5 Smart Nutrition Tips

Last night, I was blessed to attend an incredible nutritional seminar with Dr. Bill Wheeler. Among other notable accomplishments, he served as Staff Nutritionist to the President of the United States (1976 -1981), Staff Nutritionist to the 1996 US Olympic Decathlon Team and Staff Nutritionist to the 2002 US Olympic Snowboarding Team. He has been the personal nutritionist for athletes like Bret Favre and Michael Jordan. It would take way too long to list all of the sports teams he has worked with, but feel free to google him and be impressed.

Here are a few of the evening's highlights:

1. Daily Value: We are misled when we believe that our multivitamin contains 100% of the nutrients that we need. Daily value is actually defined as the minimum amount of a nutrition that will prevent a nutritional deficiency in a 12-year-old.

Chances are, your body is not getting enough of the nutrients it needs. If you feel like you are constantly hungry even though you know you have eaten enough to satisfy your hunger, your body is probably lacking some of the key nutrients it needs.

Key nutrients that people are frequently lacking: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil), calcium & magnesium (work best when taken together), and for anyone extremely active or over 30 -- glucosamine. Over the next few weeks, I will be writing blog posts of the significance behind each of these supplements.

2. If you work out consistently, you must think of yourself as an athlete. The more active you are, the quicker you will see results in performance, energy levels, muscle soreness and appetite reduction when you practice proper nutrition.

The stress that an athlete's body takes in a week is equivalent to about 7 months of stress for the average person. The problem that many athletes, especially female athletes, create for themselves is that they exercise like an athlete, but they eat like someone who needs to lose 50 lbs. The body is not properly fueled, the athlete doesn't see the desired results and cannot figure out why.

This problem can be fixed with proper nutrition. If you would like for me to help you come up with a plan for fueling your body with proper nutrition, please leave a comment on this blog with your email address. I would be happy to send you an example of what I eat on a regular basis and help you tweak that plan to fit your individual needs.

3. The most critical window of time to capitalize on for proper nutrition is within 60 minutes of finishing your workout. During your workout, you break down muscle fibers and empty your nutrient storage. It is dangerous to not replace what you have depleted.

Proper nutrition post-workout will improve workout results, reduce muscle soreness, and keep your muscle metabolism higher for the next 48 hours. Even if you are trying to lose weight, don't freak out about the extra calories. It will help you burn more over the next two days.

The perfect combination is a balance of protein and amino acids, simple and complex carbohydrates, creatine, and antioxidants, especially Vitamin E & Vitamin C. Again, let me know if you would like to know what I do for recovery post-workout, and I will gladly help you.

4. Research shows that men can absorb 35-40 grams of protein per meal, and women can absorb 30-35 grams per meal. Anything extra simply results in gas. The best guideline for how much protein you need is to consumer a gram of protein per pound of body weight.

So if you've been taking 2 or 3 scoops of protein powder at once, your body isn't receiving all of that protein. A good protein drink shouldn't be higher in protein than the grams listed above.

Also, all protein is not created equal. I don't like bad-mouthing other products...but there's one best-selling brand...let's call it "Muscle Cow Juice." The quality of protein in that brand is just one grade higher than what is fed to livestock. Yikes!

5. I saved the easiest tip for last: Your body needs at least 2-3 minutes of exposure to the sun per day. You cannot fully supplement what the sun can do for your body with proper nutrition. NOTHING can replace it. So even if it's just 2-3 minutes, make sure you spend some time outside each day. Your body will thank you.

Over the next few weeks, I will post specific products Dr. Wheeler recommends, the benefits, and how to use them properly. For now, this is enough information to get you started in the right direction. Please don't hesitate to contact me for help if you need it or if something about this post is unclear. If nothing else, I hope you understand the importance of nutrition and educating yourself to best take care of your body. It's the only one you're going to get!

Burn Fat with FAT!

Burn Fat with Healthy Fat: A Review of Beachbody's Core Omega 3 Supplement

Right now, we seem to be in the middle of a "carbophobic" phase. Anything that even resembles a carbohydrate is viewed as being public enemy #1. Many feel that anyone wanting to lose weight, burn body fat, and lower blood cholesterol levels should stay away from this macronutrient. Funny, as not too long ago the same was thought about dietary fat. For many, many years the main diet recommended for getting in shape fast and transforming your body was always very low in fat. Well, we now know better and realize the importance of having fat, especially the "right kinds" of fats in our nutrition.

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids: They are necessary for human health but the body can't make them. We have to get them through food. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, other seafood including algae and krill, some plants, and nut oils. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. They have also become popular because they may reduce the risk of heart disease. However, it?s simply too difficult to get the benefits of them without supplementing with a reliable dietary supplement like BeachBody's Core Omega 3 fatty acid pills.

Before I go into the real benefits, I must tell you my FAVORITE thing about this supplement. I've taken essential fatty acid supplements for about 7 years now...and this is the first one that doesn't make me feel like I'm swallowing fish eggs. There is no fishy odor or aftertaste to this one!! Now....back to the real reason you should incorporate this into your health regimen. :)

Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function. In fact, infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems. Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation.

It is important to have a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 (another essential fatty acid) in the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, and most omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation. The typical American diet tends to contain 14-25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids.

Advanced Nutrient Release

Beachbody's soft gel capsules use an advanced delivery system that releases in the intestines, not in the stomach. That means no stomach upset, and no unpleasant aftertaste.

100% Pure, Premium Ingredients

Not all fish oils are created equal. Beachbody's Core Omega-3 comes from the purest wild Atlantic coldwater fish sources, and is absolutely guaranteed to be free of harmful PCBs and heavy metal contaminants typically found in fish available in markets and grocery stores.

Core Omega-3 may be beneficial for:

Promoting healthy heart function

Promoting healthy blood pressure

Promoting healthy blood viscosity and cardiovascular health

Promoting healthy joints

Promoting healthy immune function

Promoting healthy brain and nerve function

Supporting and maintaining healthy retina and eye function

A month's supply is just $21.95 + shipping! (OR Order on autoship (home direct) and shipping is FREE!)

To view the nutrition label of Beachbody's Core Omega 3 supplement, click here: http://www.beachbody.com/text/products/supplements/omega3/Core_Omega-3.pdf

To purchase, shop nutritional products here: http://www.turbomichelle.com/

Let me know how I can help you reach your goals this summer!

Discover Your Eating Personality

You've probably taken a dozen personality tests in your life - Myers Briggs Inventory, The Big Five, The Four Temperaments, etc. People often use the results from these tests to help make critical decisions such as career choice, interpersonal communication issues and intrapersonal struggles.

But have you ever thought about uncovering your eating personality? Understanding your relationship with food is critical to breaking out of the diet dungeon you may be knowingly or unknowingly incarcerated in.

Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch have identified four eating personalities in their book Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program that Works: the careful eater, the professional dieter, the unconscious eater and the intuitive eater.

We are born all born intuitive eaters, and life experience can cause our eating personalities to vary to one of the other three personalities. None of these other eating personalities are better or worse that the other. However, it can be problematic if you find yourself constantly existing within a single eating personality division other than intuitive eating.

The careful eater rarely eats anything without a thorough examination of the nutrition label first. Painfully prolonged grocery store trips, waiter interrogation at restaurants and specialized orders are inevitable. Careful eaters systematically plan each meal and do not handle their meal plans getting disrupted well. While these characteristics can be seen in a health-conscious person, careful eaters may tend to make eating decisions based on body image rather than overall well-being.

The professional dieter is always on some sort of diet. They are well-versed in portion control and calorie counting, and perhaps even macronutrient counting, knowing amounts of carbohydrates and fat grams. Unlike careful eaters, professional dieters make it known that every food choice they make is based on weight loss. These eaters can also experience the yo-yo effect of dieting and losing weight to eventually trailing off and gaining weight...only to go on to the next diet. Undereating usually results in overeating, so it's not only an ineffective weight loss plan in the long run, but professional dieters are typically not very healthy.

The unconscious eater exists in four forms: the chaotic unconscious eater, the refuse-not unconscious eater, the waste-not unconscious eater and the emotional unconscious eater.

* Chaotic Unconscious Eater: Maybe due to an overly busy schedule or refusal to plan, this person is constantly making eating decisions based on what is available, whether fast food, vending machine or leftover snacks in the office break room. They tend to go long period of time without eating, so they are ravenous when they finally decide to eat.

* Refuse-Not Unconscious Eater: These eaters live a grazing lifestyle, simply not refusing food whenever it's available. They may grab a handful of M&Ms unknowingly from the candy jar each time they walk past the office desk. Hunger doesn't matter. If food is there, they will eat.

* Waste-Not Unconscious Eater: Fast Food Dollar Menus and buffets were created with this type of eater in mind. Desiring to eat the most they can for the least amount of money is the biggest concern for this eating personality. Waste-Not Unconscious Eaters will never be members of the clean plate club...nor will anyone else who eats in their presence.

* Emotional Unconscious Eater: These eaters turn to food for comfort. Whether stressed or hurt, happy or excited, food seems to be the only reward or punishment that will satisfy.

Last, meet the intuitive eaters. This type of eater listens to internal hunger cues. When hungry, they eat whatever they choose without guilt or debate. It's that simple.

In today's diet-crazed world, remembering how to have an eating personality that you might have lost somewhere as early as elementary school can seem impossible. However, the statistics show that if we returned to a lifestyle of balance and moderation, we may discover our bodies are smarter than we give them credit for. After all, what do we have to show for our diet-conscious American society?

- Higher obesity rates in adults and children
- Higher eating disorder rates
- More fat-free/diet foods available than ever - yet 1/3 of adults are overweight.

While it's simple to read, it's much harder to do. I recommend talking with a professional you can trust to help you restore a healthy relationship with food. Personally, I recommend checking out http://www.healthylifestylebalance.com and calling 817.584.5399 to set up an in-office or phone appointment with Jennifer Pereira.

Top 4 Liquid Myths BUSTED (And a final piece of advice your waistline can't afford to miss!)

1) Diet Coke is healthier than Coke. (Sorry to any Yankees - I'm from the South. Everything's a Coke, even if it's a Mountain Dew.)


So it is true that Diet Coke has about 120 less calories than Coke. But what is exactly healthy about artificially colored, flavored, and sweetened carbonated water? Nothing. You're better off to drink something else.

2. Juice has less fat than milk, so you should drink more juice than milk.

Did you know that a glass of juice contains more calories than a glass of 1% milk? Well, it's true. Juice is composed of mainly sugar and some vitamins, while milk contains protein, calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D. So as long as you are not indulging in the full fat version, stick to the moo juice.

3. Bottled water is better for you than tap water.

Hate to break it to you, but they're basically the same thing, except tap water contains more fluoride, which is healthier for your mouth. Drinking occassional bottled water is not bad for you, but it will damage your wallet quickly. (If you insist on sticking to bottled water, make sure you buy a brand that contains fluoride.)

4. The main beverage that you should stay away from is coffee.
In general, there is no harm to your health if you drink coffee in small to moderate amounts. Now, doctors are saying that small amounts of caffiene can actually boost your metabolism and may aid in weight loss. Just remember that as always, MODERATION is the key. In fact, coffee contains less caffiene than most soft drinks. In addition to limiting your coffee cups, go easy on the cream and sugar. Use skim milk and a natural sweetener such as stevia instead.

The Bottom Line...

If you trade one calorie-laden beverage for water every day, you may drop as many as 15 pounds over a year. So guzzle that water! Also, get yourself in the habit of checking the Nutrition Facts before you drink something. Remember that ALL calories count - no matter whether you eat them or drink them!