February 7, 2013
Are you a typical American? Why are we eating so much?
The average American consumes around 4000 calories a day and counting! That’s anywhere from 1500 to 2500 more calories than the average man or woman really needs (children and athletes have different needs).
Translation: 3500 calories is equivalent to one pound. If you’re an “average American”, you could be eating anywhere from 12 to 15 excess pounds every month, adding fat to your body, increasing the pressure on your heart, and stressing your organs (not to mention the environmental impact of all this gluttony).
<strong>But why are we eating so much?</strong>
I decided to see what it would be like to eat the way the average American supposedly eats.
<strong>Breakfast: How about McDonald’s? That’s a typical choice for millions of Americans every day.</strong>
To be an average American, you need to eat at least 700 calories and up to 1300 calories at each setting. McDonald’s can help you with that. Another tip: it helps to drink your calories, so remember to wash it all down with a big slosh of soda or juice! Or a nice venti mocha will do the trick.
January 27, 2013
Food choices and serving sizes
VEGETABLES
You can eat an unlimited amount of vegetables from the list below (use organic whenever possible). Your vegetable intake should be twice the amount of fruit intake.
Average serving size = ½ cup
No dried or canned vegetables; frozen OK
Fresh juices made from vegetables are also allowed
Most vegetables may be steamed for four minutes or stir fried over low heat; however, for best results, consume ½ of your vegetables raw. Fresh herbs and spices are optional
January 5, 2013
Why women should lift heavy weights
Most women today still believe the myth that they will look like ‘The Incredible Hulk’ if they lift weights heavier then 10lbs. I’m here to tell you that if your goal is fat loss then you need to ditch the high rep, light weight workouts you have been performing.
If your workout calls for reps of 30 or more you are setting yourself up for a very different hormonal response than if you were to lift heavier weights. You’re essentially training for endurance by doing endless reps with light weights. This causes your body to increase the stress hormone cortisol and epinephrine, but it does not release the fat burning hormones like GH, testosterone and lactic acid which is a chemical messenger in the fat burning process. Performing these types of workouts day after day does nothing for muscle building and actually strips muscle from your body. If you’re not challenging your muscles you are not giving them a reason to grow.