People often tell me stories about how they lost weight. The stories begin with, “All I did was…” and end with something like: become vegetarian (or vegan); eliminate gluten; “go raw”; or cut out sugar.
A couple of these make sense, but others don’t. Let’s look at each one.
Becoming Vegetarian or Vegan
The two are different, but I’ll cover them together because my observations are the same in both cases.
Depending on which animal products someone was eating before changing her/his diet — and how they were prepared — eliminating animal products might result in considerable weight loss.
But there may be more to this story. Maybe the new vegan/vegetarian has eliminated dairy products, for example — and given up that pint of Ben & Jerry’s every night. Getting rid of all the fat and sugar in the ice cream could very well have had a profound effect on weight loss.
That change might even have helped by itself. So maybe it wasn’t just about animal products.
Eliminating Gluten
My first question is always, “How much gluten was this person eating before?”
It’s logical to blame gluten if the now-lean person was eating a stack of pancakes for breakfast, a large submarine-type sandwich for lunch, and a mountain of pasta with his dinner.
Cutting moderate gluten intake — say, a standard sandwich on 2 ordinary slices of bread per day — might not yield the same dramatic results.
But again, is there more to the story? The butter and syrup on the pancakes, high-fat sauce on the pasta, mayo and who-knows-what-else on the sub sandwich? Those changes would factor in just as much as the gluten.
Giving Up Sugar or “Going Raw”
Okay, in this case, I can definitely believe we may have found the “one thing” that helps someone lose weight — especially if the switch covers all sugar.
Giving up sugar would include giving up pastries, cookies, cakes, brownies, candy bars, ice cream, and more. Those so-called foods often contain fat, white flour, and yes, gluten — plus other junk, along with the sugar.
Someone switching to a raw diet would also eliminate most foods on the list above.
The drawback with a raw diet is that there are two “tracks.” The healthful track emphasizes vegetables. The less healthful track emphasizes fruit, various concoctions that contain fruit or fruit juice, and even cookies that look like Oreos, with some sort of creamy fruit puree filling between 2 cookies made of crumbled nuts.
I recommend the veggie track, but that may be a topic for another post.
Of course I’m in favor of anything that helps someone make a change for better health. But it may take a few things, not just one. And that’s not a bad thing.
That being said, the decision to eliminate sugar can, and often does, have far-reaching benefits: cardiovascular health, blood pressure, mood, appetite, focus.
So if you are still looking for the One Thing that helps you lose weight … giving up sugar might be that thing.
And if you’re looking for help with eliminating sugar — for weight loss or other health issues — perfect! That’s what I do. Just visit www.FoodAddictionSolutions.com and grab your FREE copy of “3 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Trying To Quit Sugar.” Find out how you can make a big shift in your health with small changes that are easy and do-able.
No, these don't include anything from Andrew Zimmern
This short post covers 6 relatively unknown — and odd — tips that can help us control how much we eat.
Odd Tip #1: Hide Your Breakfast Cereal
This first tip comes from Brian Wansink, PhD, who is well known for his work on food psychology and eating behaviors. His research has revealed that simply keeping breakfast cereal in full view throughout the day — say, on the kitchen counter — has an impact on weight.
Two facts came forward with this.
It didn’t make a difference if the cereal was junky (Fruit Loops, Cocoa Puffs) or more healthful (oatmeal). Just keeping it visible was the salient factor.
Also, the difference in weight between revealers and concealers averaged 21 pounds.
Since it doesn’t affect meals directly, keeping cereal in the kitchen cabinet seems like an easy way to help control food intake.
Odd Tip #2: Change Your Plate Color
I’ve come across this tip in two ways.
1) Using a plate that’s the same color as the food you’re eating encourages eating more food.
Of course, meals typically include several foods of different colors. A practical way to use this might be to think in terms of side dishes you’d like to limit. For example, if the side dish is white — potatoes, pasta, white rice — it might be a good idea to avoid using a white plate.
2) Then there’s the color blue. Eating from a blue plate seems to make people eat less. One theory is that the color blue is “off-putting.”
I wonder this matches up with the first part because there’s no blue food. (Yes, blueberries are purple.)
So if we want to keep eating lots of vegetables, maybe we should avoid green plates(!).
Odd Tip #3: Limit Your Food Variety
Variety seems to make us eat more. That could be one reason that a buffet-style meal encourages overeating.
But I’ve also heard that keeping too many different types of food in the kitchen could have a similar effect, prompting us to want to sample the different foods.
Maybe the best way to enjoy variety would be to change shopping lists from week to week, rather than buying lots of different foods at one time.
Odd Tip #4: Use Smaller Serving Spoons
The test study I read about used M&Ms to investigate how people ate from a big, full bowl of the candies in an office setting. Apparently, a large scoop invited greater M&M consumption than a teaspoon.
I wonder if there’s an unconscious link between the number of “spooning” actions and how much food we’re willing to take. One scooping action may seem less greedy than 5 teaspoons, even if the quantity is the same.
A practical way to make use of this at home might be to use a smaller serving spoon for the foods you’d like to limit (for example, mac & cheese) and a larger one for vegetables and other healthful fare.
Odd Tip #5: Change Your Eating Rate
Slowing down is a meal tip that’s been around for a long time, and it seems intuitive that eating slowly would decrease food volume. But that didn’t seem to work for women, although it did for men.
What worked for both men and women was to begin the meal at a normal rate of eating, then slow down to about half speed for the rest of the meal.
The article I read didn’t specify exactly when to slow down, so I’d suggest just after the initial hunger has passed.
Odd Tip #6: Eat Smaller Food.
Cutting food into very small pieces seems to limit the amount we’ll eat.
Again, I wonder if it relates to arm action, the plate-to-mouth action. If it takes more of those actions to eat the food, maybe we unconsciously limit the number of times, rather than the amount of food per se.
Whatever the reasons behind these odd tips, they don’t involve eating different foods or counting calories, just a simple shift in behaviors.
I’m for whatever works, so why not give them a try? And if they help with holidays meals, so much the better. Please let me know which, if any, work for you.
Do you have any understanding of using Earthing / Grounding to enhance recovery? How about PEMF or Thermogenics?
Many of the top endurance athletes in the world are using these technologies to speed and enhance recovery – including IRONMAN Triathlete, Endurance Coach and ICI/PRO Team member Ben Greenfield.
I hate to admit it, but these technologies were almost completely unknown to me until this interview with Ben and I'm guessing you may appreciate learning about these alternative recovery tools as well.
During the interview we discuss Ben's live health and fitness conference he has scheduled for March 8th and 9th in Spokane WA.
Discover The Fastest Way To Get A Better Body, Enhance Performance, Cut Through Diet Confusion, Blast Body Fat & Live Longer — At The “Become Superhuman” Live Event On March 8 & 9, 2013.
It’s time to cut through all the useless diets, workouts, supplements, drugs, books and plans — and instead find out what really works when it comes to losing fat fast, performing at your peak capability, living longer, and having the energy the way your body is supposed to actually have all day long.
Listener's interested in learning more about Ben's event can click here – be sure to use coupon code icipro to save $50.00 on the registration fee.
You can listen to the interview below or click here to subscribe to our free podcast in iTunes.
Frequently, I recommend protein powder to supplement dietary protein, but my clients aren't always sure exactly what to do once they have it. That’s the topic of this post.
Why Protein Is Important
Protein has numerous functions in the body, starting with the obvious one that it can be converted to glucose for energy.
Because I’ve covered protein in previous posts, I’ll keep this part brief. Protein is used to form hormones, enzymes, blood, body tissue, hemoglobin, antibodies, transport proteins, and much more.
As protein enters the small intestine, it triggers CCK, a powerful satiety hormone. CCK curbs carb cravings significantly. People who don’t get adequate protein often have strong sugar cravings.
Protein provides the amino acid precursors for brain chemicals that have many functions. Those amino acids can, for example, raise dopamine and norepinephrine for alertness and improved mood. Eating sufficient protein can reduce the need for caffeine — which triggers the same brain chemicals. But while caffeine depletes those chemicals, protein increases their production.
Another example is tryptophan, used by the brain to make serotonin. Serotonin enhances satiety and mood.
And protein provides several B vitamins that act as catalysts in forming all three of the brain chemicals above.
Why Protein Powder?
I’m not suggesting that you give up real foods and use protein powder instead. But protein powder is convenient. It’s light and portable and needs no refrigeration. Here are some suggestions for specific situations.[wlm_private ‘PRO-Platinum|PRO-Monthly|PRO-Gratis|PRO-Seasonal|Platinum-trial|Monthly-trial|PRO-Military|30-Days-of-PRO|90 Day PRO|Stages-Instructor|Schwinn-Instructor|Instructor-Bonus|28 Day Challenge']
Vegetarians / Vegans
Powdered protein is great for those who don’t want to eat meat. For vegans, who don’t eat any animal products, vegetable protein powder might be the best way to get high-quality protein in the diet.
Please recall that non-animal sources of ‘protein’ often aren’t. Nuts are not protein; they’re unsaturated fat. Beans, rice and quinoa are definitely carbs.
Vegans often experience sugar cravings. Vegetable protein powder could be a top method for vegans to stop cravings long-term.
Post-Training Fuel
As detailed in a previous post, refueling within 30 minutes is ideal. The best post-training meal is a combination of carb and protein in about a 3-to-1 ratio (the original research used 2 to 1).
Powdered protein will keep in a gym locker and mix with water as part of a solid post-workout “meal.” Just add good starch. Potatoes are excellent after workouts; other starches work, too.
Travel
Travel is an obvious time for the convenience of protein powder. A couple of years ago, I attended a 5-day seminar in a remote area. We were told it would feature only vegetarian cuisine. I brought 15 envelopes of raw vegetable protein powder and mixed one with water at the start of each meal. With my protein needs taken care of, I could enjoy the meal with no problem.
Conquering Sugar Addiction
For reasons explained above, having protein throughout the day can help you end sugar addiction by changing brain chemistry and preventing sugar cravings. Many brands of protein powder are out there, so find one with no junk — especially no sugar.
Don’t make the same mistake as a client of mine who had a serious sugar addiction. Instead of buying plain, unsweetened powder and mixing it with water (per my instructions), she bought French Vanilla and mixed it with orange juice. “The protein drinks are delicious!” she told me, but her sugar cravings got worse.
“Delicious” is usually a telltale sugar sign. Unsweetened protein — whey, pea, vegetable, soy, other — plus water won’t be delicious but will be helpful.
On the Go
Away from the office and a snack room, it might be difficult to find protein if you can’t stop for a meal. Depending on the hours you’ll be in the field, protein powder may help. Carbs are easy; we can find salads and other carbs almost anywhere.
Plan B
As suggested in a previous post, leave an envelope or two of protein powder in your car for emergencies. Take care of the protein and the rest of the meal will fall in place.
So skip granola bars, “energy” bars, chocolate-hazelnut spread, electrolyte drinks. The main benefit of protein powder is it’s a true protein source when ordinary foods aren’t available.
Type 2 diabetes is epidemic in this country, and typically begins with insulin resistance.
What we usually read or hear about insulin resistance is that it’s a result of overweight/obesity. This is not always the case, since the reverse can be true. Insulin resistance (IR) may actually cause overweight. What’s important to remember is that no matter which comes first — IR or overweight — the metabolic consequences are exactly the same.
This post is on the role that dietary sugar and fructose can play in causing insulin resistance, and the ways in which that can happen. IR appears to result from changes in both receptor number and receptor activity or sensitivity.
A high-carbohydrate diet can lead to IR, particularly if the carbs are high on the glycemic index. Sugar would be a prime example of a high-glycemic carb. High-glycemic carbs are quickly absorbed and trigger a high insulin response. The high levels of insulin secretion can in turn lead to a diminished response by the body to insulin, due to something known as “down-regulation”. Down-regulation is a term originally borrowed from brain chemistry research. It refers to a reduction in both the number of insulin receptors and the sensitivity of the receptors. The changes mean that whatever insulin is available no longer works as well as it did before.
Down-regulation is even more likely to occur for someone who is carbohydrate sensitive. Carb sensitivity is an exaggerated insulin response to sucrose or other carbs. The possibility of down-regulation of insulin receptors is even greater with that extra-high insulin release. And down-regulation of insulin receptors occurs fairly rapidly.
So eating sugar — especially lots of sugar, as might occur with sugar addiction — can cause insulin resistance.
What about fructose?
There’s a rather odd adaptation here. Fructose has been shown to change muscle fibers from type 1 to type 2b. Type 1 is a high-endurance fiber that responds well to insulin, while Type 2b is better for explosive power but less responsive to insulin. It has been suggested that this is the mechanism behind the well-known fact that fructose triggers IR. Yes, the original research was done on animals, but studies on human subjects have shown similar results — although training can modify the results somewhat.
The bottom line is that fructose — which, as you may recall, is half of the sucrose molecule — may cause insulin resistance in this interesting way. It might even be hypothesized that sucrose (granulated table sugar that everyone knows is junk) is capable of causing insulin resistance through both mechanisms: down-regulation of insulin receptors and modified muscle fiber type due to the fructose in it. Especially if it’s eaten in large quantities — for example, by someone who's addicted to sugar.
Please recall that all research seems to confirm that the fructose in sucrose is what makes sucrose the junk that it is.
Healthful recommendations? Skip the sugar, definitely skip processed fructose or concentrated fruit juice used as a sweetener, and get your wholesome nutrients primarily from vegetables and only incidentally from fruit. It’s not what you’ll hear most places, but it may work better than what you will hear elsewhere.
A client at her final prepaid session recently said, “I think I’m okay on my own. I’m not bored yet.” From that, I knew she’d fail if we didn’t continue.
Now I confess. I’m a nutritionist who finds standard nutrition boring. Important, but boring.
Here’s one historic example. In 1991, the Food Guide Pyramid was released. We were also promised ’91 food labels that, among other things, would list the percent of calories from fat — because fats were the bad guys then. Food politics and finagling postponed the release of the labels until — in 1994 — we finally got the labels still in use today.
That year, every nutritionist I knew offered a seminar on how to read the new nutrition labels.
I offered a seminar on the lies and deception by the product developers that brought us the ’94 labels — instead of what they promised in ’91. I explained how to figure out what you really need to know despite the labels.
So I understand boredom with nutrition.
When Boredom’s Just What You Need
When it comes to food, though, we may need a little boredom. A good food plan needs to be a set-it-and-forget-it thing.
In fact, at a weekend financial course, the instructor told us, “Money should be boring.” She meant we should plan ahead and follow the plan, no matter what. If you’re really excited when unexpected money shows up, she said, you’re not following the plan.
She could have been talking about food. Food should be boring, too. No, you don’t have to eat the same foods every day, every week.
But the foods that provide thrills are typically junk — and often addictive. Think of sugar. Its effect on brain chemistry is the reason it’s not boring.
And that’s precisely the problem. With brain chemistry, stability is the key to feeling great long-term. That’s the focus of psychoactive nutrition, which is what I do.
When addictive foods are removed from the diet, we receive stronger signals from the body about its true needs. Control goes up. Appetite goes down. Moods even out. Reactivity to junk drops way down. We become less reactive to triggers — the sight of addictive foods, the smells and the sounds of the preparation or cooking.
Making nutrition internal is what I help my clients do. The time it takes to detox from addictive foods — sugar is the prime example — is relatively short. The time it takes to make a food plan part of you so it becomes “The Way You Eat” may be longer.
Making Your Food Plan Part Of You
A good plan makes you nonreactive to old triggers. It helps you form habits that skyrocket your energy. It changes your brain chemistry so you don’t crave the junk that kept you stuck. It makes you want to get back on the plan anytime you lapse because you can feel the difference.
It’s asking before you eat, “Will this stabilize me or de-stabilize me?”
It’s about no longer looking to food for its thrills.
When your food plan becomes part of you, your success — health, weight, relief of depression, appetite control — is your priority.
I discussed all of these things with my almost-finished client, and she renewed for several months more. The plan will be perfect for her, and she’ll succeed. Which is exactly what I want her to do.
One of the best ways to make your food plan part of you is to work with a coach. Coaching can help you make a positive impact on your health long-term. It’s your willpower when you have none, motivation when your excitement dies.
If you’re ready to reach your goals no matter what, please visit www.FoodAddictionSolutions.com/Coaching and request a Food Freedom consult, absolutely free. Find out how fantastic you can feel on foods you love.
