Daily Aha! w/ Dr. Oz

Daily Aha! Looking for a natural appetite suppressant? Potatoes—when eaten cold, not hot—contain a form of starch that does the trick.

Potatoes—along with beans, lentils, green bananas and peas—have a lot of resistant starch, which skips through the stomach undigested and gets fermented in the large intestine. This process releases an acid that causes your body to use stored fat (we’re looking at you, love handles!) for fuel, and tones down your appetite. But you gotta eat those taters chilled because the tight crystals of resistant starch get broken down when you heat them up

STRONG

Is 35 the New 50?

The younger generations are aging faster—and worse—than their parents. Here’s how to keep your metabolism in check and make your youth and beauty last.

Have you ever worried that you’re going to turn into your parents? Well, if you’re not careful it’s going to happen sooner than you think—and in ways you might not have expected. 

An April 2013 paper in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that when it comes to metabolic health (basically, how well your body uses insulin to process the sugar in your blood), today’s 45 year olds are on par with 60 year olds of the generations before them. What does that mean for 20- and 30-somethings? Well, you do the math: Just add 15.

The study measured various aspects of metabolic health, including the prevalence of being overweight or obese and body mass index (BMI). All three are notably higher in young people today than they had been in the past, with obesity among women in their 20s up twofold from a generation earlier. That means that a 20-something is two times more likely to be obese by her 30s than a woman 10 years older than she is. These scary generation shifts were seen nearly across the board for both men and women.

Poor metabolic health isn’t just about whether you can eat as much as your friend Sally without gaining weight. It’s the first step on the slippery slope to a heap of problems, from increased belly fat to obesity to type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. But fear not! You’re not destined to go down this road. Though there is a genetic component at play, you can control your metabolic health. Good lifestyle and eating habits will help you stay healthy and keep from aging ahead of your years.

Here’s what you need to do:

Get MovingWe’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Regular physical activity—whether at the gym or by speed walking to work and actively tending your lawn—is a key to keeping your body humming along. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise, five days a week helps you stay at a healthy weight, decreases damaging inflammation, helps regulate blood pressure and cholesterol and supports your system’s ability to use insulin efficiently. We’d really like you to take ten thousand steps every day. Start small and build (and by the way, a pedometer is much easier than counting). 

Eat SmartYou know when you’re looking at a package of snack cakes that they’re not good for you. But do you really stop to think about what they’re doing? Routinely filling up on carbohydrates from white flour (cakes, white bread, rice) and tons of added sugar (why else would those treats taste so sweet?) forces your body to pump out more and more insulin to break down the torrent of sugar rushing through your bloodstream. Eventually, your body gets so used to those levels of insulin that the same amount doesn't work anymore. That’s called insulin resistance, and it’s just a step away from type-2 diabetes. What’s more, packaged foods are full of trans fats, which contribute to high cholesterol. That snack doesn't seem so so sweet after all, does it?

Skip the SodaDid you think that just because diet soda was calorie-free that it was guilt-free, too? Sorry to break it to you, but even drinking diet sodas is associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, a nasty combination of many of the risk factors of metabolic aging. The sugar and corn syrup in regular (sugared) soda is a major source of calories and a leading culprit in this country’s fight with obesity. Surprisingly, the no-calorie sweetener in diet drinks may be dangerous, too. One study showed that having more than one soft drink a week—whether regular or diet—was associated with a 44 percent increase in the risk of metabolic syndrome among 50 year olds. One theory is that the high sweetness of diet drinks causes people to crave sweet foods, eating more sugar in the end. Another thought is that some ingredients in artificial sweeteners might lead to insulin resistance or inflammation. Either way, steer clear and go for black coffee, natural teas, water or seltzer instead.

Southwestern Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing

Serves 8

30 minutes or fewer

Sweet romaine, grape tomatoes,and corn, plus tender pinto beans and crunchy corn chips make a truly satisfying salad.

• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 ½ cups cooked pinto beans or 1 15-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 ripe avocado
• ¾ cup prepared (not chunky) salsa
• ½ cup low-fat sour cream
• 3 Tbs. lime juice
• 4 drops Tabasco sauce, optional
• ⅓ cup crushed corn tortilla chips (about 20 chips), optional

1. Combine lettuce, beans, tomatoes, and corn in clear glass bowl. Sprinkle green onions and cilantro on top.
2. Mash avocado in separate bowl, and whisk in salsa, sour cream, and lime juice. Season with hot sauce (if using), and salt and pepper, if desired. Pour dressing over salad, toss well, and top with crushed corn chips (if using).

nutritional information

Per 1/2-cup serving:

• Calories: 115
• Protein: 4 g
• Total Fat: 4 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Carbohydrates: 16 g
• Cholesterol: 3 mg
• Sodium: 196 mg
• Fiber: 5 g
• Sugar: 3 g

Gluten-Free

Daily Aha! w/ Dr. Oz

Daily Aha! Downing energy drinks can be dangerous (but not for the reason you might think!).

Many energy drinks tout being packed with B vitamins for an energizing boost. Sounds healthy, right? Well, it’s not that simple. Downing these drinks can put you in danger of ODing on B, which can cause nausea, hives, vomiting, mental dysfunction, nerve damage and liver issues not too far down the road. Yikes! Kick the can and bulk up on better bets for B such as peppers, cabbage, asparagus, spinach, clams, mushrooms, tea and coffee

10 REASONS TO WORKOUT

1. Testosterone

It applies to weight training. Testosterone is the essence of manhood. When you lift weights and gradually increase the level of resistance, your muscles produce testosterone. This gives you the energy, stamina, and aggressiveness you need to take on the world.

On days after a big weight training work out, I’ve experience a significant increase in energy. I tend to pop out of bed (I’m usually groggy) and feel more vigorous over the course of the day.

2. Clarity and Concentration

An active body has been linked to an active mind. The more consistently you exercise, the less prone you’ll be to grogginess and lapses in concentration. As anecdotal evidence of this, my best cure for writer’s block has always been going for a long walk, run, or hitting the gym.

3. Reflection

Exercise is a time to let your mind unwind while your body does the work. Strangely, when you stop actively trying to solve a mental challenge, the solution often pops into your head. Exercise is an opportunity for your subconscious mind to put together the pieces.

4. Enjoyment

Working out needn’t be seen as a chore or obligation. There are tons of enjoyable ways to exercise. For example, if you live in a scenic area, going for a run or bike ride along a beautiful route can brighten things up. Since I moved to Los Angeles a couple months ago, running on the beach has gotten me out the door much more frequently.

Other great options include: using exercise as a chance to spend time with friends and family, playing a sport or game, striving to achieve new personal bests, week after week.

5. Cleansing

Have you ever gone a couple weeks without exercise and noticed that you begin to sweat an exorbitant amount? That’s because sweat, along with toxins, tends to build up over time. Sweating regularly through exercises removes these toxins and will help you feel more comfortable.

6. Better Sleep

Studies have shown that exercise improves sleep. I love my sleep, so this is big for me.

7. Longer Life

When you choose to exercise, you’re making an investment, not just in your present physical appearance, but in the rest of your life. People who exercise regularly live longer and stay healthier into old age. If not for yourself, consider the family members that love and depend on you.

8. Stress Relief

Exercise has also been shown to reduce stress. This is a combined result of the benefits of cleansing, reflection, and a physical outlet for frustration.

9. Superior Strength and Endurance

About 4 years ago I went through a rough stretch where I gained 15-20 pounds in only a few months. Being unfit drastically changed the way I could move my body. It threw off my balance and made everyday tasks more difficult and uncomfortable. By exercising regularly, you’ll be better able to live and act, and in the event of an emergency, seize the moment.

10. Self Confidence

The sum of all these benefits is self confidence. (And, yes, looking good will help here too.) Greater self confidence is drives success, so its value can’t be underestimated. Exercise and fitness are an enormous part of reaching your potential.

Power Couple

Daily Aha! w/ Dr. Oz

Daily Aha! Doing chores and running errands can be just as good for your health and weight as going to the gym.

Researchers from Oregon State University looked at a federal survey of more than 6,000 people who wore accelerometers to track their movement throughout the day. They found that everyday activities—even just one- and two-minute increments adding up to 30 minutes per day—were just as beneficial as longer bouts of exercise. People who keep busy all day cleaning the house and bopping around town had the same healthy blood pressure, cholesterol levels and waist circumference as habitual gym rats.

Fitabcities.com

Daily Aha! w/ Dr. Oz

Daily Aha! Foods labeled “whole grain” often have more sugar and calories.

The Whole Grain Stamp, used throughout the food industry, is a good sign, but it’s not a barometer of a food’s health value. Whole grains lower your risk of heart disease, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes, as compared to refined grains, like white flour, so you should look for foods with whole grains. But when a team of researchers scoured the nutrition labels of 545 whole grain breads, cereals, granola bars and chips, they found that they were higher in fiber and lower in trans fats, compared to foods without the stamp, but had more sugar and calories. Don’t rely on the stamp! Check the label and go for products with a ratio of total carbs to fiber of 10 to 1 or less

DID YOU KNOW?

This is why we need to cleanse

This is why we need to cleanse

Are your choices nourishing you?

Would a cleanse suit you?

Microgreen Maven

Temptation always gets the best of me when I go to the farmers' market and see the stand of microgreens. I love their light flavor, delicate crunch, and fluffiness, but the cost can be prohibitive if you're making a big salad. So I decided to plant my own microgreen garden and put together a few regular-salad options that would work with just a handful of the baby leaves added in. That way, I get the best of both worlds—the tender, spring taste at a price per salad I'm willing to pay.
—Mary Margaret Chappell, Food Editor

Steamed Artichokes with Celery Salsa Verde

Serves 4

At Ubuntu Restaurant and Yoga Sudio in Napa, Calif., one of chef Jeremy Fox's favorite challenges as a classically trained chef is coming up with recipes that steer clear of dairy and eggs so that 80 percent of the menu is vegan-friendly. Here, a light salsa replaces the mayonnaise or drawn butter usually served with steamed artichokes.

Steamed Artichokes

• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 4 medium artichokes, trimmed

Celery Salsa Verde

• 4 stalks celery
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 Tbs. chopped yellow celery leaves
• 2 Tbs. chopped parsley
• 1 Tbs. chopped capers
• 1 Tbs. minced shallot
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)

1. To make Steamed Artichokes: Bring large pot of water and lemon juice to a boil. Add artichokes, and boil 30 to 40 minutes, or until an outer leaf pulls away easily. Drain, and cool 10 minutes.
2. To make Celery Salsa Verde: Peel outer layers of each celery stalk with vegetable peeler to remove strings, then dice stalks. Combine oil, diced celery, celery leaves, parsley, capers, shallot, and garlic in bowl.
3. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with artichokes.

nutritional information

Per Serving (1 artichoke wih 1 1/2 Tbs. salsa):

• Calories: 194
• Protein: 4 g
• Total Fat: 14 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Carbohydrates: 17 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 316 mg
• Fiber: 11 g
• Sugar: 2 g

Vegan Gluten-Free

What to eat for fat loss

Calling All Women – Step Up and Get Healthy

Fat loss for women is easy when you choose the right foods! I finished watching the food documentary, Hungry For Change, and have compiled all my notes into fun sound bites. Further research is always encouraged to grasp a full understanding at the points below.
If you want to live a healthy life, you MUST stop eating certain foods PERIOD! There are food-like products out there that are literally KILLING millions of people every year.
If we don’t learn how to use foods for it’s proper use, nurturing the body, we will never be able to have the body of our dreams, feel energized and completely rid out body of sickness.

FOOD IS POWERFUL. IT HAS THE CAPABILITY TO MAKE US WELL OR SICK

1. At least 1/3 of all women and 1/4 of all men are currently on a diet.

2. We do not eat REAL FOOD anymore. We eat FOOD PRODUCTS and it’s designed to look more tasty, better smelling and longer lasting. The goal of the food industry is NOT to give you a healthy product but to make a product that lasts a long time and makes a lot of profit for the company. Think about that during your next grocery store trip…

3. The best way to look better on the outside is to address the inside.

4. According to the US Department of Agriculture, Americans consume, on average, 150 pounds of sugar and artificial sweeteners a year! NASTY.

5. The best way to describe our country? Overfed but starving to death.

6. It’s NOT what you’re eating, it’s what’s eating you?

7. Understand Feast/Famine. When we eat fats/sugars, our brain immediately says, “Yes. More.” We’ve been programmed to store fat for the famine, but the famine never comes.

Our bodies are designed to store extra fat to protect us from stress. If it goes through a stress, i.e. diet, your body will store an extra 10 pounds so it doesn’t experience that stress again.

8. How we should eat: HIGH nutrition, LOW calories.

9. How we shouldn’t eat: LOW nutrition, HIGH calories.

10.  You can eat 10,000 calories a day. If you’re not getting the specific nutrients your body needs in a way it can digest and assimilate, your starving on a nutritional level.

Your body is going to stay hungry until it gets those nutrients. The cells don’t get nourished. So now you’re not nourished at a cellular level.  Sugars tricks your body into getting nourished. And the cycle repeats…

11. Many people GIVE UP the will to fight so they go to doctors to prescribe a solution, which is always pharmaceutical grade, and we know those do not address the problem, just the symptoms.

12. Sugar is like nicotine. Just like the cigarette companies add more nicotine, sugar starts a chain reaction to wanting more and more. This is how people smoke entire packs a day and can’t explain why. The way cigarettes are addicting is the same way sugar is addicting. The problem is that people don’t know why they keep wanting more. This is called an INVISIBLE TRAP.

13. Food companies engineer addictions into many of the foods today.  The food industry makes tens of billions of dollars. They have the resources to fgure out what chemical derivatives are best to create connections that appeal to consumers and have an addictive component.

14. MSG and free glutamates are used to enhance flavor in about 80% of  foods in the grocery store. AND GET THIS – these names can be hidden behind[B] 50 different names![/B] So even if it doesn’t say MSG or free glutamates, you’re probably still eating it if it’s processed.

15. MSG and free glutamates make us want to eat more by exciting the brain – which activates the fat programs that make us get fatter.

The study of obesity is conducted on mice. In order to make them fat, mice are given MSG. Researchers clearly know that MSG makes us obese and this crap is in 80% of modern day foods. Don’t believe me, go google search “MSG obesity induced mice”

16. If I wanted to make a PROFITABLE food company I would focus on four things:

• Make it look good
• Make it last a long time
• Make sure it tastes like the most fulfilling thing when it first hits your lips
• Make it so you want to buy more

In short, STOP eating cookies/soda/baked goods/cake, etc.

17. Aspartame is so dangerous, it’s forbidden for pilots to take as it can affect vision and ability to fly.

18. The Yale Journal of Biology suggests that artificial sweeteners contribute to weight gain. Over the course of 5 years, those who started drinking diet pop increased their weight by 5 pounds a year.

19. 90% of studies showing that aspartame has no side effects are funded by the sweetener companies or food industry themselves. If you look at the independent studies, you’ll see the exact reverse. Wow, manufacturers funds the studies!  Studies supporting aspartame are not independent studies.

20. Cut out all artificial sweeteners.

21. If you can addict a customer, you can have them for life. Selling sugar is just like selling cigarettes. Aspartame and MSG is just like nicotine. You keep putting it in because it keeps people coming back again and again.  The marketing LIES to you. It says it’ll bring you benefits like sexiness, coolness and health, but in reality it brings you obesity, miserableness and sickness.

You’re going to lose bone mineral density because of the phosphoric acid contained in sweeteners, you’re going to have neurological problems because of the chemicals in the sweeteners, and the HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) will promote diabetes and obesity.

21. When you see “Fat Free” you should read, “High in sugar”.  You can buy a bag of sugar that says, “100% fat free”, which is true, but people don’t know that the sugar turns into fat via insulin.  Body stores the fat for later but later never comes!

22. HFCS  (high fructose corn syrup) – people don’t understand the dangers of refining and concenrating ingredients from a single food or plant. In the 70′s Japanese scientists developed the technology to seperate the fructose from the corn which was radically reduced the cost of HFCS compared to other forms of sugar.

HFCS comes from corn but it’s not natural because it’s so concenrated and so refined, it’s a isolated nutrition. For example cocaine is clearly not good for you but it comes from the coca leaf which is perfect for your health and it’s a healthy nutraceutical. It’s not addictive or harmful in any way.

Eating HFCS is a lot sorting cocaine. It’s highly concentrated, refined, isolated, and is a chemecially manipulated version of a plant. In short, white sugar, HFCS and white flour is like snorting cocaine.

23. In the 1900s, 15 grams of fructose was consumed a day from fruit on average. Today, 70-80 grams is the average, while some kids eat up to 120 -150g of fructose a day – 10x more and not from fruit. Fructose is hidden in foods such as cereals, pasta sauces and much more.

24. Another way to view HFCS, in terms of the glycemic index, is to compare it to jet fuel, ingesting into the the human body. You wouldn’t put jet fuel into your car, so why would you put it into your body?  Of course you don’t, you’ll ruin your engine.

25. Read labels. Turn them around. Salad dressing, pasta sauces, pizza sauces are high in HFSC. Stay away from the isolates. Stay away from anything that is unnatural, that is a highly concenrated chemical from a planet that should be consumed in it’s full spectrum, bioavailable form. Food is delivered as a nutrient complex, not an isolate.

26. To conquer your weight, your definition of sugar must expand – breads, pastas, potatoes, waffles, pancakes, muffins etc. are all basically pure sugar. When you see these, think SUGAR!

27. Fat is not what makes you fat, it’s sugar that makes you fat.

28. If you look at how much sugar is in cereal, you might as well roll up your kids sleeves and inject heroin.

29. Food kills more people than all drugs on the earth combined.

30. It is possible to lose weight on a diet. Every time you diet its like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. If you lose 10 pounds with shear force,  you’ll pay it back with interest.

Dieting violates our body’s basic survival laws. The entire dieting paradigm is flawed. Diets are fundamentally flawed. Every time you force your body to lose weight, you force your body to gain more weight back.

31. YOUR health is under attack. We’ve created over 75,000 chemicals into the food chain since 1940! We have to move away from better living with chemistry, to nature.

32. You need to get rid of the toxins in your body, not just the fat. As long as you take in more toxins than you’re eliminating, your body won’t let you burn fat. Fat actually traps the toxins and prevent them from hurting your organs. Once you lose the fat, you just release those toxins into the body as there is no protective layer for the toxins to be trapped in. You have to address the fact that you’re being attacked by toxins before it’ll let you lose fat.

33. Three tips to start a detox:

1. Chlorophyll rich foods (well grown organic vegetables, gelatinous plant foods i.e. chia seeds, aloe vera, sea weeds – these gels/fibers move through our intensitinal tracts and absorbs the fat soluble toxins (the liver is trying to get rid of). Without the gelatinous fibers, the toxins would just get reabsorbed in the small intestines.
2. Parsley – cleanses your entire blood supply. Learn how to make taboule salad.
3. Cilantro – binds with heavy metals from all the fish you eat. Prevents toxic mercury from getting lodged in your cells.

Looking for a safe and effective cleanse? Here is my absolute favourite one called The Total Wellness Cleanse 

34. How to make FAST CHANGES in your health; If it has a shelf life, don’t eat it. The simpler your nutrition gets, the better your health gets.

35. Drink a few pounds of vegetable juice a day. Start with celery and cucumber as your base, than start adding dark leafy greens. Why not just eat our greens? Because we’re not!

36. Juicing is the ULTIMATE fast food diet. Takes minutes to prepare and dumps dozens of nutrients into your cells within 15 minutes!

37. Beware of skin fragrances. A popular brand was tested in a lab had 21 carcinogenic chemicals that were not even listed in the ingredients. This stuff gets into your liver, kidneys, brain, heart and causes disease on the inside.

38. Obesity is not the problem, it’s a solution for people’s stress, traumas and dramas, lack of satisfication, dead end job, pressure in your life, bad relationships…Fix your life.

39. It’s not what you’re eating, it’s what is eating you?!

THOUGHTS? What is your favourite point from above? Mine is number 5 - The best way to describe our country? Overfed but starving to death. That about sums up our society. LET’S CHANGE THIS!!

Daily Aha! w/ Dr. Oz

Daily Aha! Short bursts of exercise boost mental processing and self-control. A survey of 24 studies examining the effects of physical exercise on mental functioning found that after 10- to 40-minute bouts of exercise, people show enhanced higher level cognitive processing—things like planning and self-control. The researchers speculate that exercise increases blood flow to the pre-frontal areas of the brain, which are responsible for higher functions. It’s like sharpening your mind while toning your bod. Sprints, anyone?