How much Protein should I be consuming?

Good question and it is asked more than you realize.

How much protein do you need? How much protein you need depends on a few factors, but one of the most important is your activity level.

The basic recommendation for protein intake is around  0.36 g per pound of body mass in untrained, generally healthy adults. For instance, a 150 lb person would consume around 54 grams a day.

However, this amount is only to prevent protein deficiency. It’s not necessarily optimal, particularly for people such as athletes who train regularly and hard.

 For people doing high intensity training, protein needs might go up to about 0.64-0.9 g/lb of body mass.  Our hypothetical 150 lb person would thus need about 95-135g of protein per day.

These suggested protein intakes are what’s necessary for basic protein synthesis (in other words, the creation of new proteins from individual building blocks). The most we need to consume throughout the day for protein synthesis probably isn’t more than 1.4 – 2.0 g/kg.

But wait – there’s more!

Beyond the basics of preventing deficiency and ensuring a baseline of protein synthesis, we may need even more protein in our diets for optimal functioning, including good immune function, metabolism, satiety, weight management and performance.  In other words, we need a small amount of protein to survive, but we need a lot more to thrive.

We can only store so much protein at one time. The body’s protein stores fluctuate over the course of a day. The amount of protein in the body just cycles up and down as we eat or fast.


The take-home here is that you can’t simply eat a 16-pound steak once and be done with it. The body needs its protein stores to be continually replenished, which means that you should consume moderate amounts of protein at regular intervals – which just happens to be one of my daily regiments.

Consuming more protein may help maintain an optimal body composition (in other words, help you stay leaner and more muscular) and a strong immune system, good athletic performance, and a healthy metabolism. It may promote satiety (i.e. make you feel full longer) and consequently help you manage your body weight. Indeed, physique athletes such as bodybuilders have long relied on the rule of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight – or 150 g per day for a 150 lb individual.

Uncontrollable Insomnia...

Causes of Insomnia: Uncontrollable Risk Factors

There are actually two different forms of insomnia--secondary (when insomnia occurs as a symptom or side effect of something else) and primary (when insomnia is a disorder in itself, not occurring as the side effect of another condition). Both are characterized by the inability to fall or stay asleep, but the causes insomnia are very individual.

 

There are two main categories of risks that can contribute to insomnia--those that you can't change, and those that you can. Uncontrollable Risk Factors
These variables are out of your control. Although you can't do anything to change them, it's important to know what has been associated with the development of insomnia.

• Your age. As you get older, your sleep patterns change, resulting in more awakenings during the middle of the night and a harder time staying asleep.
• Your gender. Insomnia is more common among women, but experts aren't exactly sure why. Some theories include hormonal changes; greater sensitivity to the sounds of their children; and higher incidence for conditions that can result in secondary insomnia, such as depression and anxiety.
• Your health history. Several medications can cause secondary insomnia, but many medical problems--emotional, neurological, respiratory, heart, thyroid, gastrointestinal, and chronic pain disorders--can all disrupt sleep quality and quantity.
• Your socioeconomic status. Insomnia is more common in people of low socioeconomic status.
• Your work hours. Shift workers

Benefits of Green Tea...

As many of you know, we will begin our first FAST tomorrow morning and will continue to FAST once a week for a month. While we FAST, we will be consuming water and Green Tea.  I would like to take a moment to describe some profound health benefits of drinking Green Tea.  Keep in mind, some of these benefits are conducted over long periods of consumption.  You will not benefit from these with just one day a week...this is something you should incorporate into your daily regiment.

Green Tea Benefits #1:
Act as antioxidants
 

Many experts believe antioxidants can slow down aging and prevent heart disease, strokes and cancers.
Green tea is an excellent source of antioxidants. Catechins are powerful antioxidants found in large quantities in green tea.
Fruits such as pomegranate may contain as many or more antioxidants than green tea.
But gram for gram and dollar for dollar, none of them packs as much punch as green tea.

Green Tea Benefits #2:
Burn fat. Exercise longer

With green tea, you get two in one. Its fat burning property helps you to burn fat and also to exercise longer - at the same time.
With more than 1,000 individuals being questioned for more than 10 years, a Taiwanese study provides the best evidence yet that green tea and oolong tea burn fat.
The longer you drink, the more evident the weight loss effect.
Green tea increases exercise endurance. Green tea catechins burn fat and reduce carbohydrate utilization, enabling athletes to exercise longer.

Green Tea Benefits #3:
Prolong life

One of the largest population studies ever conducted: 40,530 Japanese adults were interviewed over the course of 11 years.
Researchers found those who drink 5 or more cups of green tea a day are 16% less likely to die than those who drink less than one cup a day.
Heavy green tea drinkers are also 26% less likely to die from heart disease.

Green Tea Benefits #4:
Prevent and treat cancers
 

Green tea anti-cancer prowess extends beyond its antioxidant activities.
It starves off cancer cells by restricting blood vessel growth.
It wreaks havoc in abnormal cells, causing them to self-destruct.
It blocks over-production of harmful enzymes that act as catalysts to cancer growth.
From brain tumors to leukemia, from lung cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer to bladder cancer, not to mention breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer, green tea cancer studies are showing positive results.

Green Tea Benefits #5:
Soothe stress. Boost brain power.
 

Tea contains a special compound called theanine, which has been known to stimulate alpha brain waves, calm the body, and promote relaxed awareness.

A recent 2007 study found that drinking 4 cups of tea enhances the brain's ability to concentrate on the tasks at hand.

An extensive 2009 examined 42,093 Japanese individuals and found that those who drank green tea are 20% less likely to suffer from stress. Another smaller study found that green tea drinkers were 44% less likely to suffer from depression symptoms.

The list of theanine health benefits gets longer daily and manifests itself both in mind and body.

Two 2007 breakthrough studies found that green tea regenerates damaged brain cells and is a viable treatment option for multiple sclerosis patients.

Green Tea Benefits #6:
Rejuvenate body, protect it from heart attacks and strokes
 

Drinking green tea helps patients recover from heart attacks and strokes. Preliminary studies suggests active green tea compound EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) speeds up the recovery process.

As many as 5 different population studies suggest that tea drinking reduces heart disease risk, although scientists still do not understand the mechanisms for these observations.

Green Tea Benefits #7:
Improve Heart Health
 

As we grow older, our arteries naturally harden.
Fats, cholesterols and blood platelets accumulate in the artery wall. When they thicken and clog up the entire artery, a heart attack or stroke occurs.

A hamsters study suggests green tea inhibits atherosclerosis, the hardening and thickening of arteries. A human equivalent dose of 3 to 4 cups a day is associated with 26% to 46% lower risk.

Green tea also helps to keep the artery passageway clear by reducing cholesterols, triglycerides and blood clots.

Green Tea Benefits #8:
Reduce high blood pressure
 

I found 3 studies that show green tea reduces high blood pressure.
A 2004 study found that regular tea drinkers are 65% less likely to develop high blood pressure if they drink more than two half  cups a day.

Green Tea Benefits #9:
Prevent and treat diabetes
 

Green tea is anti-diabetic. Tea compounds EGCG and theaflavins have been found to regulate blood sugar levels in the following ways:

• Increases insulin activities
• Promotes glucose metabolism
• Blocks glucose absorption.

A study discovered that drinking 6 cups of tea per day for 8 weeks reduces blood sugar levels by 15% to 20%.

Green Tea Benefits #10:
Treat Inflammation
 

You will be surprised to learn that green tea's anti-inflammatory property makes it a perfect remedy for a variety of conditions.
If you are a woman, take note. Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disease affecting about 1 in 100 people. Women are 3 times more likely to be affected. There is no known cure.
Two studies found that drinking tea may prevent rheumatoid inflammation.

Plagued by acne or pimples? Preliminary data suggests that green tea cream causes fewer side effects than benzoyl peroxide. Patients treated by green tea reported fewer cases of dry skin, itching and allergic responses.

Colitis is a general term for inflammation in the lining of the bowel. Out of the three studies I looked into, two found green tea to be helpful.

Green Tea Benefits #11:
Protects lungs from smoke

Irritated by second hand smoke? Why should we be forced to breathe in carcinogens just because other people are smoking?
Green tea protects you from lung cancer by reducing cellular damage caused by cigarette smoke.
A study conducted by the University of Arizona found that it reduces cellular damage by 25%.

Green Tea Benefits #12:
Protect liver from alcohol
 

I feel sorry writing this, but in a laboratory study, rats were intoxicated with alcohol for 4 weeks. It was found that green tea prevented damage to their livers.
If that wasn't nasty enough, in another laboratory study, mice were exposed to carbon tetrachloride, a toxic chemical solvent.
Green tea so greatly reduced their liver injuries that researchers suggested it should be used to treat liver disease.

Green Tea Benefits #13:
Prevent tooth decay. Cure bad breath.
 

Have a sweet tooth and need to ward off tooth decay?
Tea can help. Unlike soft drinks, tea is non-erosive. It also fights mouth viruses and reduces bad breath.

Green Tea Benefits #14:
Build bone
 

Studies found that drinking at least 2 cups of green tea a day helps preserve bone density and reduce osteoporosis risk. The longer you drink, the greater the benefits.
 

Green Tea Benefits #15:
Boost immunity. Fight off flu and cold.
 

Tea contains antigens, which are found also in some bacteria. They build up immune defense and prepare us for bacterial invasion.
A study on drinkers of black tea found that 5 small cups a day boost the immunity level.

Green Tea Benefits #16:
Rehydrate
 

UK Scientists found that tea is healthier than pure water.
They dispelled the common belief that tea dehydrates.
Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, it also has many other health benefits.

Weight Gain FASTING

Yes, it is possible to gain weight using FASTING techniques that even the best MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters use right before their big fight.  Here are their goals:

• gain 20lbs. in 4 weeks
• lose 20 lbs. in 5 days
• gain 20 lbs. in 5 days

Are you kidding me, can anyone gain 20lbs in ONE WEEK...it has been done.  Carb loading can make that happen.  Here is an example of their week long regiment:

DAY 1/STRENGTH

• 3 large meals
• high calorie/hi carb

DAY 2/STRENGTH

• 3 large meals
• high calorie/hi carb

DAY 3/CONDITIONING

• 3 moderate meals
• moderate calories/moderate carbs

DAY 4/STRENGTH

• 3 large meals
• high calorie/hi carb

DAY 5/STRENGTH

• 3 large meals
• high calorie/high carb

DAY 6/CONDITIONING

• 3 moderate meals
• moderate calories/moderate carbs

DAY 7/REST

• Full day FAST
• Water/Green Tea/Greens

This is an option and so is frequent eating.  This program would entail very strict carb loads and have to be monitored by a nutrition coach.  Who is this for:

• someone who has a history of monitoring calories/food
• an experienced exerciser
• someone single or no children as that FASTING DAY can take a toll
• an extremely supportive partner
• flexible job/lifestyle
• low lifestyle stress
• wants an athletic look, not to be HUGE

Who it's not for:

• new to diet and exercise
• married and has children
• high performance oriented job
• client facing job
• compete in elite sports/athletics
• excessive lifestyle stressors

Most athletes that follow this program would do so in the off season or just before spring training.

" I'd never try any of this FASTING crap"

I too spoke those exact words until I read more into why you FAST.  If you think about it, we all do it every single night.  When you finish dinner, you don't eat anything (hopefully) for another 12 hours until breakfast.  That is FASTING.  Have you ever had certain blood work or a medical procedure done where you were told to not have anything to eat or drink after 9pm the previous night?  That is FASTING.  If you think about it, it becomes more psychological than physical.  The only reason you want something to eat when your FASTING is because you know your not supposed to.  Think of children (or some adults for that matter), you do just fine without something until you are told you CAN'T have it.  The same is true here.  We have to think of Nutrition's best practices on 4 levels:

• How much you eat (calories)
• What you eat (food selection)
• When you eat (food timing)
• How you eat (how long does it take you to finish a meal)

The first two are pretty easy even though not all of us follow the general guidelines.  "When you eat" is up to the individual.  I myself eat every 4-5 hours depending on whether or not I am working out that day and how long I will actually be awake that day.  I basically take the amount of time I will be awake and divide those hours by 5 and that is how often I am eating.  This is up to the individual.  As far as the last practice "How you eat", it's best to follow these two simple guidelines:

• Slow down your eating by 15-20 minutes and give yourself a moment to feel full
• Only eat until you are about 80% full (satisfied not stuffed)

I  myself will FAST for once a week (on a non-workout day) for the next month starting Monday and will journal my progress along the way.  I cannot very well advise my clients to try this without having tried it myself.  I have set some basic goals as to why I am trying this as well:

• I want to take my fitness to a new level
• I want to lose 10 pounds on FAT
• I want to support my training
• I want to feel good while "fasting"
• I want to stay healthy through the process

There are other fasting options but for the next month this will be the one I follow.  Stay tuned for updates, before and after pics and stats.  Feel free to join me in this quest...I am sure it will be a learning experience.

Benefits of Fasting...

There has been major controversy over Fasting, especially in the fitness community.  In order to understand Fasting and what it means for YOUR body, research is key.  We are all NOT created equal therefore what works for me will not necessarily work for you.  A true fast (by definition) must last between 24-36 hours.  This does not mean you give up water.  This only includes food.  Research has proven the following benefits of Fasting:

Reduced

• blood lipids
• blood pressure
• inflammation
• oxidative stress
• risk of cancer

Increased

• cell turnover and repair
• fat burning (stored fat)
• growth hormone (building lean muscle)
• metabolic rate

Stay tuned for more on FASTING and what it means for your BODY.

Intermittent Fasting...Fact or Fiction

In studying for my Nutrition Certification, we are on the topic of Intermittent Fasting.  This seemed a but controversial to me as I have always been trained to "Eat More in order to Burn More".  I have done my fair share of cleanses and recently the Beachbody RESET and did see some improvement and felt great but there was still food involved.  While I continue my studies on this topic, I wanted to introduce you to 5 different Fasting Methods:

36 HR Fast/12 HR Feed

• This is fine as long as you are NOT working out
• This would be the option for your really obese clients who have yet to start a workout regiment
• You basically are eating every other day allowing the body to feed off stored body fat

EAT STOP EAT

• Full day fast (one day on/one day off)
• Then continuing to eat 1-2 times a day
• Those feeding times are centered around your workout schedule

WARRIOR DIET

• 20 hour fast, 4 hour feed
• You would do this everyday
• You basically do not eat anything until dinner
• Yes I know, you are not supposed to eat and then go to bed but this is designed for people that work out at night

LEANGAINS

• 16 hour Fast, 8 hour Feed
• This is also done everyday
• You basically fast until lunch everyday meaning you would skip breakfast
• Yes, I have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but your body still has fuel from the night before (dinner)

MEAL SKIPPING

• You are skipping either breakfast or dinner (randomly)
• Most people do this anyway but are not making the correct food choices for the meals they are having
• You would do this Fast everyday as well

I do plan to try each and everyone of these in order to be able to better educate people on what to expect from each of these options.  I encourage you to do your research prior to trying any of these methods and continue to get your exercise done...one without the other is not a lifestyle. 

Lack of sleep can cause weight gain...

Risks of Insomnia


Difficulty falling (and staying) asleep is a common problem. Nightly sleep for the average American has dropped from 10 hours (before the invention of the light bulb) to 6.9 hours, with a third of adults now getting even less than that! In fact, nearly half of all adults admit they sleep less so they can work (or play) more, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).

As an important source of fuel for the body, sleep is a valuable commodity. Surprisingly, what we hear about health usually revolves around exercise and nutrition; the truth about sleep--one of the most important factors to attaining vitality--is often left out of the mix. Research shows that a perpetual lack of sleep can:

• Undermine the body's ability to fight off disease.
• Reduce the quality and quantity of your work
• Mimic the symptoms of impaired glucose tolerance (which can lead to diabetes and hypertension).
• Hinder weight loss and/or cause weight gain
• Impair concentration
• Cause disorientation
• Slow down the body's reaction time
• Increase moodiness and irritation
• Lead to depression

Getting more sleep can help improve your well-being by reducing your risk of health problems and improving your mood. You should work closely with your doctor to develop a plan that is safe and effective for you. But the good news is that lifestyle changes, like proper nutrition, stress management, and regular exercise can improve the quality and quantity of your sleep starting tonight!

Reason #5: Why you might be gaining weight

I lost weight for a while but now it's stopped. 

You eat less to lose weight. Things are going great, but suddenly you plateau—or start gaining. Odds are, your metabolism has slowed down in order to deal with the decreased calories. You're starving your now fit body, so it's doing what it needs to do to survive. The answer to this problem is pretty simple: eat more. 

Again, this is a tough sell, so here's an example. One of our early Success Stories lost 40 pounds during a round of Power 90®, eating only 1,200 calories a day. He then stagnated for a long time and was very resistant to eating more, fearing it would kick-start a regression. We talked him into adding calories until, finally at around 2,000 calories, weight loss resumed. It then became so rapid he dropped through his goal, and about 20 pounds below, until finally, at around 3,000 calories, he leveled out. Then a daily diet of around 3,500 calories a day got him to a ripped 175.

 

So the moral of today's lesson is to trust your exercise program—at least if it's a Beachbody program. We've been doing this a long time and we know what works. There are no magic bullets. Body transformation is based on making consistent, healthy lifestyle changes. Do that and you'll never need to ask yourself why you're gaining weight again.

Reason #4: Why you might be gaining weight...

My friend and I are doing the exact same thing and she's losing. 

Back to adaptation. We all react differently. The only absolute is that our bodies will change over time with a healthy program. A fitness rule called the Specificity of Adaptation states that it takes the body between 3 and 12 weeks to adapt to new stimuli, which is a very broad range. This is why it's vital that you stick to your program and not change it repeatedly based on your daily results! 

In our test groups, two-week results have almost no bearing on who does best in the end. In fact, many people that undereat early and get off to a fast start will stagnate, while those who stick to the plan and eat as advised will start slower but train harder over time, leading to rapid weight loss as the program wears on.

Stay off the scale and focus on how you feel and how your clothes fit.  This will motivate you to keep going.

#3 Reason why you might be gaining weight...

Reason #3: I've been doing hard workouts for weeks. 

On the performance theme, you need to continually improve, which is why workouts get harder as you move through any of Beachbody's programs. It's also why we add resistance (via added weight or gravity, as is the case with jumping) to workouts. If you're doing the same workouts at the same intensity constantly, you are not forcing adaptations that lead to changes in your metabolism. This is called a plateau. 

A plateau, technically, isn't gaining weight—it's remaining the same—but a proper diet and exercise program should continually force improvements (in the form of adaptations). Otherwise, your metabolism won't continue to increase, which is the goal of most weight loss programs.

Muscle confusion is a MUST with any training program.  SHOCK the body into responding.  Soreness is one thing but remember that feeling when you could barely stand because your quads, hamstrings and glutes were sore.  I crave that feeling.  It is what I strive for out of each and every one of my workouts.  Change it up and watch your body CHANGE IT UP!

#2 Reason You Could be Gaining Weight

"I'm barely eating."

Severe undereating causes cortisol release, as it's the definition of a bodily emergency. Beachbody® offers many kick-start (or express) eating plans where you undereat for a few days, but you're always encouraged to get back to a solid maintenance calorie level quickly. A short period of strategic undereating with proper hydration will help your body dispense of unneeded food (most of us chronically overeat) and regulate bodily functions. Go too long, however, and chronic cortisol release is the result. 

This is a tough situation because our natural reaction to weight gain is to eat less. When you're exercising, it's important to keep your eye on workout performance, as opposed to how much weight you're losing. You should be eating enough so that your daily workouts improve over time. As long as that's happening, your body is adapting, your metabolism is increasing, and you will lose weight provided you also don't overeat.

You don't want your body to go into "starvation" mode.  This is a process where your body will store food regardless of the activity you are doing in order to survive.  Eating 3 meals and 2 snacks a day will continually keep your body fueled and maintain a healthy metabolism.  Nutrient dense foods verses nutrient deficient foods are key.  I will cover these foods types later in another blog. 

5 Reasons You Could Be Gaining Weight - Day 1

Nothing taps your panic button quite like gaining weight, especially when you're on a weight loss program. Unfortunately, it's an inevitable fact of life. Luckily, you've got me here to tell you that, as long as you're following a solid program, results will come. It's a physiological certainty (unless you have an underlying issue, like hypothyroidism).

I realize this might take further convincing, considering our instant-gratification society. But this ain't my first weight loss rodeo. I've seen almost every scenario you can dream up, most of which were solved by patience. That said, there are some strategies you can use to ensure you're getting the most out of both your diet and exercise program. Let's tackle five of the most common weight loss conundrums.

1. I'm following the program perfectly. Why isn't it working?! 
   Cortisol is a word you should become familiar with, as it's a key factor here. You've probably heard that it makes you fat, but you have no idea why "they" say that. What is cortisol? It's actually a performance-enhancing stress hormone that serves an important function in survival situations. Unfortunately, when we force too much daily stress on our bodies, we shift into a state of chronic cortisol release. This can cause us to store excess fat as a survival instinct. While it sounds pretty dire, it's generally only a serious problem in those with poor lifestyle habits. 
   
   The beginning of a diet and/or exercise program, however, is a survival situation. In a very simplistic sense, your body releases cortisol, which, in turn, causes excess water retention to help you rebuild broken down muscle tissue. While this is cortisol functioning properly, it does lead to a period of water weight gain as you adjust to a new program. It's nothing to worry about. By following a solid plan, your body will adapt by repairing this muscle tissue. This results in an increase in your metabolism and leads to weight loss if that's your goal. 
   
   The trick is that there is no hard line on how long this adaptation takes. It's based on your individual parameters. Just rest easy in the fact that it will happen.