The 50 Best Low-Carb Foods, Plus Recipe Ideas & Tips - Part 2

The Low-Carb Diet: Overview of Benefits and How It Works

(Part 1 of this article featured on Weds 10th May).

A large body of research shows that for those who make good candidates, following a low-carb diet has many health benefits. While it’s not always necessary to give up all unprocessed, whole-food sources of carbs (like fruit and starchier veggies mentioned above), cutting down on processed foods, added sugar and even grains can help many experience benefits like: 

Faster weight loss, and usually a easier time maintaining a healthy weight. Once glucose from carbohydrate foods are no longer available for energy, the body will use stored body fat instead, or fat and protein consumed from foods.
Enhanced satiety from meals, reduced hunger and decreased cravings (especially for carb-heavy foods and sweets)
Normalized blood sugar levels. This is due to better control over insulin and blood sugar (glucose) spikes. For those who are pre-diabetics or have diabetes, this is often crucial for preventing symptoms from worsening or complications.
Neuroprotective effects and enhanced cognitive performance, including less “brain fog” or dips in energy, improved memory in the elderly and reduced symptoms of epilepsy
Sometimes improvements in hormonal balance. This often results in better sleep, less fatigue, reduced pain or muscle weakness, and more energy overall.
Reduced bone loss or osteoporosis
In athletes, possible favorable changes in body mass and body composition, along with increase in the relative values of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and oxygen uptake at lactate threshold (VO2 LT)
In some cases, lower risk for cardiovascular disease or metabolic syndrome, including normalizing factors like blood sugar or unhealthy cholesterol levels
Wondering what types of foods you really shouldn’t have when on a low-carb diet? Because they’re higher in things like added sugar and carbs from flour or thickeners, limiting the foods below will keep your carb intake on the lower end:


If you’re intending to eat very low carb, avoid all grains (including wheat, barley, oats, rice and other whole grains). This also includes all foods made with grain flour such as bread, cakes, biscuits, chips, cereal, muffins, pasta, etc.
Sugar and foods that contain artificial or added sweeteners (honey, cane sugar, coconut sugar, etc.)
Most commercial fruits and fruit juices (juice is high in sugar, with the exception of lime or lemon juice)
Most pre-made condiments, sauces or packet mixes, which tend to be high in sugar
Alcohol, soda and other sweetened drinks
If you’re looking to drastically reduce carbs (such as following a ketogenic diet), you’ll also want to avoid most dairy products that contain milk, yogurt, ricotta or cottage cheese. Higher fat, low-carb cheeses are often included even on very low-carb diets because they have very few carbs.
Remember that regardless of what number of carbs you aim to eat everyday, the real goal is to consistently consume more real, whole foods and reduce intake of processed ingredients.

It can be wise to experiment with a very low-carb diet for a period of time, but once you’re working on maintenance (the way you intend to basically continue eating forever), aim to eat a variety of foods, including lots of different plants that will contain at least some carbs.

To sustain a healing diet long-term, develop a solid understanding of how many carbs daily from a well-rounded diet you can tolerate without gaining weight or suffering from other health problems.  You use this information about your unique biochemistry to sustain a “normal eating pattern” – complete with things like healthy proteins and fats, along with fresh veggies, fruits and even some whole starchy veggies, legumes or grains if they work well for you.

Final Thoughts on Low-Carb Foods 

 Low-carb diets can help people lose weight quickly and potentially improve certain health conditions like sugar dependence, brain fog, fatigue, and risk factors for metabolic syndrome or diabetes.
Low-carb foods include non-starchy veggies (like leafy greens or cruciferous veggies), healthy fats like coconut or olive oil, butter and hard cheeses, meat, seafood and eggs. Moderate sources of carbs are nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and some starchier veggies.
Depending on your overall health and goals, it’s not usually necessarily to completely avoid healthy sources of carbs in moderation, like fruit or starchy veggies. In some cases, sprouted or soaked grains and legumes (higher in carbs) can also be included in an otherwise balanced diet that includes lots of low-carb foods.

What can you do with low-carb foods? Low-carb recipes include that can be made without things like added sugars, refined grains or artificial sweeteners include protein shakes, smoothies, salads, crockpot recipes, fajitas, burgers or meatballs, and much more.


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Click here for Part 1 of this article featured on Weds 10th May.

Please click to see the full article.

by Dr Josh Axe

How to Drink Water to Lose Weight

If it's really that simple, why isn't everyone doing it?  Or maybe they just haven't seen this video yet!


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The 50 Best Low-Carb Foods, Plus Recipe Ideas & Tips - Part 1

While low-carb diets have been shown to have many benefits, especially for those who can afford to kick a sugar habit or lose weight in order to improve their health, many are hesitant to try this way of eating out of fear of giving up many delicious foods.

Rest assured that when following a healthy low carb diet, it’s still possible to keep enjoying all sorts of awesome recipes. Low-carb recipes include everything from crockpot chicken and veggies to grass-fed burgers. And what about low-carb breakfasts or travel-friendly snacks? These can include green smoothies or protein shakes, low-carb desserts made from things like coconut or almond flour, 1–2 cage-free hard-boiled eggs, or newer varieties of grass-fed beef jerky, for example.

While eating a low carbohydrate diet might not be the “magic bullet” to lasting weight loss for every person, it’s very helpful for most people to cut back on added sources of sugar and carbs. Even if you only plan to reduce your sugar and carb intake for a period of time, perhaps to break a sugar addiction or kickstart a healthier way of eating that includes less processed foods, you’re likely to experience benefits relatively fast.

Removing foods such as bread, cereals, sweetened drinks, processed dairy and even whole grains or starchy veggies from your diet will result in you releasing less insulin. This helps to balance blood sugar levels, reduce cravings and fatigue, speed up weight loss, leave you feeling more clear-headed (at least after you initially get used to the change) and even reduces your risk for things like heart disease and diabetes.

Replacing carb-heavy foods in your diet with low-carb foods like non-starchy veggies, healthy fats and high-quality proteins takes these benefits a step further: reducing hunger, making you feel satisfied and possibly even reversing certain nutrient deficiencies.

The 50 Best Low-Carb Foods

Below are dozens of healthy low-carb foods to fill your diet with:

Low-Carb Veggies

1. Broccoli

2. Cauliflower

3. Mushrooms

4. Peppers

5. Chard or collard greens

6. Asparagus

7. Kale

8. Spinach

9. Green beans

10. Arugula

11. Leeks or onions

12. Tomatoes

13. Brussel sprouts

14. Avocado

15. Turnips

16. Cabbage

17. Carrots (moderate carbs)

Eggs and Dairy

18. Cage-free eggs

19. Full-fat unsweetened yogurt or kefir

20. Raw whole milk

21. Hard cheese, sour cream and heavy cream (all are low in carbs, but very importantly I recommend grass-fed and organic dairy whenever possible, ideally made from raw milk). Cheeses low in carbs include blue cheese, cheddar cheese, goat, feta, Swiss, parmesan and asiago.

Meat and Seafood

All the foods below have zero carbs. Note that I recommend always looking for wild-caught fish and avoiding most shellfish such as shrimp, which tend to be higher in heavy metals like mercury.

22. Salmon

23. Haddock

24. Trout

25. Halibut

26. Sardines

27. Anchovies

28. Mackerel

29. Tuna or cod (in moderation)

Nuts and Seeds

30. Chia seeds

31. Flaxseeds

32. Almonds

33. Walnuts

34. Pumpkin, sesame or hemp seeds

35. Cashews and Brazil nuts (and just about all other nuts or seeds too)

Oils and Fats (all have zero carbs)

36. Coconut, olive, hemp, flaxseed, walnut or avocado oil

37. Butter or ghee

38. Palm oil

39. Lard

Condiments, Herbs and Spices

40. Herbs like turmeric, ginger, oregano, rosemary, basil, real sea salt, pepper, etc.

41. Hot sauces

42. Apple cider vinegar and most other vinegars in small amounts (balsamic, white, red, etc.)

43. Cocoa powder (raw and unsweetened is best)

44. Mustard (just avoiding high-sugar kinds like honey mustard)

45. Soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos

46. Bone broth (whether to drink alone or use in recipes)

No-Carb Drinks

47. Teas including green, black, oolong or white

48. Coffee

49. Herbal teas (ginger, chamomile, honeybush, peppermint, chai, etc.)

50. Fresh pressed vegetable juices or green smoothies

Part 2 of this article to follow on Friday this week.

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by Dr Josh Axe

10 Unbelievable Weight-Loss Stories of 2016 That Inspired Us to Be Fit

These before and after pictures are nothing like you've ever seen before.

 Justine McCabe

Just as this young mom was starting to cope with the loss of her mother, her husband passed away as well.  Understandably, she turned to food to cope with the pain causing her weight to skyrocket.  After counseling, McCabe rebounded with a 124-pound weight loss that has inspired thousands of people around the country.  She helped stay on track by snapping a selfie every day. 

 Rachel Graham

Earlier this year, this mom-of-two made headlines for showing the world what it's really like to lose 90 pounds.  She showed off her excess skin and told her fans that she appreciated it because it showed how far she'd come. And she really has.  In 2008, Graham struggled with an eating disorder, ultimately hovering around 113 pounds.  By 2015 she had recovered, but her weight skyrocketed to 235.8 pounds.  Now, after a lot of hard work, she say she weighs a healthy 145 pounds and is happier than she's ever been.  

  Rebecca Grafton

Grafton struggled with her weight her whole life, but when the scale tipped 246 pounds in 2014, she knew something had to change.  The 25-year old decided to book a trip to Jamaica, hoping it would motivate her to get back into shape - and it did.  This year, Rebecca hit her goal of losing 100 pounds, proving that you can do anything if you just put your mind to it.

See the rest of these inspiring stories and pics by clicking here

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Home Workout: Full Body Fat Burning HIIT Workout | The Body Coach

Recently voted No.5 in Forbes Magazine's 'world's top social media influencers' in the fitness category, Joe Wicks, aka. The Body Coach, is in the big leagues now.  Here's a quick home-workout that you should be able to squeeze into your daily schedule - it's under 20 mins - so no excuses!!  Enjoy.

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Ladies, Get Fit And Strong For The Menopause

Should women get in training for menopause? Yes – and the sooner the better.

Although menopause – the time when periods sign off for good – kicks in at around 50, symptoms like hot flushes, fractured sleep and a spreading waistline can start in the 40s. It's called the perimenopause:  the years when ovaries start winding down, creating hormonal changes that can influence bone health, heart health – and where you stack on weight.

But an exercise habit can do a lot to help, says Professor Lily Stojanovska, a researcher in women's health at Victoria University's College of Health and BioMedicine (in Australia).

"There's good evidence that exercise improves sleep and mood, and leads to better blood glucose control, as well as healthier blood fats and blood pressure. Exercise also improves the immune system and with that comes better health," she says.

Where women store weight can shift in midlife. Although women tend to store any extra fat around the hips and thighs during their reproductive years, come menopause any surplus fat tends to gather around the middle instead. That's more than a cosmetic issue – too much abdominal fat ups the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

That's why it makes sense to get an exercise habit that includes strength training before you reach 40 if you can, Stojanovska points out.

"The more strength training we do, the stronger bones become, the more muscle we build and the less fat we accumulate," she says. "Muscle burns more kilojoules than fat even when we're resting, and the more muscle we build, the easier it is to keep surplus fat at bay."

Can exercise also cool hot flushes?   The evidence is mixed – some studies find it helps, but others have found no effect. However some research, including a 2008 Australian study by Professor Wendy Brown of the University of Queensland's school of human movement and nutrition science has linked weight loss to fewer hot flushes – and weight gain to more hot flushes.

The message that regular physical activity and sticking to a healthy weight helps prime women for a leaner, healthier menopause needs to be much louder.  Figures from a 20-year study by Women's Health Australia show that women born between 1973 and 1978 who are approaching perimenopause are likely to be eight kilograms heavier at age 47 than women born between 1946 and 1951 were at the same age.

But if you've already reached perimenopause without an exercise habit, now's the time to start.

"You're around half way through your lifespan and at a point where you can influence your health in the second half of your life," says Jennie Burrell, a UK- based fitness trainer who's developed a 30-minute program for women at menopause that's a modified version of CrossFit, mixing cardio with strength training.

"Everyone has to age but you have some choice over whether you'll age with or without preventable health problems like metabolic syndrome, heart disease or diabetes. If we take action, we can probably end up healthier at 60 than we were at 30. Many women at midlife are now caring for elderly parents and often witnessing how the choices their parents made in their mid-lives are contributing to ill health and lack of independence in later life."

Yet the fitness industry doesn't always cater well for women who want to get serious about exercise in mid-life, says Burrell, who's speaking about fitness for women at midlife at the fitness industry conference, FILEX, in Sydney this coming weekend.

"This area of fitness is wildly under-served. In general, the fitness industry goes from full-on, high-impact programs to gentle exercise and aqua-aerobics and often bypasses mid-lifers who are active and strong.

"If a 55-year-old woman is climbing stairs and getting around then she's not ready for the 'soft shoe shuffling' movement regimes often offered to the over 50s. She's probably going to live to at least 85 so for me it's about keeping her strong, active and independent for the next 30 years – not pressing the 'power-down button'."

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Is Your Metabolism Keeping You From Losing Weight?

Secrets of Metabolism

If you’re trying to manage your weight, you’ll need to mind your metabolism.

Metabolism, specifically resting metabolism, is the body’s engine. It’s the energy you burn just to keep your heart beating, your lungs breathing, and your other organs running.

Unless you’re an elite athlete, resting metabolism accounts for 60% to 75% of all the calories you burn each day, and it varies a lot from person to person.

Metabolism Myths

Will eating more frequently boost your metabolism? An expert takes on three common beliefs.

People who have a naturally high metabolic rate can eat more, without gaining weight, than people who burn calories at a slower pace.

Sounds great, right? You’ve got this awesome internal combustion engine that burns hundreds of calories a day without you having to do a single sit-up.
Now for the bad news: It’s hard to boost your resting metabolism much beyond its natural set point, though it is possible to slow it down.
Here’s what science has shown can put a dent in your ability to lose weight and keep if off.

Sleep

Researchers have known that short sleep leads to weight gain. People who don’t get at least 6 hours of sleep at night are prone to overeating, and they usually crave starchy, sugary foods.

It turns out that overeating isn’t the only issue when you’re cheating sleep; not getting enough shut-eye also slows metabolism.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania recently brought 36 healthy adults into their sleep lab. Over 5 days, half the group was only allowed to sleep 4 hours a night; the other half got to sleep up to 10 hours at a time.

Even though the sleep-restricted group was active and awake for more hours of the day, their resting metabolisms slowed by about 50-60 calories a day, says senior study author Namni Goel, PhD. Goel studies sleep medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

It’s not a huge amount, but “that can add up across multiple nights of sleep restriction,” she says.

Even more concerning, Goel says, is that metabolism sputters just as appetite goes up. Her sleep-restricted volunteers were eating about 500 more calories each day, so the total calorie imbalance just from not getting enough sleep was substantial -- around 550 calories a day, enough to lead to about a pound of weight gain each week.


Protein

Kevin Hall, PhD, a senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health, has been doing experiments to test the idea that all calories are equal, no matter where they come from. With fats and carbohydrates, that seems to be true. But Hall says protein seems to be a different story.

“It looks like there might be some benefit to increasing the amount of protein that you eat,” he says, though more research is needed before he can say for sure. And he’s not sure why protein might boost metabolism, but he has some theories.

The body spends more energy trying to digest and absorb proteins than it does fats and carbohydrates.

“It also might increase metabolic rate, but very slightly. We’re not talking about huge increases here,” Hall says.

Diets that switch the body’s calorie primary fuel source from sugar or carbohydrates to fats also may help with your metabolism. Diets that do this are called ketogenic diets. They tend to be higher in fats or proteins and lower in carbohydrates.

In a recent study, Hall had 17 overweight or obese men follow two different low-calorie diets. The first was a diet that was higher in carbohydrates and lower in fats. The second was a ketogenic diet that was lower in carbohydrates and higher in fats. Protein was kept the same between the two diets. The men lost weight on both diets, but their metabolisms were slightly higher on the ketogenic diet.

The take-home message for people who are looking to lose weight is that if you’re going to cut calories, don’t cut your protein intake.

Eating more protein may help keep your resting metabolism high, which can help you both lose weight and keep it off after.

Weight Loss

When we lose weight, our bodies fight hard to regain it.

Eric Ravussin, PhD, director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, likens this resistance to weight loss to what happens when you pull on a spring.

“The more you pull your weight away from your natural settling point, the more your body is going to resist,” he says.   One way the body resists weight loss is to slow down its resting metabolism. The more rapid and extreme the weight loss, the more metabolism appears to slow.  A recent series of studies has shown exactly how dramatic the metabolic slowdown after weight loss can be.

Hall spent 6 years following contestants from season eight of "The Biggest Loser" reality show. The show takes obese people and pairs them with trainers who push them through extreme exercise -- up to 4 1/2 hours each day -- and strict diets so they quickly lose weight.

At the end of the competition, which lasts for 7 months, some people had lost as much as half their starting weight.  The trouble is that their metabolisms slowed even as the pounds flew off.

By the end of the show, when they were at their lowest weight, their resting metabolisms had dropped by more than 600 calories a day, on average.

Researchers had expected some slowing in their daily calorie burn, but the metabolic plunge was even more than scientists had predicted. And contrary to what experts had expected, their metabolisms never adjusted after their extreme weight loss. In some cases, they slowed even more.

Thirteen of the 14 contestants regained some of the weight they lost. Four contestants are heavier now than before they joined the show. Some have said their junk food cravings are still there, though their capacity to burn them off isn’t.

“We took a look at this extreme case of very huge lifestyle changes, huge amounts of weight loss because we wanted to see how strongly the body responds when you intervene to such a large degree. The answer is pretty darn strongly,” Hall says.

Hall thinks that hormones -- particularly the hormone leptin, which banishes hunger -- may play a role.

In a different study, "Biggest Loser" contestants had 80% less leptin at the end of their weight loss than a similar group of people who’d lost weight after bariatric surgery.

Scientists are currently testing whether giving leptin injections after weight loss might preserve metabolism and prevent weight regain.

Until there’s a drug to prevent weight regain, the take-home message here, says Ravussin, is that slow and steady is a better way to lose weight if you want to have a better chance of keeping it of

Even better, Hall says, is to try to change the way you think of weight loss. Instead of going on a diet -- dramatically cutting calories and killing yourself at the gym -- to get to a certain weight, he says it’s better to focus on adopting habits you’ll be able to stick with over the long run.

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By Brenda Goodman, MA

Do You Have to Be Antisocial to Lose Weight?

We all know how tough it is trying to lose weight, or even maintain weight, with the type of hectic social schedules that most people (certainly those with a busy job and friends!) are faced with.  It's impossible! That dream of a healthy lifestyle goes out the window and overeating, too much drinking and weight gain slowly slip back into your life.  Ever tried mindful eating?  Read on for some guidance on how this can help in the battle against the bulge!

When it comes to weight loss, friends and restaurants can lead to overeating. Do you have to choose between keeping the pounds off and hanging out with friends?

Picture your last meal at a restaurant with friends.

Plates loaded with delicious food.

People laughing and telling stories.

Wine glasses filled and refilled over the course of the meal.

A good time, right?

Sure. But researchers say there’s a downside to all that social revelry, especially if you are trying to lose weight, or even just keep off the pounds.

New research has found that the urge to overeat is strongest when you are dining with others in social situations, especially when out at a restaurant.

“The biggest source of temptation is when people are in restaurants and they’re with other people. In particular, being with others who are eating is a huge trigger,” Lora Burke, PhD, MPH, the study’s lead author, and a professor of nursing at the University of Pittsburgh, told Healthline.

But it’s not just your friends who can lead your diet astray.  People can feel food temptation “even if they’re alone but are in sight of people who are eating,” said Burke.

Increasing Temptation

In the year-long study, researchers used a smartphone app to follow 150 people enrolled in a weight loss program.

The app asked people to check in up to five times a day, reporting whether they were tempted to stray from their eating plan, or if they actually did.

At the same time, they reported where they were, who they were with, and their mood.

Throughout the day they also reported whenever they ate — or thought about eating — foods or portion sizes that didn’t fit their plan.

And they weighed themselves every day on a digital scale that sent data to the researchers automatically.

This use of technology in the study allowed researchers to capture information in real time, rather than relying on people to remember details later.
“We assessed them in the moment,” said Burke. “They’re in their natural environment — wherever they are — and they let us know what they’re doing, rather than relying on recall.”
The amount of data provided some hints at how people react to food temptations in different situations.

People were more tempted when they were in the presence of other people eating, compared with eating alone — even if they were sitting near strangers.
They also reported more food temptations when they were at a restaurant or bar, rather than at home or work.  And they were less likely to be tempted when eating in their car or at another person’s house.  Not every meal with friends at a restaurant leads down the path of temptation.

But the study found out that when people were tempted at a restaurant and were around others who were eating, “at least 60 percent of the time they will go on and eat something that they really weren’t planning for,” Burke said.

The chance of giving in to temptation at work or in the car was about 40 percent and 30 percent, respectively.

The study was presented at a recent meeting of the American Heart Association.

Mindful Eating

So is locking yourself in your house with a bowl of salad and ignoring your friends’ text messages your best option?

Not quite.

Even though eating at a restaurant with friends can be a high-risk situation, friends can actually help you stick to your weight loss plan.
Other research found that people who received more social support were better able to keep the weight off. As were people who enrolled in a weight loss program with friends.

Plus, the new study found that even though people experienced fewer food temptations when they were at home, they still gave into them about half of the time. Even when they were alone.

So food temptation lies in wait in many places. As do distractions — which some think may be behind our overeating.

“People often overeat when they’re distracted — social situations can be distracting, of course,” Dan Zigmond, author of “Buddha’s Diet: The Ancient Art of Losing Weight Without Losing Your Mind,” told Healthline. “But sitting alone at your desk at work can be hugely distracting, as well. And there’s lots of evidence that people make bad choices in that situation, too.”

You can counteract the effect of these distractions by being more mindful while you eat.

This technique has been applied in successful weight loss programs. But its roots extend even further back.

“Part of the theme of our book is to carry forward the teachings that Buddha presented so many years ago. Those really all boil down to just paying attention,” said Zigmond. “To try to ensure that you’re always paying some attention to what you’re eating, no matter where you’re doing it, when you’re doing it, or with whom.”

Zigmond said that this works even in groups, as seen with Buddhist monks who eat their meals communally, and mindfully.

Mindful eating mind might mean something as simple as pausing for a moment before starting to eat. Or paying attention to each bite of food. Or talking about the food with your friends.
In the end, this can improve the dining experience for everyone, without leaving you feeling guilty afterward for overeating.

“I don’t think meals out with friends have to be bad for our health or our weight,” said Zigmond. “But we have to combine them with a certain amount of attention and mindfulness.”


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Fast and Furious - The Ultimate Guide to HIIT Training

HIIT training is not a new thing....but it's a great thing! If you haven't given it a go, then you really should. Most gyms and sports centres have now introduced these classes into their schedules and the benefits after a few sessions of training fast and furious, are clear to see!

HIIT stands for 'high intensity interval training', basically a short, fast, intense burst of exercise focusing on one area of the body, followed by a brief recovery then going hard again. Class usually last from 20-30 minutes so it's over pretty quickly too! It's like circuit training on fast forward (x16)! Read on to hear more about the benefits of Hiit from this recent Men's Health article - scientists have now added age prevention to the list of benefits from this form of exercise. Bring it!


The Fountain of Youth? If you're training right, it's whichever tap is closest to you in the gym. New research from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota found interval training actually slows down the ageing process. Turns out HIIT encourages cells to grow proteins faster, slowing down the decline as you age.

There's never been a better time to train like mad for 20 seconds. With that in mind, we present our one-stop guide for all things High Intensity.

Some guys burn fat like a furnace and get sleeve-ripping guns in no time at all. Their secret? Four words: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). There’s a reason why almost every trainer swears by HIIT. Cycles of intense anaerobic exertion followed by slower recovery periods are proven to burn fat and build muscle – fast. And here’s how to make the most of it.

Knowledge is power

You could spend hours on mind-numbingly boring cardio exercise with little results, or less time on high intensity results to get massive gains. An easy choice, right? HIIT really means more muscle, less fat and all in less time – this is not a drill. Researchers from McMaster University in Canada discovered high intensity training delivers the same physical benefits as traditionally tedious endurance training. In other words, HIIT has its cake then eats it too (and then burns that cake off in record speed).

HIIT burns away fat

High intensity training will kickstart your metabolism, meaning you’ll still be burning calories long after you leave the gym. The intense anaerobic exercise opens up a tab of energy and lets you settle the bill with blubber. This means you can burn up to 5% of your body fat with a simple 20 minute workout, according to researchers from Southern Illinois University.

HIIT packs on the muscle

The human body has two main muscle groups: fast twitch and slow twitch. Small slow twitch muscles are great for endurance, but they’re unlikely to fill out your t-shirt – unless you’ve accidentally shrunk it in the wash. Fast twitch muscles, on the other hand, are larger and used for power movements.

But changing slow twitch muscles into fast twitch is incredibly difficult, right? Well, no. Researchers at the Department of Clinical Physiology in Stockholm found HIIT is an effective way of transforming fibres from slow to fast. It’s no wonder Joel Edgerton has his own HIIT workout to get in blockbuster shape.

HIIT cranks up your cardio

A few weeks of high intensity workouts will also boost your V02 max – the key metric determining your pace, power and endurance – by 6% more than standard cardio, according to a study published in the American Journal of Physiology. That’s right, a workout of less than 20 minutes per session is better for your cardiovascular health than longer workout sessions. Seriously. This is because HIIT recruits more muscle tissue – around 80% compared with 20-40% for moderate jogging or cycling. It’s a simple formula: more muscle use = better cardiovascular fitness. HIIT has it all covered.

Your abs love HIIT

Intensity training is a sure-fire way to a defined six-pack. Why? Your abs hide behind a layer of fat that HIIT removes while jacking them up at the same time. You’ll be struggling to sit up after our extreme intensity abs workout, but you’ll see signs of your six-pack emerging in no time. We can’t promise it won’t hurt, but it’s the quickest way to an ironclad core. You can thank us later.

Muscle mass? HIIT the bike  

A short warm up, intense pedalling, cool down. That's all you need for some serious gains. Oh, and the entire thing lasts less than twenty minutes. Scientists at Canada's McMaster University found 10 one-minute sprints on a standard stationary bike are equally effective as hours spent at low-intensity. Getting bulked on a bike couldn’t be faster.

Want to burn fat? HIIT the rowing machine

Warm up. Row like there’s no tomorrow. Recover. Repeat. It’s really that easy to drop off the fat. Mark Coles, a fat loss specialist at M10 fitness, recommends using power intervals on a rower: go flat-out for 30sec then do 2min slowly. Repeat 4 times 2-3 times per week. “This stimulates growth hormones and increases fat loss,” he says. Researchers from the University of Tasmania found that just four weeks of HIIT training improved the time-trial performances of competitive rowers in comparison to traditional training.

Don’t overdo it

Since HIIT is so effective, all you need to fight is the urge to overtrain and you’ll be well on your way to washboard abs. More than three high intensity sessions a week could cause havoc to your gains, according to a study published in the journal Plus One. Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that those who used HIIT three times a week saw an 11% improvement in their endurance but those who exercised every day showed no development. Put simply, HIIT means less workout time and more gains.   

Eat well for best results

HIIT will transform your body into a rocket – and all rockets need fuel. A study in The Journal of Nutrition found that just 20g of protein before a session can enhance your calorie burn over 24 hours and taking amino acids 30 minutes prior to training could build 42% more muscle than those who took them after intensity training. You can also carb up guilt free as the oxidative stress of HIIT could force the body eat up muscle for energy, meaning a couple of slices of wholemeal bread, or even a bit of pasta will do you the world of good.

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HIIT Home Workout for Beginners | The Body Coach

A great home workout routine from Joe Wicks, The Body Coach.  This will fire you up for the day 👍😅👊

Great Food Combinations for Losing Weight

Power Pairs
When it comes to slimming down, two (or more) foods can be better than one. That’s because each has different nutrients that work together. As a team, they can help you fend off hunger, stay full longer, and burn fat or calories better than they would solo.

Avocado and Dark Leafy Greens

A spinach or kale salad is low in calories and high in nutrients, but it can leave you wanting more. To make it more filling, top it with avocado. One study showed that people who had lunches that included the green fruit felt 23% more satisfied afterward than those who didn’t. That’s because it has a kind of good fat (monounsaturated) that staves off hunger. Bonus: Avocado also helps your body absorb more of the veggies’ disease-fighting antioxidants.

Chicken and Cayenne Pepper

Chicken breasts are known to be good for weight loss, and for good reason. One breast serves up 27 grams of protein for fewer than 150 calories. Protein takes longer to digest, and that can keep you full longer. Spice up this dinner staple with a rub or sauce made with cayenne pepper. It may boost your calorie burn and make you less hungry.

Oatmeal and Walnuts

A simple way to slim down: Eat the rough stuff. Simply adding more fiber to your diet can lead to weight loss. That’s because your body can’t break down fiber, so it slows down digestion and takes up space in your stomach. With 4 grams of fiber per cup, oatmeal can be a good source. Walnuts add another 2 grams, plus satisfying protein and crunch.

Eggs, Black Beans, and Peppers

Start your day with this protein-packed scramble. According to research in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, people who had eggs for breakfast ate 22% fewer calories at lunch -- and less the entire day -- than those who had a bagel. Black beans and peppers make this morning meal even more filling, thanks to a double dose of fiber. 

Bean and Vegetable Soup

Add a broth-based vegetable soup to your lunch or dinner. The liquid fills your stomach, leaving less room for higher-calorie foods. One study showed that people who started with soup ate 20% fewer calories during a meal. Stirring in beans, such as chickpeas or black beans, can give it more staying power because they’re high in protein and fiber. In fact, eating 3 cups of beans a week has been shown to boost weight loss. 

Steak and Broccoli

Too tired to hit the gym? This meal can help you out. Beef is rich in protein and iron, which your body uses to build red blood cells. They take oxygen to your organs, so falling short in those can zap your energy. Broccoli is the perfect side, because its vitamin C helps your body take in iron. A half-cup of this veggie has 65% of all the vitamin C you need in a day.

Green Tea and Lemon 

If you need a pick-me-up, brew some green tea. The low-calorie drink is packed with antioxidants called catechins, which may help you burn more calories and fat. Japanese scientists found that people who drank a bottle of tea high in catechins each day shed more fat after 2 weeks than those who didn’t. To make it even healthier, add a squeeze of lemon -- it helps your body absorb them.

Salmon and Sweet Potato    Fish is often called “brain food,” but it’s also good for your waist. Its omega-3 fats may help you lose body fat, and salmon is a top source. Plus, one 3-ounce serving packs in 17 grams of protein. Serve it with a baked sweet potato for a filling yet light meal. A 5-inch-long spud has 4 grams of fiber and just 112 calories.

Yogurt and Raspberries

This creamy treat may help turn up the fat burn. Research suggests that people who get more calcium and vitamin D as part of a weight loss plan shed more fat than those who don’t. So, look for a vitamin D-fortified yogurt, which serves up about 35% of all the calcium you need in a day. Top it with half a cup of raspberries for sweetness and 4 grams of fiber.

Mushrooms and Ground Beef

You can eat burgers and lose weight -- the key is to swap at least 50% of the meat for chopped or ground mushrooms. With only 16 calories a cup, they can lighten any dish made with ground beef without skimping on flavor. They may also help keep your blood sugar levels steady, which helps curb cravings.

Olive Oil and Cauliflower

At just 27 calories a cup, cauliflower is a diet-friendly food. It’s also low on the glycemic index (GI), a measure of how much a food raises your blood sugar. One study showed that low-GI vegetables led to more weight loss than starchier ones, such as peas and corn. Drizzle chopped cauliflower with olive oil and roast it -- this brings out the flavor, and olive oil’s fats can curb your appetite by making you feel full.

Pistachios and an Apple

Need a midday snack? This combo offers protein, healthy fats, and fiber to fend off hunger. With about 160 calories for 50 of them, pistachios are one of the lowest-calorie nuts. Plus, they’re usually packaged in their shells, which can slow you down and keep you from munching mindlessly. The apple adds sweetness and crunch to your treat, along with 4 grams of fiber.

Fish, Whole-Wheat Tortilla, and Salsa

One of the top reasons weight loss efforts fail is taste. Eating bland foods at every meal can lead to a junk food binge. So it’s important to have healthy, flavorful dishes in your lineup. Fish tacos are a perfect example: Make them with white fish for lean protein and a whole-wheat tortilla for fiber. Top them with some salsa for extra vitamins.  

Dark Chocolate and Almonds

Swearing off sweets sounds like a good way to drop pounds, but it can backfire. Nixing them altogether can lead to overeating. With about 7 grams of sugar per ounce, dark chocolate is one dessert you can feel good about eating. Pairing it with high-protein almonds keeps your blood sugar levels steady, and that can keep you satisfied longer.

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Best Lower Abs Workout | Natalie Jill

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Inspiring Stories: Natalie Jill - The Hottest Fitness Trainer and Her Story

Who Is Natalie?

Natalie Jill is a licensed master sports nutritionist, functional fitness trainer, popular online personality and most recently became a USA Today bestselling author. She has helped millions of people worldwide get in shape with her health programs and in the process created an online business that has generated over seven figures in revenue.

Natalie Jill has an autoimmune disease called celiac. She has been through hardships and has courageously dealt with adversity and has overcome and accomplished all her goals through self-accountability.

Her motto is “Excuses or Solutions YOU decide” - this is how she has lived her life and empowered others to.

Several years ago, she lost her house, her retirement, her marriage ended and she gained a lot of weight. She turned it all around, got her life back and became an inspiration to others. Watch Natalie’s story below…

Watch my blog for some of the Best Weight Loss Workouts from Natalie Jill over the next week.

Weight Loss Goals. What Should You Aim For?

Realistic Weight Loss Goals

If you’ve come to the decision that you want to lose some weight, the next step is determining how much weight you should lose. Because so many people begin diets and lose hope quickly, you’ll want to make sure your diet and goals are realistic. Every person is different, and while weighing 100 pounds might be ideal for your friend, it is probably not ideal for you. You don’t want to lose too much weight, you should simply want to be at your ideal weight and aim for realistic weight loss goals.

What Is Your Healthy Weight?

In order to determine your ideal weight, using the Body Mass Index is a good way to start. This looks at a person’s weight in relation to their height. No matter your height, if you’re under 18.5, then you’re underweight. So no one should be aiming for a BMI under 18.5. A healthy weight is known between 18.5-24.9, so any of these is safe for a goal. The taller you are, the higher your BMI can be. But if your BMI is between 25-29.9, you’re considered overweight. If it is 30 or more, then you’re obese. Charts determining your ideal BMI in regards to your weight are available online and in health stores or gyms.

Similarly, you’ll want to make sure you are aiming for a BMI that is realistic to your age. You may have had 18.5 BMI when you were 18, but if you’re 40 and looking to have that again, you might be out of luck. Our metabolisms change as we get older, so you’ll want to always take that into account when realizing weight loss goals. Don’t aim for an 18.5 because that’s what you were when you were a teen. Aim for a BMI that is realistic to your age, and will result in you feeling fit, healthy and slim, rather than stick thin.

Cost of Eating Healthy vs. Unhealthy Part 2

Yesterday, I posted a rather hotly debated blog post – breaking down the costs of unhealthy vs. healthy eating.  Today, I thought it would be beneficial to look at some of the “hidden” costs of being unhealthy.

First, it’s important to look at some of the things we buy when we’re not necessarily looking out for our best eating habits.  These aren’t necessarily foods – they are expenses we didn’t expect, as Drew started to realize what being overweight really entailed.

Items we bought when Drew was unhealthy that we don’t buy when we’re healthy:

Creams and powders to help with his chaffing= approximately $10 a month
Lotions to try and curb stretch marks (he’d hate that I put this in there)= approximately $20 a month
All the soda & energy drinks as explained yesterday= approximately $30-$50 a month
A LOT more fast food and eating out as explained above going over $130 above what we’d normally spend.

It got me thinking about some of the costs that not even Drew had to take on (since his stage of being overweight was limited to his 1-year journey).  But when you start examining how being unhealthy can affect your pocket book in other ways, the numbers start piling up.  Here are some possible additional expenses:

Doctor’s bills would most likely increase.  Someone would have to pay their deductible and co-payments along with higher insurance premiums. Because Dr. Willey offered to sponsor Drew through his journey and paid for his lab work and doctor bills, we’re not able to gauge and give accurate figures as to what someone may spend on their doctor bills, but I know that if Drew had to pay for all his visits and lab/blood work it was actually a couple THOUSAND dollars…YIKES!!!

Before Drew started this journey he hadn’t needed to go to a doctor in 6 years.

Also, the doctors wanted Drew to go on blood pressure medication (but he didn’t). If he would have, then that would be an additional co-payment cost for his medicine and we’re not sure on what that cost would be. We assume many people that have health problems caused from being overweight may be spending quite a bit on medications and doctor visits.

Then again, it’s not all just cost when you’re unhealthy.  There are some costs that we deal with in our efforts to live a healthy lifestyle:  These are two that come to mind:

$30 monthly membership at a gym
Approximately $200 monthly for supplements/vitamins (cost for a year spread over 12 months). We realize this is pretty expensive for many people and when we were both fit we spent a bit less.
When you take into account our gym membership and supplements our family does spend a little more in the healthier stage of the journey. However, if we had to pay for Drew’s medical bills there is no doubt that the cost for us would be MORE to be unhealthy then healthy. I realize many people live on a certain budget and some people say they make $75 feed their whole family for the week. I think there are ways to cut back on even the healthy grocery list to make it more affordable for those families on a budget. Some of the tips I have are:

Buy fruit that is in season (and therefore less expensive)
Buy vegetables that are in season (and therefore less expensive)
Price Match- I don’t know if your grocery store does this, but mine does. I look through the weekly ads and when I see chicken breast for example on sales per lb. I take it to my store and I load up on a ton of chicken and price match to save money and then freeze it to preserve it until I need it. Same goes for price matching produce or other products we often use.
Buy generic brands- my grocery store sells both name brands and generic brands. The generic is less expensive.
Make appropriate substitutions- if you can’t afford protein bars then don’t buy them. Buy a different healthy snack that is less expensive.
I think regardless of people’s opinions regarding my analysis for my family, it’s hard to debate that overall our health/life is much more important then the few extra dollars you’ll save eating unhealthy. I’m not saying people should go into debt or go broke when it’s out of their budget either, but I feel that everyone should just try to do the best they can.

Part 1 of my blog post mentioned that there are a million excuses we have to not be healthy.  Hopefully, a look into our expenses shows you that being healthy isn’t impossible – even if it costs a few more bucks at the grocery store.  It’s not a reason to hold yourself back, or find the healthier you.

As my husband says, “Commit to a healthier you, regardless of your circumstance”.

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Inspiring True Story - Andie Mitchell talks to TEDx about her secret to lasting weight loss

Andie Mitchell talks about her struggles with food, her background and her blog. She explores a topic that she claims took many years of reflection to figure out: the secret to lasting weight loss.

This is inspiring stuff from someone who's been in 'those shoes'..