YOUR ENEMY THE ALCOHOL

YOUR ENEMY THE ALCOHOL

Many people are amazed to learn that up to 20% of the calories in the average Western diet come from what we drink. It is so easy to dismiss beverages as if they ‘don’t really count’ but of course, when it comes to weight loss or staying fit, beverages absolutely do count as much as solid food. The trick to successful weight loss is to honestly take into account everything that you put in your mouth – so you can’t simply forget about all the liquids! If you are interested in getting your body into the best possible condition, think twice before reaching for the alcohol, if this is something that you often do. 

Alcohol is extremely high in calories and it supplies what nutritionists often refer to as empty calories, in other words calories without nutrition. One 175 ml glass of red and white wine contains around 120 calories, champagne contains around 130 calories and 12oz serving of beer contains around 150 calories. Alcohol essentially has 7 calories per gram versus sugar which has 4 calories per gram. Think about this fact next time you are wondering whether to have a glass of wine after work – you will be drinking something more calorific than an equivalent sugar solution. Amazing, and not in a good way!

If water hydrates, alcohol on the other hand, has the opposite effect. Drinking alcohol constantly doesn’t just cut down on your mental processes, but it also prevents your body from experiencing deep sleep. And we all know deep sleep is what’s needed for the body to fully recharge and recover from the day to day stress. If you don’t experience deep sleep during the night, you’re more likely to wake up with less energy the next day. Of course, you are no doubt very aware of the effect that too much alcohol can have on your liver.

Also, crucially, alcohol can seriously slow down your ability to burn calories through exercise. Our bodies try to get rid of alcohol as quickly as possible, which can get in the way of other processes such as burning fat and absorbing nutrients. When you drink, alcohol is the first fuel to burn . While that is happening, your body will not burn fat, which delays weight loss. If you want to burn fat efficiently, lay off the liquor!

You do not have to go without it every day but choose light beers and stick to 11% wines like Chablis and Beaujolais on the occasions that you do want to drink alcohol. The rest of the time, drink a lot of water and green tea, as discussed in previous chapters.

MORE MAGNESIUM-RICH FOOD

One of the secrets to getting more energy is making sure that you get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals. But if you regularly find yourself too tired to do anything, then there’s a big chance that you might have a magnesium deficiency. Studies show that magnesium is a crucial element in breaking down glucose in the body. So when magnesium levels are low, energy levels can significantly drop too.

It should be noted that the body needs this mineral to fuel around 300 biochemical reactions in the body. A deficiency in magnesium can lead to muscle spasms, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, migraines and osteoporosis. So, if you don’t make a conscious effort to increase your magnesium intake, you may be compromising your overall state of health.

Snack on a handful of nuts in the afternoon if you want to get an instant boost of energy to help carry you through your day. Almonds, cashews and hazelnuts make great snacks for when you’re feeling a bit tired from the daily grind. A generous serving of fish, like halibut, can also give you all the magnesium you need for the day.

The good news is, you can easily get your fill of magnesium with just a few tweaks in your diet. Magnesium-rich foods include dark leafy greens such as kale, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, dried fruit and dark chocolate.

Alternatively, if eating your magnesium just isn’t your thing, or if you are worried about getting the right levels of beneficial magnesium without taking in too many calories at the same time, you can always take supplements. Just make sure to get the recommended daily dose of 320mg for women and 400mg for men.

BINGE DRINK (DRINK PLENTY OF WATER)

That means lots of it. Start the day with water, end the day with water; drink lots of water all day long. This has numerous benefits. It will flush out nasty toxins more effectively and keep you superbly hydrated. It will keep your metabolism and digestion firing on all cylinders. It will, critically, fill you up and quench your thirst.

The benefits of water for your health and fitness are immeasurable. Want to know exactly why?

Good old, H2O is terrifically important, but a frightening amount of people who are lucky enough to have easy access to clean, free-flowing supplies do not drink it in sufficient quantities. Or we load it up with sugar and chemicals and say it is ‘improved’.

Don’t believe the hype. Water always was and always will be the best drink on earth. In case you need reminding, here are a few scientific reasons why:

1. - Keeping Body Fluids Balanced for Optimum Health – The human body is made up of around 60% water. It is a fundamental part of us and without enough of it, vital functions start to falter – from digestion to the maintenance of body temperature. As we are constantly losing water through perspiration, respiration and excretion, we must top up our water levels regularly. So, stay hydrated.

2. - Proven to Help Control Calorie Intake – Whilst water isn’t a magic potion (although it must surely be the closest thing to one), whenever you make the choice to drink it instead of a sugary, fatty or alcoholic beverage, you are making a choice that will help you with weight loss. Also, when you eat food or drink juices that contain lots of water they will fill you up much more.

3. - Supports Muscles for Exercise – Muscles tire without enough water. When exercising, it is vital to drink fluids regularly – around 17oz before and plenty during and after. A well-hydrated body is more efficient; it will burn energy better and repair muscles following exercise more effectively too.

4. - Supports Kidney Function – Kidneys need generous amounts of water to help them in their vital role of excretion – and too little can result in kidney stones. Our cell’s waste products include blood urea nitrogen, which the kidneys turn into urine to be passed out of the body. You can easily tell whether you are properly hydrated as your urine should be colorless and without odor. If not, drink more water.

5. - Supports Bowel Function – If you drink enough water you reduce the chances of experiencing constipation. A properly hydrated body, enables the gastrointestinal tract to work at its best, especially when plenty of fiber is consumed as well. A healthy end-to-end digestive system is vital for health and weight loss.

Simply drink plenty of water all day long. You may not be aware of it, but even the slightest dehydration can make you feel lethargic and weak. Without enough water, the body won’t be able to function at its optimal level. You’ll constantly feel tired even with a good night’s sleep.

So next time you’re feeling drained, drinking a tall glass of cool water might just do the trick. If you work in an office, always take plenty of trips to the water cooler – you will stretch your legs and refresh yourself too. If you’re at home, you should constantly have a glass on the go – aim to drink 6-8 large glasses each day.

DON’T OVERDO IT!

Working out is fantastic and a real must for anyone who is serious about their health. It is great to be enthusiastic about working out,

 but it is very important not to set yourself up to fail by overdoing it.

One of the main reasons people give up easily on their workouts is that they try to take on too much early on. Many people tend to want to achieve so much on the first workout that they fail to consider whether their body can already handle the challenge. This is why, instead of pushing yourself early on, it would be better to start slowly but surely, then build up from there.

When you go running for example, common sense will tell you not to start off with marathons if you’re a beginner. The same applies to all exercises – you gradually build up the number of reps, the intensity and the difficultly.

When starting any muscle program, it’s important that you keep your ego in check. Don’t just set goals that you aren’t physically capable of achieving just yet. Add weights as you go along, especially if you’ve never lifted a weight in your life.

It is also imperative that you take rest days, even though this may feel counter-intuitive at first. Rest days really are an absolutely essential part of any training regimen. While they may feel like a waste of time to you and make you worry that you won't build strength or lose weight fast enough, taking some regular time off will allow your body and mind to fully recover and grow.

Exercise takes its toll on the body and when you don't allow it to recover from high-intensity exercise, you do damage. Never taking a day off is a big mistake as you become more susceptible to injuries, muscle soreness, a depressed immune system, poor quality sleep, and a decrease in strength and performance. Extreme tiredness will also have a negative impact on your mood and motivation.

Take on the slowly but surely approach, steadily working your way towards your workout goals. With enough practice and time, you’ll see a huge difference in your workouts. Remember, pacing yourself is just as important as the number of sets you do and resting will ensure that you have enough sustained energy to keep up your fitness regimen for the longer term.

LOG IT (KEEP A WORKOUT LOG)

Even if you’re not the note-taking type, you should make an effort to record the daily progress of your workout. It is a simple and effective way of keeping motivated and staying on track.

All you have to do is record what you do. Start off with the type of exercises and sets, then work your way through the reps, and even the time you were able to accomplish each. Whatever you do, you have to be as accurate – and of course as honest with yourself – as possible. Remember, no one else ever has to see it, but unless you stick to the exact exercise you have done there is no point in keeping the log.

Keeping a workout log may seem tedious in the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you were able to live without it for so long.

Keeping a workout log will help you improve your overall wellbeing in 2 ways. For one, it will help you assess your physical performance as you go along. You’ll have a record of your best lifts and reps so you’ll see just how far you’ve come along in your program. A workout log will also give you that much needed motivation to constantly improve your numbers.

You can use whatever format of workout log works for you. There are various free resources that you can take advantage of online, e.g. Google ‘workout log’ for a wide selection, or visit http://healthhubpro.blogspot.com to print one out, or you might simply prefer to stick to good old pen and paper.

Alternatively, you can go even more high tech and keep a personalized record of all your exercise, including calories burned and so on, by using a dedicate app, such as Gym Hero or Endomondo, perhaps even in conjunction with an activity tracking device like FitBit. The advantage of these state-of-the-art apps and deices is that they can be with you 24/7 and provide maximum accuracy and convenience.

However you choose to do it, high tech or low tech, do whatever it takes to keep accurate records of you workouts. By studying your logs regularly, you’ll be able to come up with specific ways to improve your workout. Instead of blindly following a program, you’ll be able to personalize your workout according to your past performance. As a result, you stand an even better chance of improving your fitness and body shape.

PROTEIN, PROTEIN, AND PROTEIN (INCREASE YOUR PROTEIN INTAKE)

Unfortunately, most of the weight lost for a lot of people turns out to be due to muscle loss as well. If you want to prevent muscle loss from happening, you can try to increase your protein intake while you’re trying to lose weight. The extra protein in your diet will help your body hold on to muscle while it sheds the fat. Remember, muscle burns 150% more calories than body fat, so we need to maintain muscle and eat healthy amounts of lean protein.

As humans, we were designed to eat plenty of protein in our diet, as we did when we were hunter gatherers during the Paleolithic era. This era came to an end when we started to become agricultural people and went from a primarily protein and whole food diet to one that emphasized grain and dairy.

This diet did our body no favors.

The processed grains have a far higher glycemic index that triggers the body to convert their starch to carbs and to then store them as fat. The cheese and milk are saturated fat that do not provide the most beneficial proteins and which increase blood cholesterol.

What we know now is that historic records tend to show the arrival of issues like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease around the same time that we settled down and started farming. This is why the protein-based, Paleo diet has been so popular in recent years – it means eating the way that our bodies originally evolved to eat.

So – stock up on the protein. The great news is there are loads of protein-rich foods available on the market. From nuts to fish, eggs, and even tofu, you can create a variety of delicious meals from your favorite protein sources. In fact, to make life even easier, here is a list of some of the highest protein foods:

• Anchovies
• Canadian bacon
• Chicken breast
• Chorizo
• Corned beef
• Cottage cheese
• Edamame
• Eggs
• Greek yogurt
• Ground beef
• Halibut
• Jerky
• Lentils
• Milk, 2%
• Mixed nuts
• Navy beans
• Octopus
• Peanut butter
• Peas
• Pepperoni
• Pork chops
• Quinoa
• Sardines
• Soba noodles
• Sockeye salmon
• Soy milk
• Steak
• Swiss cheese
• Tilapia
• Tofu
• Turkey breast
• Wheat germ
• Yellowfin tuna

There really is so much tasty food to choose from. However, you can always simply start your day with a good old protein shake. This way, you’ll get your fill of protein first thing in the morning. Buy a brand with no added sugar and that is fat free. While you’re at it, make sure to cut back on empty calories like sweetened beverages.

Protein-rich food already has enough calories so there is no need to add unnecessary extra calories – instead, complement your protein with fiber in your meals, e.g. lean chicken breast and lots of green vegetables.

Don’t forget: your body evolved to love this type of fuel and will work most efficiently when you give it a great protein boost.

GO GREEN!

Green tea, first: drinking green tea has been around ever since the first Chinese civilizations. Many centuries later, recent studies have shown that consuming it daily can be an effective means for the body to burn fat. In fact, it is a proven fact that green tea can help you lose weight more than any other drink apart from water.

This is because green tea contains catechin, a polyphenol that can stimulate fat loss naturally in your body. When you drink green tea, the catechin signals your body to release energy from glucose, and even from stored glycogen. This then improves your metabolism, as well as prepares the muscle for physical activity.

The best thing about green tea is that it increases your metabolic rate and prolongs thermogenesis in the most natural means possible, helping you to jumpstart weight loss.

Green tea is also packed with powerful antioxidants to keep your immune system strong and healthy. If you want energy and fat loss in one nifty package, make that switch from sugary drinks to green tea today and see the difference it makes on your body. Plus a nice, hydrating, warming mug of green tea and hot water has virtually zero calories and may suppress the appetite. To up your intake, you can even keep a jug of iced green tea in the fridge.

There is also green coffee, which is taken in the form of a supplement. an average of 8.4% of their total body weight and 4.4% of their total body fat, all without making any changes to their diet.

Green coffee beans contain a substance called chlorogenic acid, which is believed to be responsible for the impressive weight loss effect.

 Most of the chlorogenic acid is removed when coffee is roasted which is why it must be extracted from the raw beans. It is certainly worth considering taking a high quality green coffee bean extract if you want to maximize your fat burning abilities.

This means real, totally fresh, homemade juice that includes leafy greens. Green juices have many proven health benefits. You may have been told many times as a child to ‘eat your greens’ – this is just a palatable way of drinking them and getting an intense hit of their natural goodness. All of them are bursting with nutrients and all of them taste delicious.

To start you off, try these stunning nutrient boosters which can replace any breakfast or lunch. You will need a juicer, which is always a good investment.