Get lean with evening exercise!

If you have ever tried to lose just 5 or 10lbs, you know how hard it can be to take the last bit of fat off. In preparing for a shirtless photo shoot, I worked for a month to get more definition in my mid-section. I lost close to 10lbs by working out a bit harder than usual and watching my diet strictly. Here are the strategies that worked for me:

• Each week I completed 3 1-hr strength training sessions.
• I ate a high-fiber, low-sugar breakfast cereal with soymilk each morning.
• I based my diet around fruits, vegetables, whole-grains and legumes with 4-5 more small meals (400-500kcal) eaten before 6pm.
• Around 7pm, I jogged hard for 30-40 minutes then ate no more food for the rest of the day.
• I drank a couple glasses of sugar-free lemonade (e.g., Crystal Light) each night after exercising and went to bed somewhat hungry.
• Each morning I would wake up feeling less hungry (and with less body fat!) than when I went to bed.

You can view a picture from the photo shoot on the blogsite (link below).

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Salmon saves your eyesight!

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that eating oily fish such as salmon may reduce your risk of developing neovascular age-related macular eye degeneration (NV-AMD). AMD is a major cause of adult blindness. The study looked at fish consumption over the past year and found those who ate oily fish at least once a week, had a 50% reduced risk of developing NV-AMD than those who ate fish less than once a week.

To eat more oily fish such as the ones sited in this study:

• Spread smoked mackerel over whole-grain crackers.
• Make a sandwich using chunk-light tuna (less mercury risk than albacore), low-fat mayo, celery and chipotle ground pepper.
• Serve wild-caught salmon topped with brown sugar, soy sauce and garlic.
• Sauté pickled herring with onions and green pepper and toss with cool pasta and grape tomatoes.
• Mix canned sardines with olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic and crushed red pepper and serve over spring greens. See recipe at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/MIXED-GREENS-WITH-MARINATED-ANCHOVIES-106452

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Augood, C. et. al., Oily fish consumption, dietary docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid intakes, and associations with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;88:398-406

www.epicurious.com

What do corn-fed beef, farming subsidies, and mass-production of vegetable oil have in common?

Each have caused the Western diet to move away from a healthy omega-3:omega-6 fat ratio. Omega 3 fats are found primarily in salmon, mackerel, herring and other fish. Omega 6 oils are found in safflower, soybean, corn and sunflower oils. Furthermore, since most commercially-produced animals are fed corn, we also get a hit of omega-6’s from beef and poultry. This is a problem.

Experts believe our excessive consumption of omega-6 fats compared to omega 3’s is responsible for a collage of health problems. Feeling pain in your joints? Lacking endurance during your exercise session? Afraid of the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s Disease? Each of these problems is correlated with an excessive omega 6:3 ratio.

Follow these guidelines for increasing your omega 3 and decreasing your omega 6 intakes:

• Read food labels on breads, crackers, chips and other processed foods. Look for ones prepared with canola or olive oils. Avoid products with the three S oils - safflower, soybean, sunflower.
• Sauté pickled herring or whitefish with onions and finely chopped peppers and enjoy it on a sandwich for lunch.
• Grill 4-6oz wild-caught salmon and serve it with a glazing of mango chutney.
• If you eat a low-fish diet, consider taking a fish-oil supplement with 1 gram total of EPA and DHA.

Watch next week for more benefits from eating oily fish and ideas for eating more of it.

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Mukaro VR, Costabile M, Murphy KJ, Hii CS, Howe PR, Ferrante A. Leukocyte numbers and function in subjects eating n-3 enriched foods: selective depression of natural killer cell levels.
Arthritis Res Ther. 2008;10(3):R57. Epub 2008 May 14.

Hands, Elizabeth; Nutrients in Food. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-6_fatty_acid#Dietary_sourceswww.colorado.edu/eeb/courses/1210/docs/FatsLectureNotes.pdf

Exercising to lose body fat? Jumpstart your efforts!

Do you toil away on the treadmill yet see no movement on the scale? Research shows that eating carbohydrates before exercise reduces the rate of fat burning by 28% during your exercise session. The blood sugar and insulin increases after that bagel send a clear message to your fat cells – DON’T BOTHER.

Maximize your fat loss by exercising first thing in the morning before eating breakfast. Give it a solid 40-60 minutes at moderate intensity*. Shower, dress, get ready for your day, and then eat as soon as you feel the first hunger pang (likely 40-60 minutes later).

Let us know how your weight loss proceeds at http://www.betterliving.biz/.

Some people do experience dizziness when exercising in a fasted state. If this happens, stop and eat breakfast or drink some juice.

*You can calculate your range of moderate intensity heart rates with the following equations:

(220 – your age) x .65 = low end
(220 – your age) x .85 = top end

Check with your physician to determine your moderate intensity heart rate if you take beta blocker medications or have a cardiac condition.