High Intake of Whey Protein Lowers Hip & Thigh Fat?!

Ok, so I’m completely excited about this new research since I am an official thigh hater.  And even though I’m promoting a raw diet, I still take my whey to help with muscle recovery after my intense workouts. After reading this you may be tempted to start downing the whole whey container!

Research was done at the University of Minnesota where they found that a high whey protein diet had greater decreases in …Get ready for it - resting blood pressure and hip and thigh fat! (Woohoo!)  

But let's get this straight, that doesn't mean you can have a whey protein shake  for every one of your meals! Remember that it's always better to get whole food in your diet rather than relying on supplements. 

Wondering how and when to take your whey? Depending on your goals, you can take 1-2 scoops before and/or after your workouts and in cases of emergency when you're in a rush or you're not able to get a real meal in. 

My Current Whey: ON Gold Standard 100% Whey (5lb) in Caramel Toffee Fudge - P2,300

How I Make My Shakes:

• 1-2 scoops of Whey & cold water
• 1-2 scoops of Whey & Vanilla or Chocolate Soy milk 
• 1-2 scoops of Whey, Any Fruit, & Vanilla or Chocolate Soy milk, & Ice
• 1-2 scoops of Whey, Peanut Butter, Vanilla or Chocolate Soy milk, & Ice
• 1-2 scoops of Whey, Chia Seeds, Vanilla or Chocolate Soy milk & Ice
• 1-2 scoops of Whey, Chia Seeds, Water, & Ice

Is Fructose Bad For Your Health?

Oh no! Not the fruit! This is some shocking news; hopefully I can find some other research done on this topic.

 If you don’t know what fructose is, fructose is a carbohydrate sugar that naturally comes from fruit.  Scientist from Dalhousie University say that consuming too much fructose is the leading reason for the West’s obesity epidemic, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Although further research is needed they believe that fructose triggers oxidative stress and inflammation in the inner lining of blood vessels, which can lead to hardening of your arteries.

Again further studies are needed, so continue to include fruits into your diet since there are still many benefits to eating fruits.

I would love if anyone has further information about this. If you do please leave a comment in the box below!

How Often Should You Be Exercising?

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently came out with a recommendation for how often you should be exercising. The following are the guidelines.

 For Weight Maintenance: Aim for 150 – 250 Minutes a week (2.5 – 4 Hours a week)  

• Sample Schedule:
• Up to 1 hour 4x a week
• 30 minutes every day

For Weight Loss: 150 – 420 minutes a week (2.5 – 7 hours a week)

• Sample Schedule:
• 1 hour every day 
• 30 Minutes twice a day everyday 

For better weight loss results, all exercise programs are best when combined with a slight caloric reduction.

Do Cruciferous Vegetables Help In Weight Loss?

 Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and cress, may help in weight loss through the chemical called indole-3-carbinol. It may specifically reduce weight, body fat, blood sugar, insulin, and inflammation and it’s recently been linked to have anti-cancer properties. 

Fat-Fighting Recipes

Cream of Broccoli Mushroom Soup

Broccoli in Hoisini Sauce with Parsnip Rice

Curried Cabbage Pillows

High-Protein, Low-Carb Diet Increases Risk of Colorectal Cancer?

Although many confirm that a diet high in protein and low in carbs can cause a rapid rate of weight loss, scientist believe that in the long run a low carb diet has a more risk factors than benefits.

According to the studies from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, a high-protein, low-carb diet maintained for 4 weeks decreases cancer-protective chemicals, and increases cancer-causing chemicals that can increase your risk of colorectal cancer.

Reason being is the lack of fiber intake taken during a high-protein diet. Therefore causing a decrease in the movement time through your gastrointestinal which can over expose your intestines to cancer-causing chemicals. 

When I first started eating raw I didn't go all the way, actually even up to now my diet is roughly around 80% Raw. I only hit 100% around 2-3 times a week. (It's very hard having a meat-loving husband.) In order for me to keep my digestive system moving I make sure to take in plenty of fibrous foods. If you don't know where to get you're fiber from, you can get it mostly from fresh fruits and vegetable and whole grains.

Chia Seeds - P1,550

My Favorite Fiber-Rich Foods:

• Papaya
• Dark Greens
• Lemmnos Natural Yogurt
• Whole Wheat, Multi-Grain, or Rye Bread
• Chia Seeds
• Iko Crackers
• Raw Oats

Although it has no fiber, I make sure to also take in plenty of water! Yes, it can be a hassle to get up and walk to the bathroom every 30mins, but eventually your body will get use to it. A trick that works for me is drinking about 600mL or 2 1/2 cups of water first thing in the morning before eating anything. Not only will it clear you out from the inside but it'll also reflect on the outside, giving you "clear and glowing" skin!

Exercise Builds Muscles & Brains!

If you’re looking to build brain power grab your dumbbells and start pumping up for brain building!

Scientists from Taiwan say that exercise may increase brain cells in the area of memory and emotions. We all know the many benefits of exercise, but now we can include improvement to mental health to the growing list.

Healthy Eating is a Mental Disorder?

This has got to be the most outlandish thing I have ever heard!

Apparently, those who are focused on living a healthy life by eating right are now considered to be mentally disordered. In 1997 Dr. Steven Bratman created the name of a so-called "disease" called "Orthorexia Nervosa,"which means "nervous about correct eating." In other words, if you avoid eating foods that are processed, or foods with growth hormones, pesticides, genitically modified organisms, and artificial chemicals, you are now considered to have Orthorexia Nervosa; If you choose to nourish your body with the food it needs to be healthy instead of spending thousands of dollars on medical bills and drugs, you are now considered to have a mental disorder!

Although there has been frequent talks of Orthorexia up to now, the dumbest disease on earth has not been officially accepted to the American Psychiatric Association's  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual since 1997. Meaning, you just theoretically have the disease.

Well guys, I guess i'll be seeing you and a million other healthy people in the psychiatric ward!! .....Where did I put my straight jacket?

To find out more:  Orthorexia on Yahoo!

Are You a Winner or Loser?

Lately I've been a little overwhelmed with life. Somewhere between training 10 clients, 3 group classes of 20 people, running a health store, speaking with graphic designers, researching new products, dealing with my Mother-in-laws illness, being a wife, and trying to save for an upcoming trip, I can't help but to pause for a moment and wonder when I get a break from it all? Fortunately, I've been randomly coming across different articles and movies that have been inspiring to just keep my head up and keep pushing forward.

I've realized that the issue of how to deal with life is such an important part of our journey to wellness. We need to keep emotionally fit just as much as we need to keep physically fit, if not more! According to The Okinawa Program, those who are able to cope with life's struggles well, and who have a better outlook on life, ultimately live longer! Of course, who want's to live long if we're suffering the whole time, right? Therefore, we should focus on how to change our outlooks; learn to love life, to relax, to laugh, to have a winner attitude! What exactly is a winner attitude? Take a look at this interesting article from HealthMoneySucess.com to see the different mindsets of winners and losers

Be honest with yourself and really evaluate which characteristic's you have more of. If you end up being more on the loser side don't feel bad and give up! You're never a loser unless you don't try to be a winner. Know that winning has nothing to do with your level of success in life, but how you evaluate your life to be!

33 Striking Differences Between Winners and Losers

	Winners	Losers
1	Winners focus on solutions.	Losers focus on problems.
2	Winners take responsibility.	Losers blame others.
3	Winners find opportunities in crisis.	Losers complain about crisis.
4	Winners enjoy being in the present and learn from the past.	Losers live in the past.
5	Winners make commitment and keep them no matter what.	Losers make promises that they always break.
6	Winners think about how they can achieve.	Losers give excuses.
7	Winners make personal development a priority.	Losers neglect personal development.
8	Winners face their fear, accept it and take the leap.	Losers dwell in their fear.
9	Winners constantly expand their comfort zone.	Losers stay in their comfort zone.
10	Winners take action consistently.	Losers refrain from taking action and lack consistency.
11	Winners take failure in their stride and learn from them.	Losers fear failure and avoid them at all cost.
12	Winners try different strategies when they are not getting the results they want.	Losers do the same thing over and over again expecting different results.
13	Winners set goals.	Losers lack goals.
14	Winners plan.	Losers hate having a plan.
15	Winners believe there are always things to be learn.	Losers consider themselves as an expert even though they know little.
16	Winners are humble.	Losers are egoistic.
17	Winners continue to hone their skill every other day without fail.	Losers make little effort in honing their skill.
18	Winners work hard.	Losers avoid work.
19	Winners give their best for the things that they decide to do.	Losers work half heartedly in everything that they do.
20	Winners are persistent and will do whatever it takes (ethical means) to achieve their goal.	Losers give up when obstacles pop up.
21	Winners manage their time well and indulge in high value activities that will bring them closer to their goals.	Losers lack time management skills and indulge in time wasting activities like playing games and watching re runs for the umpteen time.
22	Winners dream in the day.	Losers dream in bed.
23	Winners think about possibilities.	Losers focus on obstacles that will stop them from achieving.
24	Winners are certain.	Losers doubt.
25	Winners control their own destiny.	Losers leave everything to their fate.
26	Winners give more than they take.	Losers take more than they give.
27	Winners think whether the crowd is going in the right direction. If not, he will walk the other direction.	Losers follow the crowd.
28	Winners think and lead.	Losers refuse to think so they follow.
29	Winners listen.	Losers fight for every chance to talk.
30	Winners always find a better way to do things.	Losers stick to one way of doing things.
31	Winners spend money in seminars and classes to improve themselves.	Losers think that spending money on seminars and classes is a waste of money and they prefer to buy toys that gives them instant gratification.
32	Winners help others to win.	Losers refuse to help and think only about their own benefit.
33	Winners find like minded people like themselves that can bring them to greater height.	Losers find like minded people like themselves that will drag them to failure.