Your Summer Fitness Plan Starts Now

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Josh Bezoni- Your Summer Fitness Plan Starts Now

If you’re lounging on your couch with a potato chip midway to your mouth, reading that headline in fear, let me assure you that you have nothing to worry about. That statement is not intended to instill fear, but rather to inspire you to start getting fit now so that you can have the body you want by summer.

As the days start getting longer and warmer, with the official start of summer only a little over a month away, you’ve surely heard talk of people expressing concern about fitting into their swimsuits and achieving the perfect beach body. Most people, when nervous about something, shrink away from it rather than attacking it at the root. Don’t abandon your fitness goals just because they seem impossible to achieve. If you put in the work and follow this eight-week workout plan, you can have the body you want this summer. And yes, by work, I mean working out. Dieting alone won’t cut it. However, if you acknowledge upfront that your goals are going to take some work, it makes them more approachable. Plus, you can rest assured that if you take these steps seriously, you’ll be rewarded in the end for all your hard work.

Before diving into the fitness part of this plan, you’ll need to take some time identifying your goals and developing a nutrition plan. Figure out why you want to achieve these goals, exactly how much weight you want to lose or muscle you want to gain, and break your goals down by week.

Then, if you want to make sure your diet compliments your fitness goals, keep tabs not just on what you’re eating, but how much and how often. It’s easy to avoid overeating if you practice time-restricted feeding (TRF). TRF may sound a little intimidating, but it’s not about starving yourself, but rather keeping all of your eating within a specified window of time. You should try to keep your three main meals of the day within a 6-8 hour time frame, meaning if you eat breakfast at 9am, you should have your last meal of the day no later than 5pm. If you get hungry outside of this timeframe, you can always have light, healthy snacks to tide you over.

Portion control is another key consideration; make sure you’re consuming the right amounts of protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and smart carbs. Your daily protein intake should be roughly the size of your palm, healthy fats should be no more than the size of your thumb, limit yourself to one smart carb (like sweet potatoes, brown rice, or quinoa) per day, and eat as many vegetables as you’d like.

The third and most important step in your journey to getting fit in time for beach season is an eight-week fitness plan. Not everyone has the same abilities, so only take on what you can manage. In general though, start small and work your way up to a more rigorous routine. Each week should incorporate both cardio and weight training. How often you workout will depend upon how much you can handle, but aim for 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week. In your first week, aim for two full-body workouts separated by a cardio day. As you progress in your training, ramp up the intensity. Try 45 minutes of cardio starting in the third week and gradually increase the weights in your full-body workout.

That’s it! If you work hard to stick to your fitness goals for eight weeks, there’s nothing keeping you from flaunting a toned, muscular body on the beach. For a more detailed breakdown of the exercises you can do in your workout sessions, visit the original blog on BioTRUST.com.

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.

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…

Great Foods That Alleviate Stress

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Being a human being is a difficult task, especially when you have stress from work, family, friends or other external circumstances that have a negative affect on how you operate sometimes. But, there is some awesome news–believe it or not, there are some foods out there that actually help with stress. You heard me right! Healthy, delicious food that will make you feel better about whatever forms of stress are affecting your day to day life.

Oatmeal

In addition to being an awesome insoluble fiber (lowers cholesterol and overall glycemic index), oatmeal is a great start to decrease stress. This breakfast food is a healthy choice to decrease belly fat while using serotonin for a calming solution to sooth any anxiety.

Oranges

German researchers found that consuming Vitamin C actually reduces elevations in cortisol, which is the most common stress hormone in your body. Oranges are also awesome for maintaining your system’s immune system and fighting sickness.

Salmon

Omega-3 anyone? Fish like salmon is a great nutritional source to reduce stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline from increasing when faced with a situation that really gets under your skin. A study at Ohio State University highlighted the fact that omega-3 fatty acids decrease anxiety by 20%. Pass that fish over!

Avocados

Due to their high potassium content, avocados have been shown to help reduce stress-related high blood pressure. These creamy gems contain more potassium than bananas–who would have thought right?

Broccoli

Broccoli contains folic acid, a vitamin that has been proven to reduce not only stress,  but also anxiety, panic, and depression. Not to mention that there are also a great source fiber any time of day.

Almonds

Nothing says relief like almonds, right? These gems are loaded with a ton of vitamins that increase serotonin to help relieve stress or anxiety.The zinc and magnesium combination in these nuts has been shown shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and improving its overall quality. I mean no one wants to fall asleep at their desk in their morning, right?

Blueberries

Loaded with antioxidants, blueberries are also rich in Vitamin C and also help reduce elevations in cortisol. These berries not only taste delicious, but also have a very low glycemic index which is a great plus!

 

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.

 

Here’s Why You Should Invest in a Heart Rate Monitor

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With colorful little step-tracker gadgets currently dominating the fitness industry, it may seem like heart rate monitors are another mere trend for those starting out in fitness. Sure, they are a good tool for those just picking up some form of exercise, especially running, but are they necessary?

The short answer is no. Obviously, you can still work out and even get fit without a heart rate monitor. However, you may not be getting the most out of each exercise session. This is where heart rate monitors can come in handy.

With a heart rate monitor, you will know your resting heart rate, and can easily discover your maximum heart rate by wearing a monitor while going all out during a workout. In between these two extremes are the numbers you want to focus on. Wearing a heart rate monitor during a less intense workout can help you determine your low intensity heart rate. Conversely, wearing a heart rate monitor during a high intensity workout will give you information on how high your heart rate should be during those more intense exercise days. Once collected, these numbers can be used to optimize your exercise schedule and each individual workout, no matter what fitness level you are at.

For example, let’s say you’re a runner. Heart rate recommendations for fitness runners can help beginners build endurance, and help more experienced runners not slack off during their run. If you’re more of a high intensity interval training type of athlete, you can make sure your heart rate goes to a recommended level during your reps, and does not drop below a recommended resting recovery level. You will find that you’re pushing yourself harder than you ever have before, because a heart rate monitor allows no excuses. Also, in the event that you’re worried about your heart rate going above a certain level, you can make sure it stays steady with a monitor.

Overall, heart rate monitors have the ability to make workouts more efficient and effective. For more information on how to decide on a heart rate monitor, and for heart rate fitness recommendations, check out this great article by REI.

Below, I’ve attached three suggestions of my favorite monitors. Go hard, athletes!

 

How You Are Doing Your Weekly Weigh-In Wrong…and How To Fix It

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weight loss scaleTracking weight loss is a crucial part of ensuring that your hard work to improve your lifestyle is more than just an empty exercise in discipline, but actually yielding results. However, you may be surprised to learn that the information the scale volunteers is far from stagnant! A recent study by the Public Library of Science concluded that some days are statistically proven to be more reliable indicators of your progress than others. Sound crazy? Just read on to learn the very reasonable truth behind this shocking discovery.

However, there are certainly details to consider about weight data collection overall, first. One truth to always remember is that weight will always naturally fluctuate day-to-day. As a result, most experts will agree that weekly check-ins are more than just enough, they are actually preferable to checking your weight daily. Weighing yourself just once a week is much more illustrative of trends in the right (or wrong) direction. Doing so daily may just serve to discourage you, as you obsess over the natural ebb and flow of progress.

Checking your weight once a week, ideally first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything, will provide a much truer sense of your results and better consistency. The surprising additional finding in this study was that, when weighing yourself once every seven days, the day you pick actually matters.

The best day to weigh yourself is Wednesday.

The Public Library of Science discovered a few things. First ,when maintaining weight, Wednesday revealed the least weekly fluctuation, creating the most reliable readings. Wednesday also proved to be the day when study participants happened to weight the least week over week, which does make sense. People tend to indulge slightly more over the weekend, so weighing in right in the middle of the stretch between Sunday and Saturday give your the most time to get back into your body’s best form.

Weigh yourself and log your progress just once a week, on Wednesday morning, before doing anything else. This will paint the most accurate picture of your progress towards your best body ever.

Three Foods You Are Eating ALL Wrong

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One of the most foundational truths about losing weight and improving your health is that you need more than just exercise – nutrition is key. Choosing the right kinds of foods to put into your body very heavily determines the quality of fuel on which you run and how your body composition will (or won’t) change for the better. Every person truly committed to living a fit lifestyle should understand the critical importance of consuming appropriately sized servings of healthy, whole foods. However, when it comes to food, what you eat is not the only crucial variable to consider – how you eat it can matter as well.

Obviously, deep frying all your vegetables or downing your salads in high-fat dressings are both extreme examples of how food preparation can transform a great meal into a diet disaster. However, there are also lesser-known realities that even the most vigilant cook might not be aware is trashing the nutritional value of their eating habits. Here are three things you should know about how to eat otherwise very healthy foods.

Image of whole strawberries

Do Not Slice Your Strawberries

When you pre-slice strawberries, you are unknowingly working against yourself. The fat-burning vitamin within the fruit is actually eroded by oxygen exposure. Essentially, the longer the fruit sits slice with its vitamin-rich interior exposed to air, the less healthy and able to torch fat that it becomes. The best way to eat a nice, juicy strawberry is to just bit into it whole. Otherwise, wait to slice them up until you are ready to eat them immediately afterwards. Just be sure you do not slice and then store them, eating the fruit slowly over time. That method is guaranteed to diminish the strawberry’s fat-burning ability.

Image of Greek yogurt

There Is Whey In Greek Yogurt Water

Greek yogurt has recently become a health food staple for conscious eaters all around the country. Renowned for its ability to marry the probiotic benefits of yogurt with an especially poignant punch of additional protein, Greek yogurt certainly brings a ton of nutritional value to the table. However, when most consumers peel back their yogurt lids and find the “water” that settles on top, they are liable to just presume this is excess moisture and dump it into the trash or down the sink. However, that “water” is so much more than just that – it is actually whey protein jam-packed with amino acids, calcium, and vitamins. Do not dump it! The right way to eat Greek yogurt means mixing that watery whey back into the yogurt beneath it and really reaping the benefits of Greek yogurt’s fat-burning prowess.

Image of cooked tomatoes

Cooking Brings Out More Than The Tomato’s Flavor

In many cases, fruits and vegetables offer more nutritional value if they are eaten raw, as opposed to cooked. Cooking sometimes burns off some vitamin and mineral content. However, this is certainly not the case when it comes to tomatoes. Tomatoes are loaded with a phytonutrient called lycopene, which offers many positive health benefits. Cooking actually increases the concentration of lycopene in tomatoes, so go ahead and heat them up before enjoying your meal!

99% of People Thwarted By This #1 Cause of a Slow Metabolism

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These days, nearly everyone is looking to improve their lifestyle. Whether your goal is to lose weight or to improve on your fitness some other way, the fact of that matter is that millions of Americans are working hard to earn a better body. Unfortunately, there is one simple thing that is impeding nearly every single fitness enthusiast’s progress. What is it? The answer may astound you. The #1 cause of a slow metabolism is dieting – especially “crash dieting.”

This type of dieting involved adopting an extreme life change in regards to caloric intake over a very short period of time. Often, people begin a lifestyle change with a large amount of enthusiasm, so it is tempting to make a dramatic shift. However, extreme dieting can have very negative consequences.

This might seem somewhat counterintuitive to most people, but the science does not lie. Both crash dieting and chronic dieting inevitably demolish your metabolic rate, a fact that has been illustrated in a number of studies published by Metabolism, a prestigious research journal.

A research team at Rockefeller University led by the widely-respected expert, Dr. Rudolph Leibel, compared the metabolisms of people who lost weight through extended periods of chronic dieting and/or “crash dieting” to those who had maintained a normal weight. They found that the metabolisms of those who lost weight were as much as 25% lower than those who had not gained or lost a meaningful amount of weight in the past. In fact, the dieter group had so severely altered their metabolisms that their metabolic weights were slower than normal-weight individuals as much as two-thirds their size.

Similarly, a study by Dr. Campbell at the University of Vienna also showed significantly decreased levels of metabolic, fat-burning hormones after “crash dieting.” the participants in this study displayed thyroid levels that had dropped by a whopping 38% after only 2 weeks of consuming an extremely low-calorie diet. A different study by Dr. Gloria Dubuc and the nutrition research team at the University of California-Davis revealed a 50% decrease in the body’s primary metabolic hormone, leptin, after only a week of a following a severely reduced-calorie diet.

Obviously, extreme dieting in any form can have serious consequences to your body composition. As such, every fitness enthusiast needs to be wary when altering their lifestyle. Irresponsible dieting may very well end up doing more damage than good in the long run.