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Author WellnessKichen Categories Health & Fitness, Healthy Eating Posted on 0 Comments

Ways Make Your Workout 500% More Effective

Follow these experts’ tips to skyrocket your results. 

You’re serious about looking and feeling great. You’re determined to make your workouts count. You load up a carefully curated playlist, fight your busy schedule to get to the gym, and resist every urge to skip those one or two exercises you never seem to find comfortable. Well done! But an optimal workout doesn’t end there. 

Knowing when and how to fuel your body to meet your fitness goals is the most important thing you can do for your workouts beyond showing up at the gym. With the help of nutrition experts, we created a list of five rules you should follow to exponentially improve your results. 

Run Hungry… 

Whether we want to bulk up or slim down in the gym, looking leaner is a nearly universal goal. According to holistic health coach Seth Santoro, the best strategy for lowering body-fat percentage is to work out soon after waking up. “Hit the gym and do some treadmill sprints on an empty stomach to burn fat,” he says. “Your body is already in a calorie deficit, and it will ignite your body’s fat-burning ability.” Glycogen levels are depleted during sleep, so your body will utilize body fat as an energy source. 

…But Fuel Your Muscles to Give Them a Life 

Although doing cardio in a fasted state is a good plan for burning fat and improving insulin sensitivity, you should pre-fuel before a weight workout. While you can huff along on a treadmill depleted, your body needs energy to get through a more intense session. Dietitians recommends eating 30 grams of carbohydrates before a workout. That’s about the amount you’d find in a large banana. “Without carbs, you’ll get tired in the middle of your workout, and it won’t be as effective. 

For a workout requiring lots of energy, Dietitians suggests eating whole-grain pancakes three to four hours before your workout, and bananas, a fruit smoothie, or oats half an hour beforehand. Santoro recommends protein for pre-workout fueling. “Because you’ll only have 30 to 60 minutes to digest your food, drink a fast-acting protein like whey isolate that’s easily absorbed into your body, adding that egg whites are a good substitute.  

Stay Away from Sports Drinks 

Ever see someone consuming a Gatorade after a leisurely stroll or Vitamin water after a short bike ride? They’re doing it wrong. “Many people feel they need these sugar-dense drinks after short workouts. “The truth is, these drinks often have more calories in them than what’s actually being burned off.” Her advice is not to consume such drinks unless you work out with an elevated heart rate for at least an hour. “Oftentimes these drinks are needed due to the risk of dehydration, but cautions that if you’re working out in mild temperatures or for less than an hour, they’re largely unnecessary. She maintains that it’s best to drink water to ensure you’re not consuming more calories than are being burned off.  

Remember to Refuel 

“Post-workout nutrition is crucial to any fitness goals,” says Santoro, who maintains that pre- and post-workout nutrition are the two most important meals of your day. Why is it so important to refuel your body immediately after a workout? It helps replenish glycogen levels, decrease protein breakdown, and increase protein synthesis and the ability to build muscle. “Immediately following a weight-training exercise is when your body utilizes protein at its best. She recommends following resistance-training exercise with an egg-white omelet or yogurt. “I always tell my patients to consume at least 10 to 20 grams of protein after a weight-training regimen. 

Don’t Out-eat What You Burned 

A whopping 70 to 75 percent of the calories we expend each day is needed for our “basal metabolic functions:” Everything from keeping your heart beating to making your fingernails grow. When we exert a lot of extra energy in the gym, our bodies call out for more fuel with hunger pangs and a rumbling belly. At this point, people tend to undermine their efforts with a superfluous amount of food. “When exercise-induced hunger sets in, only increase your calorie intake up to 20 to 30 percent of what your calorie tracker says you burned,” she says. Jubilee reminds us that we would have naturally burned a percentage of those calorie anyway, just sitting around.  

Now that you know how to triple your workout results, read on to find out the mistakes you need to break during your next gym visit. 

You Don’t Fuel Your Workout Properly 

You likely already know that what you put in your mouth before hitting the gym can help ward off fatigue, but did you know that certain foods can actually make your workout less effective? Fatty foods like nuts and avocados take a long time to digest, so if you work out soon after eating them, you’re making your body compete with itself for blood supply. This can result in diminished exercise performance and workout-ending muscle cramps. Another pre-workout dietary no-no is not eating enough carbs. Taking in too little of the nutrient makes it near impossible to make it through a long, intense, calorie-blasting workout.  

Your Cardio Plan is Out of Whack 

Yes, cardio boosts heart health, burns calories and, for many, can also be an effective way to zone out and relax, but not all cardio workouts are created equal. Staying on the treadmill or bike for too long, for example, can actually eat away at lean muscle mass, which, over time, slows metabolism and makes it harder to burn fat and lose weight. Endurance training also encourages the body to store food as fat to ensure you have enough reserve fuel for all these extra miles. Exercisers who combine cardio with high-intensity, total-body resistance training programs (like the one we link to above) lose more than twice as much fat as those who follow a moderate-intensity cardio plan, say Skidmore College researchers. Alternatively, cut your cardio workout duration to 30 to 45 minutes and throw in some 60-second all-out sprint intervals every two or three minutes to pump up the intensity. 

You’re Recovering the Wrong Way 

Believe it or not, recovery and rest are just as important as your workout. When you don’t give yourself enough time to relax between sweat sessions, the body starts pumping out cortisol, a stress hormone that boosts fat storage and appetite—a killer combination for anyone looking to lose weight and burn fat. This doesn’t mean you have to take two days off for every day you hit the gym, but you should vary your workouts so you aren’t hitting the same muscles on consecutive days. That means back-to-back full-body strength-training sessions are out; doing upper body one day and lower body the next is fair game, though, as is alternating lighter workouts—like yoga or a spin class—with full-body resistance training. This tactic helps your muscles recover without cutting into your workout schedule. It’s a win-win. 

You Aren’t Sweating Enough 

While it’s true that a bad workout is better than no workout at all, that only holds true when some—not all—of your workouts lack intensity. Deep down you know that coasting along in the back of Zumba class every week, or barely breaking a sweat in the weight room isn’t going to help you achieve that lean look you’re working towards. If you want to see change in your body, you must challenge your muscles. “Lifting heavy weights is the best way to increase your metabolism, sustain long-term muscle growth and stay lean. If you’re doing more than ten reps with ease, your weight probably isn’t heavy enough, so vary your reps and consistently increase the amount you’re lifting. The same holds true when you’re doing cardio—and it’s as simple as turning up the speed or the resistance. Don’t believe it? Consider this: A 150-pound person who bumps the treadmill speed from 5 MPH to 6 MPH will boost their calorie burn by 25 percent, which, over time, can add up to major weight loss. 

You Never Mix Things Up 

Doing the same workout for months on end and expecting to lose weight is a lot like using a cheesy pickup line to land a date—it’s just not going to work. Sure, that barre class may have helped you lose the first five pounds, but after you’ve mastered the moves, your progress is sure to stall. If you want the scale to tip in your favor, you have to vary your workouts and do exercises that you’re not particularly good at so your body stays challenged. To keep seeing results, mix up your intensity or duration every time you hit the gym, then completely switch your workout once a month. That could mean trying a boxing class if you’ve become a hardcore yogini, or simply drawing up new resistance and cardio routines every four weeks. 

You Refuel with Too Much Protein 

You know that consuming protein after your workout aids muscle repair and growth, so the more of it you eat, the better–right? Not so much. Researchers say that for those who weigh about 150 pounds, consuming 20 grams of protein within a half hour of leaving the gym is optimal. Dietitian says women who weigh a bit less may only need about 12 grams. Take in any more than the recommended amount and the protein will likely be stored as fat, while the excess amino acids will simply be excreted, she notes. A 7-ounce Fage Total 2% Plain Yogurt fits the bill and is easy to throw in a gym bag and eat on the go. Mix it with some berries to add some flavor-enhancing, energy-replenishing carbs to your post-workout snack.  

You’re Not Breaking a Sweat Often Enough 

Sure, hitting the gym once or twice a week can boost heart health and even your mood, but if weight or fat loss is your goal, you’ll need to commit to a consistent workout schedule. “When I’m looking to trim down a bit, my rule is three or 30. This means three miles a day of walking, running or cycling, or 30 minutes of circuit or strength training. It doesn’t matter what it is, just get moving every day. To help you stick to your workouts, sit down at the beginning of each week and pencil in your sweat sessions, then stick to them as you would any important appointment. Set realistic expectations, then reward yourself with something healthy—like a manicure or a new pair of running shoes—if you overshoot your goal. 

Author WellnessKichen Categories Health & Fitness, Healthy Eating Posted on 0 Comments

Easy Ways to Stop Eating So Much Sugar

Slash your intake of the sweet stuff with the help of our easy sugar-reducing hacks! 

“Eat less sugar.” It may be a short and sweet suggestion (pun intended) but when it comes to how to stop eating added sugar, the reality isn’t as simple. 

The USDA’s most recent dietary guidelines issued added sugar limits, recommending that we cut out sugar and keep our consumption of the stuff to no more than 10 percent of overall calories. That’s equal to 200 calories or 50 grams of added sugar per day for those following a 2,000-calorie diet. To put things into perspective, the average American eats between 73 grams and 77 grams of added sugar a day! 

Even if you’re not downing sleeves of cookies or guzzling cans of Fanta, there are still opportunities for you to stop eating so much sugar. In fact, added sugar is often lurking in the places you’d least expect it—such as “wholesome” bread, your go-to “healthy” snack bar and your post-workout smoothie—and it may be just the reason you can’t get that flat belly you’ve been working on. 

The good news is that it’s 100 percent possible to cut back! To help you do just that (and ward off tooth decay, diabetes, and high blood pressure), we’ve compiled a list of easy ways for how to stop eating sugar—without sacrificing the deliciousness of all your favorite foods. 

Understand the difference between ‘naturally-occurring sugar’ and ‘added sugar.’ 

Before you freak out and throw out everything sweet in your kitchen, take a moment to fully understand the official sugar recommendation and the difference between added sugar and naturally-occurring sugar. 

  • Naturally-occurring sugar: Fruits, veggies, and plain dairy products have naturally-occurring sugar that shouldn’t overly concern you. Because fruits and veggies contain other digestion-slowing nutrients like fiber and healthy fats, your body doesn’t process the sugar as quickly as it would a cookie or a Twix bar. In other words, the sugar in apples and peppers won’t contribute to weight gain and diabetes like a soda will. 
  • Added sugar: The FDA defines “added sugars” as all sugars that are added during the processing of foods. This includes sugars from syrups, honey, and concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. 

To remind you, the official recommendation is to cut back on added sugars, not all sugar. Beginning in January 2020, the Nutrition Facts Panel will have a column dedicated to added sugars, which will make it easy to detect which foods are high in added sugar. 

Because some manufacturers will have until January 2021 to add this “added sugar” line, make sure to know how to calculate added sugar on your own. Naturally occurring sugars and added sugar are clumped together under “sugar.” This is particularly confusing when you’re buying things like flavored yogurt, which contain both types of the sweet stuff. So when in doubt, read the ingredients list. 

Learn and recognize all the different names for sugar. 

Now that you know which ingredients to look for, don’t stop there. There are over 56 different names for added sugar including: 

  • cane sugar 
  • dried cane syrup 
  • dried cane juice 
  • fruit juice concentrates 
  • high-fructose corn syrup 
  • molasses 
  • agave 
  • honey 
  • brown rice syrup 
  • maple syrup 
  • brown sugar 
  • sucrose, glucose, fructose, dextrose, maltose—or any word ending in “-ose“ 

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. So, the closer these sugar ingredients are to the beginning of the list, the more of that sweetener is used in the food. 

If several forms of sugars appear on the label, think twice about making it a regular addition to your diet. Sometimes, manufacturers will use several forms of sugar on the label to prevent a single source from appearing close to the beginning of the ingredient list. In this case, check the nutrition facts panel to see just how much sugar is in the food. 

To find out exactly how much added sugar, look at a similar, unflavored version of the product you’re interested in buying and see how they differ. For example, if a serving of plain oatmeal has 1 gram of sugar and a flavored version has 16 grams, it’s safe to assume you’d be consuming 15 grams of added sugar. When it comes to candy and sweets, assume all of it’s the added variety. 

Stop drinking sugar-sweetened beverages. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, the fourth-largest source of calories in the American diet comes from soda, which is also the largest contributor of added sugar. “One 12-ounce can of Mountain Dew delivers 52 grams of sugar, which is more than a day’s worth, says food expert and author of The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse, Kelly Choi. “Ditch the sugar water and keep your taste buds happy with unsweetened teas or water infused with fresh fruit. This simple swap can help you shed over ten pounds in a year!” 

Don’t rely on artificially-sweetened beverages as replacements. 

Though turning to artificial sweeteners may seem like the go-to move when cutting back on the real stuff, don’t be fooled! Splenda, Sweet n’ Low, diet soda and sugar-free candy aren’t any better than the real deal. What’s worse, some research, including a report in Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine and a separate American Journal of Public Health study both found an association between fake sugars and weight gain—not loss. 

Buy ‘unsweetened’ versions of foods. 

Whether you’re buying applesauce, milk alternatives, nut butter, or canned fruit, look for an unsweetened variety. Making products with “no added sugar” and “unsweetened” labels your BFFs will help you significantly cut sugar and calories over the course of a year. 

Stock up on fresh fruit. 

So what should you buy instead of all those sweet snacks? Nature’s candy, of course, is naturally free of all added sugars. In fact, dietitians say that eating fresh fruit is one of the healthiest ways to satisfy a sweet craving. To ensure your fruity nosh leaves you full and satisfied, pair it with protein and healthy fats, such as nuts or nut butter (which digest slowly), keeping you fuller for longer. Examples of fruit snack pairings include: 

  • raspberries and low-fat plain yogurt 
  • banana and peanut butter on whole-grain toast 
  • apple and low-fat cheddar cheese 
  • tangerine and cashews 

Beware of dried fruit. 

Though we’ve never met a raw fruit we didn’t love, dried and canned fruits are entirely different stories. Food manufacturers often add sugar, juice concentrates, vegetable oil, and syrups to extend their fruit’s shelf life and improve the flavor. Steer clear of these culprits to cut sugar and stay slim! 

Shop on a full stomach. 

It’s true what they say: Out of house, out of mouth. Seems simple enough—until you’re actually in the grocery store. To ensure you’ll have the restraint to stop eating sugar, have a small snack before you leave the house. Experts say that when we’re shopping hungry, we’re far more likely to lose sight of our dietary goals and load up on unhealthy, sugar-laden eats. 

Chew Fennel Seeds 

Can’t shake those post-dinner dessert cravings? Dietitians recommends chewing fennel seeds to take the edge off. Why? They’re naturally sweet but don’t contain any sugars, so they will help quell your cravings without ballooning your belly. And, as a bonus, fennel seeds are known to stop belly bloat and act as an appetite suppressant, giving you a double dose of belly-trimming benefits. 

Quash sugar cravings with tea. 

Next time you’re having a hard to ignore the sweet-tooth attack, fix yourself a cuppa tea. Mint, ginger, cinnamon, and Chai teas will all help you fend off those longings by hitting that “sweet spot” without sugar overload, explains Brown. And with so many varieties, it’s hard to get bored. If you need to sweeten it up, add just a teaspoon of honey (measure it out to ensure you don’t overdo it), which is a bit healthier for you than straight sugar or sweeteners. 

Consume smaller portions of high-sugar foods. 

Typically grab a bag of M&Ms or a chocolate bar as an afternoon snack? Finish your day with a bowl of ice cream? If you want to cut back on sugar, you can start by cutting your serving sizes in half. By halving your regular portion sizes and saving the leftovers for tomorrow, you’ll cut back on 50 percent of your added sugar intake from those foods. Subsidize your plate with something fresh and healthy, like nuts, fruit, steel cut oats or one of our go-to high-protein snacks. You’ll get a smaller sugar boost, without sacrificing the sugary taste you crave. 

Have a savory breakfast. 

Get this: Having a sweet breakfast will set you up for all day long sugar cravings, says Brown. Yes, that means saying sayonara to your sugar-sweetened coffee and sugary cereal. Sorry! Though that may sound plain awful, it doesn’t have to be. Sprinkle cinnamon into your coffee or sweeten a low-sugar cereal with slices of fruit. Better yet, opt for a savory morning meal: Whip up a veggie omelet or top your oats with ground pepper, cheddar, scallions and a fried egg instead of fruit and honey. These filling, satisfying meals will help you stay on the road toward low-sugar success! 

Buy plain flavors and sweeten naturally with fruit. 

Sure, that key lime pie-flavored yogurt looks mouthwatering, but it’s also filled with sugar and excess calories. Instead, buy plain yogurt and flavor it with fruit and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Aside from its heavenly scent, studies show that cinnamon may aid blood sugar control and boost metabolism, making it a win-win for your flat belly goals. 

Buy dark chocolate. 

Chocoholic? Reach for the dark chocolate instead of milk, which has nearly twice the sugar content. Dark chocolate also has four times more iron and belly-filling fiber than its milkier counterpart. 

Use applesauce when baking. 

If homemade baked goods are your dietary kryptonite, we get it. Warm, gooey cookies are hard to say no to and even harder to stop eating once you’ve started. The goods news is, simply swapping out sugar for unsweetened applesauce can save you hundreds of calories! While one cup of the white stuff has more than 770 calories, the same amount of applesauce has about 100. Depending on how big your cookies are that could easily save you between 20 and 80 calories a pop! While we don’t endorse eating cookies in excess, if your sweets have been healthified, eating one or two extra likely won’t do too much damage to your waistline. 

Swap marinara sauce for fresh tomatoes. 

There’s really no need to add sugar to tomato sauce because, well, the fruit is naturally sweet. But that doesn’t stop food manufacturers from loading their cans to the brim with the stuff. Since store-bought tomato sauce is often made with things like dehydrated tomatoes and cheap oils, they rely on the sweet stuff to amp up the flavor. Your best bet? Switch to a no-sugar-added option like No Sugar Added Tomato Basil or combine chopped fresh tomatoes with olive oil and spices (we like garlic and basil) in a frypan to create a quick pasta topper right on your stovetop. 

Try a nitro cold brew coffee. 

Move over cold brew, a new java du jour has arrived—and it may just help you lose weight. It’s called nitrogen brew—or nitro brew for short—and it lives on barista countertops in a contraption that looks similar to a beer tap. The keg, filled with cold-brew coffee, is attached to a pressurized tap that infuses the brew with nitrogen gas, which makes the coffee bubble up, giving it a creamy, chocolaty taste that’s been described as being similar to chocolate milk. The foam at the top also adds a pleasing texture and seems to help cut through coffee’s naturally bitter taste. And since it’s naturally rich, you’ll probably be able to drink it sans sugar. For those of you without a nitro tap at your local coffee spot, opt for a lighter roast. The lighter the beans, the less bitter the brew. 

Swap ketchup for salsa. 

Two tablespoons of ketchup have just over 7 grams of sugar, while the same serving of salsa carries just 1.4 grams, according to the USDA. Thankfully, burgers and eggs taste just as tasty, regardless of which option you use. If your goal is to learn how to stop eating sugar, go with the latter one. 

Beware of snack bars 

Unless you’re training for a marathon, that energy bar stashed away in your bag may not be your best snack option. PowerBar’s Performance Energy Bar, for example, has 26 grams of the sweet stuff, while the uber-popular Peanut Butter Balance Bar packs 17 grams—more than a third of the recommended intake. Instead, opt for one of the best low-sugar protein bars. 

Buy natural peanut butter. 

Conventional peanut butter spreads rely on sugar and trans-fats to give them playground appeal. To cut sugar and boost your meal’s health factor, stick with an all-natural variety made from nuts and a bit of salt. 

Flavor coffee with ingredients besides sugar. 

Use cocoa and vanilla powder in an unsweetened latte or coffee instead of table sugar. You’ll save 15 calories and 4 grams of sugar for every packet you keep out of your cup. 

Check yourself out when grocery shopping. 

Is your obsession with Reese’s and M&M’s some of the biggest sources of sugar in your diet? Using the self-checkout kiosks at the grocery store can help you keep these items out of your shopping cart so you can stop eating sugar. According to a study by IHL Consulting Group, impulse purchases dipped 32.1 percent for women—and 16.7 percent for men—when they were the ones to scan their items and swipe their credit card. Although not all impulse buys are bad for your belly, a whopping 80 percent of candy purchases are unplanned. Switching up your routine can help you slash sugar from your diet and may just be your ticket to slim-down success. 

Make alterations when ordering out at restaurants. 

Don’t be afraid to make special requests at restaurants—ask for your smoothie without agave or get your chicken’s marinara on the side. This simple asks can slash hundreds of calories from your meal and keep excess sugar out of your mouth. When possible, scan sugar counts of restaurant dishes online before you dine and if the sugar count seems on the higher side, see how your server can alter your order. 

Get rid of sugary cereals. 

Even healthy-sounding cereals are packed with sugar. Kellogg’s Cracklin Oat Bran, for example, has 19 grams in a cup! That’s more than what you’d find in a bag of Pretzel M&M’s! Next time you hit the supermarket, look for a box with less than 6 grams of sugar per serving that provides a hefty dose of fiber. Some of our go-to healthy cereals include Fiber One Original Bran Cereal (0 g sugar, 28 g fiber) and Shredded Wheat Spoon Size Wheat ‘n Bran (0 g sugar, 7 g fiber). Add natural sweetness and flavor to your bowl by pouring in some fresh berries or shredded, unsweetened coconut for a healthy breakfast! 

Sleep more. 

No, it’s not your imagination; the less you snooze, the more appetizing sugary snacks and meals become, found a UC Berkeley study. Lack of sleep has also been shown to increase appetite, so it’s all-around bad news to slack on the Zzz’s. Even turning in 30 minutes earlier can make a difference. So put on your jammies and crawl under the covers sooner rather than later to stop eating sugar. 

Buy a low-sugar dessert. 

Is ice cream your dietary downfall? It doesn’t have to be. There are tons of low-sugar desserts in the freezer section to satisfy your sweet tooth while simultaneously flattening your belly. Swap out Haagen Dazs Butter Pecan (1/2 cup, 300 calories, 17 g sugar) or your favorite Blue Bunny Birthday Party Premium (1/2 cup, 140 calories, 16 g sugar) for a Snickers Minis Ice Cream Bar (90 calories, 8 g sugar) or scoop of Arctic Zero Cookie Dough Chip (1/2 cup, 75 calories, 8 g sugar). 

Pick a low-sugar bread. 

White bread may be comforting because it reminds you of your youth, but it’s also a sneaky source of the sweet stuff. In fact, each slice of Wonder Classic White Bread packs two grams of sugar. That means if you have a slice of toast with your breakfast and a sandwich for lunch, you’re getting 6 grams—or 13 percent—of the day’s sugar from your bread drawer. 

Make your own salad dressing. 

When food manufacturers strip the fat out of salad dressings they replace it with sugar and salt. The result? A waist expanding salad topper that doesn’t have the healthy fats you need to absorb the vital vitamins from the superfoods in your bowl. Keep calories and sugar in check by sticking to two tablespoons of an olive-oil based dressing like Bolthouse Farms Classic Balsamic Olive Oil Vinaigrette, and be sure to steer clear of varieties that use honey, sugar, concentrated fruit juice soybean or vegetable oils. They aren’t doing your body any favors. Or better yet, make a low-sugar dressing yourself! 

Opt for plain oats. 

To stop eating sugar, skip the pouches of flavored oats—many are just sugar and chemical bombs in a misleading package—and use kitchen staples like fruit, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice to add flavor to your bowl. 

Top foods with fruit rather than syrups. 

Pancakes and syrup is certainly a dynamic duo, but if you want to stop eating so much sugar, you’re going to need to separate the two. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to eat bland pancakes. Top your flapjacks with fresh fruit for a nice touch of sweetness. You can also make pancakes with ricotta cheese and lemon zest for a fresh take on the breakfast staple. 

Author WellnessKichen Categories Drinks & Beverages, Health & Fitness, Healthy Eating, Mental Wellness, Weight Loss Posted on 0 Comments

Weight Loss Tips for Night Shift Workers

Because not everyone who wants to lose weight works from 9 to 5. 

Marianne, an emergency communications dispatcher, works the night shift: sleeping during the day and working at night. She tries to follow the advice she sees on the Eat This, Not That! site, and largely does so (like eating several times throughout her “day” to keep massive appetite attacks at bay). 

“But no one seems to address the fact that so many people don’t work conventional hours,” she told ETNT. “I would love to see someone address this group of people with suggestions on how they should eat healthy.” Well, we’re here for you, Marianne. Although a healthy diet doesn’t change (your RDAs will still be the same!), there are plenty of other weight loss and healthy living variables for anyone who doesn’t work a “regular” day job. 

In fact, if you’re working the night shift, science has shown that shedding weight and keeping it off can be harder on you than others. 

Why? Well, for starters, a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study found that night shift patterns monkey with the metabolism of employees, causing them to use less energy than they normally would over the course of a day. The unfortunate effect was even more pronounced when these nocturnal employees finally hit the hay as the sun finally came up: The study participants burned between 12 percent and 16 percent fewer calories than when sleeping at nighttime. 

The upshot of this and similar findings is that workers on the night shift have to be particularly smart about their choices to maintain a healthy weight, as well as to avoid some chronic diseases associated with night work. The tips below should be enough to get you up and running—although it won’t be to go for a run outdoors at lunchtime.  

Throw on Your Shades 

If the sun is already up by the time your shift is over, put on a pair of sunglasses before stepping out into the daylight or commuting home around sunrise. A blast of daylight will further mess with your body’s production of melatonin, the naturally produced hormone that signals to our bodies that it’s time for bed. 

Create Some Sleep Triggers 

 By doing the same thing for at least an hour before bedtime, you’re actually programming sleep triggers. Over time, your brain will begin to associate those things with bedtime and fast track you into fat-burning slumber after your night shift—even while everyone around you is getting up and getting going. These sleep triggers could include listening to relaxing music, writing in a sleep diary (see #4), taking a hot shower (#5), turning down the thermostat (#6), meditating (#7), or chowing down on a big bowl of good carbs before bed. Wait, what? 

Yes! Eat Carbs Before Bed 

 If you’re hungry after your shift, have a carb-heavy meal. Wait; can that be right? Your body burns carbs for energy, but if you eat them before you go to sleep, your body just stores them as fat, no? Well, the pasta-nomics of weight loss aren’t quite so simple. One study in the European Journal of Nutrition put two groups of men on identical weight loss diets. The only difference? Half of the group ate their carbs throughout the day while the second group reserved carbohydrates for nighttime. The result? The bedtime carb group showed a significantly higher diet-induced thermogenesis (meaning they burned more calories digesting their food after they got their eight hours ). 

Another study in the journal Obesity saw similar results. Bedtime carb eaters lost 27 percent more body fat—and felt 13.7 percent fuller—than those on the standard diet.  

Keep a Sleep Diary 

 Do you really have an accurate read on how much sleep you are or aren’t getting? It’s always best to work from data, even if you’re the one logging the quality and duration of your sleep and if you’re working nights, recording how you sleep is doubly important. Simply list each complete hour you were asleep in bed, and each partial hour (including naps). Then make a note of the events that may have influenced your sleep. Did you exercise that day? Drink a lot of coffee? After two weeks, read through the whole thing, looking for patterns. The results may surprise you. 

Take a Hot Bath or Shower 

 A UCLA study of some of the world’s last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes noted that temperature drops were an important sleep cue for our paleolithic forebears. Even if you’re going to bed as the sun begins to climb, you can recreate a sunset-like temperature drop by taking a hot bath or shower. The dip might make your pound-shedding shuteye deeper and make you fall asleep faster. 

Lower the Temp in Your Boudoir 

Want another way that a lower temperature can help night workers fend off love handles and the health problems they can precipitate? A striking new study published in the journal Diabetes suggests that simply blasting the air conditioner or turning down the heat in winter may help us attack belly fat while we sleep. Colder temperatures subtly enhance the effectiveness of our stores of brown fat, aka the fat that keeps you warm by helping you burn the fat stored in your belly. Participants spent a few weeks sleeping in bedrooms with varying temperatures: a neutral 75 degrees, a cool 66 degrees, and a balmy 81 degrees. After four weeks of sleeping at 66 degrees, the subjects had almost doubled their volumes of brown fat. (And yes, that means they lost belly fat.) 

Relax Your Mind 

“Yoga offers a variety of benefits, from increased flexibility and strength to a calmer mind. Striking some poses before bed can have a powerful influence on sleep quality because of yoga’s focus on breathing and meditation. You can try a few relaxing yoga poses; Balfe-Taylor recommends the Deaf Man’s Pose. “It can calm the nervous system, release the shoulders and neck and, most importantly, allows you to focus inward, block out stress and relax. 

Make Bedtime Crunch Time 

According to Combat the Fat author Jeff Anderson, new research suggests that you may be able to spot reduce body fat from your abdomen. Before hitting the sheets, do a quick set of crunches, reverse crunches, and a jackknife set. Then go to sleep safe in the knowledge that your quick workout has given your body a little help in shifting that tire while you’re zonked out. 

Wake Up and Hydrate 

For Nutritionists, one of the best and cheapest ways to give your metabolism a jolt after waking is to drink water (she suggests 20 to 32 ounces) shortly after waking. Why? During sleep, your body’s metabolic function slowed, and unless you woke up in the middle of your daytime slumber to swig some water, it didn’t receive any fluids. Nutritionists suggests completely rehydrating before stressing your body with any other food or drink. “My clients who have implemented this report less bloating, more energy and a smaller appetite,” she says. Her motto for getting your inner furnace stoked and ready: “Rehydrate, then caffeinate!”  

Let the Light in 

Hopefully, it’s still light out by the time you get in your 7-9 hours of sleep. Go get some of that sunshine while you can. When the hormones that control hunger go haywire, they make us crave junk food. That’s bad, but it can get worse if you don’t get some light into your life when you awake from your slumber. A study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology showed that sleep-deprived adults who were exposed to dim light after waking had lower concentrations of the fullness hormone leptin while those in blue light (the kind from energy-efficient bulbs) had higher leptin levels. As you’re vertical throw open your blackout curtains, or if it’s already dim outside, turn on those energy efficient lights. By letting some light into your life, you’ll get some life into your weight loss goals. 

Then Fit in Some Cardio 

 According to Nutritionists, the best strategy for lowering body fat percentage is to work out soon after waking up. “Hit the gym and do some treadmill sprints on an empty stomach to burn fat. “Your body is already in a calorie deficit, and it will ignite your body’s fat-burning ability.” Glycogen levels are depleted during sleep, so your body will utilize body fat as an energy source. 

Plan Your Meals 

Nurses are no strangers to taking graveyard shifts. On a website for working nurses, Alice Burron writes: “One simple way to combat the disadvantage of working a night shift is to make sure you come to work with nutritious meals and snacks planned out ahead of time. Also make plans ahead of time for immediately after you get off work so that you are not tempted to grab fast food or go out to eat. 

Cut 50-60 Calories from Your Daily Diet 

 Research has found that people burn fewer calories when they sleep during the day and log their waking hours after the sun’s gone down. To come to this finding, the University of Colorado at Boulder researchers studied 14 healthy adults for six days. For two days, study participants slept at night and stayed awake during the day, then they reversed their routines to mimic the schedules of night owls. When participants slept during the day, researchers found that they burned 52 to 59 fewer calories than they did while catching their Zzz’s in the evening—likely because the schedule messed with their circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock that plays a major role in metabolism function. If you have no choice but to sleep during the day, plan to cut 50-60 calories from your daily diet. Yes, it stinks, but we told you in the very beginning that it would be harder for you than others. 

Swallow Some Vitamin D 

All Americans should be supplementing their diet with vitamin D. But since humans synthesize vitamin D from sunlight as well, it’s particularly important to do so for those of us who burn the midnight oil for a living. Vitamin D is essential for preserving metabolism-revving muscle tissue. While you can nail 90 percent of your recommended daily value (400 IU) in a 3.5 ounce serving of salmon, a daily supplement makes a lot of sense. Other good dietary sources: tuna, fortified milk and cereal, and eggs. 

Close the Curtains 

 Before you head out to start your shift, make a point of closing all the curtains in your house and invest in some blackout curtains for your bedroom. Light-blocking curtains make a huge difference when it comes to falling asleep after working the night shift. Outside light makes it harder for your mind to shut down, even if you think you’re immune to such instinctive signals. Melatonin, the hormone involved in putting your body to sleep, is compromised when light is present. 

WORKPLACE WEIGHT LOSS HACKS… 

 

Don’t Eat in the Cafeteria 

Bright lighting tends to make people eat faster and consume more according to a 2012 study from the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab. Researchers who outfitted a Chicago Hardee’s with dim lighting found that patrons lingered longer, yet consumed less than the normal lighting conditions usually experienced in the restaurant. When you eat during your night shift, try and do so in an environment in which you feel relatively relaxed, and you’ll likely achieve tip #13 without even trying to. 

Get a Standing Desk 

 Ideally, we sleep about eight hours for every 24. Most people spend another seven to ten hours sitting at their desk. That means most of us spend the overwhelming majority of our time sedentary. Our bodies simply aren’t adapted for this level of inactivity; most of humans’ evolutionary history involved being active, searching for food and fuel. Jubilee says that one way to burn more calories daily is to stand more and sit less. She cites a British study which found that standing at work burned 50 more calories per hour than sitting. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, consider this: If you stand for just three hours of your day, in one year you’d expend more than 30,000 extra calories—which amounts to about 8 pounds of fat! If your night gig has you sitting for the duration of your night shift, raise your desk to take advantage of this easy, calorie-torching hack.  

Don’t Overdo it with Coffee 

 Have a few cups of java for a metabolism boost, but if you’re never seen without a mug at your lips, that could work against you, says nutritionist. Caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant. If you’re constantly consuming it, you may not eat much—or realize how hungry you really are—until you get home and gorge. “Not eating enough throughout the day can make your metabolism sluggish. “By the time you eat dinner, instead of immediately using that food for energy, your body is aggressively storing it as fat, just in case it will be deprived again.” 

Sneak in a Mini Workout 

Forget slogging on the treadmill for hours. Research printed in the journal Physiological Reports showed that people who did five 30-second bursts of max-effort cycling, followed by 4 minutes of rest, burned 200 extra calories that day. That’s just 2.5 minutes of work for a resting metabolism boost that will last 24-48 hours! You probably don’t have a stationary bike handy at your place of work, but a similar result could be achieved by performing burpees, jumping jacks or jumping rope. 

Get a Weight Loss Buddy 

If you’re worried about gaining weight on the night shift, it’s highly likely that plenty of your co-workers share the same concerns. Instituting changes can be easier when you know that those around you are in the same boat and a lot of research has demonstrated how people’s lifestyle choices affect the lives of those around them. Try sending an email or putting something on a bulletin board that acknowledges the health and weight loss challenges that night shift workers face and invite your coworkers to join you in instituting some changes that have been scientifically proven to be effective. 

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Foods to Improve Thyroid Health

Now that you know some of the signs of an underactive thyroid, you should visit your doctor and see if you should be tested for hypothyroidism. But you can also do your part by being more attentive of how and what you eat. New research shows certain foods have proven potential in helping to improve thyroid health and boost the effectiveness of your metabolism master. Here’s seven of them! 

Apples 

While you may be a heavy metal fan, your thyroid? Not so much. That’s because heavy metals, mercury in particular, are chemically similar to iodine — an element the thyroid needs and readily absorbs. When metals like mercury take the place of iodine at binding sites, thyroid hormone production grinds to a halt. The good news is you can instantly detox with fruits that are rich in pectin — a gelatin-like fiber that sticks to toxic compounds in the blood and flushes them out of the body through the urine. In fact, citrus pectin increased mercury excretion in the urine by 150 percent within 24 hours of supplementation, according to one study. As a weight loss bonus, research shows pectin can limit the amount of fat your cells can absorb. You’ll need about four pieces of whole fruit daily to reap the benefits. Grapefruits, oranges, and peaches are all good sources, but since most pectin is found in the fibrous pith and peel, whole apples are one of the best. 

Seaweed 

Your car runs on gasoline, and your thyroid runs on iodine. Insufficient levels of the element inhibit the production of metabolism-regulating thyroid hormones; and since your body doesn’t make it, it’s an essential part of your diet. That’s why, since 1993, the World Health Organization has supported the iodization of table salt. But because recent health headlines have called for the radical reduction of salt intake, some people don’t get enough. But you can get your daily dose without ODing on salt; there are other dietary sources of iodine, and seaweed is one of the best. Just two tablespoons of brown seaweed, or a few rolls of sushi every week will meet your need. And as you nosh on your nori, you’ll be blasting fat: Scientists at Newcastle University recently discovered that a compound in seaweed called alginate can suppress the seaweed of fat in the gut.  

Nuts 

Selenium. No, it’s not Latina popstar. It’s the all essential “on” switch to proper thyroid function — converting T4 hormone into active T3. The essential mineral also protects the gland from inflammatory byproducts of thyroid hormone production. Many people who have a sluggish thyroid or thyroid diseases exhibit deficiencies in selenium, and studies show supplementation can help. Selenium supplementation of 80 micrograms per day — about what you’ll find in just one nut — helped to reduce anti-thyroid antibodies in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (inflammation of the gland that can make it sluggish if left untreated), one study showed. As a weight-loss bonus, the nuts are rich in L-arginine, an amino acid research shows may help blast belly fat. 

Oysters 

Shuck one for your metabolism. Heck, make it a half dozen. After all, oysters are one of the best dietary sources of zinc—a mineral that’s critical, and complementary, to a healthy thyroid. In fact, the body needs enough zinc to activate production of thyroid hormone. And, in turn, we need enough thyroid hormone to absorb zinc. Any way you look at it, deficiencies are likely to result in a sluggish metabolism, and supplementing with the mineral has shown to get weight loss back on track. One study found that obese people who consumed 30 mg of zinc per day—the equivalent of just six raw oysters—had improved body mass indices, lost weight and showed improvements in blood cholesterol levels. 

Chicken 

If your thyroid were a man, he’d be a meat-and-potatoes kinda guy. That’s because animal protein is brimming in amino acids, particularly tyrosine—the building block of thyroid hormone, and of dopamine — both of which are necessary for weight management. A lack of tyrosine in the diet may lead to an underactive thyroid, and a deficiency in dopamine is associated with food cravings and weight gain. You can find tyrosine in dairy and leafy greens, but poultry has the added benefit of being naturally low-fat and rich in vitamin B12—deficiencies of which are also common among people with sluggish thyroid symptoms. 

Yogurt 

Every spoonful of yogurt act as a protective shield for your thyroid. That’s because yogurt is naturally rich in vitamin D, and not getting enough of the nutrient puts you at a higher risk of obesity and thyroid diseases, research suggests. Over 90 percent of people with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that’s the most common cause of hypothyroidism, are deficient in D, according to one study published in the International Journal of Health Sciences. Researchers say the sunshine vitamin’s immunity-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties protect the thyroid from damage. In addition to vitamin D, yogurt is also rich in probiotics that research suggests may help balance “good bacteria” in the gut that can be thrown off by thyroid disturbances. 

Salmon 

There are plenty of fish in the sea, but salmon may be the best one for your metabolism. That’s because most cases of underactive thyroid are due to inflammation of the gland, and salmon boasts significant anti-inflammatory properties thanks to its rich omega-3 fatty acid content. In fact, one study that looked at the effects of weight loss and seafood consumption showed salmon to be the most effective at reducing inflammation — better than cod, fish oil, and a no-fish diet. The fishy fatty acids may also signal thyroid cells in the liver to burn more fat, a recent study published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry suggests. 

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Reasons Why You Always Feel Hungry

The science-backed reasons behind why you spend more time deciding what to eat next rather than finishing that huge project due at 5 p.m. 

While some people may double check to make sure they have their keys when they leave the house, you have to make sure you have a snack. And if you forget? Let’s just hope no one is around to witness how hangry you get. You think you’re eating enough, but no matter what you put in your body, you always seem to develop maddening cravings. 

So, what exactly is going on here? It turns out that hunger is a pretty complicated function and is influenced by both biological and psychological factors. (And there are also the devilish foods that make you hungrier, too!) We found some of the most common, scientifically-backed reasons why some of us are constantly ravenous. We also paired each reason why you’re always hungry with a tip that can help you fill up and finally feel satisfied! 

You Eat A Lot of Refined Carbs 

Even if you’re eating something at every meal, if your day looks something like this—a cup of sugary, flaked cereal for breakfast, a slice of pizza or a sandwich on white bread for lunch, chips for a snack, either white rice or pasta for dinner, and then a chocolate chip cookie for dessert—your problem is that you’re constantly fueling yourself with nutritionally-deficient refined carbs. Lacking the satiating fiber of their original form, simple and refined carbs burn up quickly in your body, which spikes your blood sugar and then causes it to crash. Low glucose levels are what triggers your hunger hormones, as detailed in a Disease Models & Mechanisms review, leaving you with a craving for more carbs! 

Eat This! Tip: 

For slow-burning, clean sources of energy, choose complex carbs such as grains like brown rice, quinoa and triticale, cruciferous vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain sprouted bread. 

 

You’re Actually Thirsty 

Did seeing that picture of water just make you forget about what you thought was a hungry tummy? A study in the journal Physiology & Behavior suggests people inappropriately respond to thirst over 62 percent of the time by eating instead of drinking. That’s because your hypothalamus regulates hunger and thirst, and sometimes it mixes up its signals. Just sipping on H2O is the solution to quelling your hunger pangs and, ultimately, helping you slim down. In fact, preloading meals with water can shave hundreds of calories from your daily intake. A study published in Obesity found that drinking two cups of water before eating led people to consume 75 to 90 fewer calories over the course of a meal. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Next time you’re hankering for a snack, knock back a cup of water first and wait 20 minutes. If you’re still hungry, eat something. And if you’re sick of plain ol‘ H2O, whip up some of the best detox waters to rev your metabolism and boost your fat burning potential! 

You Eat While Distracted 

Everyone knows that you eat with your eyes, but it turns out, your ears also play a role. A new study, published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, tested how our perception of the sound of eating food affects our eating habits. They had two groups of participants eat crunchy foods, one with white-noise-producing headphones and the other without. These headphones were intended to mimic everyday behaviors of distracted eating, such as watching TV or listening to music while you eat. It turned out, participants who were less aware of the sound of the food, because of the levels of white noise, ate more than those that could hear the food they were eating. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Step away from the TV (or computer, for all you cord-cutters out there) and lower the music during dinner. And if you’re out to dinner at a busy restaurant, maybe think about ordering something crunchy! As long as you can hear the food you are eating, it’ll make you aware of the fact that you’re actually eating food. When you’re unaware, you basically forget that you’re eating, which can lead to an increase in food consumption. 

You’re Always Stressed Out 

While stress may shut down appetite in the short term—it pumps out the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) that triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response and puts eating on hold—if stress persists, it’s a different story, explains a Harvard Mental Health Letter. Your adrenal glands then release a different hormone called cortisol, which will not only trigger your hunger hormones, but it will also pull lipids from the bloodstream to store them in our fat cells. 

Eat This! Tip: 

You might not be able to control exactly what’s happening in your life that’s making you stressed, but you can control what you’re putting in your body.  

You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep 

If you feel like you’re always delving into your office snack stash, you might be able to blame your lack of sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, levels of leptin (the “I’m full” hormone) drop, according to a PLoS Medicine study, which in turn increases appetite and makes comfort food more appealing. Besides stimulating your appetite a lack of sufficient sleep can cause you to burn fewer calories, lack appetite control and experience an increase in cortisol levels, which stores fat. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Having trouble falling asleep? Get the recommended 7-8 hours of shut-eye by following plan for better sleep. 

You Eat According to Calories, Not Nutrients 

It’s not calories that satiate your hunger, it’s nutrients: fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Unfortunately, simple, refined carbs are lacking in all three and so are many 100-calorie snacks; They’ll just fill your body with fast, cheap calories. So no matter how much you eat, your body will go in search of more food. The result: a sluggish, hungrier you—one who’s more likely to dive into the snack drawer. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Start your day with a high-protein, high-fat food like Greek yogurt, a veggie-filled omelet, or chia pudding, and you’ll reduce your hunger overall. 

You Eat Too Quickly 

Hunger hormones take anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes to get to your brain, according to Cara Stewart, RD, LDN, so if you wolf down your entire meal in under 5 minutes, you’ll most likely eat more than your fill. Scientists believe it’s because your hunger hormones act in a relay, passing off feelings of fullness between each other before telling your brain. This system takes some time to work, which is why it’s best to eat slowly. Yet another reason why fast food makes you fat. 

Eat This! Tip: 

When your entrée arrives, dive in and eat half, then wait at least 10 minutes before coming out for round 2. While you chat and sip water, your stomach will have a chance to digest and decide whether you’ve had enough— no matter what the plate’s saying. 

Your Insta Feed is Loaded With Food Photos 

As it turns out, scrolling through your social feeds is just as bad for your gut as seeking out those trending treats themselves. A review published in the journal Brain and Cognition found that when we see “food porn,” it exacerbates our desire for food through a channel of neural and physical responses called “visual hunger.” In other words, even if we’re not physically in need of food, our bodies will send a signal to our brains that we want to eat. So what exactly is going on here? Scientists found that the concentration of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin increases in response to seeing food images. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Looking at those “food porn” images of oozy yolks dribbling down cheesy burgers is going to make you hungry—even if you weren’t before you started scrolling—which puts you at risk of over-consuming and eating the same high-energy, belly-busting foods. If you’re trying to lose weight, unfollow some accounts that post images of unhealthy dishes, and start following accounts that highlight better-for-you choices: a study in Experimental Brain Research found that our brains don’t become as alert in response to seeing photos of low-energy, healthy foods like veggies. 

You Drink Diet 

Whether it’s diet or regular, soda is one of the sugariest foods you can consume. And while many of us know sugar makes you crave sugar, artificially sweetened products and sugar alternatives (like aspartame, acesulfame K, and sucralose) can actually ramp up your appetite even more than real sugar, causing increased calorie consumption over time. According to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers found that while drinks sweetened with glucose and fructose (two components of regular table sugar) increased satiety and decreased the hunger hormone ghrelin, drinks sweetened with an artificial sweetener were not able to affect satiety hormone signaling at all. 

Eat This! Tip: 

If you’re drinking soda for energy, check out these best foods for energy instead. Most of these energy-boosting foods are actual, real food and will properly decrease levels of your hunger hormones while giving you lasting fuel to help you tackle the rest your day. 

You Skip Meals 

This might sound like an obvious one, but it’s more than just the fact that you aren’t feeding your body. The habit of skipping meals has been shown to be able to make you feel hungrier when the next meal rolls around, according to researchers at the National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program. When you don’t eat, your body can deplete its blood glucose stores, which promotes an uptick in the hunger hormone ghrelin, ramping up your appetite. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Try not to let more than 4 or 5 hours go by between meals, and keep healthy snacks on hand at all times to help curb hunger before it makes you overindulge. 

You Have a Fast Metabolism 

It could be the result of years of dedicated work in the gym, but for some, you’re just born with it. Either way, your constant hunger could be due to the fact that you just burn calories at a faster pace (even at rest), which means your body will need to continuously replenish its energy stores. According to University of Vermont researchers, about 32 percent of people have metabolisms that are more than eight percent higher or lower than the population average. Because having a faster-than-average metabolism can mean you burn anywhere from 100 to 400 extra calories a day, your body will try to alert you to eat more frequently. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Before you justify extra snacking with having a fast metabolism, make sure you’re not just hungry because of any other reasons we’ve mentioned—thirst, eating the wrong foods, etc. And once you have, having a fast metabolism shouldn’t justify you indulging in unhealthy options. Grab a handful of nuts, yoghurt or snack on some veggies and hummus. 

You Eat Low-Fat 

If you’re an avid Eat This, Not That! reader, you already know that low-fat packaged foods tend to be filled with sugar to compensate for a lack of flavor—but adding sugar cravings to your hunger isn’t the only reason you may want to steer clear. Low-fat treats aren’t as satisfying as their fattier counterparts, according to recent research published in the journal Flavour. As you bite into a full-fat food, your tongue sends your brain a signal that something filling is on the way down to your stomach. However, this message isn’t sent when you opt for low-fat foods, which is why you’re left wanting more—even though you may have just consumed a good deal of calories. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Eating healthy fats won’t make you fat. In fact, just the opposite might be true! A recent review published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that people who eat full-fat dairy are no more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes than people who stick to low-fat dairy. Additional research has linked full-fat eaters to lower rates of obesity compared to those who eschewed fat. When opting for dairy products, make sure to go with the full-fat options. 

You Drink Alcohol Often

Having a drink before a meal in the hopes it’ll curb your appetite may actually be doing the opposite. A study published in the American Journal of Nutrition showed that alcohol is one of the biggest drivers of excess food intake. Another study published in the journal Obesity has suggested that this may be because alcohol heightens our senses. Researchers found that women who’d received the equivalent of about two drinks in the form of an alcohol infusion ate 30% more food than those who’d received a saline solution. Even mild intoxication cranked up brain activity in the women’s hypothalamus regions. This, say the study’s authors, made them more sensitive to the smell of food, prompting them to eat more. Not only that, but alcohol can dehydrate you, which again, may cause feelings of hunger. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Besides curbing your hunger pangs, there are many benefits to giving up alcohol, including losing weight and sleeping better. But if you’re not looking to give up happy hour just yet, be sure to munch on healthy foods if you’re going to eat—not greasy pizza. 

You Eat Out of Cans  

Not only are they affordable, for many, they’re a culinary secret weapon that helps get dinner on the table in just minutes. Yes, that’s right; we’re talking about canned food. But as it turns out, there’s something scary lurking in these jars—bisphenol A, or BPA. BPA is a hormone-mimicking chemical used to prevent foods from coming in contact with the metal cans in which they’re stored, and it’s found in 67 percent of all canned food. The downside: it’s bad for your health—and your hunger pangs. According to a recent study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, those who had higher levels of BPA in their blood also had higher levels of leptin and were at greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome. 

Eat This! Tip: 

So what’s your game plan if you want to minimize cravings? Avoid canned foods whenever possible, and instead, buy products that are sold in glass jars or cardboard containers to reduce your exposure. One of our go-to brands for safe “canned foods” is Pacific Foods. It’s sold in most health food groceries and carries soups, beans, tofu, purees, sauces, and gravies in chemical-free cardboard cartons. 

You Skimp on Salads 

According to the USDA’s 2015 Dietary Guidelines, the average American isn’t eating enough vegetables. This is an issue because most leafy greens are rich in vitamin K, a micronutrient that studies have found regulates insulin levels. Vitamin K was found to increase insulin sensitivity, which makes it easier for your body to take up sugar from your bloodstream. If your body is taking up sugar more efficiently from your bloodstream, it won’t need to take more of it in through food, helping to quash your cravings. Even better, veggies are some of the most fiber-rich foods out there, and fiber is what slows the absorption of the foods we eat from the stomach into the bloodstream. In a Canadian study, researchers discovered that those whose diets were supplemented with insoluble fiber had lower levels of ghrelin. 

Eat This! Tip: 

For the best sources of insoluble fiber and vitamin K, make your salads with spinach, shaved brussels sprouts, kale, and broccoli. 

Your Snacks Are in Plain View 

Out of sight, out of mouth? According to researchers at Google, simply reorganizing your pantry to hide any dietary kryptonite could help quell cravings. A study, conducted at the search engine’s New York office dubbed “Project M&M” found that placing chocolate candies in opaque containers as opposed to glass ones curbed M&M consumption by 3.1 million calories in just seven weeks. Cambridge researchers explain this is because our evolutionary “visual hunger”—the innate human desire to see images of food—has programmed our guts to release ghrelin at the mere sight of food, which can lead to false hunger. 

Eat This! Tip: 

We know snacking is important for keeping your metabolism going, but that doesn’t mean they should constantly be sitting on your desk. Keep snacks out of sight, and only reach for them when your tummy is rumbling. 

You’re Not Eating Enough Protein 

Piling your plate with lean protein can help keep hunger pangs at bay. Protein takes a longer time to digest, which means it stays in your stomach and promotes feelings of fullness. But that’s not all–it’s also been shown to have an appetite-suppressing effect. In a study of 21 men published in the journal Nutrition Research, half were fed a breakfast of bagels while half ate eggs. The egg group were observed to have a lower response to ghrelin, were less hungry three hours later and consumed fewer calories for the next 24 hours! 

Eat This! Tip: 

Besides the obvious sources of protein like meat and fish (which you can’t necessarily eat all day long), load up on vegetarian sources throughout the day by sprinkling chia seeds in smoothies, eat quinoa in your granola bars, and dip carrots in hummus or apples in peanut butter. 

You’re Working Out A Lot 

If you’re breaking a sweat every day in order to boost weight loss, it should come as no surprise that your body is going to need more calories. Pumping iron causes your body to boost its metabolism and burn through energy and glucose stores, which, in turn, triggers the release of ghrelin. 

Eat This! Tip: 

After a workout, be sure to replenish lost glucose stores with a protein shake smoothie! Grab one of our favorite protein powders to provide you with satiating nutrients, and blend it with some almond milk and your favorite fruit to provide you with replenishing carbs. 

You’re Bored 

Feeling hungry really can be caused by something as simple as boredom. When you’re bored you actually lose your ability to make smart food choices; you become an “emotional eater,” according to a new study in the Journal of Health Psychology. And boredom turns you into the worse kind of emotional eater, because you not only make the wrong food choices, you eat much more of those fattening foods than you normally would. In fact, “Because I’m Bored” (as opposed to “I’m Hungry”) is one of the top reasons people give when they’re asked about their emotions before they eat. 

Eat This! Tip: 

You feel bored when you are dissatisfied, restless, and unchallenged, according to a study in Frontiers in Psychology. The best way to beat boredom is to find something to do that is purposeful and challenging.  

You Linger Over Commercials 

Cord-cutters are onto something bigger than just saving money—they’re also protecting their health. Here’s why: Streaming services, like Netflix, offer a way to view television without commercials. And according to two recent studies, that’s good news for your waistline because you won’t be subjected to 30-second spots of a rotating, juicy Big Mac. The two meta-analyses, published in the journals The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Obesity Reviews, uncovered a staggering connection between food advertising and food consumption; Researchers found that exposure to these drool-worthy commercials and billboards act as a “food cue,” which increases cravings and leads to eating behavior (even if your body isn’t physically hungry) and weight gain. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Still using cable? DVR your favorite shows so you can fast forward through commercials to avoid temptation—or try one of these ways to stop thinking about food. 

It May Just Be a Craving 

They sound like they mean the same thing, but hunger and appetite are separate processes. True hunger is the physical need for food when your body senses a dip in blood sugar or the stretch receptors in your stomach sense it’s empty. Appetite, on the other hand, is the conditioned desire to eat rather than the need for sustenance—often described as that “craving” feeling you experience when you see a piece of chocolate cake right after you’ve eaten a more-than-filling dinner. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Deny that dessert menu, step away from the fridge, and pass on those office donuts! Perceived hunger can often stem out of boredom or the mere presence of food. Because exercise has been connected to reduced food cravings, going for a walk or jog can help clear and distract your mind long enough to realize you aren’t actually hungry and can banish your hankering for junk food. 

You Sit All Day 

Sitting all day is just one of the ways your job is making you fat, but did you know it could also be a reason for your constant tummy rumbling? According to research published in the journals Diabetes Care and BMJ Open, when middle-aged overweight and obese adults interrupted long periods of sitting time with short bouts of walking every 30 minutes, they were able to both minimize spikes in blood sugar and lower insulin levels after eating meals. Both mechanisms control how soon you will start to feel hunger pangs after eating. Without getting up to walk, your body may struggle to manage its glucose sensitivity, and it can lead you to feel hungry soon after noshing. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Set a timer to go off every 20 or 30 minutes during the work day to remind you to get up and walk—even if it’s just going to the break room to grab a glass of water. 

You Have a Sweet Tooth 

It’s the dip in your blood sugar levels that triggers the release of hormones to tell your body that you’re hungry. Besides refined carbs, that crash in blood sugar is also the result of eating foods full of added sugars and no fiber or protein to help slow the digestion of these sugars. Besides your morning java, you’d be surprised to learn of the foods where sugar is lurking—like bread, condiments, frozen meals, breakfast cereals, and salad dressings.  

Eat This! Tip: 

The easiest way to cut down on added sugars is leaving the ultra-processed foods on the store shelves and whipping up your own homemade snacks. According to a recent study published in the journal BMJ Open, ultra-processed foods—such as bread, salad dressings, frozen entrees, and condiments—on average contribute a whopping 90 percent of an American’s daily added sugar intake. 

 

Your Gut Health Is Off 

Years of rampant antibiotic use and unhealthy eating centered on saturated fats and sugars can knock your digestive system so out of whack that it could be blunting your weight loss efforts. That’s because these conditions empower the harmful bacteria that live in your gut while weakening the beneficial bugs. As a result, the good guys can’t effectively do their job: part of which is regulating your hunger hormones. According to researchers at New York University, a stomach bacterium called Helicobacter pylori can actually change the levels of the hunger-stimulating hormone, ghrelin, in your body. Researchers found average levels of H. pylori have decreased in our belly biomes with the rise of the fast-food society. And that means less of its inhibiting effect on our appetites—perhaps reason for why many of us are always hungry. 

Eat This! Tip 

To mend your tummy, cut out the bad-bug-feeding sugars from your diet, and load up on both prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics are a source of food for the good guys in your gut to help them build strength, and probiotics act as reinforcements, helping to drive out the bad guys. Good sources of prebiotics are legumes, onions, artichokes, spinach, and oats, and probiotics can be found in fermented foods as well as in Greek yogurt. 

You Drink Your Nutrients 

Smoothies and juices might be all the rage right now, but if you’ve ever swallowed a meal-replacement drink and felt hungry almost immediately after, here’s why: Your body doesn’t register liquid calories the same way as it does with solids. In fact, studies have shown that energy obtained from fluids is less satisfying than calories from solid foods, so we drink more before feeling satisfied, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Experts hypothesize that the physical act of chewing increases physiological satiety responses—one recent study in Food Quality and Preference attributed the satiety signal with the fact that hearing the crunch of food can serve as a way to monitor your consumption—or that whole foods are more slowly digested than liquids, a process known as gastric emptying, which causes your stomach to actually feel fuller for longer. 

Eat This! Tip 

We certainly love our smoothies around here, but if you’ve become victim to always feeling hungry it might be best if you laid off on the blended meals. Or, follow the advice of recent findings: Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a study found that thickening a smoothie made people feel fuller, regardless of how many calories it had. Thicken up your blended beverages by subbing out almond milk for Greek yogurt and water. 

You’re Severely Overweight 

Merely the fact that you’re carrying around extra weight may be enough to induce uncontrollable hunger pangs—even after you’ve just eaten. New research from a multidisciplinary team at UT Southwestern Medical Center found that severely obese women continue to respond to food cues even after they’ve eaten and are no longer physically hungry, unlike their lean counterparts. Using an MRI, researchers discovered that the brains of severely obese women showed they were still excited about the idea of eating even though they had just consumed a meal and reported feeling satiated. The findings, published in the journal Obesity, suggest that some people with severe obesity have an underlying drive to continuously nosh despite not feeling hungry. 

Eat This! Tip: 

It’s not too late to start! Drastically cutting calories will only make hunger pangs worse, as this puts your body in starvation survival mode and revs up production of hunger hormones while slowing metabolism.  

 

You Eat Off Large Plates 

You may have gotten them as a wedding gift, but that set of extra large dinnerware has to go. When you serve yourself on a bigger plate, a typical portion of food may appear smaller and can trick your brain into thinking you aren’t eating enough food. Contrarily, smaller plates make food servings appear significantly larger, which tricks your mind into thinking you’re about to consume more calories than you really are. In fact, a study published in Appetite discovered people were satisfied for longer periods of time after researchers showed participants a large portion of fruit went into their smoothie compared to participants who were shown a small piece of fruit—even though both groups were actually given the same size smoothie to drink. The authors of the study suggest that feeling full or still hungry may be based on the perception of food quantity rather than solely based on caloric intake. 

Eat This! Tip 

Try the trick at home by using smaller plates and glasses that make your portions look more generous, it’s just one of the easy ways to cut over 50 calories. That way you’ll trick your brain into feeling fuller, even though you’ve actually eaten less! 

Certain Meds Give You Munchies 

If you were prescribed a new medication and subsequently noticed an insatiable increase in your appetite, your Rx may be to blame. Antidepressants, steroids, birth control pills, beta-blockers, anti-seizure and migraine meds, and rheumatoid arthritis treatments have all been found to increase appetite in patients. 

Eat This! Tip 

That doesn’t mean you should take yourself off the drug, though. Confirm with your doc that the medication is indeed the culprit, and discuss what other treatments are available. Your doctor might be able to prescribe a different medication that doesn’t carry the same belly-bulging side effects. 

You Rarely Prepare Your Own Food 

It may be a time saver, but eating out or grabbing a processed snack from the grocery store won’t help you curb your hunger pangs as much as you think. Restaurant food—even the desserts—is typically loaded with salt, which research has found can release the feel-good hormone, dopamine, making sodium-laden fare pretty addictive. (Which means you’ll constantly crave it!) As for processed junk? These foods are often made with appetite-revving additives like MSG, which encourage you to continue noshing beyond your fill. 

Eat This! Tip: 

Try cooking a majority of your own meals and snacks at home. You’ll not only be able to control the addictive sodium levels and leave out the appetite-revving additives—both will help to curb your seemingly insatiable hunger pangs—but you’ll also consume nearly 200 fewer calories than those who cook less, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. 

You May Have a Medical Issue 

There are many reasons why you’re constantly hungry, but if none of the reasons above sound like your problem, it might be something you’re unaware of. A few possible medical reasons: 

  • Women who experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) often have food cravings, as do women during early stages of their pregnancy. 
  • If your sudden hunger is also paired with an unquenchable thirst, you may want to talk to your doctor about being tested for diabetes. What may be happening is that you’re developing an insulin resistance, which means your body can’t as effectively funnel the glucose in food to be used as energy, and instead it stays in your bloodstream. As a result, you can experience “insulin resistant hunger” characterized by craving sugars or starches rather than being physically hungry. 
  • Sometimes, excessive hunger is the sign of a parasitic infestation in your intestine, which can occur after eating undercooked meat from infected animals. For example, tapeworms act by noshing on the essential nutrients from your food. (Yikes!) Because your body is missing out on these satiating nutrients, it can cause you to feel hungry and thus overeat. 
  • You may be suffering from a chronic, autoimmune health condition called hyperthyroidism—a condition in which your metabolism-running thyroid gland is running in overdrive. When your metabolism is constantly stimulated, it can result in feeling hungry all the time. 

Eat This! Tip: If you suspect any of the issues above, consult your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment options. 

Author WellnessKichen Categories Healthy Eating, Nutrition & Diet Posted on 0 Comments

Health Benefits of a High Fiber Diet

From preventing blood sugar crashes to improving digestion, fiber can do wonders for your health. 

Ten seconds. That’s exactly how quickly the stomach begins digesting food after you chew and swallow. Within 45 minutes of eating a meal without fiber, you’ll feel the blood sugar roller coaster effects. A high fiber diet is key to preventing these spikes and falls. 

“That great, full feeling you experience after a big meal? It’s quickly followed by a blood sugar crash, where you feel tired, weak, shaky, cranky, and most of all, hungry,” says Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, an NYC-based registered dietitian, who is also the founder of the F-Factor diet and a bestselling author. Sound familiar? Then you’re probably not getting enough fiber in your diet. 

“When a meal contains fiber, this process is much slower, eliminating blood sugar spikes and increasing feelings of fullness for several hours after eating.” A sense of fullness is only one of many benefits of fiber. 

What is fiber? 

Before we get too far: What actually is fiber? The Institutes of Medicine gave it a formal definition in 2005 and separated total fiber into: 

  • Dietary fiber: Formally defined as “nondigestible carbohydrates and lignin found in plants,” dietary fiber is the zero-calorie, non-digestible part of a carbohydrate that adds bulk to food, according to Zuckerbrot. This is the type of fiber found naturally in fiber-rich foods. Dietary fiber is further broken down into soluble and insoluble fiber. 
  • Functional fiber: isolated nondigestible carbohydrates. This is the type of fiber that is extracted from natural foods or produced synthetically and only exists in isolation. Functional fiber, also called added fiber, is typically the added fiber you see in many protein bars and cereals under the names inulin, isomalto-oligosaccharides, maltodextrin, and chicory root fiber. 

How much fiber do you need per day? 

Most of us fall far short of the ideal, consuming only about nine to 11 grams per day. Dietitians recommend 35 grams (for women) to 38 grams (for men) of fiber. 

The new FDA nutrition label recommends 28 grams of fiber per day for a 2,000 calorie diet. 

What are the benefits of a high fiber diet? 

Because a majority of Americans don’t get enough fiber, it’s worth adding fiber to your diet. Following a high fiber diet has countless health benefits, from weight loss to colon health. 

These are the 13 health-promoting benefits of fiber and a high fiber diet. 

A High Fiber Diet Helps You (Actually) Feel Full 

“Fiber swells in your stomach like a sponge, which increases feelings of fullness and promotes weight loss by creating a caloric deficit without hunger,” Zuckerbrot says. 

Digestion Is Smoother 

Fiber-rich foods, including beans and legumes, berries, whole grains, and nuts, make everything you consume go down easier. “Soluble fiber combines with water to form a gel-like substance that creates bulk. Insoluble fiber moves food through. A high fiber diet will promote more regular digestion and less constipation. 

You Torch More Calories—Zero Effort Required 

That’s right: Even without extra gym time, you’ll burn more calories (to the tune of 92 extra per day) when you double fiber intake from 12 to 24 grams per day, according to recent research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “Fiber boosts metabolism because the body can’t digest fiber—but it attempts to—burning calories in the process. All that bonus burn would result in a 10-pound loss per year. 

Cholesterol Goes Down 

Think of fiber like a sponge. Soluble fiber, specifically, has been linked to lower levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Find it in barley, oat bran, apples, and strawberries. “Fiber has absorbent properties, binding to circulating cholesterol and eliminating it from the body. 

Energy Skyrockets 

Step away from the coffee machine. Consume a high fiber diet for an instant power up—without the energy roller coaster—instead. Cording tells her clients to reach for a serving of nuts to combat the mid-morning slump. “Eating fiber and protein together keeps blood glucose levels steady, providing your body with sustained energy throughout the day. 

Your Skin Will Glow 

Bye-bye acne and blotchiness! Since fiber soaks up toxins in the blood, eliminating them through the digestive tract instead of your pores will make your skin brighter and clearer, Zuckerbrot explains. She recommends seeking out fiber-rich fruits and vegetables that are also rich in antioxidants that help fight aging, such as artichokes, pears, and broccoli. 

Inflammation Decreases 

“Fiber is a prebiotic that plays a fundamental role in gut health, and is important for battling inflammation and lowering overall disease risk,” Zuckerbrot says. An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study explains why: Fiber acts as a natural protective armor against C-reactive protein (CRP), a sign of acute inflammation. When this evil CRP is coursing through the blood, you are more likely to develop diabetes or cardiovascular disease down the road. 

You’ll Sleep Like a Dream 

“Eating refined carbs late in the day cause your blood sugar level to peak and then crash during sleep, which is why some people get up in the middle of the night,” Zuckerbrot says. On the flip side, eating a fiber-strong supper and bedtime snack can keep your blood sugar on a more even keel so you can catch some undisturbed shut-eye. Just be sure to amp up the fiber intake on an even pace. 

“If you’re not used to eating a high-fiber diet, gradually increase your intake to give your system time to adjust and avoid abdominal discomfort like gas and bloating,” Cording says, symptoms that would surely keep you up at night. 

Bloating Goes Bye-bye 

That is if you follow the slow and steady ramp-up just recommended (since too much fiber at one meal can lead to even more bloating and cramps). Drink at least three liters of water per day to avoid the aches and unsettled stomach. When you do, “you’ll have complete and regular bowel movements,” Zuckerbrot says. “One of the benefits of fiber is that it increases stool bulk, which helps prevent constipation and bloating, and can offer relief from irritable bowel syndrome.” 

You’ll Live Longer 

It’s not just about how you’ll look in your swimsuit. “A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that those who followed a high fiber diet lived longest. Fiber was credited with reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, infectious and respiratory disease and some forms of cancer. 

It Boosts the Good Bacteria in Your Body 

Make the most of your kombucha, kimchi and yogurt consumption by pairing it with a healthy serving of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. “Many high-fiber foods are good sources of prebiotic bacteria, which serves as “food” for beneficial probiotic bacteria. 

Blood Sugar Stays Steadier 

Think of fiber as a slow-mo button for blood sugar spikes. “Foods with fiber take longer to digest, therefore blood sugar doesn’t rise and fall dramatically like it does with refined carbohydrates. Fiber slows digestion and steadies blood sugar levels, which curbs sugar cravings and sustains energy. When you’re indulging in something lower-fiber, such as pancakes, try tossing in a handful of sliced pears (5 1/2 grams in a medium) or a medium sliced banana (three grams). 

Hypertension Dangers Go Down 

Take heart: “By improving cholesterol levels and decreasing inflammation, fiber can help to reduce heart disease risk and decrease blood pressure levels,” Zuckerbrot says. 

Cancer Risk Is Slashed, Too 

The secret weapon to combat certain cancers? You guessed it: a high fiber diet. Your colon, breasts and other body parts will stay disease-free longer when you add more fiber to your menu. “Fiber is like sandpaper in the colon, causing constant cell turnover which is beneficial for not only digestion but also colon health in preventing tumor growth. Fiber also helps reduce levels of circulating estrogen, which has been proven to reduce the risk of breast cancer. 

You’ll Be More Regular 

“Fiber alleviates constipation and promotes regularity, which in turn “promotes regularity and improves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.” Fiber-rich foods and supplements help form stool bulk (especially when combined with water), Cording adds. Instead of opting for refined breading on your chicken or fish, coat them in crushed wheat bran or oats to keep things moving and reap the benefits of fiber. 

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What Happens When You Don’t Eat Enough Fiber

Fact: Not getting enough fiber can increase your risk of weight gain and heart disease. But most Americans consume less than half the recommended daily intake! 

Psst! Do you want to know one of the most effective weight loss and health secrets of all time? A trick that all but ensures you’ll remain full and satisfied while shedding pounds? The answer is clear as day: Eat more fiber. 

It sounds far too simple to be legit, but it’s true. The oft-overlooked nutrient, which describes the indigestible material found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, is both extremely filling and brimming with health benefits—making it a vital component of every diet. The National Fiber Council recommends that adults consume 32 grams of the stuff a day, but as a nation, we’re coming up short. Very short, actually, with most of us getting between 10 and 15 grams a day. For a point of reference, that’s the equivalent of consuming just one large apple and three tablespoons of chickpeas—which is practically nothing! 

Read on to find out exactly what can go awry if you don’t consume enough fiber; it may just be the kick in the rear you need to finally add more oatmeal and berries to your daily diet! 

You Get Backed Up 

Constantly feeling “backed up” in the bathroom may be a sign you’re coming up short on fiber, says Nutritionists. “Having a fiber-rich diet allows more water to remain in your stool, making it easier to pass through your intestines. When we don’t get enough fiber, it slows down our digestive system and makes it harder for us to eliminate our waste.” Add more of these high fiber foods to your daily diet to keep things—er, moving along smoothly—and ensure you hit the nutritional mark on the reg. 

You’re Always Hungry 

If you’ve ever eaten a huge tray of chicken nuggets and fries only to find your stomach growling soon after, it’s likely because your meal lacked fiber. Fiber helps to slow the digestion process, helping you feel fuller for longer. Adding a fiber-rich food like avocados, beans, brown rice, and pears to your meals and snacks will help keep those post-meal tummy rumbles at bay—and can subsequently aid weight loss efforts. 

You Might Gain Weight 

“When we don’t eat enough fiber, we tend to be hungrier and are more prone to overeating,” explains Schapiro. Research indicates that simply switching from a low-fiber diet to one that helps you hit the recommended 32 daily grams can help you slash 100 calories per day. Though 100 calories may seem trivial, that equates to a 10-pound weight loss over a year. For more simple ways to accelerate your flat belly wins. 

Your Cholesterol Levels Spike 

The less soluble fiber you consume (that’s the kind found abundantly in oatmeal, beans and brussels sprouts), the higher your risk for high cholesterol climbs, according to a meta-analysis published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Scientists hypothesize that fiber acts as a magnet as it moves through the intestine, attracting and carrying out the artery-clogging plaque that would otherwise spike cholesterol levels. 

You Increase Your Risk of Stroke And Heart Disease 

When your cholesterol levels are out of a healthy range—as a result of a low-fiber diet or otherwise—it can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, according to U.S. National Library of Medicine data and findings published in the journal Stroke. That’s because both stroke and heart disease are brought on by the buildup of plaque in the arteries.  

You Become Deficient in Other Nutrients, Too 

If you’re not eating fiber-rich foods like whole grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies, there’s a good chance you also may not be getting enough of the other health-protective nutrients found of those foods. Check in with your M.D. if you know you’re not consuming much fiber to make sure you don’t have any type of major nutritional deficiency. A multi-vitamin and a well-rounded diet can likely help you get back on track towards better health.  

You May Develop Diabetes 

Get this: People who regularly eat low-fiber, fast-digesting high-glycemic foods like white bread, cookies, soda and white rice, are more than twice as likely as those who regularly consume the nutrient to develop type 2 diabetes. Yeesh! Scary stuff. What’s the connection? “Foods rich in fiber help to prevent blood sugar and insulin spikes, that over time could lead to diabetes,” explains Schapiro. 

You’ll Be Sleepy All the Time 

Besides upping your risk for diabetes, seesawing blood sugar levels can also leave you feeling lethargic—even if you got plenty of shut-eye the night before. To keep your energy and blood sugar levels stable throughout the day, reach for a fiber-filled source of complex carbs with a bit of protein and fat.  

Author WellnessKichen Categories Drinks & Beverages, Healthy Eating, Mental Wellness, Nutrition & Diet Posted on 0 Comments

Know Your Habits Which Makes You Fat and Sick

You exercise regularly, eat your fruits and veggies and never miss an annual exam—and it’s paying off. You look and feel great! But even though you’re fit and healthy right now, that doesn’t necessarily mean your daily so-called “good” habits will help you maintain your well-being into the future. Read on to learn about the mistakes you may be making, and how you can avoid them. Your future self is sure to thank you! 

You Drink Out of a Plastic Bottle 

You know how important it is to stay hydrated, which is why you’re never seen without a bottle of Poland Spring by your side. While we commend you for getting your daily dose of H20, you should seriously consider trading your throw-away bottle for the reusable, BPA-free variety. Bisphenol A, commonly referred to as BPA, can negatively impact fertility in both men and women and has also been linked to obesity. Don’t believe it? The science doesn’t lie: A 2011 Harvard study found that adults with the highest concentration of BPA in their urine had significantly larger waists and chance of being obese than those in the lowest quartile. 

You Don’t Drink This Tea 

Green tea blasts flab. Researchers attribute the fat-burning properties of green tea to catechins, specifically EGCG — the name of a group of antioxidative compounds that fry adipose tissue by revving the metabolism, increasing the release of flab from fat cells (particularly in the belly), then speeding up the liver’s fat-burning capacity.  

You Don’t Go to Sleep Early Enough 

According to the National Sleep Foundation, most of us don’t get enough shuteye. Over time, this can lead to weight gain, anxiety, depression and insulin resistance—which can trigger type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. A good night’s rest fuels the production of fat-burning hormones, so logging a solid seven or eight hours of sleep each evening should be a priority.  

You Don’t Moderate Your New Diet 

If you’ve just hopped on the paleo or low-carb bandwagon, proceed with caution. “Often diets that cut out entire food groups do not allow for the balance and moderation we need to follow a healthy, lifelong eating plan,” warns Zanini. “Plus, dieters who follow these plans may be prone to potentially dangerous nutritional deficiencies. Or they may simply get bored with their restricted plan and end up overeating down the road.” 

Your Home-cooked Portions Are Too Big 

Just because your meal is healthy doesn’t mean you don’t have to practice portion control. Remember, even virtuous foods have calories! Half of your plate should be filled with veggies and the remaining half should hold a cellphone-sized serving of lean protein, a fist-sized serving of grains and a bit of fat no larger than the size of your pointer finger. 

You Don’t Get Tested for Nutritional Deficiencies 

Although you may get scanned for high cholesterol or diabetes at your annual exam, M.D.s don’t typically test or look for physical signs of nutritional deficiencies—which can be dangerous! Nutritionists suggests having your vitamin D levels checked if nothing else. “Many people are deficient and don’t even know it—and not getting enough may increase the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and certain types of cancer,” she warns. 

You Shun Healthy Fats 

You know that eating trans fats can increase your risk of heart disease, weight gain and stroke, so you’re smart to stay away. But not all fats need to make your “do not eat” list. Consuming healthy fats like flax seeds and nuts can actually help you slim down and stay healthy. “Fats not only help us absorb many of the vitamins from our diets, but they also help keep us fuller longer, which can aid weight loss efforts,” explains Zanini. She suggests consuming one serving of healthy fats each time you sit down to eat. This could be 1/4 cup of almonds or walnuts, some sautéed veggies cooked with a tablespoon of olive oil or a few slices of avocado.  

You Don’t Ask How Restaurant Food is Cooked 

Chefs often add fat and salt to make meals taste better—but these ingredients aren’t necessarily something they advertise on the menu. Since you’ve already taken such care to choose a meal that sounds healthy, take the extra step and ask your server if there is any cream or butter in your dish. If these is, ask for your veggies and meats to be cooked dry and have sauces come on the side so you control how much ends up on your plate. After crunching the numbers, we discovered that no matter what kind of restaurant you’re dining at, you can save up to 1,000 calories at each meal by making this simple request! 

You Ignore Sodium 

Your favorite trail mix only has 150-calories, but did you check to see how much sodium is lurking inside the package? All too often, those who aren’t suffering from a health condition overlook that part of the nutrition label. “Americans consume, on average, about 50 percent more than the daily recommended intake of salt, and most of the excess sodium is coming from processed foods like frozen waffles, bagels, cheese cottage cheese, veggie burgers and salad dressings,” says Loy. Sticking to The Institute of Medicine’s daily recommendation of 2,300 milligrams per day or less can help you keep a bloated belly, high blood pressure and other health conditions at bay. 

You Can’t Give Up Soda 

What do synthetic estrogen, flame retardants and rocket fuel all have in common? As we learned in the book Zero Belly Diet, they can all be found in a can of your favorite diet soda. BPA, the synthetic estrogen, is used to soften the plastic that lines the can; colas contain caramel coloring shown to cause cancer in humans; and citrus-flavored sodas contain BVO, a flame retardant used in rocket fuel that may reduce fertility and negatively affect thyroid hormones. Nearly all popular diet sodas contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener that raises glucose levels, overloading the liver and causing the excess to convert into fat. 

You Always Buy Low-fat Treats 

If every time you have a cookie craving you buy a low-fat package, you may be doing your body a disservice. Not only are diet foods typically filled with enough sugar to derail even the most disciplined dieter, but these faux sweet treats are also made with additives that can make you feel unsatisfied. In turn, you’ll likely consume far more calories than you intended. To stay trim, eat the real thing, but downsize your portion. If you love ice cream, for example, skip the fro-yo and have a small scoop of premium. 

You Don’t Eat Organic 

Throughout your life, you accumulate toxins from food and drink, which can lead to obesity. Many of those come from pesticides and hormones in produce and meat. Choose organic fruits and vegetables and hormone-free meat.  

You Eat Too Fast 

We get it — we’re all busy and often have to eat fast and on the fly. But that often gets in the way of losing weight, because we’re not giving our stomachs time to register that we’re full. Here’s a trick: Divide your plate in two. Eat half, and do something else for 30 minutes. It’ll still be there when you get back, but your hunger may have left the building.  

You Don’t Keep Healthy Snacks Around 

“Always be prepared for a busy or unpredictable day by keeping healthy snacks on you, at your desk, in your car,” says nutritionists. They suggest having almonds or other unsalted nuts, apples, bananas, chia bars, protein bars, or other fruit and nut bars close at hand. Shapiro says that if you have to skip breakfast, lunch, or even dinner during your quest to look your best, you can keep your energy levels up while making healthy choices. 

You Go Straight for the Couch 

After a long day at work, it’s tempting to flop on your cozy couch and not move until it’s bedtime. But, even if you’re reading or online shopping while your significant other watches their favorite shows, it still mimics that sedentary post-work lifestyle. A recent analysis of studies found that for every two hours spent watching TV, the risk of developing diabetes or heart disease increased by 20, 15 and 13 percent, respectively. Scientists are still figuring out exactly why sitting is so detrimental to health, but one obvious and partial explanation is that the less we move, the less fuel we require; the surplus blood sugar floods the bloodstream and contributes to diabetes and other weight-related risks. 

You Don’t Eat Enough Protein 

Consuming enough protein is important for two reasons: Protein is satiating, which staves off overeating; and protein maintains muscle. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn, even at rest. Much of retaining muscle mass is dependent on exercise. Part is down to protein intake. Eat more lean meats, fish and Greek yogurt, and you’ll keep your fat-burning engines revved.  

You Skip Weights at the Gym 

Muscles are what keeps our metabolism high and as we age, our muscles slowly start to get smaller, therefore allowing our metabolism to slow down. To counteract this, Shapiro recommends that we start lifting weights. “No, you won’t get big and bulky. In fact, you’ll stay lean,” she says. That’s because weight training causes you to burn more calories per workout than cardio sessions, and you continue to burn them post workout.  

You Don’t Watch Empty Calories at Restaurants 

Going out to eat is a minefield of wasteful carbs: The bread basket, free tortilla chips, two-for-one cocktails… You can indulge, but be strategic about it. “I always recommend picking your poison. “Bread or carbs, alcohol or dessert – choose one, not all three.” All of these pack empty calories, so by only having one of the three, you limit your total intake. 

You Always Clean Your Plate 

And you don’t necessarily need to. Eat until you’re 80% full, then stop. In Japan, this method is called hara hachi bun me, which roughly translates to “eat until you are eight parts (out of ten) full. Remember, you can always eat a high-protein snack later. 

You Don’t Relax After Work 

You manage to avoid the office candy bowl, which is pretty impressive, but you’ve got to let off some steam somehow. If you don’t, it could lead to chronically elevated cortisol levels, causing sleep and immunity problems, blood-sugar abnormalities and weight gain. Nutrition and Dietetics says stress relief is very individualized. Give a few different tactics a try and see what works best for you. Practicing yoga, meeting up with friends and unplugging from technology for an evening are all worth a shot. 

You Don’t Eat Regularly 

An irregular eating schedule can undercut your metabolism. Research from John Moores University in Liverpool found that women who fluctuated between eating low- and high-calorie meals were less happy with their bodies than those whose plates contained a similar number of calories from meal to meal. But it’s not just fluctuating meal size that can derail your weight-loss goals. A Hebrew University study from 2012 found that mice that were fed high-fat foods sporadically gained more weight than mice that ate a similar diet on a regular schedule. Your move? Figure out how many calories you need to achieve your desired weight, and evenly divide that number by the three, four or five meals and snacks you eat per day. Aim for each of your meals to be roughly that size and eat them at about the same time each day.  

Your Diet is Too Strict 

That’s a recipe for disaster. “When my clients feel like they aren’t able to enjoy something indulgent from time to time, it often leaves them with hard-to-ignore cravings,” says dietitian. “I allow my patients to eat 100 discretionary calories each day, so they can satisfy their cravings without falling off track.”   

You Keep Temptation in Your Kitchen 

“Whether it’s ice cream, cookies, candy, chips or other items, just knowing that your trigger foods are in the kitchen or office desk can derail any healthy eating program”. “This is especially true between 3 p.m. and bedtime, when cravings tend the be the most difficult to ignore.” One of the best ways to overcome a passing craving is to keep the foods you typical crave out of the house. Can’t imagine kicking your favorite cookies out of the house for good? Nutritionists suggest individually portioning the foods you tend to overeat. If you know each Ziploc bag of cookies is 150 calories, you’ll be less likely to go back for a second serving. 

You Eat Bagels and White Bread 

Unless your go-to bagel is made with whole grains, consider it a “Not That.” Though you may not think of the popular breakfast Carbs as a sweet indulgence, the body converts refined carbohydrates into sugar and then glucose, a nutrient that damages collagen and other wrinkle-fighting proteins. What’s more, when it comes to bread, bagels and even pasta, picking whole grains over refined will help keep your blood sugar levels even-keeled, aiding weight maintenance and weight loss, giving you a more youthful figure. 

You Eat when You’re Stressed 

When stressful situations strike, popping open a can of soda can make it seem like everything’s going to be all right. But we know better, and now you will too: People who drink just two cans of soda daily are three times more likely to be depressed and anxious, compared to those who drink fewer, a study from the American Journal of Public Health found. Plus, cola is filled with artificial dyes that are possible human carcinogens and sweeteners that can lead to weight gain and obesity-related diseases. Next time you’re pulling your hair out, mix a cup of low-fat, plain yogurt with a tablespoon of raw nuts. The duo serves up a hefty dose of lysine and arginine, amino acids that decreases feelings of anxiety and stress. 

You Eat when You’re Depressed 

Although you may hear your sweet tooth calling when you’re feeling down in the dumps, it will serve you best to ignore it—especially if you’re craving white chocolate. White chocolate isn’t technically chocolate, since it contains no cocoa solids. That means it also lacks the ability to stimulate the euphoria-inducing chemicals that real chocolate does, especially serotonin. If you’re going to grab some chocolate, the darker the better. More cacao equals more happy chemicals and less sugar—which would only pull you down and make you frown. 

You Keep Your Kitchen Open All Night 

Nighttime fasting—aka closing the kitchen early—may help you lose more weight, even if you eat more food throughout the day, according to a study in the journal Cell Metabolism. Researchers put groups of mice on a high-fat, high-calorie diet for 100 days. Half of them were allowed to nibble throughout the night and day on a healthy, controlled diet, while the others only had access to food for eight hours, but could eat whatever they wanted. The result of the 16-hour food ban? The fasting mice stayed lean, while the mice who noshed ’round the clock became obese—even though both groups consumed the same number of calories! Push back breakfast until 10 am to slim down and reset your body. 

You Don’t Take Nutrition Advice 

Good news! By reading this, you’re already forming habits that can help you shed pounds. When Canadian researchers sent diet and exercise advice to more than 1,000 people, they found that the recipients began eating smarter and working more physical activity into their daily routines. Not surprisingly, the habits of the non-recipients didn’t budge. 

You Eat Free Restaurant Food 

Breadsticks, biscuits, and chips and salsa may be complimentary at some restaurants, but that doesn’t mean you won’t pay for them. Every time you eat one of Olive Garden’s free breadsticks or Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits, you’re adding an additional 150 calories to your meal. Eat three over the course of dinner, and that’s 450 calories. That’s also roughly the number of calories you can expect for every basket of tortilla chips you get at your local Mexican restaurant. What’s worse, none of these calories comes paired with any redeeming nutritional value. Consider them junk food on steroids. 

You Watch Way Too Much TV 

A University of Vermont study found that overweight participants who reduced their TV time by just 50 percent burned an additional 119 calories a day on average. That’s an automatic 12-pound annual loss! Maximize those results by multitasking while you watch—even light household tasks will further bump up your caloric burn. Plus, if your hands are occupied with dishes or laundry, you’ll be less likely to mindlessly snack—the other main occupational hazard associated with tube time. 

You Order the Combo Meal 

A study in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing shows that compared to ordering a la carte, you pick up a hundred or more extra calories by opting for the “combo” or “value meal.” Why? Because when you order items bundled together, you’re likely to buy more food than you want. You’re better off ordering your food piecemeal. That way you won’t be influenced by pricing schemes designed to hustle a few more cents out of your pocket. 

You Stay Too Late at Work 

When you work later, you also eat later and go to sleep later, both of which lead to unwanted pounds. A study in the journal Nutrition Research found that those whose last meal was closest to bedtime took in more calories during the day. If you typically log late nights at the office, you could be diminishing the quality of your sleep and increasing your odds of weight gain. When you don’t feel rested, ghrelin–the hunger-stimulating hormone–goes into overdrive, increasing feelings of hunger even when the body isn’t in need of food.  

You Sit Too Much 

We sit an average of 67 hours a week — that’s nine hours a day sitting, six hours lying down, and only about seven hours out of every 24 spent actually moving. And our sedentary jobs now cause us to burn 100 fewer calories a day than we did 50 years ago. That alone translates to gaining an extra 10 pounds a year. A recent study in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that a two-minute walk every hour can offset the effects of too much sitting. 

You Order in Lunch at Work 

A study found that just having a lot of take-out options near your work or along your commute to work makes you twice as likely to be obese. Think about that for a moment: Just the mere presence of take-out food increases your risk of obesity. The best thing for you to do is pack your lunches and at least two snacks to make sure you don’t have to go searching for food elsewhere. 

You Drink Too Much Coffee 

We wouldn’t dare ask you to forgo your morning cup of coffee…or even your 10 a.m. cup. But you might want to skip that 3:00 coffee run. Too much caffeine can lead to insulin resistance and increased fat storage, according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. When the 3:00 slump hits, go for a walk or work out instead. 

You Give in to Work Stress 

When you’re stressed at work, you are more likely to gain weight because you’re more likely to want to hide under the covers when you get home. A recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people with high levels of job stress are 26 percent more likely to be inactive during their downtime than those with low-stress jobs. A University of Rochester study echoed these results, finding that stress at work leads to behaviors like watching TV and less exercise. It’s one thing for your job to make you unhappy. But if it’s making you unhealthy, it might be time to start looking around. 

You Eat Processed Meats 

Many brands of bacon, sausage, hot dogs and deli meats contain nitrates, a preservative that interferes with the body’s natural ability to process sugar, which increases the risk for diabetes. It can also increase up your odds of thyroid and colon cancer. If that weren’t bad enough, most processed meats are also loaded with sodium, a known contributor to hypertension that can make you bloat and set you up to develop heart disease. Read the ingredients and look for meats that are free of nitrates.  

You Sleep with the Light on 

Exposure to light at night doesn’t just interrupt your chances of a great night’s sleep, it may also result in weight gain according to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Study subjects who slept in the darkest rooms were 21 percent less likely to be obese than those sleeping in the lightest rooms. 

You Bring Your Phone and iPad into the Bedroom 

Research suggests that the more electronics we bring into the bedroom, the fatter we get—especially among children. A study in a journal found that kids who bask in the nighttime glow of a TV or computer don’t get enough rest and suffer from poor lifestyle habits. Researchers found that students with access to one electronic device were 1.47 times as likely to be overweight as kids with no devices in the bedroom. That increased to 2.57 times for kids with three devices. Leave your iPad in the living room!! 

Author WellnessKichen Categories Healthy Eating, Nutrition & Diet Posted on 0 Comments

Benefits of Banana

Lose weight, reduce bloat, fight cancer and increase your energy—all for just 2 rupees a piece. 

What if we told you there was a groundbreaking new tool to help you lose weight, reduce bloat, fight cancer, and increase your energy—all for just about 2 rupees a piece? And bonus: Each one comes with a free carrying case, so you can grab it and go! You’d call us bananas. And we’d say you’re right. 

The humble fruit—botanically, actually a berry!—is perhaps the least-heralded supermarket staple, a superfood more associated with kids, monkeys, and slapstick comedy than with steel-cut abs. But its powers are proven, and to investigate just how bananas can be, we consulted our team of nutritionists to determine exactly what eating one banana does to your body. (Pro tip: The riper the banana, the more nutrients it has! 

Here are the top, most b-a-n-a-n-a-s health benefits of bananas. 

Bananas help to build lean muscle. 

If after a workout, you’ve felt like your muscles are sore—or not growing fast enough—you might not be getting enough magnesium in your diet. A good source of magnesium, bananas can help with muscle contraction and relaxation as well as protein synthesis — which, in turn, increases lean muscle mass. A bonus: magnesium intake helps boost lipolysis, a process by which your body releases fat from its stores. One fun way to get your magnesium: Make banana tea. Just boil some water, cut off both ends of a banana (still in its peel) and boil for 7-10 minutes. Then drain and drink before bed. 

Bananas help your muscles recover faster. 

We all know that bananas are a prime source of potassium. Because it’s an electrolyte, potassium helps your muscles recover from a workout, strengthens their development, and allows you to work out more. 

Bananas support a good mood 

Bananas don’t just look like smiles; they promote them because they contain 6% of your daily value of vitamin B9, (also known as folate), a nutrient that may fight depression by boosting a substrate that has antidepressant properties, according to the NIH. In other words, it helps serotonin, the feel-good chemical, enter the brain faster. A study in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry asserts that patients with depression have blood folate levels that are, on average, 25 percent lower than healthy folks’ levels. Some doctors recommend increasing folate intake if you’re taking anti-depressants, to boost their effects. 

And may lower feelings of anxiety and stress. 

Besides the mood-boosting B9, bananas also have tryptophan, “a precursor for serotonin,” says Nutritionists and serotonin may be the most important brain chemical because is a natural anti-depressant and can treat, anxiety and insomnia, as well as other mood issues such as fatigue, irritability, agitation, anger, and aggression. Bananas also have norepinephrine, which regulates our “‘fight or flight response,’ which helps to regulate stress. They’re an optimal, natural, real-food way to promote positive moods and help to prevent depression. “Good thing we don’t need a prescription!” (Try mashing on into detox water and drink your way calm.) 

Eat a banana before bed and you may sleep better. 

This is also because of the tryptophan, says Bjork. “It’s a precursor for melatonin, which promotes relaxation and helps to regulate sleep.” Peel one before bed. 

Bananas may help regulate blood pressure levels. 

According to the FDA, “the combination of a low-sodium, high potassium intake is associated with the lowest blood pressure levels and lowest frequency of stroke in individuals and populations.” Well, guess what? Bananas are high in potassium and low in sodium, the fruit is officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke. 

Bananas can help you look less bloated. 

Belly bloat makes even the most toned six-packer look like they just downed a six-pack of Coors. Fight back against the gas and water retention with bananas. One recent study found that women who ate a banana twice daily as a pre-meal snack for 60 days reduced their belly-bloat by 50 percent! Why? The fruit increases bloat-fighting bacteria in the stomach, and it’s also a legendarily good source of potassium, which can help diminish retention of fluids. 

And you’ll feel fuller. 

Prior to ripening, bananas are rich in something called resistant starch, which, as the name suggests, literally resists the digestion process. This feeds healthy gut bacteria, which suppresses the appetite and leads to more efficient fat oxidation. In fact, one study found that replacing just 5 percent of the day’s carbohydrates with a source of resistant starch can boost post-meal fat burn by up to 30 percent! Since underripe bananas are a bit bitter, we suggest adding them into weight loss smoothies with other fruits and veggies to mask the taste. 

Bananas may reduce bad cholesterol levels. 

If you’ve recently eaten at any fast-food chains, you’ve likely consumed trans fats—the kind of fat that raises your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. Before you reach for the Lipitor, grab a banana. They contain phytosterols, which are compounds that have LDL cholesterol-lowering effects according to a study in The Journal of Nutrition. Additionally, “Bananas contain Vitamin B6 which is important for nearly everything—heart health, immune health, digestive health, and nervous system function. 

You’ll support a healthier digestive system. 

Do you constantly feel…not right after eating? Of find yourself blaming the dog? Bananas can help your poor digestion. They’re an excellent source of prebiotics, nondigestible carbohydrates that act as food for good gut bacteria (probiotics) and improve digestion—because they contain (say it with us, now) fructooligosaccharides, a cluster of fructose molecules that lead to better gastrointestinal health. 

The fruit may support regular bowel movements. 

If you have kids, you likely already know this trick: The high fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility. With 3 grams of insoluble fiber, they help you push out waste better by making stools easier to pass. Bonus—they also help when things are loosey goosey: “Bananas are binding for anyone with diarrhea, and they also contain probiotics that are essentially ‘food’ for the healthy microbes (probiotics) that live in our guts,” says Nutritionists. If you suffered from any sort of bowel trouble, you might have IBS. 

Bananas support good bone health. 

Although bananas don’t contain a high amount of calcium—less that 1% of your daily recommended intake—they can help promote calcium uptake with the help of those prebiotic fructooligosaccharides. As fructooligosaccharides ferment in the digestive tract, they enhance the body’s ability to absorb calcium according to a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 

The sugar in bananas is a good source of energy. 

There’s a reason marathoners grab a banana before (and during, and after) the race: Bananas are rich in glucose, the most easily digestible source of sugar that will provide optimal energy for your run, power lift or Soul Cycle class. Eating one post workout helps to quickly replenish energy stores that are depleted during a tough sweat session. 

Bananas can help to fend off diseases. 

Even though bananas have no vitamin A, they can still help alleviate vitamin A deficiency. How? They’re rich in three different types of carotenoids (provitamin A carotenoids, beta-carotene, and alpha-carotene) that the body actually converts into vitamin A. Cool, right? And according to an article in the Food and Nutrition Bulletin, foods containing high levels of carotenoids have been shown to protect against chronic disease, including certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. 

Bananas support healthy eyes and vision. 

Bananas contain vitamins A (1% DV) and C (17% DV), and “both are antioxidants and are eye and skin-healthy nutrients,” says Smith. “They also have beta carotene, an antioxidant that can help to protect cells and repair damage at the cellular level. Bananas also contain other nutrients like vitamin E (120 micrograms per small banana) and lutein (26 micrograms per medium banana)—both which are eye-healthy. Lutein is a nutrient that may help to reduce risk for macular degeneration.” 

Bananas can help your body burn fat. 

Bananas have 12 mg of choline (3% DV), a fat-blasting B vitamin that acts directly on the genes that cause fat storage in the abdomen. (One reason heavy drinker have bloated bellies is that alcohol depletes choline, causing weight gain around the liver.) You can also find it in lean meats, seafood, and collard greens. 

The pectin in bananas can help detoxify your body. 

Rich in pectin, bananas are an all-natural detox. This gelatin-like fiber sticks to toxic compounds in the blood and flushes them out of the body through the urine. In fact, citrus pectin has been proven to increase mercury excretion in urine by 150 percent within 24 hours of supplementation, according to a study in Forsch Komplementärmed. As a rapid weight loss bonus, research shows pectin can limit the amount of fat your cells can absorb! Pectin also can help you regulate blood sugar. To reap the benefits, pick ripe bananas over green bananas, as the proportion of water-soluble pectin increases as bananas yellow, according to a Food Chemistry study. 

Our tip is to make sure your blood sugar levels stay even-keeled while eating a sugar-rich fruit like a banana: “I encourage consuming protein and healthy fat with the banana to slow down the absorption of the sugar from the banana into your bloodstream. This is the most effective strategy for keeping blood sugar levels stable, which means consistent energy levels and weight loss (since stable blood sugar levels allow the pancreas to secrete glucagon, the fat-burning hormone! 

Author WellnessKichen Categories Healthy Eating, Nutrition & Diet, Weight Loss Posted on 0 Comments

Myths About Metabolism—Busted!

High metabolism: It’s the Holy Grail of weight loss, the mysterious, magical method by which we burn fat all day, all night, even when we sleep—if only we could crank it up.  

In theory, a “metabolism boost” is the easiest way to burn fat. Metabolism refers to the process by which your body converts the calories you eat into energy—the stuff that fuels everything you do, from growing your hair to breathing in air. The more efficiently you burn off those calories, the less fat you store without the need for a restrictive diet or intense exercise. Sounds awesome, right? 

Yet as with any seemingly magical formula, the recipe for boosting metabolism is shrouded in myth—and misconceptions. Until now!! 

Here are our sure-fire Mantras for melting away the Kilos—and several metabolism myths debunked. 

Never skip breakfast 

REALITY: No time? Don’t stress 

Contrary to popular belief, researchers now say breakfast doesn’t kickstart the metabolism and may not be the most important meal of the day. A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition had more than 300 overweight participants consume diets that included either eating or skipping breakfast. At the end of 16 weeks, dieters who ate breakfast lost no more weight than the breakfast skippers. And a second study in the same journal found eating breakfast had zero impact on resting metabolism. Breakfast is an ideal place to squeeze protein, fiber and other nutrients into your day, but if the choice is a doughnut or nothing, opt for the nothing. 

Our Mantra: Start your day with lean protein, which burns twice as many calories during digestion as fat or carbs. But don’t stress about squeezing it in before 9 am.  

“Hot” workouts help you lose weight 

REALITY: Cold naps work better 

We still like to think of sweat as our fat crying—-especially when we’re raising our temperature through Power yoga or some other “hot” workout—but striking new research published in the journal Diabetes suggests cooler temperatures may be optimal for weight loss. According to the study, simply turning on the AC at night may subtly transform a person’s stores of brown fat-—the “good” fat, stimulated by cold temperatures, that serves to keep us warm by burning through “bad” fat stores. Participants spent a few weeks sleeping in bedrooms with varying temperatures: a neutral 75 degrees, a cool 66 degrees, and a balmy 81 degrees. After four weeks of sleeping at 66 degrees, the men had almost doubled their volumes of calorie-burning brown fat. Cool! 

Out Mantra: Turn down the heat at night. You’ll trim your belly, and your heating bills.  

Tongue-scorching peppers burn belly fat 

REALITY: Don’t drive yourself wild—it’s okay to stay mild 

You’ve probably read that hot sauce can boost your metabolism, and in fact, that’s true. But what if you don’t like spices? Now, there’s new research to suggest more-palatable, mild peppers may have the same calorie-burning potential—minus the agony!  

Out Mantra: Pack your salads and stir-frys with sweet peppers—including bell peppers, pimentos, rellenos and sweet banana peppers. They’re just as effective as the hot stuff. 

Six small meals throughout the day will stoke the metabolic fire 

REALITY: Three squares can also keep you from growing round 

Body-builders have long sworn by eating every few hours to keep their muscles fueled, but don’t discount the weight loss potential of three squares a day. A study in the journal Hepatology put two groups of men on weight-gain diets. One group divided the calories among three small meals with snacks in between while the second group ate the same number of calories in three square meals. While both groups gained weight, researchers found that belly fat—the dangerous kind that increases heart-disease risk—only increased in the high-meal frequency group. 

Out Mantra: Focus on overall calorie control and get plenty of fiber, protein and micronutrients. What you eat is more important than when. 

The caffeine in energy drinks revs up your metabolism 

REALITY: The sugar in energy drinks revs up your belly fat 

Caffeine may provide a bit of a boost to the metabolism, especially when ingested before exercise, but no amount of metabolic boost can burn off the empty calories that energy drinks supply. If you want to burn calories, try the brand-new miracle beverage known as…tap water. According to a study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, after drinking two tall glasses of water, participants’ metabolic rates increased by 30 percent. 

Out Mantra: Turn on the faucet. Those researchers estimate that increasing water intake by 1.5 liters a day (about 6 cups) would burn an extra 17,400 calories over the course of the year—that’s over 2 kolograms! 

Eating carbs at night will make you fat 

REALITY: Nighttime carbs set you up for daytime weight loss 

The theory makes sense: Your body burns carbs for energy, but if you eat them before you go to sleep, your body just stores them as fat. But the pastanomics of weight loss aren’t so simple. One study in the European Journal of Nutrition put two groups of men on identical weight loss diets. The only difference? Half of the group ate their carbs throughout the day while the second group reserved carbohydrates for nighttime. The result? The nighttime carb group showed a significantly higher diet-induced thermogenesis (meaning they burned more calories digesting their food the next day). Moreover, the daytime-carb group showed increased blood sugar levels. Another study in the journal Obesity saw similar results. Nighttime carb eaters lost 27 percent more body fat—and felt 13.7 percent fuller—than those on the standard diet. 

Out Mantra: Enjoy a pasta dinner—cold. Not only will the carbs set you up for tomorrow’s fat burn, but chilling pasta before you eat it changes the nature of the carbs to resistant starch—a type of carbohydrate that’s harder to store as fat.  

A pound of muscle burns 100 calories per day 

REALITY: A pound of brain burns 100 calories a day 

Over the years, would-be exercise gurus have greatly exaggerated the fat-torching powers of muscle. According to a report in the journal Obesity, skeletal muscle actually has a very low metabolic rate when at rest, at just 6 calories per pound. True, that’s three times as much as fat, so resistance training definitely helps your daily fat-burn. But you might be better off building your brain power: a pound of brain actually burns 109 calories a day.  

Out Mantra: Exercise, and don’t sweat the big muscles if you don’t want to. Any exercise will do. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health studied four groups of healthy older adults, ages 65 to 89, and found that those who exercised had larger brains! 

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