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.

My Arch Nemesis: Belly Fat

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Belly fat is stubborn, unsightly, and unwanted. We all want to be rid of it, but it’s always there, lurking, sagging, dragging us and our self-esteem down with it. Lucky for you, I have the knowledge, skills, and experience to eliminate your pouch and bring you out from beneath your belly fat’s shadow. Just take a look at these quick tips and be the person you always knew you could be:

Flaunt what you got!

One study suggests those who have a fruit bowl in their house weigh on average eight pounds less than those who don’t. While correlation may not mean causation, it does stand to reason those with more fruit on hand are more likely to snack on fruit as opposed to something unhealthy. Pro tip: keep two kinds of fruit on hand. That way, you don’t get sick of eating the same thing all the time!

Out of sight, out of mind.

The opposite of the above, hide unhealthy temptation. As they say, “out of sight, out of mind.” A separate study found individuals who had chips or cookies (junk food) immediately visible weighed about 10lbs more than those who didn’t. What’s even more surprising?

Those with cereal boxes visible generally weighed 21lbs more than those without such sugary snacks in eyesight. Soft drinks visible? Try 25lbs more!

Smaller plates.

Really, it’s honestly that simple. Use smaller plates and you’re bound to eat smaller portions, which means less food, and less food, as you can likely guess, means a smaller waistline. Clearly, food just being in front of us makes us far more likely to eat it. So with smaller plates, not only can we physically not serve larger portions, but we will be comfortable with the smaller meals in front of us.

9-10 inch plates are recommended. If you are currently using 12 inch plates, research suggests you will reduce portion size by an immense 22%. That’s nearly a quarter of your daily diet, just with plates! Take advantage.

Follow these tips and you’ll be strutting the along the sand in your newfound beach body in no time! Till next time!

The Real Reason You Can’t Lose Weight

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Sodium. We all know about it and we’ve all heard we eat too much of it; but what, really, is sodium? And why does it matter if we eat too much of it? Well, for one, sodium, plain and simple, is necessary for the body to function to properly. It plays a vital role in water balance, nerve function, and a whole array of various physiological functions that are of the utmost significance to our health. That said, we really only need a small amount—500 mg, in fact. To put that into perspective, you can get your daily amount of sodium from a serving of chips, crackers, canned food items, pickles, cheeses, pretzels, or even salted nuts. Even condiments like ketchup and salad dressings are packed to the brim with sodium.

Considering we get our daily intake from something as simple as a bag of pretzels, it is easy to see how so many Americans are consuming far too much sodium (like 4 to 5k on a daily basis); and we only need 500mg! Even being conservative, that means the majority of American adults are processing 8 times more sodium than they should be. Even the American Medical Association is speaking up and is trying to persuade the FDA to revoke their categorization of salt as a supposedly ‘safe’ additive. You can see why.

What’s really intriguing about all of this is the fact that salt is actually an incredibly addictive substance. So it makes sense that big food manufacturers would pump the stuff into their products. They want you to keep coming back. They don’t care about your expanding waistline, only their expanding pocketbook. To show you what I mean, there has been clinical research conducted that illustrates the fact that salt actually shares many of the same attributes of addictive substances (i.e. morphine, cocaine, and heroin). When we ingest these addictive substances, our brains release hormones that we perceive as pleasurable sensations. Thus, we keep coming back for more.

Additionally, a Finnish study that was published in 2006 concluded that there is a clear-cut link correlation salt intake and obesity. From the 1980s to the mid-1990s, Americans’ salt intake increased tremendously by more than 50%. Here’s why this fact really is such terrible news: a diet that with too much sodium is the leading cause of high blood pressure, which in turn leads to heart disease and stroke (which, shocker, are two diseases that go hand-in-hand with obesity).

When a man or woman has a high blood pressure reading of 140/85, their blood begins coagulating into a sort of salty sludge. Then, in reaction, their body will start dumping extra water into their bloodstream which results in the expansion of blood vessels—indicating any number of potentially fatal problems. Well, now that I’ve established too much sodium is awful for you, here’s what you can do to mitigate the effects:

-Consumer fewer processed foods

-Choose fresh or frozen veggies, not canned

-Purchase fresh meats, not canned, cured or smoked

-Ask about unsalted meals at restaurants

-Opt for low sodium versions of soups and snacks

-Choose foods that don’t list salt or sodium in the first five ingredients

-Use a salt-free herbal blend instead of a traditional salt shaker

Good luck, Godspeed, and stay healthy! Cheers!

 

Fat-Causing Condiments

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Sweet N’ Low. Trans Fats. MSG. They’re making you fat. Of course, they are on nearly anything and everything that’s edible, and so they can be difficult to get away from; not to mention, their nutritious value (or lack thereof) is largely neglected as a whole in the mainstream media, making them easy to neglect and forget. Yet, theses additives are there and are taking their toll, primarily in three different ways:

  1.  Two of these additives hinder the release of a hormone, leptin, which is responsible for telling your brain when you are full.
  2.  Other obesity additives actually increase your fat content by transforming how our bodies absorb and utilize calories. How do they do this? Insulin. When these additives increase insulin, a fat-storing insulin, your calories are converted to fat rather than as energy for you muscles.
  3. Additional additives, believe it or not, change chemicals in our brain known as “neurotransmitters” to make us addicted to them, just like a serious drug.

In light of the harm these additives can cause to your weight loss and fitness journey, I have elected to put together a list of the absolute worse additives that you should remove immediately from your diet:

–Stripped Carbohydrates: Basically sugar, flour, enriched white flour, white flour, glucose, high fructose corn syrup (aka HFCS), and sucrose among others.

–Artificial Sweeteners: NutraSweet (aspartame), Sunette (acesulfame K), & Sweet ‘N Low (saccharin)

–Added caffeine: Soda or energy drinks like Red Bull. Of course, a few cups of green tea or coffee are nothing to worry about.

–Trans Fats: As I’m sure you’ve heard, trans fats are not good for you. They should be cut immediately, and are generally listed “partially hydrogenated oils”

–MSG: MSG also falls under this umbrella of undesirable additives. It is often described as “monosodium glutamate”.

–Extra Alcohol: If you need to, limit it to one or two drinks a week.

–Extra Salt: Often found in chips, crackers, canned food, pickles, different cheeses, pretzels, condiments, and salted nuts, extra salt is a silent killer you should try to avoid at all costs.

Well, now that I’ve told you what you can’t eat, let me tell what you can eat:

Heinz Organic Tomato Ketchup is a great option over other more traditional ketchup options. Why? It doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup.
Curley’s Famous Hot and Spicy Barbecue Sauce is awesome because it doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup or MSG.
Newman’s Own is a fantastic salad dressing line since many of its options lack excess sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
Lucini’s Hearty Artichoke Tomato Sauce has a measly 230 mg of sodium in each serving and less than a gram of sugar, which is literally less than 1/10th that of the more popular Prego’s Italian Sauce Traditional.
McCormick’s Original Taco Seasoning is a great option for adding some flavor to those shelled pieces of deliciousness because it has no trans fats, otherwise know as hydrogenated oils.

These are just a few options you can use to better your diet, make the transformation you dream of, and lose the weight you want gone. For even more information, go to this article. That’s it for now. All the best!

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.

 

 

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!

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!