Fitness Resources

Month: July 2016

21 Easy Foods to Swap

When it comes to weight management, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and decreasing inflammation, making small, incremental dietary changes is the way to go. Trying to make too many changes all at once can be a recipe for disaster—this can cause you to feel overwhelmed and make you want to give up. Instead, try modifying each snack and meal by swapping out one or more ingredients.

BREAKFAST

Breakfast

  1. Instead of a bacon, sausage, and cheese omelet, try a spinach, mushroom, and onion (or your choice of veggies) omelet. You’ll lose the unhealthy saturated fat and sodium and replace it with inflammation-fighting antioxidants and belly-filling fiber.
  2. Instead of a bagel and cream cheese, try a whole grain English muffin with nut butter. Lose the refined carbohydrates and empty calories and fill up on fiber, protein and healthy fats.
  3. Instead of fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt, try plain Greek yogurt and add fresh berries and nuts or seeds. The “fruit” on the bottom is more sugar than fruit. Reduce the sugar content by adding fresh, seasonal fruit and then top with crunchy nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc.) or seeds (chia, ground flax or hemp) for added fiber and healthy fats.
  4. Instead of toasted white bread with butter and jam, try whole grain toast with cottage cheese, cinnamon and banana slices. Replace the empty calories, fat and sugar with fiber, protein and good carbohydrates.

LUNCH

Lunch

  1. Instead of ham and cheese with mayo on white bread, try turkey, avocado and tomato on whole grain bread. Ham, cheese and mayo are full of sodium and unhealthy fats and white bread is just refined, processed carbohydrates. Go for lower sodium turkey for protein, avocado for healthy fats, and tomato and whole grain bread for fiber.
  2. Instead of a hamburger and fries, try a lettuce-wrapped grilled chicken breast sandwich with baked sweet potato. Ditch the high sodium and bad fats for lean protein and a sweet spud.
  3. Instead of egg salad made with mayo, try egg salad made with mustard and mashed avocado. Eggs are a great source of protein, but artery-clogging mayo is no way to go. Mustard adds a lot of tang and avocado is full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
  4. Instead of a Cobb salad (lettuce, turkey, bacon, blue cheese, avocado and egg with creamy dressing), try a grilled vegetable salad topped with grilled wild salmon and a Dijon-balsamic vinaigrette. A Cobb salad is a saturated fat bomb! Lighten up your salad and supercharge your veggies by grilling them and add the all-important protein to keep you fuller for longer. Replace the creamy, high-calorie dressing with a vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil (healthy fat), which can help with digestion and absorption of vitamins.

DINNER

Dinner

  1. Instead of a steak and mashed potatoes, try wild Alaskan salmon and roasted garlic mashed cauliflower. The fat and sodium in steak and mashed potatoes makes your arteries shake with fear. Wild Alaskan salmon is filled with inflammation-fighting omega-3 fats and mashed garlic cauliflower is a delicious (and sneaky) way to consume those cancer-fighting veggies.
  2. Instead of spaghetti with meatballs, try spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs and marinara sauce. Spaghetti squash, which tricks you into thinking you’re eating pasta, is all the rage for people trying to cut carbohydrates or go Paleo, and it’s delicious. Top it with turkey for protein and lycopene-rich marinara sauce for long-lasting energy.
  3. Instead of a loaded burrito (chicken, beans, rice, cheese, sour cream and guacamole), try a burrito bowl, which is a bowl layered with brown rice, black beans, grilled chicken, pico de gallo and avocado. Lose the oversized, 200-calorie, refined, processed tortilla and eliminate the high-fat cheese, but keep the flavor with the pico de gallo (chunky salsa) and add creaminess with avocado.
  4. Instead of steak fajitas in flour tortillas, try shrimp fajitas in corn tortillas. Shrimp is a healthier protein choice than steak and corn tortillas have more nutritional value than empty-calorie flour tortillas. Just stick to two tortillas and fill up on the filling.

SNACK

Snack

  1. Instead of hummus and pita, try hummus and sliced veggies. Ditch the processed carbs from the pita and swap them out with fiber- and antioxidant-filled red peppers, carrots, and cucumbers; and pair the veggies with protein and healthy fats, found in hummus.
  2. Instead of cheese and crackers, try string cheese with an apple. String cheese is made from part-skim mozzarella cheese, which is lower in saturated fat than cheddar cheese. Pair it with a high-fiber apple (or fruit of your choice) to get long-lasting energy.
  3. Instead of a granola bar, try a homemade trail mix with raw nuts (almonds, walnuts and pistachios) and dried fruit (apricots and tart cherries). Granola bars (and most energy bars) are often candy bars in disguise, and filled with unwanted sugar. What you need is protein, healthy carbs, and good-for-you fats, which is what you get in nuts as well as high-energy dried fruit. Use about ¼ cup of each for a perfectly portioned snack.

DESSERTS/SWEETS

  1. Instead of traditional ice cream, try making ice cream in your food processor with frozen bananas and top with a few dark chocolate chips. Freeze ripe (peeled) sliced bananas and then pop them into a food processor for a creamy ice cream swap. Add some heart-healthy dark chocolate for a delicious and nutritious dessert.
  2. Instead of a slice of blueberry pie, try cooking fresh or frozen blueberries with cinnamon and topping them with plain Greek yogurt. Get the sweetness from the fruit and cinnamon (no need to add any sugar) and protein from the yogurt and enjoy a creamy, sweet and satisfying treat.
  3. Instead of chocolate pudding, make chocolate chia pudding by mixing ½ cup almond milk with 2 Tbsp. chia seeds and 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder. Stir and let sit in refrigerator for a few hours until thick. The antioxidants found in cocoa powder are good for your heart and the chia seeds give you protein, fiber, and healthy fat, which will keep you full for hours.

DRINKS

Drinks

  1. Instead of a latte, try a café Americano. There’s no need to drink your calories. Just add a splash of milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon and you should be good to go.
  2. Instead of sweetened iced tea, try iced green tea. Green tea contains the thermogenic antioxidant EGCG, but in order to reap its benefits, don’t load it down with inflammation-promoting sugar.
  3. Instead of soda, try mixing plain seltzer water with some tart cherry juice. If you like the crispness of soda but don’t want the sugar or artificial sweeteners found in diet soda, mix club soda with any dark juice (blueberry, pomegranate, tart cherry or cranberry) for a shot of flavor and a dose of antioxidants.
N551281U Rock Girl! Contributor
Tiffani Bachus, R.D.N., and Erin Macdonald, R.D.N., are the co-founders of U Rock Girl!, a website designed to nourish the mind, body and spirit of women of all ages and stages of life. They have just authored the rockin’ breakfast cookbook, No Excuses! 50 Healthy Ways to ROCK Breakfast! available at www.URockGirl.com

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Can You Boost Metabolism at Breakfast?

By Malia Frey – Reviewed by a board-certified physician.
Updated December 03, 2015

Have you heard that eating breakfast can boost metabolism? Are you ready to load up on breakfast foods that help you burn more calories? It might seem logical that eating a meal first thing in the morning gets your metabolism revved up. But researchers who study the importance of breakfast for weight loss don’t necessarily agree. If you’re trying to lose weight, make sure you get your facts straight about breakfast so that you get the weight loss results that you deserve.

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The Importance of Breakfast for Weight Loss.

Do you need to eat breakfast to boost metabolism and lose weight? Not necessarily, say researchers. When it comes to studying breakfast and metabolism, the science is inconclusive. In fact, there’s no research proving that breakfast can boost metabolism.

When members of the American Society for Nutrition met to discuss the importance of breakfast, they looked at studies about meal frequency and weight loss. Their conclusion? Since eating habits are very hard to study, research hasn’t been able to prove that eating breakfast – or any particular meal – can boost metabolism. In fact, they found no data to suggest that how often we eat has any effect on how many calories you burn every day.

A statement released by the International Society for Sports Nutrition reinforced that conclusion. The group said that “Increased meal frequency does not appear to significantly enhance diet-induced thermogenesis, total energy expenditure or resting metabolic rate.” In real terms, that means that eating regular meals does not have a direct effect on the number of calories we burn throughout the day.

 

What Dietitians Say About Eating Breakfast to Boost Metabolism

You might be tempted to dismiss the science because it does seem logical that eating breakfast can boost metabolism. And a healthy breakfast is good for you, right? But even registered dietitians are clear about what breakfast can and cannot do for you if you want to lose weight.

Nutrition and diabetes educator Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., CDE, explains that many people misunderstand the benefits of eating breakfast.

“Eating breakfast doesn’t affect metabolic rate in the way people like to say it does. There are studies to support breakfast eating for weight management, but not for a calorie-burning boost.”

Her opinion is supported by the position statement of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics which is endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine. In their statement about eating breakfast, they confirm that, while eating breakfast has been associated with a lower body weight, there is no clear evidence to suggest that eating breakfast can boost metabolism.
Should I Eat Breakfast to Lose Weight?

If you’re a dieter, and you’re confused about how to boost your metabolism to lose weight, don’t worry. The science about breakfast doesn’t mean that you should skip your morning meal. Just because eating breakfast may not improve your metabolism doesn’t mean that you should skip the meal entirely.

There are certainly benefits to eating a healthy breakfast, and to eating regular meals throughout the day.

But it’s important to understand the importance of breakfast if you want to lose weight. Breakfast is no more or less important than any other meal. What matters in the end is your total calorie intake for the day. Eat healthy meals that are low in calories to help you curb hunger and avoid binge eating. Then use exercise and an active lifestyle to boost metabolism and lose weight for good.

Sources:

David J. Clayton, David J. Stensel, Lewis J. James” Effect of breakfast omission on subjective appetite, metabolism, acylated ghrelin and GLP-17-36 during rest and exercise Journal of Nutrition July 11, 2015.

McCrory MA, Campbell WW. ” Effects of eating frequency, snacking, and breakfast skipping on energy regulation: symposium overview.” Journal of Nutrition, January 14, 2011.

American Dietetic Association. ” Position of the American Dietetic Association: Weight Management.” February 2009.

Paul M La Bounty, Bill I Campbell, et al. ” International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: meal frequency.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition March 16, 2011.

 

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FREE Fitness Class: Phight Back!

PHIGHT BACK FLYER

PHIGHT BACK FLYER

Fitness Resources is excited to announce a NEW SELF-DEFENSE workout called PHIGHT BACK!

JOIN US for a free introduction class July 23rd at 10:00 am & 11:00 am. Reserve Your Spot 
TODAY! Call to sign up: 614-286-7883

What is the PHIGHT BACK!?
It’s an energetic fusion of practical self-defense techniques, utilizing a variety of music to control the tempo of aggression.
www.phightback.com

Who’s it for?
The workout is for anyone who refuses to be a victim! The class is open to anyone of any size or shape. Whether you are someone that wants to supplement their workout routine or want to learn practical self-defense techniques, this will be a great workout for you!

What is the workout?
The self-defense techniques will consist of Tae Kwon Do/Muay Thai Kicks, American/Muay Thai Boxing, Silat/Kali knife, stick and self-defense techniques. (Training knives are rubber and sticks have foam padding.)

You will learn the proper technique for elbows, jabs, over-hands, hooks, knees, kicks (front, round-house, side, back). All of which will be done with a partner and individual shadow boxing.

You will also be striking focus pads, air shields as well as light contact to your partner. (This is not a full contact MMA workout.)
Music will be playing in the background to control the tempo of aggression and create a great cardio exercise. (You can hear the PHIGHT BACK! playlist on Spotify. Just follow tfrank-1)

Who’s teaching the workout?
Tim Frank will be teaching the class. He has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and has studied a variety of combative styles under Guru Jeff Brown in Dayton, Ohio.

What next?
Join us by checking it out for yourself. Reserve a spot, please email to: mayesm@fitness-resources.com

Call to sign up today: 614-286-7883
Sponsored by: Fitness Resources
DOWNLOAD PHIGHT BACK FLYER »