Wednesday, June 24, 2015

My Exercise Routine Using Youtube.

workout schedule
My focus at the moment is on building strength and decreasing my body fat.
I workout 3-5 days a week for a maximum of 30-minutes. I do one workout routine a day, either at 6 am or 6:30 am or 8 pm.
The following is my 5-day workout routine (All videos are found on Youtube except Ript Up).
DAY 1:  ABS ( muscles: lower, middle & obliques) and  Upper Body (muscles: shoulders & back)
Videos I do: Passion 4 Profession-Insane Abs | BeFit-Core Crusher Ab Workout: Natalie Jill  | BeFit-Ripped Back & Shoulders by BeFit in 90 
What I do: I do each ABS video one time and the upper-body video twice using 2 kg weights.
Warm-up: March in place for 2 seconds; Cool down: Free stretches
DAY 2: ABS ( muscles: lower, middle & obliques) and  Upper Body (muscles: shoulders & back)

Videos I do:  BeFit-Wave Shape: Core Strength & Balance Ab Workout- Week  |Passion 4 Profession-8-min Abs |  BeFit-Ripped Back & Shoulders by BeFit in 90 
What I do: I do each ABS video one time and the upper-body video twice using 2 kg weights.
Warm-up: March in place for 2 seconds; Cool down: Free stretches
DAY 3: Upper Body (muscles: triceps, biceps, shoulders & back) and Butt (muscles: hamstrings & glutes)


Videos I do: T25-Gamma Ript Up ( Beachbody DVD)Bikini Model Fitness- Hard BUTT Lifting Bikini Workout!!
What I do: I do each video one time ;using 3 lbs and 2 kg weights.
Ript up has a warm up and cool down
DAY 4: Butt (muscles: hamstrings & glutes)
 Videos I do: Passion 4 Profession- 8-min legsBikini Model Fitness- Hard BUTT Lifting Bikini Workout!! | Passion 4 Profession- 8-min legs
 What I do: I do the Passion 4 Profession video twice and bikini model fitness one time; using 2 lbs. ankle weights
Warm-up: March in place for 2 seconds; Cool down: Free stretches
DAY 5: Upper Body (muscles: triceps, biceps, shoulders & back) and  Upper Body (muscles: shoulders & back)
 Videos I do: T25-Gamma Ript Up ( Beachbody DVD)  |  BeFit-Ripped Back & Shoulders by BeFit in 90 
What I do: I do each video one time; using 3 lbs and 2 kg weights.
Warm-up: March in place for 2 seconds; Cool down: Free stretches


DAY 6 & 7:
REST DAY


Checkout my previous workout Routine: My Workout Routine-I love exercising!
Checkout my experience on protein powder: Combat Protein Powder Experience [Review]

Thank you for reading! 
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Monday, June 22, 2015

Combat Protein Powder Experience [Review]

Reason for consumption:
My focus is on building strength and decreasing my body fat. As such, I switched up my workouts by increasing my reps of body weight and weight-based exercises. I workout 3-5 days a week for a maximum of 30-minutes. I do one workout a day, either at 6 am or 6:30 am or 8 pm.
To help achieve this goal, I started consuming  Combat Protein Powder (net weight: 2 lbs. cost: $240) in snickerdoodle flavour for the past 3 weeks (Jun 3rd -20 Jun 2015).  My experience thus far includes:



Highlights:
1) Flavour-wise, it is tasty and free of an off putting flavour and after-taste.  It is on the sweet side due to the artificial sweeteners. ☻☻
(note: I mix 1 scoop with 1 cup water and add either 5 balls of frozen spinach and  or 1/4 cup rolled oats)
2) Blends well with a blender, however, manually it requires a lot of shaking to get to a smooth consistency.
3) Appetite is suppressed for about 4-5 hours.
 On the days I consume the protein shake, I am not hungry as often. 
4) Reduced soreness.☻☻☻
I have not experienced any major soreness post workout since consuming the protein shakes. I will take that as a sign that the protein powder is doing its job.

Downsides:
1) Bloating. ☹☹☹
The bloating I get with this protein powder seems to last for hours. I tried halving the dose of the protein powder and consuming it with a meal (rather than by itself, directly after my workout) and the bloating still occurs. I tried consuming it once a day instead of twice a day and the bloating still occurs.
2) Sugar cravings.
Whenever, I consume a protein shake especially in the morning, I get an intense urge for something sweet before lunch (12 pm). This craving is not satisfied with fruit. (The fruits I have been munching on are bananas, julie mango, watermelon and or frozen strawberries)
3) Weight gain.☹☹☹
According to my scale I have gained about 5 lbs in 3 weeks. Honestly, I'm not sure if the weight gain is due to the bloating alone or a slight increase in muscle mass. 
4) Thirsty. 
My thirst level increases when I consume a protein shake. Normally, my water intake is usually good seeing that water is my primary beverage of choice; I rarely consume fruit juice, coconut water, carbonated beverages (soda), alcoholic beverages or hot tea (cocoa/malt drinks).

In all, I am not completely satisfied with this protein powder because the bloating is ridiculous. I will be on the hunt for another protein powder without artificial sweetener. In the meanwhile,  I will resume training but without the protein shake.

Thank you for reading! 
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Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Say YES to Eat Your Vegetables Day.

Today, June 17 th is #EatYourVegetablesDay.
Despite the general public being constantly told of the many benefits of consuming vegetables every day. 90.8% of the Trinidad and Tobago population consume less than 3 servings of vegetables a day. Bear in mind, 1 serving of vegetables is not that much (see photo below, each vegetable illustrates 1 serving).
Image Source 

To know how many servings of vegetables you need based on your age group (see poster above). Then aim to increase the amounts eaten of the vegetables you enjoy. However, if the vegetables eaten are restricted to only 2 or 3 different vegetables, it is recommended you experiment by adding new vegetables in your diet weekly and work up to consuming it daily.

Nevertheless, there are many ways to sneak this nutritive food group into ones diet, such as:
1) Consuming it raw as a smoothie or well seasoned, low-sodium chow.
2) Seeking out recipes that use the vegetables in savoury items e.g. muffins, quick breads or breads.
3) Seeking out recipes that utilise herbs and spices as flavourings in cooked vegetable dishes.
4) Consuming the vegetables raw or dehydrated, with a dip e.g. dried beet root with salsa, jicama sticks with ranch dressing, radish with hummus etc.
5) Add grated or shredded vegetables to sandwich fillings or spreads e.g. grated carrot to cheese paste, grated zucchini to tuna paste etc.
Experiment until you find at least 6 vegetables you can consume on a daily basis in ample amounts.

The following collage shares 7 ways vegetables can be used as snacks, best part they are low-calorie.
Say yes! to Veggie Snacks

However, to vegetable newbies, try selecting vegetables with a high-water content (Click here for a qualitative list). Vegetables with a high-water content often have a mild taste that is tolerable and can be consumed raw or cooked. They also tend to be fibre-rich despite being low in calories and packed with variable amounts of minerals and vitamins.

Aim to consume two servings  a day, working your way up to at least 4 vegetable servings per day.  Once this is achieved,  slowly add vegetables with stronger flavours e.g dark green leafy vegetables- spinach, watercress, patchoi (bac choi) and purple vegetables- purple cabbage, eggplant etc.

Here are some great starter vegetables:


1) Christophene or Chayote
132grams (g) uncooked christophene conatins about 93% of its weight in water. It is a.member of the squash family, and is classed as a vegetable-fruit (because of the seed). It is oblong and  pear shaped, with a rough skin that is mild to dark green. The flesh is pale green to colourless and has a mild taste that is comparable to zucchini  or cucumber. There is a single seed and the flesh can be consumed in many ways -raw or cooked. 
Christophene can be stir-fried and served with brown rice or whole grain pasta or served as a simple salad .

For more nutrition information  go to nutritiondata.com: raw and cooked


2) Tomatoes 
The water content in tomatoes range from 80- 93% or even higher per 100g of edible flesh. The water content does diminish depending on how it is prepared and how much salt is added. Taste-wise, the darker the shade of red, the more intense the flavour appears to be. Yellow and orange tomatoes, tend to have a mild taste. Regardless, tomatoes are best served raw, but studies have shown that the anti-carcinogenic properties are activated when the vegetable-fruit is cooked. For more nutrition information  go to nutritiondata.com: raw, cooked and dried

3) Cucumbers
Cucumbers eaten without the skin is more tolerable to persons on therapeutic diets e.g. renal diet. Outside of that cucumbers have a strong odour but the taste is very mild. They are best consumed raw for the nutritive properties (low-calorie, rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium,   and fibre) but can be consumed cooked or pickled. Sliced cucumbers sprinkled with a pinch or salt and black pepper can be a great side dish to most rice based dishes. Cucumbers have been known to aid in lowering blood pressure due to its potassium content along with containing a number of disease-fighting antioxidant compounds, like tannins and flavonoids, says   Michelle Dudash,  Registered Dietitian and Chef Consultant. In the homoeopathy lifestyle, cucumbers are a coolant or an alkaline food,  "their moist flesh makes them cool to the touch and they contain ascorbic acid and caffeic acid, two natural compounds that can help prevent water retention" says Dr Andrew Weil M.D, Health Advisor. For more nutrition information  go to nutritiondata.com: raw.  
source

4) Lettuce- Iceberg
Iceberg lettuce is most commonly consumed because the price attached and crisp texture. It is no surprise that iceberg lettuce is cheap compared to romaine and arugula.  The pale green hue, comes off non threatening to many non-veggie lovers along with the low calorie and minimal vitamins and fibre contents.  Regardless, iceberg lettuce has a mild and slight 'leafy' taste compared to other salad greens. One bonus of iceberg, lacking from other lettuce varieties is the high water content. This component allows iceberg to mix well with other food items without contributing an overpowering flavour, for this reason adding iceberg lettuce to salads can help eliminate the bitterness of the leaf lettuce, e.g romaine, watercress etc.  Bear in mind, iceberg lettuce can have a pale to dark green hue.  For more nutrition information visit nutritiondata.com: raw.  

Other vegetables with high water contents that could be included into the diet easily are:
Cabbage- green (93% water) & purple (92% water)
Cauliflower (92% water)
Broccoli (91% water)
Carrots (87% water)
Sweet peppers (92% water)
Thank you for reading! 
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NOTE: To the botanist cucumbers, tomatoes & christophene are classified as fruits because they contain seeds but in the culinary sense they are vegetables because of their low-sugar content compared to traditional fruits.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Startling Facts About Smoothies Revealed

getty
#1 THE GOOD
 Smoothies are ⒼⓇⒺⒶⓉ.
 Smoothies are smooth.
 Smoothies can fill the gap between meals.
 Smoothies can be ⓝⓤⓣⓡⓘⓣⓘⓞⓤⓢ treats, if made right.
 Smoothies can be made from fruit, vegetables, or a combination of both.
ⒻⓇⓊⒾⓉ smoothies made from ❶ portion of whole/crushed fruit and ❶ portion of 100% fruit juice, count towards your daily fruit intake.
ⓋⒺⒼⒼⒾⒺ smoothies made from ❶ portion of fruit and ❶ portion of vegetables,  count towards your daily fruit and vegetable intake.

#2 THE  UGLY
Be wary of the sugar content and fruit acids found in fruit smoothies, as they can contribute to tooth decay and tooth erosion. It is recommended, one limits their smoothie consumption to 250 mL (8 oz or 1 cup) and rinse their mouth well with water after drinking.



#3 THE BAD
It is also wise, not to get into the habit of drinking  multiple smoothies in a row or super-size smoothie combos.  In this case, more is not better. While, a 250 ml smoothie count towards one's fruit/veggie intake, 5 smoothies or even a 15-20 oz smoothie, does not. Reason being, smoothies by nature can be packed with more calories and sugar, needed or used by the body at a given time. This not only harms your teeth but can increase your waistline.

Don't drink away your calories!
While, it is very easy to consume 12 oz. of a beverage (e.g. paw paw smoothie (see image)).  Trying to eat the same components used in the beverage, individually will be a challenge.

ACTIVITY: 

THINK ABOUT IT: Can you eat 1 cup of paw paw cubed, 
1 medium banana and drink 1/2 cup apple juice and  in one sitting?

#4 THE HIGHLIGHT Before I end, let it be known smoothies are a more nutritious option over fruit juice. Smoothies are made from the blended pulp, flesh, skin, seeds, leaves, root and or stalk of the fruit or veggie. These components are then consumed rather than strained and discarded as in fruit juice. It is widely known, most of the nutrition found in plants are within the fibrous matter and edible portion [skin, pulp, flesh, root, leaf, stalk etc.].

Smoothies are a great way to add variety to a sensible diet as long as a serving of 250 mL (8 oz/ 1 cup) is adhered to.


ADDED CONTENT UPDATE: 
Should you drink smoothies? 
Time. com answers the question [date accessed July 24, 2015]  Watch the video



Thank you for reading! 
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SOURCES:
Loesche, W. Microbiology of Dental Decay and Periodontal Disease.Medical Microbiology; 1996; chap 99. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8259/
Palmer et al. It's More Than Just Candy Important Relationships Between Nutrition and Oral Health. Nutrition Today, 2010; 45 (4): 154  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100805103926.htm
Rukon.C.H. Smoothies: one portion or two? British Nutrition Foundation Nutrition Bulletin, 2008;  33, 129–132  http://nutrition-communications.co.uk/uploadedfiles/file/2008%20BNF%20smoothies%20opinion.pdf

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Sensitive to Dairy: Got Lactose?

Consuming dairy products (milk, cheese, yoghurt, kefir, butter and ghee) in any form has been a controversial issue within recent times. Despite this, there are persons who enjoy dairy out of habit, convenience and for its nutrient composition. 

On the upside, dairy products contain two forms of protein (whey and or casein), vitamin B12, riboflavin, choline, vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. On the downside, it lacks fibre, it is rich in saturated fat and may contain hormones. Persons who have trouble digesting dairy fall into two major groups:  lactose intolerant and lactose maldigestion.  Lactose is the primary sugar (carbohydrate) found in dairy products. Lactose makes up 5% of milk's weight as such products made with milk will contain some level of lactose. 

The difference between lactose intolerance and lactose maldigestion, reside with the symptoms and amount of lactase [enzyme] present in the gastrointestinal tract. Lactose intolerant persons lack the enzyme-lactase to fully digest lactose. Lactose is normally broken down by lactase [enzyme] in the small intestine; when there is no lactase present, lactose is broken down by the bacteria in the large intestine resulting in persons experiencing a number of symptoms ranging from loose stools, flatulence,  bloating, lower abdominal cramping, nausea etc. Persons with lactose maldigestion, contain very small amounts of lactase [enzyme] and are able to tolerate varying amounts of lactose with zero to minimal side-effects. 

However, for persons who enjoy diary but have trouble digesting it, there is hope. 
Strategies to seamlessly cope with lactose containing products are:
1) Determining your lactose limit
2) Consuming dairy with other foods
3) Switching to lactose-free/lactose-reduced dairy products
4) Investing in over-the-counter- lactase supplements
5) Avoiding all dairy products

Option 1: Know your lactose limit
 It is difficult to control when a food with lactose will be consumed, thanks to cross-contamination as such it is best to determine how much lactose your body can tolerate on a daily basis. 

Doing this requires you to be very strategic with your food intake. Choose a day, record the amount of dairy product consumed, the type of product, and the symptoms experienced.  This can be done once a week or how often you desire. While it may seem like an experiment, it is the best way to determine your lactose limit.

Example:
Monday: The only dairy product consumed for the day is as followed:
Type of dairy: Milk, full-fat                                    Amount of dairy: 1 1/2 cups
Side-effects 3 hours later:  bloating, flatulence (gassey), felt queasy, slight lower abdominal cramping and diarhoea 

Friday: The only dairy product consumed for the day is as followed:
Type of dairy: Milk, full-fat                            Amount of dairy:  2 ounces (1/8 cup)
Side-effects 3 hours later: only bloating and flatulence 


  The following poster shares the lactose content in the different dairy products (click image to enlarge). 
Data sourced from USDA nutrient database

Option 2: Consume dairy with other foods.
Combining small amounts of dairy with other foods slows down the rate at which lactose reaches the intestines, thus giving the body enough time to breakdown enough lactose so that it does not cause an issue. Research indicates that most people with low levels of lactase can increase their lactose tolerance and comfortably consume 1 to 2 cups (8 oz.-16 oz.) of milk (or 24 g of lactose) with a meal daily (Suarez 1995 & Suarez 1997).  However, this requires as little as 1/4 cup of milk to be consumed with a meal, 3 times a day over a consistent period (Purdue University, 2000).
It should be noted, dairy products containing primarily casein (e.g. cheddar or  cottage cheese) and probiotics (e.g yoghurt and kefir) are the most tolerated forms of dairy in  persons with lactose intolerance & maldigestion. 
EXAMPLE of how to combine dairy include:  Spoon some Greek yoghurt over a fruit bowl, eat a spoonful of yoghurt with a spicy meal or add a dallop of yoghurt to oatmeal etc.

Option 3:  Consume lactose-free or lactose-reduced dairy products.
These are made from ultra-pasteurised, regular milk but the enzyme lactase is added during the processing. Lactose-free or lactose-reduced dairy products are often easier to digest and do not cause any side-effects because the added enzyme, breaks down 70-100% of lactose present.

It should be noted, these products tend to have a sweeter taste than regular milk because the lactase converts lactose into glucose, thus increasing the sweetness. 
Next time you purchase lactose-free dairy milk, look at the ingredient list you would find  a disclaimer saying: 'this ingredient [lactase] is not found in regular milk.
Please bear in mind, these lactose-free dairy products can be quite pricey compared with regular milk, regular yoghurt and regular cottage cheese. 
  
Option 4: Invest in some lactase-enzymes e.g. Lactaid or Dairy Ease
These are great items to have on hand especially when dining-out, as they breakdown about 70-90% of the lactose present. These lactose-enzyme tablets or drops can be purchased over the counter without a prescription. Some are fast acting, while others are slow acting, be sure to take it in an appropriate time frame to minimise any potential discomfort.

Option 5: Avoid all dairy products
Once dairy is avoided, the best way to get the vitamins and minerals present in dairy, is to incorporate fortified non-dairy ‘milks’ such as almond, soy, coconut, hemp etc. and eat a variety of food from other food groups. Non-dairy ‘milks’ aim to mimic the texture and appearance of dairy-milk but be aware, the nutritionally quality of non-dairy ‘milks’ varies greatly:
Most are low in protein (except soy and hemp) and total carbohydrates (except rice, oat-blends and the sweetened flavours)
Most have under 200 mg sodium per 1 cup
All are lactose-free and cholesterol-free
All have calcium, vitamin D & vitamin B12 added
Aside from this,
They can be pricey depending on the brand
May contain controversial ingredients (e.g. carrageenan, artificial flavours, BHT etc.) 
Protein content of 'milk' alternatives from highest to lowest (L-R)
May have a creamy to watery taste and mouth-feel
Whether these 'milk' alternatives can be used in the same way as milk, varies and requires experimentation.  For example: using rice milk in recipes calling for buttermilk, may not work as well but using full-fat coconut milk  instead of dairy creamers well in coffee drinks.

Hope this post helps however, please talk with a health care provider or a registered dietitian, if more information is needed.


Disclaimer: While the consumption of dairy is not a requirement for adults, these strategies are aimed at those who enjoy dairy products or those who are tired of experiencing the side effects of the unintentional ingestion of lactose.

Thank you for reading! 
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References:
Suarez F, Savaiano D, Levitt MD. A comparison of symptoms after the consumption of milk or lactose‐hydrolyzed milk by people with selfreported severe lactose intolerance. N Engl J Med. 1995;333:1‐4.
Suarez F, Savaiano D, Arbisi P, Levitt MD. Tolerance to the daily ingestion of two cups of milk by individuals claiming lactose intolerance. AmJ Clin Nutr. 1997;65:1502‐1506.
Purdue University. "Lactose Intolerant? Get Milk." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 January 2000.