Tag Archive for: Long Beach Nutritional Coach

The Top Nutrients to Get In Your Smoothies

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When you create a smoothie, you might think of it in terms of what fruits and what ingredients you want to put in. Arguably though, you may be might be missing out on the real point of your smoothie by looking at it in this way. Instead, why not think about your smoothie in terms of what it can do for you? And more specifically, in terms of what amazing nutrients you can get from it?

This is really where the magic of the smoothie comes in and it’s how it delivers its amazing benefits for your energy, your immune system and more! So what nutrients can you expect to get from a smoothie and what are the best ones to hunt for? Let’s take a look at just a few example of amazing nutrients you can get from those fruits and vegetables…

Omega 3

Omega 3 fatty acid is found in avocados as well as nuts and is a very important nutrient for our brain health. This is because it helps to improve the ‘cell membrane permeability’ of our brain cells. In short, this allows more things to pass through the walls of the neurons and this in turn means they can communicate more quickly and effectively.

Another benefit of omega 3 is that it can reduce inflammation. It does this by decreasing the amount of omega 6 – which most of us have too much of. This can reduce brain fog, further enhancing omega 3’s status as a brain food. Better yet, it can also help to reduce swelling and combat a lot of aches and pains!

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is the one that everyone knows about but do you really know just how much good it can do for you?

Vitamin C is first and foremost a great tool for enhancing your immune system. That means fewer colds and flus and fewer illnesses in general. Vitamin C also helps to fight stress though by increasing levels of serotonin. This makes things like apples and oranges a great pick-me-up and highly beneficial for improving sleep and even enhancing muscle growth.

It’s also an antioxidant, just like…

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a very powerful antioxidant, meaning that it can help to combat free radicals. This is seriously good news, because free radicals will otherwise roam around the body and damage cells, eventually leading to the signs of ageing and even causing cancer. Resveratrol is among many nutrients in your smoothies that can help to serve this role but it also has the ability to greatly enhance the function of mitochondria. This is important because mitochondria provide you with your energy and ATP. The more mitochondria you have, the more energetic and vibrant you feel! You can get this one from your red grapes.

Zinc

Zinc is an important mineral that boosts testosterone production, aids in neuroplasticity, helps us get to sleep and even improves our sense of smell!

These are just a few nutrients and there are countless others out there that have just as many benefits!

Appetite Control and YOU!

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Many people are trying to diet and many people feel frustrated when they are not losing as much as they had hoped for or not as quickly as they would like to. Some people can get upset and bail from their diet as quickly as possible, rationalizing that the diet was not working any way, so why would they torture themselves like that.

Other people get upset and resolve not to eat or to eat as little as possible and often what would only be absolutely necessary to help them get through the day. Neither of these approaches are the best answer and individuals who feel upset because of their inability to lose weight could benefit from understanding about appetite control and what they can do in order to feel full longer and stay on track when it comes to their diet and weight loss plan.

diet

Some people can control their appetite by keeping their mouth and stomach occupied. People who are aided by this approach can benefit simply from munching on ice chips when they start to feel hunger pangs coming on or they begin to feel like snacking. Water has no calories in it, so the people are able to fill themselves up, simulate chewing and feel fulfilled by keeping to their diet.

Water fills people up when they drink it as well and can aid with appetite suppression, but one of the biggest problems with this approach is that individuals do not feel full because psychologically they know that they did not eat anything. Ice chips can help because they are solid.

Individuals who do not like the thought or practice of chewing ice chips may want to consider snacking on small, healthy foods throughout the day. Not only will the individual feel full, but they will also be able to keep their blood sugar levels even and increase their metabolism.

Foods that are high in fiber are some of the best foods to snack on since they help to keep the bloating of a body down and they allow the individual to feel full. Vegetables and fruits are an obvious, but effective, choice when it comes to snacking. They contain a lot of water but they are also sweet and filling.

Eating a balanced meal can also help an individual to control their appetite. By eating a balanced meal, the individual is able to have a variety of different foods which can help to suppress specific cravings that an individual may have. In many cases, cravings will cause the individual to deviate from their diet or give up on their diet.

As a result, they may not stick to their diet in an effective manner. It is also helpful for individuals to take a break when eating and allow themselves time to digest the foods that they have taken into their bodies. The stomach can take a while to inform the brain that the body is full. By taking a break and allowing the food to digest, many people will realize that they are filled up by less food.

 

Tips to Maintain Healthy Eating When Eating Out

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Although it’s best to avoid eating out as much as possible when eating healthy, of course you’ll still be going out sometimes, whether it’s with friends or for a special occasion. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can enjoy your time at a restaurant without ruining your diet.

Here are some tips to maintain healthy eating when eating out:

eating

1. Pass on the Bread Basket

Limiting your carb intake is important for any diet plan, and the bread given to you at restaurants is nearly always simple carbs that are bad even for people that aren’t looking to lose weight. So, as long as everyone is in agreement, ask the waiter to leave your bread basket in the kitchen. If someone does want it, keep it as far away from you as possible to avoid temptation.

2. Just Drink Water

When it comes to your drink options, water is going to be the safest in terms of limiting your caloric intake. This is especially important when you’re getting free refills since you feel like you need to drink several glasses to get your money’s worth. Avoid alcoholic beverages as well, except maybe a glass of wine, since most beers and specialty drinks are packed with extra calories.

3. Check the Menu in Advance

If you know where you’re going to be going out to eat long enough in advance, take some time to find out what they have on their menu. Many restaurants post their menu with nutritional information online, so you can plan on what to order before you get there. This will help you be able to make a good decision that’s not influenced by the atmosphere or pictures in the menu.

4. Get a Box

Since most restaurants offer huge meals, you can limit how much you eat by asking for a take-home box as soon as your food arrives. Put up to half of your meal in the box then just eat what’s left on your plate. This will not only help keep you from eating the excessive portion sizes offered by most restaurants, but will also provide you with lunch for tomorrow!

5. Ask for Extra Vegetables

When your meal comes with a few vegetables on the side, ask them to pile them on for you. Most restaurants won’t charge you extra for more vegetables and it will help you fill up on these rather than the higher-calorie options on your plate. Just make sure these vegetables are raw, grilled, or sauteed in butter rather than fried since most oils used for frying are unhealthy.

6. Get it Your Way

Remember that you’re paying for this meal, so you have every right to order your food the way you want it. That might mean asking for a different type of dressing for your salad or different toppings on your burger. Just make sure you’re polite about it and give clear instructions to your waiter so you can get your food the way you need and want it to be.

The Top Bases for Your Smoothie

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Many different elements go into a smoothie…The first of these is of course the fruit and this is what is going to give the smoothie most of its flavor and most of its goodness. Then there are added things like water and possibly honey.

But what’s also highly important is that your smoothie contains a base. The base is going to be a fruit or perhaps something else that provides a) a very strong flavor and b) a smooth and creamy texture. Choosing your base will often serve as the first building block of your smoothie which will define the strongest flavour and provide the ‘smoothness’ that gives the drink its name!

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But what makes a good base for a smoothie? What options are there? Let’s take a look at some of the best…

Banana

Banana is perhaps the most popular smoothie base and is the key ingredient in the very most popular smoothie recipe: banana and strawberry. These two go perfectly together and also offer a large amount of potassium to keep cramps at bay. Banana is also a great source of vitamin B6 and is generally very delicious and creamy.

Avocado

The avocado is a very popular health food right now and this is down to numerous factors. Perhaps the biggest benefit of the avocado is that it is a healthy saturated fat. Fats have been vindicated recently as it has been shown that they have nothing to do with heart disease or many of the other conditions that they were previously accused of.

What’s more, is that avocado is delicious and very creamy. It also happens to be an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acid, which is one of the most impressive nutrients for its ability to improve the communication between cells, combat inflammation and more!

Mango

Mango smoothies are perfect for summers days when you want something really sweet and delicious. Mango is very smooth and has a great texture and it also happens to be a great source of numerous vitamins and minerals. In particular, it is an excellent place to get your vitamin C.

Peanut Butter

Not all your bases have to be fruits and vegetables. An option that is somewhat different is to choose peanut butter, which will provide you with lots of magnesium and zinc, lots of healthy sugar and good helping of protein. This is particularly useful for those looking to build muscle and if you combine it with other protein sources – like protein shake – then it can be highly effective in aiding with muscle building.

Protein Shake

Or why not add protein shake itself? This will add even more protein to your mixture and will also often add a lot of delicious flavor. Note that a lot of protein shakes are high in fats and carbs, so you should check the back of your shake before you add it to your healthy drink. Choose a plain whey protein and then add your own flavor instead by making it into a delicious smoothie!

Pointers on Losing Weight Safely

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People who want to lose weight commonly, and first of all, think about reducing the amount of food they eat. This may be quite a solution but not exactly the best there is. In fact, depending on the amount you reduce in your food intake, it may even be dangerous to one’s health.

So how does one lose weight effectively and safely? Here are some points one should consider when trying to lose weight:

weight

Beware of the Crash Diets

Most people think that trimming down the calories can alone shed off their unwanted excess. Probably this is because of the fad there is in advertising about low-calorie food products and beverages. What people don’t know is that this could be dangerous because when they decrease their calorie intake way to below the required levels, the body begins to digest the fats. Sounds good but it doesn’t actually. Burning fat requires a lot of energy. Since there is not much energy in the body to facilitate metabolism of fat, it will run at a very slow pace resulting to fatigue, illness and weak immune system.

Low-calorie diet is also compensated for by the body by burning muscle. People on this type of diet who revert back to their old eating habits end up gaining back some, if not all the weight they have shed off. This would consist mainly of fats. And since fats have more volume per mass than muscle, they end up having the same weight as before but more bulkier. In losing weight, one should keep in mind that they should lose excess body fats only.

However, one can try out eating small meals at more frequent intervals. This way the body will not think that it is being starved and will not store food as fat.

Eat Properly

One may have considered junking the crash diet option but he should also not forget to watch what he is eating. Variety must always be considered so that one may be able to get the necessary nutrients from his diet.It is also healthier to eat food which are roasted, steamed or broiled rather than fried. It is also important to include a lot of fiber in the diet. Frequent re-hydration is also necessary.

Pump Up lean Muscle Mass

Muscles burn calories when they work; they even do so at rest. Unlike fats which just lie around, bulge around the pants and dangle beneath the sleeves, muscles burn calories all-day round. With this fact, one can start weight loss by increasing muscle mass. The more muscles, the less fat will be left. This is attainable starting with working out with resistance exercises.

Engaging in Aerobics

Aerobics are not only good for the heart by increasing cardio-vascular endurance. Aerobics also help in increasing lean muscle mass while simultaneously decreasing excess body fat. Aside from these, aerobics make the metabolic process more efficient and its rate high, even after a long while. Imagine burning fat efficiently while driving along the freeway or even while watching television.

Extra “Push”

Some people believe that smoking and caffeine can actually help in losing weight. This can perhaps be true; however, they do the body more harm than good because of their side-effects. For that extra “push”, one can try out taking food supplements. After all, 95% of these products out in the market actually does good.

On Taking Diet Pills

Over-the-counter diet pills affect the amount of weight one loses as well as how long one keeps that amount of weight off. However, one must be wary of the side-effects of these diet pills. As such, one must faithfully follow the instructions provided for in the packaging. It is also prudent to consult the physician anyway before trying out these drugs and also to find out which type would be best for the individual.

Losing weight does not have to mean sacrifice and suffering. It actually means opening up to a more full and healthy life where one may not have to feel bad about himself having to look the way he does or not being able to do what he wants to do. Losing weight might entail a little adjustments plus the discomforts, but as the old saying goes, “no pain, no gain.” Besides fat, what has one got to lose anyway?

 

5 Steps to Setting Successful Weight Loss Goals

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If you want to be successful in your weight loss, the first thing you have to do is set realistic goals that will help you keep your weight loss on track and keep you motivated. However, if you set unrealistic goals that you’re not able to reach, it will quickly become discouraging and you may find yourself giving up long before you reach your goal.

So, here are 5 steps to setting successful weight loss goals.

successful

1. Make Your Primary Goal be Health

When your overall goal is to live a healthier life, it’ll be a lot easier to feel successful as you work to make better eating choices every day. This will also help you stay motivated since you can evaluate yourself at the end of the day to determine what you can to better the next day to keep reaching your goal of being healthier.

2. Do Some Research

Before you set your main goal, you’ll want to spend a bit of time doing research to determine what a realistic goal is for you. Ask other people who have already lost weight how long it took them to help you determine how much you can expect to lose and how long it might take you. Then, you will be able to set up a realistic goal for your own weight loss.

3. Set Your “Big” Goal

This is your total weight loss goal and could take you several years to reach. However, it’s important to have this big goal so you know what your target weight loss is. Add a timeline into your goal, whether it’s one year, two years, or five years. It’s important to give yourself plenty of time to reach that goal so that you don’t feel rushed, but also keep it a short enough time to keep you focused and on track.

4. Set Up Milestones

These are little goals along the way that will help you reach your big goal. You’ll want to set these up the same way you set up your big goal: after doing some research and with a timeline. These will be spread out every month, every few months, or even every year.

What’s most important to keep in mind when setting up these goals is that weight loss is typically easier at the beginning and then takes longer as your body’s metabolism changes. So, you may be able to lose 10 pounds in the first month, but will need 3 months to lose the last 5 pounds.

5. Set Up Rewards

For reaching your big goal, set up a big reward, whether it’s buying your dream car or going on your dream vacation. Getting to your ideal body weight and to a point where you can live a healthier life is a big deal and should be celebrated, so don’t be afraid to go all-out.

For your smaller milestones, these should also be celebrated, but in smaller ways. Just make sure that the rewards you set up are activities or anything non-food related, since rewarding yourself by eating junk food contradicts the whole point of a healthy lifestyle!

The Best Nutrients and Fruits for Runners

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Looking to enhance your running performance? Believe it or not, a smoothie might just be exactly the secret weapon you’re looking for! In this post, we’ll look at some incredibly powerful ingredients that will taste great in any smoothie and that will help you to run a little further a little faster…

smoothie

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are a common ingredient in smoothies that are used as a ‘base’. This means that they will help to give the smoothie the smooth and creamy texture that it is known for and prevent it from just being a fruit cocktail!

Chia seeds are of particular interest to runners because they help to hold water and hydration. Chia can absorb large amounts of water and swell to several times their normal volume. Then, once in the stomach, they will release that water into the body to hydrate you. This is one of the secrets that allows the Native American ‘Tarahumara Tribe’ to run huge distances on a regular basis without becoming tired or dehydrated.

Beetroot Juice

Beetroot juice is another powerful aid that might just let you run a little bit further and faster. That’s because beetroot juice is a natural vasodilator. This means that it can help to dilate the blood vessels – the veins and arteries – and thereby help more blood to find its way around your body. If you consume beetroot juice then you should find your body becomes much better at mobilizing fat stores, helping you to breathe heavily and take in large amounts of oxygen and more.

Beetroot juice is actually a favourite choice among a large number of athletes for these reasons and is broadly considered a performance enhancer!

Red Grapes

Resveratrol is a substance found in red grapes. This is a highly powerful antioxidant and on top of that, it is also very good at enhancing the function of the mitochondria.

Mitochondria are small ‘energy factories’ that live inside your cells and allow you to use ATP. The more mitochondria you have and the more efficient they are, the longer and faster you’ll be able to run or otherwise exert yourself without tiring out. Red grapes are a great inclusion for this reason and might just give you an added edge!

Protein Shake

While we normally think that protein shake is for bodybuilders, it can also be useful for runners and the reason is actually very similar.

That’s because running is highly catabolic. Not only does running burn fat, it also burns muscle to a great extent and this is something that most runners would rather avoid where possible. By consuming protein just before a run – and especially a source with added BCAA (branch chained amino acids) – you may be able to protect your muscles against being catabolized.

Green Tea

Green tea is a great source of caffeine which can increase the heart-rate and metabolism and give you a big boost in energy. For this reason, caffeine is found in a large number of performance enhancing supplements and pre-workouts.

Portion Control: Answers Lie in the Palm of Your Hand

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When individuals are dieting, there are a lot of things that they need to implement into their ordinary daily tasks that can cause them some sense of annoyance. One of the biggest problems for dieters seems to be that the meals that the individuals need to eat have to be arranged in a particular way. Not only do the meals need to add up so that the individual is ingesting a predetermined percentage of carbohydrates, fats, sugars and the like.

However, here are some tips for dieters and other individuals who are looking to eat in a more healthy or controlled manner. While some diets may have you portion servings by using a cup, teaspoon or other measuring device. Instead, dieters might want to consider the portions dictated by the palm of their hand.

dieting

Restaurants, both fast food and sit down establishments included, have gradually created bigger and bigger portions for their patrons. Dieters may feel discouraged and feel as though they need to avoid restaurants in order to stay on their diet. The good news for these individuals is that if you set your mind of what you can eat in a portion, you can always take the extra home and eat the rest of the meal or portions at another point in time.

Still, some individuals can have trouble even within their own home trying to portion their foods. Cups, teaspoons and tablespoons and scales for food can help, but these items are not always necessary. While it is not an exact science, by eating the amount roughly relative to the palm of one’s hand an individual can create an acceptable serving size for the individual. Some people have bigger palms, but this is a great way to estimate portions if an individual does not have and does not want to invest in measuring devices that some diets seem to recommend the use of when it comes to rationing food.

However, there are still even more helpful tips when it comes to portioning particular types of food, such as carbohydrates or meats or sugars. Proteins are best portioned when they are approximately the same size as the palm of the individual who is going to be eating the meat or protein portion. Salad, on the other hand, can be a larger portion.

For instance, a full serving of salad would be approximately the size on both of the palms of the individual who will be eating the salad, not including the salad dressing. Only a little bit of fruit should be eaten in each sitting, and this portion could be estimated by eating a handful as a portion. Pasta and other starchy foods should have a portion the size of the eater’s closed fist.

It is important to remember though that these estimates are just that – estimates intended to help individuals find a quick and easy way to measure their portions when they are preparing a meal. Every individual has different sized hands so two people would rarely, if chosen randomly, have the exact size meal portion estimates.

Can I Lose Weight with Diet Alone?

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The short answer is yes, you can lose weight with diet alone. The truth is, that diet is the main determining factor in whether or not you will lose weight. Many people think they need to devote hours a day to exercising if they want to lose weight, but the truth is that if you want real, lasting weight loss, all you need to do is change your diet.

Here are some small diet changes that anyone can make to start losing weight without making any other changes:

lose weight

1. Cut Out Soda

Even drinking just one can of soda a day can increase your chances of being overweight by up to 65 percent, according to a study done by the American Diabetic Association. By simply cutting out the soda that you’re drinking and replacing it with unsweetened green tea or plain water, you can lose weight without even trying, and save money on sodas to boot.

2. Eat More Protein

You should be getting between 25 and 30 percent of your daily caloric intake from protein. The best way to make sure you’re doing that is to cut out half the carbs on your plate and replace them with a lean source of protein. Getting more protein in your diet will help you feel fuller for longer so you won’t need to eat as much at your next meal.

3. Eat on a Schedule

When you set up an eating schedule for yourself, you’re much less likely to over-eat during meals because you’ll be eating before you get too hungry. The best schedule to set up is 5 – 6 smaller meals spread out throughout the day, about 2 – 3 hours apart. Set alarms on your phone if you need to, and you’ll soon find yourself losing weight without trying.

4. Snack Right

When you’re looking for something to snack on, it’s usually junk foods that are easiest to grab, so keep yourself from falling into this temptation by providing plenty of healthy snacks for yourself. Keep fresh fruit like apples, bananas, and oranges on the counter where you can see them, and bagged veggies or yogurt at eye level in the fridge where they’re easy to see and take with you.

5. Quit Pre-Eating

Many people fall into the trap of eating before they actually eat, especially if they’re cooking a big meal and frequently taste test it as they go. These little tastes add up to hundreds of extra calories that you’re not counting since they’re not in your actual meal. To avoid pre-eating, have a big glass of water on hand while cooking or baking and drink that instead of sampling your food before dinner.

6. Satisfy Your Cravings

Often, when you have a craving for something, it can be hard to know exactly what you want, so you end up eating a bunch of things until you find something that finally satisfies it. Take a few moments to identify what exactly you’re craving, then look for a healthy version of that to satisfy you. Most cravings fall into one or two of the following categories: sweet, salty, crunchy, or creamy.

How to Make a Smoothie – Simple Instructions for Great Results!

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You might have heard the buzz about smoothies. A smoothie are simple drinks made up from a cocktail of different fruits and vegetables, often with a liquid and some kind of creamy base thrown in for good measures. Smoothies taste delicious. And what’s more, is that they also contain a ton of goodness in the form of vitamins and minerals that are missing from our diets too often these days.

By simply adding a convenient smoothie to your diet and having this once a day, you can massively increase your overall health, your body composition and your immunity and energy! So how do you make them?

smoothie

Your Weapon of Choice

The first thing you will need of course is a smoothie maker or a blender. This is what you are going to use to mush up your ingredients into a pulp and of course you need something powerful to ensure this can be done quickly and easily. Think too about how easy the smoothie will be to dispense and to wash afterward. The Nutribullet is a very popular product right now because it allows you to simply remove the top of your blender to take with you as a bottle!

Your Liquid

Next, you need to choose a liquid. This is of course what will make your smoothie runny and what will make it a drink. The more liquid you add, the runnier your smoothie will be of course and this comes down to personal preference. The norm is to add somewhere between 1-2 cups.

Good examples of liquids include juices, water, milk, ice and even tea. There are different benefits of each, so have a long hard think about which you want to try and how this will go with the other ingredients you have planned.

The Base

The next part is the base. This is the ‘main ingredient’ and it is what is going to provide the consistency of your smoothie – i.e. what will make it smooth! You need to choose something that has the right creaminess while also offering a good flavor (as this will likely be the most overriding flavor in the drink) and also lots of health benefits.

Popular choices include banana, mango, peach, avocado, yogurt and ice!

The Fruits

From there, it’s then a matter of picking your fruits and vegetables! You can do this yourself and simply think about what is likely to work and what isn’t that likely to work against the base and liquid you’ve chosen. Otherwise, you might choose your fruits based on the different nutritional properties they can offer you.

If you aren’t willing to experiment on your own, then of course you can also try turning to a recipe instead. There are plenty on the web, so you shouldn’t be stuck for inspiration for too long!

Extras

Finally, consider a few different extras to give your smoothie that extra kick. You can add garnishes for instance or even nuts to make it pretty, or how about sweetening it with a little honey?