Not ALL Fats Are Bad For You: These Fats Fight Flab

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It sounds counterintuitive, but not believe it or not, not all fats found in food actually contribute to more fat in your body when consumed in moderation. A lot of what we have been led to believe about supposedly “bad for you” foods is downright false. Saturated fat, especially, has become a red flag in the diet world because it has been linked to heart disease and belly fat. While it’s true that many saturated fats pose a health risk, nutrition studies have found that the saturated fats found in coconut oil and organic, grass-fed butter actually reduce bad cholesterol levels and stomach fat compared to polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

Butter

One of the biggest culprits in this saturated fat mix-up is butter. Yes, butter. We’ve all been led to believe that regular old butter, although it tastes great in our favorite comfort food dishes, is not so great for you. Manufacturers try to market margarines and vegetable oil spreads as the healthier choice, but don’t be fooled: real butter is your best bet. Organic butter contains omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found to improve brain function and skin health. Both these fatty acids are essential because the body does not produce them on its own. Butter also contains many vitamins and minerals, and the antioxidant selenium.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil contains the good kind of saturated fats that reduce bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol to promote heart health. The medium-chain fatty acids it contains are easily digested by the body and not readily stored as fat; they also improve brain and memory function. Lastly, coconut oil provides antioxidants that serve as an anti-inflammatory to help with arthritis.

In a study conducted with 40 women between the ages of 20 and 40, half the group received two tablespoons of soybean oil while the other half had two tablespoons of coconut oil. Over the course of 12 weeks, the women were instructed to follow a reduced calorie eating plan and walk for 50 minutes each day. By the end of the study, the women consuming the coconut oil increased their good cholesterol, decreased their bad cholesterol, and eliminated belly fat. The soybean oil group, however, experienced the opposite effects.

Macadamia Nut Oil

Many nut oils contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for any diet because the body does not produce them on its own.

Avocados

Avocados are a trendy food right now, and the good news is that you don’t need to feel guilty about adding some avocado to your salad or having a deep appreciation for guacamole. Avocados are one of the healthiest fruits you can consume, because they’re heavy in monounsaturated fats that increase good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol. They’re also rich in vitamin E which boosts immunity, keeps skin looking young and healthy, and helps protect against cellular damage.

The next time you’re about to dismiss a food because it’s “fatty,” do your research first and find out what kinds of fat it contains, because you just may be missing out on a nutritious staple for your diet.

Never Refrigerate These Foods

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Never Refrigerate These Foods

Refrigeration is not meant for every piece of food item you have in your household. People tend to think that keeping things in the fridge will magically make all foods last longer. But the reality is that in some cases refrigeration can actually cause some foods to spoil faster. I’ve compiled a list of seven common items most people store in the fridge, but shouldn’t.

Fruits

1.Apples

Apples will actually lose their texture and flavor when refrigerated. If you prefer to eat your apples cold, just place them inside the fridge 30 minutes before eating.

2. Bananas

The fridge can easily disrupt the ripening process of bananas. Actually, once a banana is refrigerated a banana may never be able to resume its ripening even after being placed at room temperature again.

3. Tomatoes

Sure, you think refrigerating your tomatoes will keep them tasting like fresh. No! Similar to apples, tomatoes will lose their flavor and texture when refrigerated.

Vegetables

4. Sweet Potatoes

When you expose sweet potatoes to cold temperatures, the starches found inside the potatoes will turn into sugar. So not only will the sugar content inside the sweet potatoes increase, but their flavor and texture will also be disrupted. Unfortunately, you will end up with sweet potatoes that taste like nothing but will cause you to gain weight!

5. Onions

The number one reason why should not store onions in the refrigerator is because they will make anything and everything smell like onions! Also, refrigeration will turn your onions soggy. The best way to store onions is to place them in a paper bag in a dark, cool place in your kitchen; this will help them last longer.

6. Avocados

Similar to bananas, refrigeration interrupts the ripening enzymes in an avocado. This may work to your favor if you don’t want to eat the avocado right away. But if, for example, you want to make guacamole today, then storing your avocados in the fridge will not be a good move.

Grains

7. Coffee

Unlike what the majority of people thing, you should not store coffee in your fridge. Room temperature is actually necessary for coffee because it allows the natural oils in the coffee beans to release its aromatic scent. The only time you put coffee in the fridge is if you want to get rid of any odors inside your fridge (since coffee is known for absorbing other food odors). But unless you want to drink coffee that smells like nothing, don’t store it in the fridge!

Breaking Down Organic Foods

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Ever wonder what’s the real difference between organic foods and non-organic foods? With all the generic information thrown at you on a daily basis, and no one really providing a clear explanation, this can all get confusing. But don’t fret – Coach Josh is here to help you!

The first step is getting past the boring, yet important facts to note: let’s define organic. For foods to be certified as being organic, they need to meet a specific USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) criteria. For example, for vegetables and fruits, organic produce must be grown without using pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic components or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. Other kinds of foods like nuts, meat, poultry, etc. go by different criteria, but for now we’ll just focus on produce.

Eating organic foods, especially organic produce, can lead to great health benefits due to the fact these foods, grown under organic standards, have proven to have greater phytochemical, vitamin, and mineral content. However, as far as costs go, organic foods can be on the more expensive side IF you purchase it at your typical supermarket. But here’s a little known secret about purchasing organic produce – if you shop at the right place, and the right amount it can actually be even cheaper than non-organic produce.

There are three other places where you can shop for organic food: at your local farmer’s market, at a health food stores, and my personal favorite through CSA (community supported agriculture). With CSA, you basically buy a share of the season’s harvest at a local farm near you. Just go to localharvest.org and check out what local CSA farm is near you. This is a great way to get amazing organic produce per the season and for a reasonable and affordable price. If you decide to go with the local farmer’s market or a health food store nearby, lookout for whatever is in season and on sale – this will always be less expensive than other veggies in fruits that are no in season.

Another useful tip is to buy in bulk. Please keep in mind that whatever you get from your harvest share or the farmer’s market, you don’t have to eat right away. Organic produce can be frozen and eaten months later. Just take them out of the freezer whenever you’re ready to feast on them and thaw them out. So feel free to stock up on your favorite produce and enjoy consuming healthy food for the rest of the year!

Now go venture out and navigate through the awesome aisles of organic produce!

Take care of yourself,

Coach Josh

Positivity is the Key to Physicality

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While so many fitness articles are focused on physical action, physical diet, and physical results, they fail to acknowledge what I consider to be the true key to success: positivity. I know, I know. It’s not like positivity alone will grant you the abs you seek. But, what it will do, is act as a source of perpetual optimism and motivation. It is positivity that will drive you to succeed.

So many fail because so many fail to recognize their own accomplishments. They become bogged down in negativity while trying to better their self, and it is for this reason they ultimately fail. This negativity paradoxically becomes associated with getting better, and as a result, the individual in question soon stops trying to better their their self, because they feel crappy as a result. They associate the negative feelings with trying to get better. However, when you retain positivity as your source of motivation, when you remember what you do like about yourself as you better yourself, you have no negative association. Thus, your motivation takes care of itself, while you take care of yourself. I’ve listed some tricks below that I use on a daily basis in case you need a little inspiration:

  1. Remember three things you are grateful for. This will serve to remind you that life is already great. All you’re doing, is making it even better.
  2. Say out loud five things you love about yourself. This combats the negatives that we often become so focused on erasing when we diet and exercise. Rather than lose something, we are gaining something. This works wonders for continued motivation.
  3. Write down the habits you believe are necessary to achieve your goals. This way your routine will become ingrained in both your memory and your body. Your exercises will never be more than a thought away so long as you remind yourself of the routine necessary to achieve the body that you want.
  4. Remember the accomplishments you can already boast. It is through this that you will retain the confidence necessary to keep pushing yourself. You are more than capable; you’ve already done it. All you have to do is remember your past achievements that were more difficult to accomplish anyway. This is easy.

Remember yourself. Remember what you want. Remember who you are, and you will be what you want to be.

 

 

Phenomenal Follicles

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All too often we see our hair take a turn for the worse with seemingly no signs. We just wake up to unforeseen follicle dissatisfaction. Surprisingly enough however, the answer is often as simple as what you eat. It is for this reason that I’ve decided to list some of the most recommended cuisine when it comes to taking care of that fresh cut.

1. Salmon

Salmon is known to provide a pristine sheen to your head of hair. This delicious fish’s inclusion of large omega-3 fatty composition results in its well-known hair-shining properties. Your body, unable to produce these healthy fats, can fall victim to insufficiency when it is denied these ingredients. Thus, when you make it a point to indulge in this particular fish, both your health and your hair becomes stronger.

 2. Chickpeas

These delicious legumes are rich in protein, a necessary component for fortifying your scalp. Protein grows your follicles to glorious lengths while the chickpeas’ inherent keratins coat those same follicles to present a durable and resilient exterior. Face the elements without fear of breakage so long as Chickpeas are a staple in your diet.

3. Greek Yogurt

Packed in protein just like Chickpeas and Salmon, Greek Yogurt additionally boasts a unique ingredient that grows your hair at an optimum rate. Bear the hair you deserve while munching on spoonfuls of delectable Greek Yogurt. Who knew attaining the perfect head of hair could be so delicious?

4.Kale

Although not exactly known for its fantastic taste, Kale is known for its hair-growing properties. Specifically, the prevalence of Beta Carotene is converted into Vitamin A which is significant for a couple of reasons.

Primarily, Vitamin A serves to grow and replenish cells. This profound cellular generation naturally applies to your hair’s cells as well. Thus, Vitamin A grows hair. Plain and simple.

Additionally, Vitamin A is responsible for the production of Sebum. Sebum is the oily substance you often find in your hair after not washing thoroughly. Sebum is a good thing, believe it or not; and Vitamin A makes Sebum. So basically, Vitamin A grows your hair by way of cellular regeneration and then maintains those hairs by way of Sebum, a natural conditioner.

These are just a few foods that can keep your follicles looking their best. If you’re interested in learning more, you may want to check out this slideshow I came across doing research, here…

Myth of Supplement Danger

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It seems that as of late the press will often focus on the potential danger of new supplements in the vitamin market. While this is not necessarily untrue, especially when considering beginners who haven’t quite gotten used to experimenting with a healthier diet and overall lifestyle, it does seem to have blown out of proportion. That is, while there are some possible risks associated with new and emerging supplements that have not been on the market for long,  they are not exactly dangerous.

In fact, according to a recent study courtesy of the peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, there have been literally zero deaths at the hands of supplements. In this scenario, a supplement is being defined as “any amino-acid or single ingredient herbal product.” Said definition encompasses creatine, chondroitin, and melatonin to name but a few.

This information stems from a, to repeat, peer-reviewed, respected, and accurate medical journal entitled the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service. This is viable information from a valuable source that happens to disagree with the household name of the FDA. This information is being pulled from here. For further evidence and reading that that article actually pulls from, click here.

Now, of course some supplements can end up harnessing a negative impact on your body when taking too many at once. This sort of irresponsible consumption can be harmful in any regard though. If you exercise too much, you can become dehydrated. But if you drink too much water, you can develop water intoxication. If you stay out in the sun too long, you can develop skin cancer. It should honestly go without saying that too many supplements can be bad for you.

To be safe, one should always abide by the age-old idiom “everything in moderation.” Be responsible and take everything with a grain of salt even when that everything comes from the hand of authoritative sources like the Food and Drug Administration. Practice common sense. Practice rationality. There is no reason to go overboard when moderation will do the job just as well.

To be frank, something needed to be said considering the rampant negative publicity permeating the nutritional market today, especially when that negative publicity can become outright libel. Cheers friends. Have a good one.

Raising the Internal Thermostat

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Similar to your house’s thermostat which controls the internal temperature of your home, you have what I like to call an internal thermostat that controls how far you can go in achieving your goals, especially when it comes to your self image. You see, the way a thermostat works is that once you set it, for example, to 70 degrees, the thermostat will make sure that the temperature doesn’t deviate too far from that number. The same concept happens with our internal thermostat. Once we set a certain bar regarding how fit we can be, how much weight we can lose, or how successful we can be, we will never go higher or past that bar. In other words, that bar will limit our growth to whatever we set it, and that’s not good.

As a coach working in the fitness industry for 10+ years, I can attest to the fact that the number one factor that limits people’s transformation is how they perceive themselves and what they believe about themselves. The unfortunate reality is that most people see themselves in a negative light. They feel like they can only accomplish things to a certain point, but they don’t dare to go beyond those expectations. For example, when things become challenging, people’s natural tendency is to hyper-focus on the obstacle itself instead of focusing on the bigger picture – themselves as being overachievers who can and will overcome any obstacle. Moreover, people tend to settle for less because they simply don’t know how to change their self image. Committing to improving your health or losing weight can be tough, especially if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. Being disheartened by slow results or overwhelmed by confusing information is normal, I know. But don’t let that limit your expectations.

The key is to visualize yourself as achieving everything and anything you set out to do. Change whatever negative image you have of yourself and replace it with the right images, images that will motivate and inspire you to keep going. Make sure you don’t pigeonhole yourself into thinking you’ve gone as far as you can go and rise above and beyond that internal thermostat inside you. Remember, the sky’s the limit!

17 White Foods to Decrease Belly Fat

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In order to brush up on some of that nutrition knowledge, I attended a seminar where various dietitians and speakers contributed their professional opinions about maintaining a healthy diet, etc. Although most speakers were interesting, one dietician sparked my attention because she wants everyone of her clients to maintain a “no white food” diet in terms of processed food such as baked goods with a white flour base. Hopefully she hasn’t sworn off all white food, because cottage cheese and cauliflower are absolute gems in terms of beneficial health gains!

Even though the dietician is fair in swearing off white processed foods, there are a ton of white colored foods that are must-haves in order to decrease belly fat. And believe me, cottage cheese and cauliflower are only a few that can help in this department. There are a wide range of food sources from the dairy to the fish triangle of the food pyramid that work wonders for that belly. Some low carb veggies include but are not limited to parsnips, garlic, onions, mushrooms and turnips. Not to mention you can mix some of these up to reduce even more belly fat!

Also, white beans are a great source of insoluble fiber that yields a very low glycemic index or produces a low amount of blood sugar. Unlike overly processed white bread or cake, white beans actually maintain a healthy amount of blood sugar, while proving to be a super reliable source for protein. Some other great foods to consume for protein are dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt that overall offer probiotics galore. A total gem, right? Although most white fish is great for decreasing belly fat, there are four that you should not consume because of high levels of contamination–stay tuned to find out more!

 

Some Foods That Reduce Stomach Fat

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For decades, we have always been told that fat is simply “no good” for you and only causes weight gain among other negative results. Well, I’m here to tell you that there is no reason to view fatty foods poorly anymore. When looking at the food pyramid with grains as the foundational part of any “healthy diet,” it is clear that many times consuming an abundance of wheat actually causes high blood sugar. High blood sugar in turn results to poor insulin sensitivity, thus producing excessive abdominal fat accumulation which has the potential of becoming cyclical for many Americans.

When some people think of “fatty foods,” often times cake or a pastry comes to mind, but there are tons of foods high in natural fat that are loaded with vitamins and minerals. It is sometimes easy to overlook different produce that are a lot healthier for you, so I’m here to shed light on a few that you can start using in your day to day eating habits. The following fatty foods help to maintain a solid fat-burning hormone balance by replacing heavy, wheat foods (bagels, bread) with less processed food that make you feel great after a meal.

Some of our top “fatty foods” to reduce belly fat accumulation are: whole eggs, nuts (e.g., almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews), seeds (e.g., sunflower, pumpkin, flax, chia), avocado, olive oil, fatty fish (e.g., mackerel, tuna, salmon, trout), and coconut oil. Nuts are super high in natural fat and protien with low calories, fish has high omega 3 levels and avocado or olive oil contains minerals that help heart functions. Seeds such as flax or chia are key components in regulating your intestinal system and providing great amounts of energy, along with maintaining fullness after consumption. These foods will help to not only maintain an overall healthy day to day diet, but also help increase energy levels.

 

Lewis Howes Podcast – 8 Mental Shifts to Making $100 Million in Your Business

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I had the chance to record a podcast a few weeks ago with my good friend, Lewis Howes. We talked about my experience as an entrepreneur in the nutrition industry and outline 8 mental shifts that helped BioTrust become a $100 million company. Go ahead and take a listen!

http://lewishowes.com/podcast/josh-bezoni/