Tag Archive for: Long Beach Nutritional Coach

Make Whole Food Vitamins Part of Your Pregnancy Diet

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When it comes to nutrition during pregnancy, pregnant women should think about adding whole food vitamins to their diet. This type of vitamin supplement is extracted from natural sources rather than being chemically engineered. That makes these a better choice during pregnancy and after childbirth as well.

Why Mothers-to-be Need to Take Vitamin Supplements as Part of Pregnancy Nutrition

nutrition

There’s no question – the human body is amazing and has an incredible ability to get what it needs through resources nature has to offer. When we eat a healthy diet, we can extract the right balance of vitamins, fats, minerals, and energy sources to keep the body running optimally. During pregnancy, we must be even more vigilant to ensure we get the nutrients that the fetus requires to develop both mentally and physically into a healthy term baby.

Unfortunately, many of us aren’t eating a healthy well balanced diet and in no other time has the need for specialized pregnancy nutrition been necessary. There are a number of reasons why there has been such a change in the way we eat, which includes convenience, low cost, and availability of processed foods. Adding whole food vitamins makes it easier to ensure some of those essential compounds that are missing from processed foods are received by mother and baby on a daily basis. That’s important for the development of the child and the mother’s overall health.

Why Whole Food Vitamins are Better
Whole food vitamins don’t use synthesized compounds. Rather, they use sources that can be found in nature. This type of vitamin is better assimilated by the body. Sure the best way to get the nutrients we need is by eating healthy – lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, etc.; however, most of us are not able to maintain that on a daily basis. This is even more important when you are pregnant, and so whole food vitamins do a better job of filling that void.

The body can easily recognize these natural compounds and use them compared to synthetic vitamins where as much as 90% pass through never being used by the body. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to take these if you are only going to get 10% value. Instead, by making the whole food vitamins part of your daily nutrition you can be sure the baby and you are getting the maximum nutritional value.

Advantages of Self-Fitness Training Over Gym Membership

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There are people who prefer to have gym membership when exercising while there are those who find it much better to train on their own or in the comfort of their homes. The gym has a variety of training equipment that members can choose from but there are still several advantages of home or self-training over gym membership.

Fitness trackers are supposed to help those who train by themselves keep track of their progress and stay focused on their set out goals. What are some of the benefits that one would enjoy when training on his or her own as opposed to having a gym membership?

gym membership

Save on costs

This goes without saying because gym membership comes with extra costs. The fee that you pay on a monthly or annual basis will carter for the wages of the gym instructor and equipment maintenance as well as being payment for using the gym itself. This is one thing that you don’t have to worry about when you train on your own. Using fitness trackers, you can jog, run or walk on a daily basis while monitoring your progress all on your own. You’ll end up meeting your objectives while still cutting down on unnecessary expenditure.

Ideal for those who hate crowded places

If you are one of those people who feel uncomfortable in crowded places then the gym might not be the most ideal place for you to exercise. Exercising in your own way and in your own space gives you comfort and makes you relax when doing your fitness routines. You can therefore opt for a home gym if you can afford it or engage in the simple exercises like jogging and running that will not cost you much. Having morning runs or taking nature walks will give you peace of mind due to the serene nature of the surroundings.

Move at your set pace

When you exercise on your own, you can determine your own pace and train at your level. Instructors at the gym sometimes tend to hurry things up or give you exercises that are difficult to perform. There is also the issue of playing catch up with those who started before you, a factor which can be the cause of unnecessary pressure. Fitness tracking devices will help you set and maintain fitness goals that are suitable for you.

Flexibility

Gym sessions are scheduled which makes them very rigid. You have to adhere to the set timelines or miss out. With home or self-training, you get to determine your own schedule. You can exercise whenever you feel like without the restrictions brought about by gym membership.

Hygiene

Sharing equipment with so many people is unhygienic especially when they are not cleaned immediately after use. When you train on your own or at home, you use your own training gear and equipment. You therefore don’t get to interact with other people’s sweat or bodily fluids which can sometimes be the cause of several communicable diseases.

You can train on your own and use the fitness trackers to monitor your progress. It has several advantages over regular gym membership as we have seen.

 

 

 

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3 Tips for Losing Weight Healthily

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Losing excess weight not only makes you look and feel good, but also significantly reduces your risk of getting diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart attack and high blood pressure. There are numerous crash diets and over the top workout programs sold online that promise to help you lose weight fast, but most of them don’t work in the long term.

If you’ve tried any of them and failed, don’t give up just yet. There are numerous steps you can take to develop a healthy relationship with food and attain lasting weight loss. Here are 3 tips for losing weight healthily:

weight
 Introduce Changes Gradually

Our bodies use the foods we eat for energy. When you eat more food than your body requires for daily activities, the excess energy is stored as fat. The more food you eat, the more fat your body stores and the more weight you’ll gain. To lose weight in a healthy way, it is very important that you gradually change your eating habits.
Making small changes here and there can make a big difference in the long run. So, if you are used to eating unhealthy foods, try cutting them out slowly and replacing them with healthier alternatives (vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean meat). Swap snacks like biscuits, candy bars or potato chips for fruits such as an apple to ensure you remain fuller for longer.

Reduce Your Calorie Intake

Other than introducing healthier foods to your diet, you also need to limit the amount of food you eat to lose weight. A good starting point is cutting down on foods that have added sugar and refined carbohydrates like white bread, energy drinks and white rice among others. Aim to eat at least 300-500 calories less everyday, and you’ll be able to lose between 1-2 pounds per week. This may seem a bit slow, but it is more realistic and sustainable. Eat smaller portions of the foods you usually enjoy, and you’ll be able to lose weight for sure.

Increase Your Activity Level

Every time you exercise more than you usually do, but maintain your calorie intake, you’ll burn calories and fat. There are many physical activities you can do to increase your level of activity even if you don’t like going to the gym. This can be anything from using the stairs at work instead of the lift, watching your favorite TV programs while jogging on a tread mill or using a stationary bicycle, swimming, or taking longer walks than you usually do.

The key to long-term weight loss is to eat less calories than your body needs, do physical activities that you enjoy regularly and make lifestyle changes that contribute to your overall health. Always remember that every extra step you take in the right direction brings you closer to achieving your weight loss goal.

Is Caffeine Okay During Pregnancy

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In 1980 the FDA released a publication that warned against a pregnant woman drinking caffeine beverages. It recommended that a woman restrict or better yet, eliminate all caffeine intake because it could be directly linked to the potential for certain birth defects. This recommendation stood strong even in 1994 when a review of more than 200 medical journals conducted by Dr. Astrid Nehlig was published in the Journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology. But what’s the recommendation today?

Currently many doctors recommend that a pregnant woman takes in less than 300 mg of caffeine daily. This is because studies that are more recent have not shown a link between caffeine and harm to the baby with an intake that is less than 300 mg. These new scientific studies are causing doctors to have a look at the results and many are changing their recommendations although some still remain very conservative. This is best discussed openly with your doctor.

caffeine

What Caffeine Does

Caffeine is a stimulant that stimulates the central nervous system. It also reduces your iron absorption and it leaches calcium from the body. Caffeine has a diuretic effect and it has the ability to cross the placenta and make its way to your baby. Caffeine does the following once it is in your body:

  • Decreases the amount of calcium in your body
  • Dehydrates you
  • Increases your blood pressure
  • Raises your heart rate

The same thing that happens to you happens to your baby with the one exception and that is that baby will steal calcium that it needs from your bones if it can’t get it elsewhere. Caffeine has also been linked to interfering with normal fetal growth and as a result this leads to low birth weight and weakened adrenal glands that can affect the ability to cope with stress and to regulate blood sugar

It is a good idea to avoid caffeine or at least cut back your intake to 300 mg per day, and some experts say that number should be no more than 150 mg per day. You may have no problem handling caffeine but remember that the liver of your baby is immature and so it is not able to remove the caffeine. This means that caffeine stays with your baby for 40 to 130 hours.

Common sources of caffeine include:

  • Coffee – 100-200 mg per 8 ounce
  • Headache medicine – 65-130mg
  • Soda – 40-75mg per can
  • Tea – black 60mg, green 40mg
  • Dark Chocolate – 5-35mg per 1 ounce
  • Milk Chocolate – 1-15mg per 1 ounce

Talk to your doctor about caffeine intake and follow what his/her recommendations are.

 

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Fitness Trackers: How Effective Are They?

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Health and fitness trackers have become very popular as consumers concerned about health and fitness use them to monitor their work-outs and physical activity. They consider them as ideal tools for improving their lifestyles by staying fit and keeping healthy. There are different fitness trackers that vary on functionality and even brand. Seeing that these gadgets have become so common, the biggest question then is: how effective are they? Every consumer wants to get value for money and so they’ll be looking to purchase items that can fully serve them.

In looking at how effective fitness trackers really are, it is important to dwell on their functionality and then check whether they meet the buyers’ expectations.

fitness trackers

More data capturing

Most smartphone fitness apps do not capture as much data as a fitness tracker can. Some fitness trackers are designed to collect extra data such as the rate of your heartbeat during physical activities or the cadence of a runner and time of contact between foot and ground. The extra functionalities of fitness trackers make them worth the cost because consumers will get value for money. For example, some fitness trackers possess smartphone features like push notifications. These gadgets basically collect data, analyze them and present them in a way that users can make comparisons and evaluate progress. It is difficult to determine the effectiveness of your fitness program without a simple way to gather data.

Motivation

From a psychological point of view, simply wearing a fitness tracker can be a great source of motivation for individuals looking to stay healthy and keep fit. There are those who are very much motivated by data, a key feature of fitness tracking devices. Just by reading their physical activity figures, they can find sufficient drive to meet and exceed their fitness targets. People draw inspiration and find motivation from different quarters. Some people find exercising with friends ideal while others are driven by life goals like looking awesome at a wedding.

Healthcare transformation

This technology has greatly transformed healthcare by making it possible to monitor the progress of patients without necessarily hospitalizing them. Monitoring of important medical aspects of patients like body temperatures, rates of heartbeat, muscle motions as well as other critical data can be effectively done using these gadgets. In sports training, trackers are used to measure sweat rate which could only be done through lab-based systems some few years ago. It is common to see athletes wearing fitness trackers as they go about their daily training routines because of their effectiveness in monitoring physical activity.

These are all key reasons that indicate the effectiveness of fitness tracking devices. They have great functionalities which serve to meet the expectations of consumers, a major requirement for any product in the current business environment. When all is said and done, it still comes down to the ability of an individual to put the collected data into use. The results will not come until you put in some good work. The trackers are supposed to aid you in your work-outs, the real work is done by yourself.

Iron Rich Foods to Eat During Pregnancy

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So you have just recently discovered your pregnant – congratulation! That certainly means that life is going to change. One of the first things you will want to think about is your diet and what it is you and baby need right now. Thankfully, it is not actually that difficult to get the correct nutrition during your pregnancy just as long as you stay focused on eating foods that are packed with protein and high in nutrients.

Worrying about the needs of the baby for proper development is common. The good news is as long as you eat well, your baby will get the nutrition he or she needs as they draw their nutrition from you. For example, if you make sure to eat foods that are high in iron you will not have to worry about becoming anemic. If you have a diet that is sufficient in calcium, your baby will have strong teeth and bones.

pregnancy

Your doctor will keep an eye on things by drawing blood at your checkups. If you are lacking nutrients, supplements can be prescribed and you can make changes to your diet. Let’s have a look at the foods that will provide you with the nutrition you need during pregnancy.

Eating a well balanced diet is a great way to ensure you are getting the nutrients you need. Eat a diet that is packed with fresh fruits and vegetables. Strawberries and citrus fruit are high in vitamin C. Good choices since you need about 70 mg of vitamin C a day. Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables and legumes to ensure you get the 4 micrograms of folic acid you need daily.

Foods that are rich in iron are important too. It is recommended that pregnant women get around 27 mg of iron each day. Iron helps your blood cells take oxygen to your baby, and it is important to you too as it brings oxygen to your muscles so they can function properly. Adequate iron will help to decrease your susceptibility to stress and disease. Good sources of iron include fish, chicken, and meat.

If you already eat healthy, your diet during pregnancy won’t need to change a lot. You should avoid processed foods, sugar, too much fat, and white flour. And of course, you should always follow your doctor’s orders when it comes to healthy nutrition for you and your baby.

10 Reasons Why Fad Diets Suck

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A Fad diet is a conventional diet that promises people fast results through simple methods. These diets are very tempting given that losing weight is a challenge to many people with most of them having a misconception that they can lose weight overnight. The fact is fad diets are all hype and may cause you, even more, harm than good.Below Are 10 Reasons why Fad Diets Suck:

Unnecessary food restrictions — Fad diets that promise quick weight loss will usually instruct you to eat more of one food type and restrict yourself from eating another food type. This could lead to an unbalanced diet. To address that, fad diets will usually recommend many supplements, but then again, many supplements might cause nutritional deficiencies.

diets

Against the fat level as recommended by the government — Fad diets does not follow government recommendations for fat concentrations in the diet. Most fad diets will recommend high fat and low carb diet, which is not good for your health when taken long term. You will indeed lose weight but taking so much fat could lead to heart disease.

Failure to address the root cause of weight gain — The reason that fad diets are considered bad is that these diets do not address the root cause of the weight gain. You regain back the weight you lost at the end of the day!

Expensive — Some fad diets require people to take pills and drink potions which can be costly.

Anti-exercises — Any diet that promises you weight loss without counting your calories or doing exercise is a fad diet. These diets do not encourage weight loss patients to incorporate exercises into their programs.

Elimination of healthy foods — Usually, fad diets ask people to eliminate certain food groups from their diet because they are bad. Some of the foods are carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and essential fatty acids.

Short term results — Fad diets are just a temporary solution and will not make any permanent change to your figure and eating habits. In a few weeks time, you will regain all the weight as you will fall back to your old eating habits.

Extremely unhealthy — The short-term weight loss effects followed by weight gain is extremely unhealthy and may cause many diseases such as high blood pressure or coronary heart disease.

Not motivating — They will make you feel bad and guilty whenever you break the overly restrictive diet. After a few days of following the diet and restricting yourself of certain foods, you will start craving and start being bored and sad about your diet.

Unbalanced diet — Many fad diets do not give you a balanced intake of fruits and vegetables, which is important to keep yourself healthy.

Conclusion Diet and Exercise

Irrespective of how good the fad diet advertisement is, don’t fall for these diets, they will not help you in the long term. The only way to achieve weight loss is to eat moderately, eat a balanced diet, exercise, etc.

I’m Pregnant – Should I Eat Differently Now?

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As a mom-to-be, you’re likely more cautious about what you eat. Early on that might be focused around morning sickness, but as time goes on its becomes a concern to make sure that you are eating nutritiously.

So what should the diet of a pregnant woman look like? Here’s how to make sure both you and your baby get the necessary nutrients.

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  • Foods that are rich in protein such as eggs, chicken, lean meats and legumes (i.e. beans, lentils, edamame, chickpeas, etc.)

  • Fruits and vegetables – fresh is always preferred. Other options include dried, frozen, and canned. Berries are rich in antioxidants. A diet that includes a good balance of fruits and vegetables is preferred. Below you will find those listed that are high in folic acid.

  • Starchy foods such as pasta, potatoes, bread, and rice.

  • Dairy foods such as cheese, yogurt, and milk.

  • Plenty of water to remove toxins from the body.

Sources of Folic Acid

During pregnancy folic acid intake is important because it helps to protect an unborn baby from developing neural tube defects like spina bifida. Your doctor will tell you how much folic acid is recommended. The following are good sources of folic acid.

  • Vegetables including avocados, endives, green peas, broccoli, baby carrots, seaweed, cauliflower, parsley, spinach, Brussel sprouts, mustard greens, beets, Romaine lettuce, and asparagus.

  • Legumes including Romano beans, lentils, white beans, black beans, edamame, kidney beans, chickpeas, and pinto beans.

  • Pasta, bread, and bagels that are made from enriched wheat flour.

  • Fruits and berries such as strawberries, raspberries, kiwis, blackberries, and clementines.

  • Seeds and nuts such as peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts.

  • Juices including pineapple juice and orange juice from concentrate.

  • Enriched breakfast cereals.

During your pregnancy, making healthy food choices is important. There may be some foods that don’t agree with you – of course, you should avoid those foods. There are many choices under every category so choose an option that you enjoy and that agrees with you.

Calorie counting may not be necessary; however, weight gain is a common concern among mothers-to-be so it’s a good idea to monitor your weight, and to at least be aware of the foods you are eating. Cravings can be hard to control and often changes in metabolism can result in burning calories differently. Making healthy food choices will help with weight gain and ensure you and baby are getting the nutrition you need.

Simple Ways To Stay Fit

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Some people imagine that exercising or staying fit has to be this complicated and elaborate routine. That is far from the truth because you can stay fit in many simple ways. The most important thing is to burn excess body
fat and exercise your muscles.

These are some of the simple ways in which you can keep yourself fit and healthy without spending too much time or resources.

fit

Morning runs

This is an ideal way to burn body fat and keep yourself fit. Morning runs are very refreshing and help to
improve brain functions. At this time the weather is also very favorable which means that you’ll not
spend a lot of time burning in the sun. Human traffic is also at a minimum making it easier to navigate
the streets and sidewalks. Get your trainers on and run for some minutes very early in the morning
before you begin your day’s activities. You’ll find yourself very active for the rest of the day with your
mood greatly improved since running triggers the release of dopamine which is essential for happy
moods.

Jogging

If you can’t run, jogging is a great alternative. You’ll still sweat and burn calories while improving the
functioning of your body organs such as the heart and brain. It improves the flow of blood to the rest of
the body and makes you fit and healthy. You can accomplish just as much as the person running through
jogging. This exercise is simple and not strenuous which means that even people who are advanced in
age can participate in it. Fitness trackers can monitor your progress by relaying information about your
heart rate and the distance covered. You can then use such data to evaluate yourself.

Nature walks

Walking helps you to burn calories and strengthen your leg muscles. You can trek or walk up a
mountainous region, or just follow a nature trail and admire the natural environment. This can help you
clear your mind, obtain better perspectives when it comes to making important decisions and keep your
body fit. Some people assume that walking is not really exercising but the fact remains that it is a great
way to burn calories. That’s the reason why people who use their cars quite often are more likely to be
overweight and unfit compared to those who walk every now and then.

Dancing

Have you ever wondered why most dancers generally have a lean physique? The reason is that dancing
makes you sweat and burn calories, in the process you get rid of excess body fat and keep fit. You don’t
have to go to the gym to get a flat tummy, you can achieve that goal in a fun and exciting way through
dancing. In fact, this type of exercise is the most ideal for someone who doesn’t have much time to
engage in outdoor fitness programs like running or jogging.

5 Ways to Improve Your Fitness

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Are you struggling to attain a perfect body fitness? Have you been exercising for months without any significant changes? To be physically fit, you need to eat well, exercise and sleep. It is all about leading a healthy, active, relaxed, and stress-free lifestyle that can help you achieve your goals.

Here are 5 Ways to Improve Your Fitness

fitness

  1. Make sure that aerobic activity is a major part of your fitness routine. Some people make the mistake of spending all of their time on strength training. However, in order to make your muscles stronger, you have to get rid of the fat which is hiding them. That is where cardio activity comes into play. So make sure that you engage in at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity each and every day.

  2. If you want to tighten you muscles be certain that you engage in strength training. This will help you tighten up all of those lose areas once you get rid of the body fat.

  3. Remember to keep things fun. Fitness should not be something that you dread. It should be something fun, so go ahead and engage in an activity that you enjoy. If walking on a treadmill at a gym is not your thing, try running or rollerblading outdoors.

  4. Exercise is the key to improving your body fitness. In fact, people who have an active lifestyle are seldom seen with unattractive figures. If you can manage simple workouts on a daily basis at home, or go to a gym regularly, then you will notice visible changes in your body fitness within a month. Exercise helps in protecting your body from muscle loss. It increases the metabolism, improves blood circulation, and revitalizes the entire system. Yoga is a perfect way to achieve a perfect body fitness, and to relax your body. It helps you in overcoming the stiffness of your muscles and produces great agility in your body. If you want to trim specific areas of your body like tummy, thighs, biceps, then you can consult your trainer to guide you about the relevant postures, and exercises.

  5. Finally, keep off from stress. Stress factor does not directly affect our body fitness, but it alters our attitude towards life. It also affects our eating patterns. We neglect our exercise, proper diet, and stop thinking positively in life. We tend to starve either, or glutton on anything and everything especially on caffeine, chocolates, and colas.