Tag Archive for: Long Beach Nutritional Coach

Low Carb Diet – Is It Suitable For You?

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The Low Carb Diet has been steadily growing in popularity over recent years. There have been claims by many that reduced levels of carbohydrates in the diet of a person can assist with weight loss as well as help to improve other aspects of the body’s health.

Today there are a multitude of carbohydrate reduction programs available in the market. Some of these programs are based around promoting meal replacement products, which is an industry in itself these days. Other programs involve the participant completing an initial detox followed then with a diet that produces a great reduction in carbohydrate intake.

When deciding which program to follow, it is well worth taking the time to compare your options as methods in each program will suit some people and not others. Books and magazines containing reduced carbohydrate recipes can be found in abundance these days. Check with your local book shop and also online if you would like to purchase your own.

When it comes to selecting foods for your Low Carb Diet there is a category of foods that are often referred to as ‘super foods’. What are these super foods? Dark leafy greens are number one. These are rich in vitamins and minerals so it is advised to try to consume some of these in each of your meal portions throughout the day. Next is salmon.

This super food is renowned for its high levels of nutrients as well as the highly publicized omega-3 fatty acid content. Flax seeds may be completely new to some people. These are also super foods and are high in fiber, contain omega-3 fatty acids and are also rich in nutrients. When devising your eating plan, try to mix in as many of these as you can.

So the big question is, is a Low Carb Diet suitable for everyone? Absolutely not. People suffering eating disorders such as anorexia which may have already left them underweight should steer clear of any diet that reduces carbohydrate intake. Pregnant women should also avoid this type of diet. The only exception to this is if they have been specifically instructed by their doctor or a health professional to follow such a regime.

Diet alone is not the answer when it comes to weight loss. Moderate exercise should become a part of your weekly diet plan. Reducing carbohydrate intake can produce a great reduction in weight and body fat. The key to achieving these results is consistency.

This type of diet is also a great way to shed those extra couple of pounds that can sometimes be put on quickly. If you are considering a Low Carb Diet or any other type of diet, it is recommended that you consult a doctor or nutritionist.

Avoiding and Curing Halitosis

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Halitosis, or bad breath, is mainly caused by bacteria building up on the back and under layers of the tongue. There are plenty of treatments available for bad breath, and these are important in good oral health.

It is often asked whether only some people or everyone suffers with halitosis? In order to cure, you must know the causes and triggers of bad breath.

Halitosis

Bad Breath Indicators

When observing people reporting problems, it is common to see a build-up of mucus and bacteria, especially towards the back of mouth and tongue. Removing this film will not always cure the bad breath. Other symptoms of halitosis are a beige or white layer on the tongue, suffering with a dry or dehydrated mouth, tasting metallic or sour tastes, drainage from nasal passages and nodules of a white color on the tonsils. Often, no amount of flossing or brushing of the teeth will cure this.

Causes of Halitosis

Halitosis will affect everyone during their life, but it is only an issue if it remains for a long period, or if it is a symptom of another medical problem. If cured by mouthwash or brushing your teeth, it is known as transient halitosis. When cured in this way, it can often have been triggered by eating foods such as fish, garlic or cheese. It can also occur if you have slept overnight, have been stressed or fasting.

Curing Bad Breath

Identifying the problem. If people you are talking to cough, cover their nose, give you a mint or back away, these can suggest you may be suffering with chronic bad breath.

Using certain types of medicine can often be a cause. Some can cause your mouth to dry, and can often cause halitosis almost immediately. If you find this, ask your doctor to see if there are alternatives.

Drinking at least 2 litres of water every day can be beneficial if you suffer from bad breath, and combined with a sugar-free chewing gum can help prevent dry mouth, which triggers halitosis.

Avoiding or minimising stress is always beneficial, as stress has been shown to trigger the dry mouth which can cause bad breath. Consider yoga, which is a known de-stresser.

Have a robust oral hygiene regime. Brush and floss your teeth, and scrape the tongue.

Avoid foods that can cause bad breath, such as dairy products and red meat, especially avoiding cheese.

Bodyweight Training (Great For Athletes and Regular Exercisers)

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Many athletes (as well as the casual exerciser), feel that they can get absolutely no benefit from bodyweight training. They feel it’s too easy for them. But i feel this is a big mistake because bodyweight exercises are essential for training athletes, as well as help exercisers of all skill levels burn fat, build strong muscles and improve fitness.

Lets look at some things advanced athletes and regular exercisers can do to make their workouts even more intense using bodyweight training.

bodyweight training

Here is what happens: We have been brainwashed to believe physical training is resistance Training (weight lifting) and Cardio. We do sets and reps of a certain exercise to target a certain muscle group with certain rest periods. Then after we are done treating the body like a bunch of parts, we do some aerobic cardio to improve the heart and lungs.

So, athletes think that doing a workout with only the resistance of their own body is too easy because there is no added resistance. And here’s the thing… if you are only getting the inflated muscles of bodybuilders, they are probably right.

However, I believe the body should be trained as one complete unit. The entire body, all the muscles as well as the heart and lungs should be challenged at the same time. The lines between resistance training and cardio training need to be blurred. I would ask the athletes, “Is your sport done in a compartmentalized way with robotic actions where strength and cardio-respiratory endurance are separate?

Or, is your entire body needed to work in unison in order to excel at your sport?” Bodyweight training is great for switching between strength exercises and “cardio” exercises seamlessly… which is an excellent way to train.

Plus, exercise is really a question of movement. And there are two types of movement: moving your own body through space, and moving objects through space. I would argue that for most athletes, being able to control and move your own body around with strength, balance, flexibility and coordination is going to help your perform better. And for the regular exerciser, bodyweight training is important to prepare your for the physical and mental challenges you face in your everyday life.

My recommendation is to blur the lines between strength training and cardio-respiratory training in the same bodyweight workout. For example, complete a circuit of push up, air squats and crunches as fast as possible without rest, and then do 50 jumping jacks before repeating the circuit 2-5 times… and repeat for 20 minutes without rest. This type of bodyweight workout targets all your muscles as well as your heart and lungs and trains the body to work as one complete unit.

I encourage you to add bodyweight training to your overall workout program regardless of whether you are a high-performance athlete or just a regular exerciser trying to improve fitness and control your weight. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how effective bodyweight training can be. And when your heart is pounding, your breathing is hard and you are laying on the ground in a pool of your own sweat, ask yourself… “Are bodyweight exercises too easy?”

Low Carb Diet Foods – How to Identify Them So You Can Lose Weight Fast

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Losing weight and sticking with a diet is all about not giving up. You give up when it gets too challenging – thus the easiest way to diet is by… making it easy on yourself! This can be as simple as making smarter food choices during the day, and substituting one thing for another in ways you’ll hardly even notice.

Lets talk about low carb diet foods and how to incorporate them to melt fat off you immediately.

The number one carbohydrate you need to avoid is sugar. Sugar will send your body into fat storage mode by spiking insulin immediately. That seems simple – stay away from soda, right? Unfortunately even the foods you believe are the healthiest are loaded with sugar.

This is the reason so many people are confused when they diet. Low fat yogurt sounds like a diet staple, right? Would you be surprised to hear that one small low fat yogurt has nearly the amount of super-fattening refined sugar as a can of Pepsi? Check the label.

Read labels, and pick only the items and sauces that have less sugar. Even easier than this is by adjusting what you drink. Fruit juices are loaded with sugar and can be subbed out for teas you can sweeten with Splenda. Obviously, soda should be switched for diet soda.

Even replacing sugary beverages alone will allow you to cut between 200-800 calories per day. Less sugar will also keep your metabolism boosted, allowing you to burn more calories as the day progresses. Green tea will also turbo-charge your metabolism and reduce your appetite.

To Go or Not to Go Herbal, that is the Question…

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Many people nowadays are turning to “organics” and “naturals” otherwise known as herbals. The rising popularity of herbal supplements has created a new fad if not a new health lifestyle. But before you join the bandwagon, here are some things you need to know about this mean, “green” dietary supplementing machine.

What is the difference between a drug and a dietary supplement?

herbal

According to the definition set by food and drug administrations in different countries, drugs are chemicals that can prevent, prolong the life, treat other effects of a health condition, improve the quality of life, and/or cure ailments and diseases, or alter the function of any part or chemicals inside the body. These drugs have approved therapeutic claims.

For example, paracetamol is a drug given to bring down the body temperature in fever. Ascorbic acid is indicated for the treatment of scurvy. Iron supplements are given to treat mild cases of anemia.

Herbal supplements are not classified as drugs but as dietary supplements. The main difference is that they do not have approved therapeutic claims unlike in the case of drugs. Moreover, dietary supplements could either contain vitamins, minerals, herbals, or amino acids, all aimed to add to or supplement the diet of an individual. They are not intended to be taken alone as a substitute to any food or medicine.

Most of the manufactured medicines we now have once came from animals and plants. Through the years, chemists isolated the life-saving or life-curing components and separated them from the harmful ones. This lead to the further drug research and drug development that lead to the production of a different variety of drugs for many ailments and conditions from synthetic sources.

But still we have semi-synthetic drugs, as well as drug that more or less approximate more natural composition. Since herbal supplements are made from a mixture of crude herbs reduced into powder or gel form, and later on packaged as tablets and capsules, there is a possibility that life-threatening or at least body chemistry-altering components are still present, thus the expression of concern from the medical community.

Is there a growing concern with the use of herbal supplements?

Yes. With the rising popularity of using and consuming anything herbal or organic is the proliferation of fake herbal supplements that threaten to endanger lives. If that’s the case, then why are herbal supplements given drug administration approvals? One way of ensuring the safety of the people is to have all candidate drugs, food, drinks, and dietary supplements registered with the proper authority. Otherwise, they would pose more risk with these things being sold in the black market for a hefty sum. We could ensure the quality and safety of herbal supplements if they get proper classification with the food and drug administration. Moreover, people may be able to file the proper complaints in the event a worsening of health condition is proven to be linked to the use of a particular herbal supplement.

Is using herbal supplements worth the risk?

Yes. It cannot be discounted that many who have tried herbal supplements experienced an improvement in their health—whether this is due to the herbals themselves or due to a placebo effect, as long as they do not worsen the condition of an individual, then using them is worth the risk. But of course, certain things must be considered before taking those herbal supplements:

Your doctor knows best.

First of all, clear your condition with your doctor. Ask him/her if taking a particular herbal supplement is safe given your health condition. People with heart, liver, or kidney trouble or malfunction, are usually not advised to take these, or at the minimum is to take these herbals in minimum amounts. All substances pass through the liver and kidney to be processed and filtered respectively. Kava, which is used to relieve people from stress, has been pulled out from the Canadian, Singaporean, and German markets because it contains substances that cause liver damage. Certain herbals such as Ephedra used for losing weight, contains chemicals with heart-inducing effects that can increase heart rate, which in turn can exhaust the heart and cause heart attacks in several documented cases by the American Medical Association.

Follow the directions for use.

Never take more herbal supplements than what is directed by the doctor or as instructed on the bottle. Each individual reacts differently to the components of herbal supplements. While it is perfectly safe for one individual to take in a supplement of primrose oil capsules, another person may be allergic to it. So, do not even think about downing one bottle of

It has no approved curative effect.

No matter how the product pamphlet or the label of the bottle sounds about how it has been found to be helpful in certain health conditions, these herbal supplements are not therapeutic. So do not substitute these for the medications prescribed by your doctor for the treatment of certain diseases, or for the maintenance of blood pressure, lowering of blood sugar and cholesterol, and fight off infections.

Bodyweight Training – Fit to Fight

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I love this saying: “Fit to fight”. I heard this from the #1 man of bodyweight training world records Paddy Doyle. And he has it right, you need to be fit to fight. More and more men and women are taking to bodyweight training as the way to optimal fitness in record time. MMA fighters and athletes all over the world are starting to take notice of the benefits of bodyweight exercises and getting results that push them to the next level.

Using your own bodyweight as resistance is not just a few pushups and sit ups it’s so much more. Bodyweight exercises are so versatile that you never have to do the same workout again. A man that has well over 100 bodyweight and martial arts world records is a man I want to learn from. Using your own bodyweight will make you a better athlete or will burn the fat from your waste line like a spreading wild fire.


The physical fitness aspect of bodyweight training will not only work in the ring or to make you physically fit, it will make you mentally fit that will carry you in life. The more you improve using your bodyweight as resistance the more you will push yourself. You will start to push yourself farther and harder, you will start to feel as if you are unstoppable. Martial artists and other athlete’s will become faster, stronger, more explosive with a ” I’d rather die then give up” attitude. Bodyweight training will get you fit to fight either in the ring or in life.

Bodyweight training will build a physical and mental toughness that you will be proud of. So become fit to fight. A short workout you can try will only take a few minutes so no excuses on time.

Pick 4 bodyweight exercises. For example Burpees, Pushups, Jumping Jacks, Bodyweight squats. Each exercise is to be done for 1 minute with a 1 minute rest in between each exercise. After you go through this 1 time rest for 2 minutes and repeat one more time.

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity you’ll be calling for oxygen soon enough.

Are Low Carb Diets for Everyone?

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When I hear low carb to me it means, “low sugar,” or “less processed foods.” If we’d all make an effort to avoid chips, cookies, cakes, high corn syrup drinks, and candy, then we’d be reducing our overall carbs and eating more healthfully at the same time.

There is also no need to avoid foods that are grown and served as close to their natural state as possible such as fresh fruits and vegetables, nor must you avoid brown rice or even pasta.

carb

It’s not pasta that makes us fat, it’s the creamy sauces and the loaves of bread, desserts, and drinks we have along with our spaghetti. It’s the combination and quantity of food, not just one food or category of nutrients. When I hear someone say they eat bacon non-stop but they refuse to eat a baked potato or fresh peeled orange it makes me want to scream. I’m not a nutrition expert (even the experts can’t agree at this point), but it does not take a genius to know that bacon is not a better choice over an apple. It just makes sense to eat the foods that grow in our soil first and to avoid the processed versions (think apples versus Apple Jack’s cereal).

For a good basic diet overall, eat as much as you like of wholesome, clean foods. Include healthy grains, rice, beans, salads, vegetables, fruits, nuts (in moderation). Use nut and vegetable oils for cooking. Cook at home once in awhile. Stop super sizing. Buy fresh produce when it’s available from your local farmers. Buy as close to home as possible, and walk to the store, if you can! What a concept.

Check the Serving Size on Processed Foods

If you want something pre-packaged read the label. How many servings does the label state? If more than one, multiply the numbers if you know you’ll eat the whole thing, or if you and your spouse will eat it all, then multiply by servings and divide by two. I’ve seen candy bars that say they serve 2.8 people! When’s the last time you split a candy bar?

I teach people to incorporate healthier eating into their lifestyles, not go on food plans dictated by some book or program which say what you can and cannot eat. Even those who can stay on the plan and do lose substantial amounts of weight, eventually eat something “off plan,” which leads to something else and finally to the mental shift, “Well, I’m off that plan. Better eat up!” What did that experience do for that person? Nothing, but probably they’ll end up a bit heavier than when they started.

Far better to learn how to eat within your usual lifestyle and create new habits that you then can live with, so even though Sunday is the big family party and you may (probably will) overeat, it won’t matter because Monday you’ll be back to your usual habits and patterns. That’s how people without a weight problem eat whatever they want — they just usually eat reasonably with the occasional deviation into unhealthy foods and quantities, rather usually eating an unhealthy diet and occasionally dieting like crazy to lose weight before a big event.

If you want a treat, have a treat, and no, it’s not a treat if you eat it every day. That’s a habit.

Start by Cutting Back Only 500 Calories

Get a reasonable idea of how many calories it requires to maintain your weight, i.e. if you are basically sedentary (get little or no movement regularly) then multiply your body weight by 12. Example, 200 X 12 = 2400. That would mean that if you did nothing but sit in a chair all day, you’d still need 2400 calories just to maintain your body weight!

Start by cutting back the calories required to maintain your weight by 500, so our 200 pound fellow would be perfectly fine eating 1900 calories a day. I eat around 2200 calories on average every day (weekends I eat more than weekdays but it averages out to around 2200). I’m active, and I maintain my weight at around 135 pounds which on my 5’7″ frame is fine for me.

No matter where you begin, start by cutting back by just 500 calories, instead of trying so valiantly to stick to 1200 calorie eating plans that aren’t suitable for a 10-year old child. Remember, your activity increases your calorie requirements, so if you do get out of bed, you’ll likely need more calories than your base. Whether you prefer low carb, low fat, low calorie or any combination thereof, just start to reduce what you’re eating now, make substitutions where possible and create a healthier diet that fits, then add more daily exercise and you’ll reach your goal in no time. Stand up in your chair, sit down. Stand up, sit down. That’s exercise. It can be that simple.

So yes, the low carb approach can be right for everyone. We can all adopt the low carb approach when it means eating less processed foods and adding more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Beating Panic Attacks Permanently

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Suffering from panic attacks can be one of the most frightening things of all, struggling to breathe and feeling your chest tightening and your legs trembling. Your heart is pounding and you’re gasping for air, you may well feel that you are suffering a heart attack when all this begins to happen to you, and that your time on this mortal coil is at an end.

The most likely answer is that you are suffering from a panic or anxiety attack, and you need to learn how to naturally stop and prevent these attacks so that you won’t have to go through the same thing again.

panic attacks

The first time you suffer an attack, you will probably find yourself in a confused and shocked state afterwards. It is natural to question why this is happening to you and what it is, and how could your body be reacting in this way. The fear of another attack is also a natural response, and the more anxious you are of this, the more likely another attack is to happen. If you have suffered from a number of attacks, you are likely so distressed that it will affect your daily life and stop you from operating normally.

However severe your attacks, and no matter how many you have suffered, these aren’t a disease and they can be prevented.

If you have had a number of attacks you will probably understand and have tried many things which haven’t worked. Medicines, calming breathing exercises, thinking positive thoughts and distraction methods aren’t effective in combating these attacks and stopping them from happening. The reason they don’t work is that they aren’t dealing with the problem, but are trying to switch the focus of the problem and trying to help you deal with what is happening, rather than preventing it from happening.

There is however a natural solution to help you prevent panic attacks from occurring.

It is a unique solution which has brought relief to over 54,000 people around the world and helped them to end their problem with panic and anxiety attacks. As the principle of this treatment deals with the source of the disorder, it is not only effective, but can promise the results required. Due to the years of study and a basis in advanced psychology, it can promise to make a real difference with permanent results that will cure the problem forever.

Bodyweight Training Exercises for Strength and Stamina

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Are you worried about your body’s shape? Do you want to improve your stamina and be fit? Then start the bodyweight training exercises and see the change. Fitness experts say that exercise is very good for health and that is the best way to keep your body in shape. Along with a fitness training plan you would need a healthy diet to support your body with nutrients.

Otherwise your body would become weak and you will lose your strength. Stamina is very important and it can be improved only with the help of bodyweight training. One thing you should keep in mind is that bodyweight training doesn’t suit everybody and you need to check your weight from time to time. If there are drastic changes in your weight then you should immediately stop them and look at other alternatives to improve your strength.

bodyweight training

Bodyweight training can be quite rigorous and women cannot support such exercises. Men who want to have a chiseled body and who wish to acquire the macho looks only should take up bodyweight training exercises. You can spend very little time and practice intense sessions if you want to finish it up quickly.

Such exercises will not only improve your strength but also increase body flexibility. People who want to burn their fat fast and shed extra pounds can take up these exercises and they will see a change very quickly. Many of the weight programs do not concentrate on the back and that is the reason why the waist line increases and women accumulate fat. The bodyweight training exercises will reduce the waist line and get rid of the girdles.

The advantage of these bodyweight training exercises is that you can practice them indoors and you wouldn’t need any gym equipment. It is a common notion among people that gym is the only thing that reduces weight and increases stamina. That is completely wrong and exercise is a very good way of losing weight and building your body.

A complete body workout for about 30 minutes or less than that is beneficial and you can speed up your exercise process. Planning the bodyweight training exercises is quite important and it will help you in maintaining a routine. Initially you would have to do a few warm-up exercises and then practice rigorously.

Leg raises, jumping jacks, push-ups and pull-ups should be the initial exercises you would do. Everyday 10 leg raises, 10 jumping jacks and 10 leg raises can be done and slowly the number should be increased. Intense bodyweight training exercises would require 50 to 60 of each of the exercises and they should be juggled.

Never exercise in the same way and keep juggling in between. That will ensure that the routine doesn’t get boring for you. Bodyweight training is the best way to sculpt your body and within no time you would be flaunting a chiseled body.

A healthy diet should always be followed while you are practicing the bodyweight training exercises. People generally do not eat well and go behind crash diets that just fill the stomach. All these might seem to be good in the first days of your training and as the intensity of the exercises progresses, your body will grow to be weak and it will not support you.

Sickness follows and you might even be bed ridden due to severe weakness. Eat healthy food that is rich in proteins and carbohydrates and always keep your body hydrated. This kind of a planned bodyweight training exercise will always keep you fit and maintain your stamina.

Low Carbs Diet Guide

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So there has been a lot of talk about low carb diets and how remarkable they are. In this article we’ll get down to business on exactly what low carbs diets means so you’ll have a enhanced grasp on the how and why.

Let’s get this out of the way first: It’s not NO carbs, but it’s LOW carbs. You body is fueled by what you eat, and your body can’t operate properly without carbs. It is a essential energy source that supports all bodily systems, specially your muscles and brain.

carbs
What we don’t need is the quantity of carbs the average person consumes and particularly the types of carbs that are thrown in front of your face on every corner, magazine page and menu.

Let’s get down to the fundamentals which is being healthy, right? What better way to be healthy than to eat foods in their whole unprocessed state right? The closer the food can stay to it’s natural state, the better. Eating foods in this state will give you the most fiber and nutrients possible.

So you want a simple way to create a low carbs diet? Following these tips will really help out:

  1. Go for fruits! – These are sweets in their most natural form.
  2. Green means go! – Green vegetables are plentiful with chlorophyll and nutrients
  3. Say NO to refined sugars! – Watch out for hidden sugars in breads, lunch meats, dressing, soda, candy and cookies.
  4. Legume you say? – It’s not as strange as it sounds. These are foods rich in fiber like beans, peas and peanuts.
  5. Whole gains only! – When eating carbs, stick to products that contain only 100% whole non-refined grains. These have a much better stabilizing effect on your blood sugar.
  6. What’s all this talk about soy? — The miraculous bean has been used to substitute just about every food know to man. It’s a super food high in fiber and has also been known to diminish your risk of certain cancers and heart disease.

Here is a simple rule of thumb to go along with those quick tips: Permit yourself 5 servings of complex carbohydrates a day. A single piece of toast, serving of oatmeal, crackers, rice or a small potato.

I know everyone has different serving sizes, but for simplicity, half the size of your fist or it’s about a ¼ cup uncooked, ½ cup cooked. For a real thrust in slimming down, make your last serving no later than 6pm when your body is slowing down and has not a lot demand for these calorie dense foods.

Now let’s talk about a bit of the technical information on why so many have been so successful with a low carbs diet. First off most calorie dense foods come in the form of simple sugars and refined wheat products. When, not if, you get rid of these types of food from your diet, you will be cutting out a ton of calories. This also includes regular sodas and coffee drinks with added flavorings.

The first two weeks of a restricted carb diet, you body starts to break down glucose from your muscles and liver. The make up of glucose is a substantial amount of water, which is why you frequently hear the term “water weight.” For this reason during the first two weeks or so, many people can see impressive results which regrettably will taper off. This weight loss is predominantly water, but weight none the less.

If you keep up a diet with less than fifty grams of carbohydrates a day for more than fourteen days, that is when your body will start burning fat for energy! The name of this is called ketosis. A derivative of the breakdown of fat is called a ketone which is released in the blood stream and filtered through the kidney. Because of this increase in ketones in the blood, it is essential to drink more than the recommended eight cups of water a day while on this type of diet.