Displaying the amount of time you’d need to jog in order to burn off the calories from a sugary drink, rather than showing a calorie count, may be more effective in dissuading you from consuming those beverages, new research suggests.

Researchers observed teenagers at stores in West Baltimore, where signs displayed either calorie counts, calorie counts as a percent of recommended daily calorie intake, or the time spent jogging that would be needed to burn off those calories. While all led teenagers to purchase fewer sugary beverages, the conversion to exercise minutes was the most effective.

“In general, people are very bad at estimating the amount of calories in food they consume,” said study researcher Sara Bleich, an assistant professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. “If we give them easy ways of examining it…I think we can be effective in reducing calories in purchases.”

After introducing the signs to neighborhood stores near schools, researchers observed teenagers and monitored how their beverage-purchasing habits changed compared with the period before the signs went up.

- visit MSNBC for full article

Can’t resist the lure of KFC or the 4pm office chocolate run when you’re feeling peckish? Then it’s likely be your junk food addiction, not your stomach, talking.

According to intensive medical research in the US, fatty processed foods and high fructose sugar treats can be as addictive as cocaine and cigarettes.

The shocking findings come after American scientists looked into the results from 28 independent studies on food addiction. According to the most recent study by the University of Florida in Gainesville, the findings were so stark, it was hard to ignore the obvious links between junk foods and food addiction.

“The data is so overwhelming the field has to accept it,” says Nora Volkow from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “We are finding tremendous overlaps between drugs in the brain and food in the brain.”

To read the rest of the article, click here.

My daily caloric intake (based on exercising 7 days/week, 6’2″ height, 205lbs)

Based on my level of exercise, age, height, and weight, the above are guidelines for me to maintain, lose fat, and to lose fat quickly.

My goal is 2600 calories/day for the next four weeks.  I could do a zigzag diet (where my daily calories fluctuate but my weekly total remains the same) but I’m too busy to keep track so I’ll basically eat the same food for an entire month, switching out chicken for fish and a few varieties of vegetables.

Here is my daily diet:

After morning cardio..

Morning Meal (52gm protein/56 gm carbs/30gm fat):

Four Egg Whites (3.6gm protein x 4 = 14gms protein)

Two Whole Eggs (6gm protein x 2 = 12gm protein 10gm fat)

Chicken (20gm protein 6gm fat)

1 Cup Oatmeal (50gm carbs)

1 cup Veggie Juice

1 oz almonds (6gm protein/6gm carbs/14gm fat)

[148gm protein/184gm carbs/50gm fat LEFT]

Afternoon Meal:

Chicken Breast (50gm protein/6gm fat)

Sweet Potato (60gm)

Steamed Veggies

[98gm protein/124gm carbs/44gm fat LEFT]

WORKOUT

Late Afternoon Meal:

Chicken Breast (50gm protein/6gm fat)

Sweet Potato (55gm)

1 cup Veggie Juice

1 oz almonds (6gm protein/6gm carbs/14gm fat)

[42gm protein/63gm carbs/24gm fat LEFT]

Evening Meal:

Tilapia (36gm protein)

Sweet Potato (60gm)

Steamed Veggies

1 oz almonds (6gm protein/6gm carbs/14gm fat)

[0 protein/0 carbs/10gm fat LEFT]

Snacks:

1 rice cake

1 tbsp almond butter

Dessert:

6oz frozen grapes

Voila!  See you at the Desert Classic

This one goes out to Ryan who asks, “Hey steve can you recommend a morning shake/ afternoon shake or dinner shake?”

There are a few ideal times when you want to consume a protein shake:

• Immediately after a heavy workout (when you body is in an anabolic state)
• In times when you don’t have time to make/eat a healthy meal and you want to avoid fast food and the like
• In the morning on an empty stomach, shortly before and during morning cardio/weight lifting
• If you are trying to gain weight and a mass gainer shake is cheaper than food instead

And that’s about it! So you shouldn’t drink protein shakes if you can avoid it otherwise. Here’s why:

You can never replace the purity and goodness of whole foods itself. In other words, don’t try to replace greens with a green powder drink. They sell these at GNC and other health food stores and they tout that they are as good as eating greens, sometimes better. This is false. They are okay ONLY if you CANNOT get any greens! As a green replacement, they will help but they will never be better than eating organic raw vegetables EVER. So eat your veggies! Or do what I do, drink veggie juice.. its faster and easier

Don’t consume protein shakes (whey, soy, casein, etc) thinking they are a better protein source than natural and organic meats, fish or veggies.  In other words, your body does better eating and digesting protein via chicken, fish, beef, than it does consuming protein powder.  Organic foods are the best choice of course.  The only case this wouldn’t imply is if you eat a cheap source of protein, like a meat at a fast food joint.  If you didn’t know by now, all fast food meats and vegetables are generally the POOREST source available.  There is a reason they can charge $1.00 for a hamburger and still make a profit!

Protein shakes can often times be expensive.  If you buy at GNC, you’ll generally pay full retail.  And this ends up costing more than buying and preparing food alone!  Buying supplements online is cheaper but it’s important you find a reputable source.  I will post the best and most affordable supplements (in my opinion) on my recommendations page, check it out for yourself

So with that being said..

Here’s how to make a protein shake.

And when should you drink a protein shake?  I’ll give you a quick example of how I utilize them:

• Before I do cardio/abs on an empty stomach, I generally consume about 20 grams whey protein with 5 grams of glutamine.
• When lifting heavy weight and trying to gain mass, be sure to consume a protein/carb shake before/during/after your intense workout.  What I do is mix 40 grams whey protein/5 grams glutamine/1 tbsp fiber/60 grams carbs and i sip on it on the way to the gym, while i’m working out.. and if needed, i’ll drink a straight protein shake (~20gms whey) after that.
• If I ever go on the road to do work, I always plan how long I’ll be away from the house.  I don’t ever want to have the choice of starve or eat fast food!  So I bring along a protein brownie or an empty bottle filled with protein powder.  For emergency use only
• That’s it!  Feel free to leave any questions/comments.  Of course, as I progress in life and learn new things regarding health and fitness, I may update this blog later.  Peace and good health!

About the Author:  Steve Kim is a fitness model and former personal trainer based in Las Vegas, NV.  He is a writer for Apex Body, a website dedicated to helping people achieve their best health and fitness.

Okay, so here goes my supplement schedule (with a little dieting info thrown in)

Upon wakening:

cup of water with milk thistle and half cup green juice (green juice comes from spinach, broccoli, cucumber, apple, banana, mango)

pycnogenol

chloroxygen

coffee/fat burner

go to gym, half hour abs, half hour cardio – sip on shake (whey protein/carb/l-glutamine/fiber)

breakfast: 1 cup egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal, veggie juice

take vitamins (vitamin code), glucosamine, omega 3′s

lunch:

chicken breast or fish or turkey

sweet potato or brown rice

veggie juice

take vitamins, glucosamine, omega 3′s

dinner:

chicken breast or steak

sweet potato or veggies (mixed frozen)

take vitamins, glucosamine, omega 3′s

before bed:

GABA, ZMA, Melatonin

there’s more to it but that’s a start for now! i’ll add more later when i have more time

I’ve heard various arguments for when to eat protein and carbs (and in what order).  A chiropractor once told me it was best on your digestive system to eat protein first, followed by carbs and fats.

I didn’t know what he meant at the time and it seemed a sucky way to eat (yes, I’ll have a sandwich.. let me eat the meat first, followed by the bread and last the lettuce and tomatoes lol)..  but now as I diet and train basically like a bodybuilder, I see the practical purpose of this..

I did some more research recently to find more information, here’s what I found out.  It is best to eat protein first as it gets digested faster and will not clog up your system.  Vegetables are fibrous and eating them first can cause a “logjam”, thus slowing down the digestion.  Here’s an article below with more details

Article courtesy of T-Nation

Eating protein first in a meal increases the efficiency of digestion and a greater overall amount of protein as an end result in from a meal. In short a greater amount of aminos make it to the blood stream. Everytime I have written about this in the past few years people always are like “WOW I learned something new today”.
I call it eating for function.
The function of the digestive system.

I eat proteins first for 2 reasons-that digestive system is physiologically geared that way and it improves the efficiency of digestion and a greater overall availability of proteins/aminos from food for the body to use.
Carbohydrates are digested 30% in the mouth with the salivary enzyme amylase and of course chewing.

CARBS aren’t digested in the stomach=they just sit there and slowly pass into the small intestines where the pancreatic enzymes do 70% more and complete the process.
Fats are the same way if eaten first or mixed with carbs will sit there and clog up digestion.

Proteins are primarily digested in the stomach. Therefore, eating proteins after these foods will result in a reduced amount of protein digestion-leaving some incompletely digested and unabsorbable and therefore lost.
This in turn causes the undigested protein to be pulled into the small intestine reducing the protein efficiencyof your meal and contributing to the mass of your colon.

You want something worse? We are set up by traditional eating to fail.
Go out to a steak house. First thing you get is your salad-THAT is the last thing you want to eat in a meal after the steak and then the potato.

Cellulose is undigestable by the human body and will really clog up the process reducing the effeciency of digestion and your meal itself.

As mentioned previously proteins speed up the metabolic rate more than carbs and fat. Concerning basal metabolism proteins speed it up 30%, Carbs and fats 10%. The mere process of digestion and absorbtion of protein races the metabolism and will increase anabolism in an advanced athlete.

Now granted you can eat a huge meal like a Mcdonalds Combo meal mix it all up and it will get digested but it will interfere with feedings and the efficiency of the meal will be less and eventually leadto a lot of adipose tissue gain.

There are reasons we eat Protein and Fat together and protein and carbs. Insulin. Eating fat and carbs are a death warrant to bb’ers when consumed together and lays adipose tissue down as easily as Home Depot lays down cheap carpet.

I could write more especially on the types of proteins and their absorption-things like incomplete proteins etc.

Anyhoo..just my 2 cents. We are all here to learn from each other but Dante’s methods are backed by science and 3-4 years of online “University” studies with 100′s reaping the benefits-so it is good advice and gospel for most ADVANCED lifters.

Protein will serve you a dual role in body modification in that it is as important for body fat reduction as it is for muscular gains. In regards to body fat reduction, protein has a specific dynamic action on the metabolism which means that when you ingest protein, your metabolic rate is elevated higher and remains elevated longer than when you ingest either fats or carbohydrates.

A high carb meal will only elevate your metabolism from 4 to 30 percent above normal. This small elevation will last only 2 to 5 hours. A high protein meal however will elevate your metabolism by up to 70 percent above normal and this effect can last as long as 10 to 12 hours.”

http://tnation.t-nation.com/free_online_forum/diet_performance_nutrition_supplements/what_to_eat_1st

Simple as cake.. blend (1) large head of broccoli, (2) cups of frozen cut spinach, (1) apple (1) frozen banana and (3) cups of water.

Makes 2-3 servings (depending on your size).. I drink half in the morning, the rest throughout the day.

Enjoy being healthy the quick and easy way!

Tips on how to make the veggie/fruit mix even easier

Recent discovery.. be sure to put bag of frozen veggie/fruits in fridge the night before. it thaws it and makes it softer for blending. use plenty of water!

A great high fiber, crunchy, nutritious, and tasty snack. Good with dips, spreads, or plain.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 cup flax seed meal
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water

Preparation:
Heat oven to 400 F.

1) Mix all ingredients together.

2) Spoon onto sheet pan which is covered with a silicone mat or greased parchment paper.

3) Cover the mixture with a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Even out the mixture to about 1/8 inch. I find a straight edge, like a ruler, works well, though you can use a rolling pin or wine bottle too. The important thing is not to let it be too thin around the edges or that part will overcook before the center firms up. So after you spread it out, remove the paper and go around the edges with your finger and push the thin part inwards to even it up.

4) Bake until the center is no longer soft, about 15-18 minutes. If it starts to get more than a little brown around the edges, remove from oven. Let cool completely – it will continue to crisp up.

5) Break into pieces.

The whole recipe is 6 grams of effective carbohydrate plus 35 grams of fiber.

It’s important to have access to nutritious low-carb snack food so that if you get hungry between meals you won’t reach for crackers and chips.

Ideally, a low-carb snack should have protein, healthy fat, and some fiber (so the best thing would be to have some raw veggies with your eggs or jerky). Here are some easy snack ideas. I will be adding to the list as time goes on.

• Celery with peanut or almond butter
• Celery with tuna salad
• Hard boiled eggs
• Deviled eggs
• Dill pickles and cheddar cheese (no kidding, it’s a great combo)
• 1/4 cup berries with 1/3 cup cottage cheese
• Nuts (keep raw ones in the freezer if you think you’ll overeat them)
• Sunflower seeds (get them in the shell so it will take longer to eat them)
• Other seeds (How to Toast Pumpkin or Squash Seeds)
• Low-Carb Trail Mix
• Jerky (beef or turkey — try to find low-sugar varieties)
• Low-carb shakes
• Cheese sticks, such as string cheese
• Sugar-free Jello, alone or with cottage cheese and a sprinkling of nuts
• Make sugar-free lime Jello with part coconut milk — For a large package, dissolve the powder in a cup of boiling water, add a can of coconut milk, and then add the rest of the water. Stir well.
• Pepperoni “chips” — Zap the slices in the microwave
• Cheese with a few apple slices
• 4-ounce plain or sugar-free yogurt with berries and flax seed meal
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese on cucumber slices
• Lettuce Roll-ups –- Roll luncheon meat, egg salad, tuna or other filling and veggies in lettuce leaves
• Lunch Meat Roll-ups –- Roll cheese or veggies in lunch meat (read the labels for carbs on the lunch meat)
• Spread bean dip, spinach dip, or other low-carb dip or spread on the lunch meat or lettuce and then roll it up
• Raw veggies and spinach dip, or other low-carb dip
• Pork rinds, with or without dip
• Ricotta cheese with fruit and/or nuts and/or flax seed meal
• Mushrooms with cheese spread inside (or other spreads or dips)
• Low-carb snack bars (watch out for sugar alcohols, especially maltitol)
• Product Review: Atkins Advantage Bars
• Pepperoni Chips — Microwave pepperoni slices until crisp. Great with cheeses and dips
• Garlic Parmesan Flax Seed Crackers
• Parmesan Crisps — Good when you want a crunchy snack.
• Peanut Butter Protein Balls
• More Snack Recipes