Hidden Fat in "Health" Food and Hidden Nutrients in "Bad" Food
Are you destroying your diet with these fattening foods masquerarding as healthy? Be bad instead. This article was found online at mensfitness.com.
Can't figure out why you aren't losing weight? You might think that healthy, low-fat, low-calorie, flavorless whipped Styrofoam you're eating is good for you, but there are secret ways that the foods you think are healthy are actually sabotaging your diet. We spoke to Amy Jamieson-Petonic, creator of the Go! Foods for You nutrition program about what "healthy" foods can throw a wrench into your fitness goals.
But there's a bright side too. Some of those "bad" foods you avoid like the plague actually pack a nutritious punch. So, drop the turkey burger, grab a frosty brew and reap the healthy benefits of indulging (in moderation, of course).
Five supposedly healthy foods that can sabotage your diet
GREEN TEA
Green tea itself is good for you, but some of the ones at your local grocer are packed with so much sugar that they could have drastic side effects. “Those types of sugars increase inflammation in the body,” says Jamieson-Petonic, which may then affect sexual function. Look for teas without sweetener.
CEREAL BARS
“Many of them are just glorified candy bars, given the added sugars and fats that they have,” Jamieson-Petonic says. Look for bars that are 150 calories or less, made with only a few (pronounceable) ingredients—yes to fruits and nuts, no to items like “propylene glycol.” Skip any bars made with enriched flour, which is stripped of all the bran that’s good for you.
SOY MILK
“A lot of times, soy milk is sweetened with evaporated cane juice,” Jamieson-Petonic says, which adds six times the amount of sugar as in the unsweetened varieties.
YOGURT RAISINS
Two rights seem to make a wrong in this case. Often the yogurts used to coat the raisins have palm oil, which is full of saturated fat. “Yogurt raisins can be about as unhealthy as a hamburger, with all the saturated fats and cholesterol,” she says.
GROUND TURKEY
Often, store-bought ground turkey contains not only white meat but also dark meat, which is high in fat. Look for turkey that is ground with white meat or breast meat only. “To put things in perspective, I’ve seen lean ground beef with as low as 4.5 grams of saturated fat per 3-ounce serving,” she says, “and ground turkey mixed with light and dark meat with as much as 17 grams of fat for the same serving size.”
Five foods that don’t deserve their bad rap (when consumed in moderation)
CHOCOLATE
Dark (not milk) chocolate that’s at least 70% cacao improves the elasticity of blood vessels, which improves blood flow, reduces the chance of stroke, and helps you maintain healthy blood pressure.
COFFEE
Coffee has been shown to have some cardiovascular benefits, Jamieson-Petonic says. And taking it black, not with milk and sugar, might also play a role in preventing type-2 diabetes, improving memory, and providing antioxidants. She recommends no more than three cups a day.
POTATOES
This starchy vegetable is high in carbs, but it’s the good kind (complex) that provides sustained energy to your system. Eat one before your workout—its B vitamins will provide longer-lasting energy.
SALT
If you’re working out longer than an hour, you need sodium to replace electrolytes lost through sweat—but no more than 3,000 milligrams a day.
BEER
Two cold ones a day have essential B vitamins. If you’re counting calories, light beer is a good option. “And if it’s a darker lager beer, it’s going to have lutein, which helps eyesight,” says Joy Dubost, R.D., “and soluble fiber that’s good for your heart.”
Showing posts with label lose weight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lose weight. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Great List - Funny
I found this list on the Mens Health website at http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/reasons_to_lose_weight/index.php
It's pretty funny and it just might hit home with some readers.
Check it out.
"20 Reasons to Lose 20 Pounds"
written by Mike Zimmerman.
1. Because you whine that you need to. Have you ever been wrong about anything?
2. Twenty pounds of warm human fat can refill every bottle in an empty case of beer, with enough left over to fill your blender.
3. The statement "There's more of me to love" has an actual bedroom translation of "There's more of me to endure."
4. It's not scaling Everest or writing the great American novel. You can do it in your spare time.
5. You'll speak of toaster pastries the way you talk about that dirty blonde from the blues bar in Berkeley, another whiskey-soaked lament over a love too great to last.
6. It's the difference between being thought of as jolly or witty.
7. You'll lose weight everywhere, including the suprapubic fat pad at the base of your penis. So as your belly shrinks, something else appears to grow.
8. Decreased: your chances of developing heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes, sleep apnea, depression, back pain, impotence, gallstones, joint problems, high blood pressure, low sperm counts, and an impressive collection of prescription-drug bottles.
9. Increased: your chances of putting four fingers on a basketball rim.
10. You'll literally get closer to women.
11. Holy sh-- . . . abs!
12. Men who lose weight never have less sex. They may not have more, mind you, but they never have less.
13. You'll shock the world at your local pool by being the only "big splash" champ to win the "little splash" crown.
14. Research shows that since you'll have less weight propelling you into the windshield, you'll also have less risk of dying when your car hits a semi.
15. Every time you pick up a 20-pound dumbbell, you'll remember.
16. You'll be able to reach even more places to scratch.
17. The clothing cliche: It's liberating the first time your pants fall down by themselves.
18. More pullups, because there's less to pull up.
19. Wait till you ride a WaveRunner, quad, or snowmobile when you're 20 pounds lighter. Vroom, baby.
20. In our society, people respect weight loss. Even if you do nothing cool or interesting or memorable for the rest of your life, you'll have done that.
It's pretty funny and it just might hit home with some readers.
Check it out.
"20 Reasons to Lose 20 Pounds"
written by Mike Zimmerman.
1. Because you whine that you need to. Have you ever been wrong about anything?
2. Twenty pounds of warm human fat can refill every bottle in an empty case of beer, with enough left over to fill your blender.
3. The statement "There's more of me to love" has an actual bedroom translation of "There's more of me to endure."
4. It's not scaling Everest or writing the great American novel. You can do it in your spare time.
5. You'll speak of toaster pastries the way you talk about that dirty blonde from the blues bar in Berkeley, another whiskey-soaked lament over a love too great to last.
6. It's the difference between being thought of as jolly or witty.
7. You'll lose weight everywhere, including the suprapubic fat pad at the base of your penis. So as your belly shrinks, something else appears to grow.
8. Decreased: your chances of developing heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes, sleep apnea, depression, back pain, impotence, gallstones, joint problems, high blood pressure, low sperm counts, and an impressive collection of prescription-drug bottles.
9. Increased: your chances of putting four fingers on a basketball rim.
10. You'll literally get closer to women.
11. Holy sh-- . . . abs!
12. Men who lose weight never have less sex. They may not have more, mind you, but they never have less.
13. You'll shock the world at your local pool by being the only "big splash" champ to win the "little splash" crown.
14. Research shows that since you'll have less weight propelling you into the windshield, you'll also have less risk of dying when your car hits a semi.
15. Every time you pick up a 20-pound dumbbell, you'll remember.
16. You'll be able to reach even more places to scratch.
17. The clothing cliche: It's liberating the first time your pants fall down by themselves.
18. More pullups, because there's less to pull up.
19. Wait till you ride a WaveRunner, quad, or snowmobile when you're 20 pounds lighter. Vroom, baby.
20. In our society, people respect weight loss. Even if you do nothing cool or interesting or memorable for the rest of your life, you'll have done that.
What Is Your Motivation?
What is your motivation for being fit? For me it’s to feel good and have a decent cardio level to enjoy physical activities such as motocross or the occasional basketball game. I have friends and co-workers are motivated to get fit and are looking for training suggestions. I will offer a few ideas involving cardio and lifting weights. I will say cardio is a great way to shed the pounds – especially running, and the conversation takes a dramatic turn.
I once had this very conversation with a coworker. He wanted to drop about 30lbs and get in shape for motocross. I told him that running and cycling was a great way to train. He said, “yeah but I have bad knees.” I looked puzzled at this 30 year old male with no apparent physical ailment. He in turn looks at me with the same matter of fact expression that Grandpa had when he explained he couldn’t go near a microwave because of his new pacemaker. He repeated, ‘’I have bad knees.’’ Really? Did you have knee surgery? No. Do you think you need surgery? No. Have you confirmed your problem with a doctor? No. He continued to look at me with a hollow expression like it was day three of looking for ‘ol Yeller and still no trace. “My knees hurt when I run,” he explained. Now I am not a physician nor do I play one on T.V., but I have an idea of what is going on here. Consider this; it may be no coincidence that weight gain + time + inactivity = painful knees….just a thought. However, this individual chalked it up to age and age alone, letting him believe that cardio was out of the question. But let’s look at it this way: we have the same skeleton that we had when we were 18 years old and weighed 165 lbs. Now year’s later and 50lbs heavier, our joints are under a bit more stress. Naturally there will be pain or stiffness associated with exercising, which is a good reason to take it slow in the beginning and seek out professional advice. But all too often people let perceived obstacles become their roadblock, and never move beyond the conversation of fitness. In the case of my co-worker, he never got past his knee issue despite the fact that he belonged to a gym that provided several low-impact cardio options to choose from. He still tells me he wants to lose weight, but is still not going to the gym or improving his diet.
I had a tri-athlete buddy of mine that never skipped a workout regardless of how he felt (within reason). But he didn’t work out for tri-athilons; he worked out because he loved surfing. I guess it really comes back to motivation. If the motivation is strong, then we will find a way to get over the hurdle. So what is your motivation?
I once had this very conversation with a coworker. He wanted to drop about 30lbs and get in shape for motocross. I told him that running and cycling was a great way to train. He said, “yeah but I have bad knees.” I looked puzzled at this 30 year old male with no apparent physical ailment. He in turn looks at me with the same matter of fact expression that Grandpa had when he explained he couldn’t go near a microwave because of his new pacemaker. He repeated, ‘’I have bad knees.’’ Really? Did you have knee surgery? No. Do you think you need surgery? No. Have you confirmed your problem with a doctor? No. He continued to look at me with a hollow expression like it was day three of looking for ‘ol Yeller and still no trace. “My knees hurt when I run,” he explained. Now I am not a physician nor do I play one on T.V., but I have an idea of what is going on here. Consider this; it may be no coincidence that weight gain + time + inactivity = painful knees….just a thought. However, this individual chalked it up to age and age alone, letting him believe that cardio was out of the question. But let’s look at it this way: we have the same skeleton that we had when we were 18 years old and weighed 165 lbs. Now year’s later and 50lbs heavier, our joints are under a bit more stress. Naturally there will be pain or stiffness associated with exercising, which is a good reason to take it slow in the beginning and seek out professional advice. But all too often people let perceived obstacles become their roadblock, and never move beyond the conversation of fitness. In the case of my co-worker, he never got past his knee issue despite the fact that he belonged to a gym that provided several low-impact cardio options to choose from. He still tells me he wants to lose weight, but is still not going to the gym or improving his diet.
I had a tri-athlete buddy of mine that never skipped a workout regardless of how he felt (within reason). But he didn’t work out for tri-athilons; he worked out because he loved surfing. I guess it really comes back to motivation. If the motivation is strong, then we will find a way to get over the hurdle. So what is your motivation?
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