The Dark Side of Sugar

High Blood Pressure, Diabetes and Obesity......an ugly/dangerous trifecta for your health and one of the main culprits is sugar and it particular fructose!  We as North Americans AVERAGE almost 23 teaspoons  (1 tsp=4.2g) a day without going anywhere near the sugar bowl because of it being added to all the man-made foods we consume everyday. Once in your system from soft drinks, candy, cupcakes, most boxed cereals, processed foods ( added for shelf life, flavor and texture.....also manufactures use High-Fructose Corn Syrup because its much cheaper than real sugar) and so on. Fructose is processed mainly by the liver and if too much is in your daily intake its produces fats called triglycerides which some of these tri-fats stay in the liver but a lot end up in your bloodstream which leads higher blood pressure and in time your body becomes more progressively resistant to insulin, so with that situation happening your pancreas responds by sending out more insulin trying to correct the in-balance. In time a condition known as metabolic syndrome takes over which leads to obesity (especially around the waist) Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure and of course danger of a heart attack.....Hmm lots of cheerful news people. Now you have the facts, you need to cut back on sugar (which I know is addictive as it stimulates the brain and its pleasure centers, also why these foods taste so good) but here another evil side of sugar, once your hooked with the initial sugar rush it will sap your energy level then you don't exercise, eat right, get your water intake etc. So to wean yourself of the sugar train slowing get off all the man-made products (think outer aisles of your favorite food market) and stick to the sugar from Mother Nature (fruits, natural honey, etc) and watch your body thank you as it extends your life.

Getting the best measurement for a healthy weight.......read on!

This is one question I get asked all the time and lets face it we are all different in our structures and muscle tone as two people of the same weight could be totally different due to where their mass is on their body frames, for example a well toned male at 170lbs is far different and healthier than another who is carrying a gut with the same dimensions. So forget about those expensive Body Mass Index (BMI)  gadgets out on the market and just take a tape measure that believe me will tell no lies. lol  So to determine our level of visceral fat (its the dangerous belly fat linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer) we need to take our waist ( wrap the tape around your body at the midpoint between your lowest rib and your hipbone) to hip ratio ( by measuring the widest part of your hips which is usually around your butt) Then we divide the waist into hip measurements for our ratio which should be 0.9 or lower. Also to double check and confirm, you can calculate your waist to height ratio which should come in 0.5 to made sure that your at your best healthy weight. If not?  time to make some lifestyle changes people as I always say.......your not going to run out of money, but you WILL run out of time!

The Lowdown on Antioxidants

The word Antioxidants conjures up imagines of anti-cancer, preventing aging or maybe even to improve your immune system but do most of us actually know what they are?  Well here we go; antioxidants fight free radicals which are unstable molecules in the body that can cause DNA mutation. These radicals are by-products of a basic metabolic process called oxidation but are also are an important part of the body's defenses as the immune cells will shoot free radicals onto invading bacteria to kill them. So as you see we need to show the free radicals a little love (lol), its when we have TOO MANY free radicals that the issues start, as it overwhelms your normal antioxidant defense system and then it leaves you vulnerable to cell damage and disease. So this is where your eating habits come into play to make sure your body has enough antioxidants to fight the excess radicals that come from everyday pollutants, cigarette smoke and too much sun.  But here is a newsflash; all antioxidants aren't created equal but  having a wide variety of all fruits/vegetables will offer the best DNA protection especially anything from the plant kingdom ( beans, nuts, seeds and grains) because all the plants produce antioxidants themselves to fight against predators and UV rays. Now onto the other side....A)  Keep in mind to avoid refined grains as they have been striped of most of their antioxidant benefits and if a meat eater look for grain feed or eggs from pastured hens. B) Because of all the hype of antioxidants and of course the general public not knowing, companies will put it on all their packaging/labeling for sales but just enough to get approval so don't waste your money. C) When working out  it leads to more oxidation and an increase of free radicals but that's a normal process, so to take a dose of antioxidants after the training could interfere with the natural, beneficial response to exercise as scientists speculate that the oxidation stress triggered by training promotes insulin sensitivity and weight loss.......as you can read too many antioxidants (like everything in life) isn't always better so again train and eat smart people!

More Nutrition and Wellness Tips

Beat Cancer;  Did you realize that almost 2/3rds of cancers are preventable through exercise and diet?  So what are you waiting for.....lets get started!

Fight Fat;  An added boost from Green Tea because of its properties to increase your resting metabolism and raise the body's thermogenesis

To help your bones fight off osteoporosis, introduce a few prunes into your diet per day with its antioxidant properties

By age 40 your heart starts to get smaller, by doing cardio you keep your ticker and arteries flexible which helps slow down the aging process.

For a healthy snack to stop those nasty cravings during the day, try pistachios....the protein and good fats will take care of those hunger games.

Eyesight;  We all know about carrots, but one orange a day will give you enough Vitamin C to help fight off eye diseases like glaucoma

Ramp up your metabolism by doing just 15 mins of weight training. So no excuses, see you at the rack!

Omega 3 Wow!  These good fats will help your body turn protein into muscle, so look to take a daily supplement to help you reach your goals

Prostate Cancer;  Hey guys have these fibrous friends help you because of its flavonoids....strawberries, grapefruits, oranges, onions and greens

Keep an eye on these four groups to eliminate the irritants that stresses the body....gluten, (wheat, barley and rye) dairy, (the casein part of the milk) soy or corn.

Nutriton and Wellness Tips

Fruit or Veggies; Having a hard time getting your family its daily allotment?  Use a blender to puree it into meals and nobody needs to know but the K-Man  (lol)

Fiber;  Looking for something tasty and packs a punch towards your daily recommended needs?  Dates.....just 2 contains 3 grams of what your looking for, sweet deal!

Heart Health;  Lifting weights allows more HDL ( good cholesterol ) to stay in your system as pushing the iron prevents the enzyme from removing it......nice!

And another reason to get off the soda train.....having  a pop a day will raise your stroke rate due to its sweeteners and coloring that's added

Red Wine; Besides having antioxidants to fight disease, tests shows its slows down the growth of fat cells. Now that's something to toast too!

Weight Loss Supplements;  Are you kidding me!!...all they do is raise your blood pressure, heart rate and other side effects. Don't be looking for a shortcut, train and eat smart.

Pass the Fish and Smile; Omega 3 oils found in our friends from the sea will lower your chance of gum disease

Trouble Sleeping?  Try some kiwi's before bedtime with its serotonin ingredient to help you doze off

Protein Power;  Anchovies pack a punch of 1 gram per and only 7 calories plus have niacin which helps burn your fat.....that my friends is a win/win.

Give a boost to your antioxidants by squeezing a lemon wedge into your green tea because of the acidity......hey, see all lemons aren't bad

Dark Chocolate Magic ( at least 70% cacoa)  Besides helping your heart, tests prove a lowering of the mass index, so have an ounce daily

Perfect Food the Egg White;  In addition to the fat free protein, it also contains amino acids with high levels of antioxidants

Looking for another reason to be fit?  Every 4 inches you put on that "spare tire" of yours,  you increase your risk of Type 2 Diabetes by a whopping 95%

The Best/Worst Supplements for Active Adults

First let me say that a supplement is just what the name implies, to be added to your nutritional intake and is not a replacement for it. But as I've been blogging we are all different body types, so you need to eat for what works for you and because of this some food groups will be avoided....remember we don't want to stress our bodies with these irritants. This is where a smart program of supplementation will work for you, so read on to see if it can be added in your individual needs and let the K-Man take all the confusion out of your choices. A) Body Fat;  EGCG found in green tea taken before moderate exercise will help burn more of your mortal enemy as it boosts your metabolism. An added bonus, its been shown to prevent cancer and improve heart health ( look for 900 mg/day of green tea extract to fulfill your needs or found of course in our favorite beverage, Green Tea!!)  B) Repair; Vitamin C to protect your cells from the free radicals produced during exercise, also it helps heal wounds and is key for the production of the collagen found in ligaments/tendons. (up to 1,000mg/through out the day or found in citrus fruits, sweet peppers, broccoli, kale and brussels sprouts)
C) Low Endurance; studies show by taking Quercetin it helps lower the oxidation of LDL particles which would reduce blood vessel constriction, thus you are able to do more cardio, sweet

deal!! (up to 500mg per day or found in red wine, parsley,grapefruit, onions and apples)  D) Bone Weakness; Vitamin D is needed as its the hormone that helps your bones to absorb calcium. (1,000 iu per day or found in fortified milk and sunshine) E) Heart Disease; Fish Oil, are you ready for all this info lol, it has lots of essential omega-3 fatty acids, it boosts your HDL Cholesterol and helps lower your blood pressure (500mg DHA & EPA daily or found in salmon, tuna and other fatty fish)      And now onto the not so good list, i would give these supplements the kick thru the goalposts  A) Flaxseed Oil;  your body has a hard time to convert it into usable forms thus creating the stress that we are trying to avoid. B) Gingko Biloba; studies now show it was no more effective than a placebo in
a extended time trial to improve your memory or attention. C) St. Johns Wart; tests reveal that it indeed works to beat the blues but the herb also interferes w/ other classes of drugs that you might be taking. D) Valerian....tests show no improvement in your sleep time.

How to Stay Lean for Life!!

First, i hate the word "diet" as it sounds so restrictive, so from here on out its nutrition guidance/food plan etc. Did you know that over 90% of food reduction plans fail and you regain that weight plus more, frustrating isn't?  Well here are a few tips to help you along that pa
th to a more fulfilling life

style because as i say....without health, what do you really own?  A) Exercise at least 3 to 5x a week, always do your weight bearing training first to deplete the shelves of your energy stores, then do cardio to tap into the secondary fuel of the body....fat!  B) You need to follow a low fat, sugar and calorie plan ( for a rough estimate of calorie intake, put your height in inches and subtract 60, multiply that by 6, add 106 and multiply by 10) You can exercise all you want but you need to eat for your bodytype (see last blog on this info) or your fighting a losing battle  C) Once you find what works for you nutrition wise, you pretty well eat the same food everyday. Sounds boring, but get inventive with your prep work  D) Always start you day with a meal as your metabolism runs the highest during the am hours, then ramps down at night for the sleep cycle E) Plan your meals through the day, life does get in the way lol ( work, kids, chores around the house etc) but if you have a window of opportunity then that's when you have a big meal, have only a few mins? then the pre-prepared snack comes out....the excuse of i don't have time doesn't work for me. G)  Before going grocery shopping make a list, its funny how the brain takes over when you don't or if you go to the market hungry 
H) Drink lots of water thru the day and have fibrous foods in your meal plan for the obvious reasons, plus fiber attaches itself to H2O so it fills you up, not out  I) Pick a day per week and have a couple of cheat meals for whatever you crave as a reward, plus it throws your metabolism a curve ball as like everything, the body adapts to what your doing so you will actually lose weight.....nice!!  J) If you find after the 6 month benchmark of eating better/training & nothing happening on the weight scales you need to do a couple of things....change up the exercise routine to get more of the magic of your muscle stoking up the internal furnace (1lb muscle=up to 50c burned per day) also need to increase your calorie intake as the brain has slowed down your metabolism because its not getting enough to function. Remember the body doesn't care what you want to do, as it wants to live.....its called the survival mechanism lol