we “let our hair down” – potentially undoing our 5 days of hard work. We also offer complete nutrition analysis, which you can read about by clicking here.

I want to hear your questions and comments below – don’t be shy. You are most likely not the only one with that question, so let’s hear it.

You want to start dropping that fat?

You want to start sculpting that lean body?

Make It Happen – Start that Log – Today!

Dean