Eating Out & Staying Healthy- A Restaurant Guide To Healthy Eating

In this the second installment of our Eating Out Guide, we cover by cuisine some great tips for making healthy choices while eating out at restaurants. (If you haven’t already, you can read the first installment here). Choices that allow you the pleasure and convenience of being able to order food without the concern that eating out will cause you to forsake your goal of eating healthy and getting into shape. The guides are organized by cuisine and include practical and easy to understand rules for everything from American to Thai cuisine. Use it as a handy way to make better choices while eating out and be sure to book mark it or print it out for future reference. An ebook version of this blog post will be available in the near future to all newsletter subscribers, complete with actual sample menu selections so if you have not already done so please feel free to join my mailing list here. Thanks in advance for reading my blog posts and I hope this guide helps you enjoy the important social act of eating out.

Eating Out & Staying In Shape- Restaurant Cuisine Rules for Healthy Eating

There is such a wide variety of different cuisines to choose from when you eat out. Each has a range of dishes that you can order with little in the way of guilt but you have to know the rules. Sometimes there are things that you have no control over, like sodium levels. Many restaurants pre-season their foods so they can’t always accommodate you by whipping up a salt free version, but at higher end establishments I’ve found them almost always willing to do just that. The following guides will help you navigate the maze of many different food choices from different cuisines. I couldn’t fit them all but just about most of the main ones are covered. The rules apply to just about every type of food known to man in the first place. They are categorized so you can skip ahead to the cuisine you are interested in learning about but do take the time to read them all as each contain valuable lessons on how making better choices in terms of your food. Here is the list of cuisines covered:

American Cuisine

Chinese Cuisine

French Cuisine

Health Food & Organic Cuisine

Indian  Cuisine

Italian Cuisine

Japanese Cuisine (Highly Recommended)

Mediterranean Cuisine

Mexican Cuisine

Thai Cuisine

Spanish Cuisine

 American Cuisine- Eating Out & Staying Healthy At American Restaurants

The steak is fine but the fries are a no-no.

American cuisine is an incredibly diverse culinary set of foods that range from barbequed meats to pies and seafood plates. Given the wonderfully different traditions (from New England clam chowder to California rolls) that create what we know today as American cuisine, it’s hard to narrow it down to a couple of foods.  Nevertheless there are some recommendations as to what you should and shouldn’t eat if you are trying to keep your calories in check when eating at American themed establishments. The great part about American cuisine is the meats and seafood.  You usually can’t go wrong with any such selections if you get a vegetable dish or salad to go with it. Steakhouse standards are usually fine as are grilled selections- shrimp included if it isn’t smothered in butter. Ribs are usually okay if you only have them very infrequently and even then it’s only a good idea if it isn’t smothered in sugary barbecue sauce- which for most takes the fun out of eating it in the first place. Common side orders in many restaurants are home cut fries and they are best avoided due to their high fat, sodium and calorie content. Selections that come with bread like hamburgers are fine as long as they aren’t loaded with salt and you leave the bread on the side. If you can get a leaner meat like bison for your burgers that makes it even better. It goes without saying that the obviously unhealthy additions like mayonnaise are a no-no and the same goes for most commercial forms of ketchup which are high in high fructose corn syrup and sugar. American cuisine is known for its dessert selections- apple pie, cheesecake, ice cream and the like and as we mentioned in the first part of the guide dessert is best avoided unless it’s fruit. Not great news, I know but it is the easiest way to stay on track. The practice of only having a small bit doesn’t help you learn how to appreciate foods that aren’t overly sweet which is an important lesson that you need to learn in order to be successful long term in controlling your weight and maintaining good health.

American Cuisine Rules For Staying In Shape

• Ask for sauces on the side, have appetizers only if you are going to be active later or if it is earlier in the day.
• If it’s fried skip it unless it’s all they have. If you must eat fried chicken remove the skin before eating it.
• If you must have an appetizer stick with salads without dressing  or cheese added or protein foods like chicken, fish, etc that preferably aren’t fried.
• Have water as your main drink- you’ll save a lot of calories that way and skip the wine list and the beer! If you must have something to drink make it an unsweetened ice tea.
• Don’t overdo it. If you eat too much of anything, even the healthiest items on the menu you can consume enough extra calories that will go right to your midsection. Always keep 1/3 of your stomach empty (especially at buffet type restaurants) and think in terms of having a quality dining experience and enjoying your food instead of eating to the point of being full.
• Learn to do without dessert if they don’t have fruit on the menu.  The taste for sweets is learned and like anything you learned it can be unlearned over time if you keep trying.
• Enjoy yourself!

Chinese Cuisine-  Healthy Eating Out At Chinese Restaurants

It’s important to note that most of what passes for Chinese food here in the United States is actually American cuisine created by Chinese immigrants who migrated to the country and formulated recipes that would be appealing to the American public. Since they are just about everywhere, we will cover these selections as well as the traditional Chinese fares which for the most part fall into different categories based on what part of China the food comes from. Cantonese cuisine is on the most popular when traditional Chinese food comes to mind and it consists of range of edible meats including duck, chicken as well as more exotic choices like organ meats, chicken feet, snails and frogs. As alien as many of these foods may be to Western taste buds, they are actually not bad from a health point of view. Cantonese foods tend to be steamed, shallow fried, boiled, braised or deep fried and with the exception of the fried foods everything  else tends to be good choices as long as the sauces stay on the side.

Dim Sum- which means ‘touch your heart’ and refers to a series of small different dishes that give you an opportunity to taste several different foods. Picks include rice based dishes, dumplings, buns with different meats inside, stir fried vegetables and soups. As much as the choices may not always be ideal calorie wise for someone trying to lose weight, the dishes are pretty small and if you stick to the foods that are freshest and not fried, you should be okay – as long as you don’t overdo it and keep the sauces on the side.

Other regional Chinese cuisines are Hunan which is usually spicy foods that are either stewed, roasted, braised or smoked with an array of vegetables and spices and Szechuan which uses a lot of garlic and peppers in addition to peanuts, sesame pastes and ginger for flavoring.

Chinese Cuisine Rules For Staying In Shape

• Ask for sauces on the side, have appetizers only if you are going to be active later or if it is earlier in the day.
• Choose grilled and steamed dishes over fried ones. Chicken, fish, shrimp, duck and even choices typically thought of as unhealthy such as beef and pork are fine in moderation as long as it isn’t fried or swimming in a high sodium and high fat sauce.
• ‘Crispy’ means fried so avoid anything on the menu in this category.
• If you can try to stay away from the more American Chinese food dishes like fried rice, General Tso’s Chicken, fried noodles and sweet and anything with sweet and sour sauce.
• Load up on the many vegetable based dishes that are always a part of Chinese Cuisine.
• Have water as your main drink- and feel free to have some green tea if it is provided while you wait for your meal. It actually does have some mild fat burning qualities.
• Don’t overdo it. Think in terms of having a quality dining experience and not paying to fill your stomach to the point of bursting.
• Learn to do without dessert. They serve some orange slices at the end of a meal at real Chinese restaurants (along with a fortune cookie that you will carry home for the kids) and that should be more than enough!
• Enjoy yourself!

French Cuisine- Eating Out & Staying Healthy At French Restaurants

There are lots of healthy options at French restaurants

Given that my better half hails from Paris and that I majored in French when I was in school, it goes without saying that I have a soft spot for French cuisine. Most would immediately think that all French foods are unhealthy as images of wines and cheeses with rich meats and extensive desserts tend to come to mind when French cuisine is mentioned, but there are many healthy selections. As I mentioned in the first installment of the Eating Out Guide- if you believe that there is nothing healthy on the menu you are far more likely to not see the healthy choices that are right before your eyes and here we will dispel the myth that all French food is bad for your waistline.

At French restaurants there is always a wide variety of meats and vegetables and usually all you have to do is to have the sauces on the side. French sauces are a wonderfully rich and flavorful tradition that gives signature luxuriance to the meals found at French restaurants. That being said most Americans don’t realize that the average French person doesn’t eat what you would find in a restaurant on a regular basis in the same way everyone in Italy doesn’t eat pasta every day.

There are many different regional differences to French cuisine but for the most part you can always find something that won’t make you go overboard calorie wise. Salads and vegetables are always available as appetizers as and make excellent starting choices. As for entrees, seafood is always on the menu as are grilled meats ranging from different kinds of poultry to beef, lamb and rabbit. In moderation, any such protein foods are fine as long as they aren’t lathered in sauce. For dessert fruit salads are often available and one of the best aspects of French cuisine is that the portions are not usually as astronomical as American cuisine which makes it much easier to not overdo it.

French Cuisine Rules For Staying In Shape

• Ask for sauces on the side whenever possible.
• Have appetizers only if you are going to be active later or if it is earlier in the day unless you can get a salad, some vegetables or a low fat protein food of some sort.
• Have water not wine as your main drink- you’ll save a lot of calories that go a long way in ensuring that your liver isn’t burdened with having to break down the alcohol in your bloodstream so it can carry out one of its key functions which is to metabolize your fat stores!
• Don’t overdo it. One of the central tenets of French cuisine is the act of enjoying your meal in very much the same way you would enjoy music or a work of art. Think in terms of having a quality dining experience and savoring what is on your plate without trying to fill your stomach to the point of bursting.
• Have fruit for dessert if it is available and if not then learn to do without it. Not having dessert ever killed anyone while one would find it hard to argue the contrary.
• Enjoy yourself!

Health Food & Organic Cuisine- Eating Out & Staying Healthy At Health Food & Organic Restaurants

Smoothies, juices and protein shakes are common items at health food restaurants but they aren't necessarily healthy.

Today, there are a number of restaurant popping up that claim ‘Health Food’ as their cuisine type and as is the case with all things in the world of men, some are better than others. The good ones aren’t simply well dressed fast food restaurants but use whole and unprocessed ingredients and organic fruits, vegetables and meats. Good health food restaurants also won’t have much in the way of fried foods, but a large selection of grilled, steamed and baked dishes, usually made from scratch.

The good news is that at such a restaurant you can usually get whatever you like made to order without the extra sodium you’ll tend to find as standard in most regular restaurants and that you’ll have a nice variety of choices. The bad news is that just because it comes from a health food restaurant doesn’t mean that the food you are getting is going to help you with your goal to get in shape. Many offer lower calorie versions of junk food that are still far too high in calories, sugars or fats to qualify as a healthy choice. Low fat pizza, smoothies, protein shakes, muffins and the like shouldn’t be your selections regardless of how many  healthy adjectives are used to describe it on the menu. Similarly, with lower fat foods like chicken breasts, bison and hummus be careful if it comes with bread of any kind as it can be a source of some unwanted calories- even if it is in the form of a thin wrap. Remember as well that the laws of thermodynamics always apply and won’t changes because the restaurant has a reputation as a great place for healthy meals. If you overeat anything it can make you fat, so go easy on the portion sizes and enjoy the wider selection of guilt free choices at healthy food joints in moderation.

Health Food Cuisine Rules For Staying In Shape

• Many healthy food restaurants still serve foods with sauces so always make a point to ask for them on the side or have your order without them.
• Have appetizers only if you are going to be active later or if it is earlier in the day unless you can get a salad, some vegetables or a low fat protein food of some sort.
• Have water not protein shakes! They aren’t natural foods and you are better off without them! (Read my article on protein shakes here)
• Skip the smoothies and the vegetable juices- even if it is freshly blended. You wouldn’t eat 12 carrots at one sitting, so what is natural about drinking that many in a vegetable juice? Our bodies are designed to eat fruit and vegetables- not drink them, as the fiber will help us not overeat them or have a large insulin spike in response to their sugar content. Smoothies and juices don’t have those qualities and can make it easy to overindulge and have some extra layers packed around your stomach.
• Don’t overdo it. Just because the food is organic/fresh or healthy doesn’t give you free reign to eat until you are stuffed. On the contrary with lower fat foods you have to always make a point to stop yourself as you will naturally want to eat more of it to make up for the smaller calorie and fat count. The rule of thumb is to keep one third of your stomach always empty and you should be fine as long as you are only consuming solid foods.
• Enjoy yourself!

Indian Cuisine- Eating Out & Staying Healthy At Indian Restaurants

Curried dishes can be a great choice when eating out at Indian restaurants

Aside from the fact that my great-great grandfather came from India, Indian foods are very much staples back in Trinidad where I grew up and I have a strong fondness for curries and other Indian dishes. Like many Asian cuisines, many think of Indian foods as a bit of a splurge diet wise, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Curries for the most part are actually pretty innocuous as far as calories go and are a simple and delightful way to add flavor to foods when you are dieting and trying to lose weight. The ingredients of cumin, coriander and turmeric are not only sodium free but also very low in calories and are fine additions to both meat and vegetable dishes. While most of the selections thus far offer quite a number of choices for carnivores, Indian cuisines have many more picks for those wishing to avoid meat. You will always have a wealth of vegetable plates to choose from.

Like many cooking styles Indian cuisine has a variety of different regional variations and ways of preparing their meals, but for the most part the staples  are rice, lentils, mung beans, split peas, an unleavened bread like dishes such as roti and naan and a variety of vegetables. Northern Indian cuisines use peanut oils to cook their foods, while coconut oil and milk are more popular in the west and the south. Tandoori barbecued meats are common in northern Indian cuisines along with an ample range of spices and herbs. Ghee is an important part of Indian cooking and is derived from butter. It is very high in fat and modern versions are made with hydrogenated vegetable oil and should be avoided as much as possible. You can’t really go wrong with many of the items on the menu of a traditional Indian restaurant as long as you keep the sauces to a minimum- although as I said before curries are usually fine. Naan bread and roti are okay if eaten in moderation and only before you are going to do some form of exercise or activity. If it is later in the day it would be wise to skip it.

Indian Cuisine Rules For Staying In Shape

• Ask for sauces on the side, have appetizers only if you are going to be active later or if it is earlier in the day.
• Choose protein foods as appetizers, especially if you are going to be eating a lot of carbohydrate type foods such as naan and roti with your entrée.
• Have water as your main drink- you’ll save a lot of calories that way.
• Don’t overdo it. Think in terms of having a quality dining experience and not paying to fill your stomach to the point of bursting.
• Learn to do without dessert. Like anything else, the taste for sweets is learned and anything learned can be unlearned with time.
• Enjoy yourself!

Italian Cuisine- A Guide To Eating Out & Staying Healthy At Italian Restaurants

Spaghetti isn't the only dish served at Italian restaurants- there are lots of healthy choices

First and foremost it should be noted that Italian cuisine isn’t only pizza and pasta. Both are on the verboten list of most trying to get into shape but it really isn’t representative of the extremely healthy and varied choices available at finer Italian restaurants. Pasta is cause for concern calorie wise as it is not too far away from being a simple sugar and has very little in the way of fiber to prevent a major insulin spike when you eat it. The lack of fiber also makes it hard for you to know when you have eaten too much as you probably have already gone far overboard by the time you start feeling full. Add to that the high calorie and high fat sauces and cheese and you are indeed looking at a perfect recipe for extra notched on your belt- but Italian foods aren’t only about pasta.

Here in New York there are more Italian restaurants than any other individual ethnic cuisine, and more often than not the more expensive the restaurant the more variety away from pasta and pizza dishes you’ll see. At any reputable Italian restaurant you’ll always have a great selection of salads and vegetables- especially as an appetizer. For main courses seafood is usually a safe bet with any sauces on the side so you can add it later if you so choose to do so, most of the poultry and meat plates are reasonable choices as well. Give all the cheeses a wide berth and do the same for the rich sauces and you will always be fine.

Italian Cuisine Rules For Staying In Shape

• Ask for sauces on the side, have appetizers only if you are going to be active later or if it is earlier in the day.
• Choose protein foods as appetizers.
• Have water as your main drink- you’ll save a lot of calories that way.

•  Stay away from the pasta, but embrace the seafood

• Don’t overdo it. Think in terms of having a quality dining experience and not paying to fill your stomach to the point of bursting.
• Learn to do without dessert. Like anything else, the taste for sweets is learned and anything learned can be unlearned with time.
• Enjoy yourself! (Seeing a trend here?)

 Japanese Cuisine- Eating Out & Staying Healthy At Japanese Restaurants

Japanese restaurants offer some of the best choices for healthy eating out.

Japanese food has been a staple in my diet ever since I moved to New York. In terms of cuisine, it is usually the easiest place to find healthy and wholesome foods that are in line with my diet. So much so that I have a bit of a mantra- whenever in doubt- go Japanese! With such a wide assortment of fresh fish, vegetables and sashimi you simply can’t go wrong if you know what to get.

The first rule of thumb for eating out or getting takeout from a Japanese restaurant is to order sashimi and not sushi. Sushi is made with rice and can often contain unwanted levels of sodium and added sugars whereas sashimi is simply raw fish. While there is no such thing as a perfect food- raw fish certainly fits the bill as a good low calorie and high protein food that will not only fill you up but ensure that you aren’t taking in any added sugars, salt or additives. You can also add some wasabi and ginger for some added flavor without any guilt as they are both very low in calories. You can have sashimi at any time of the day and it gives you an eating out option even on the strictest phase of any diet. My personal training clients have thrived on it for years with great results but as good as sashimi may be, all things must be eaten in moderation. You can overeat anything if you aren’t too careful and be mindful of the mercury levels of some of the bigger fishes used in sashimi, like salmon and tuna. Having it once in a while is fine, but not but not every day. Apart from sashimi, traditional Japanese restaurants offer a plethora of other great choices with meals that cater easily to vegetarians as well. Getting to the other items on the menu at Blue Ribbon Sushi there is truly a huge selection of plates that fall into the good food category. You will always be on track if you have a vegetable based appetizer with the sauces on the side but be wary of the use of soy sauce- which is extremely high in sodium and not what I would consider a part of any healthy food list. Miso soup contains a lot of sodium and soy as well, which I advise people to either avoid completely or eat in very small amounts and you are better off having a salad for starters anyway.

For main courses, you can have sushi on occasion if it is for lunch or you plan on being active afterwards. A general rule during the week is to have rice dishes on days you exercise or plan on being really active and have vegetables on the off days when you won’t need as much energy. All of the seafood, poultry, vegetable and meat selections are usually fine as long as they are not fried- which eliminates the tempura dishes. Teriyaki dishes as well should be given a wide berth as they contain soy sauce, sake or mirin, as well as high levels of sugar or honey. Instead go for the steamed dishes and ask for any sauces to be either not brought with your meal or placed on the side. To summarize, Japanese restaurants are prime locations for anyone looking to eat healthy but be sure to check the Health Inspection Grades and the reputation of the restaurant you go to if you are going to have sashimi or sushi. Having raw fish that isn’t kept at the proper temperatures or prepared correctly can cause severe illness- so don’t pick up your sushi or sashimi at the supermarket- especially in summer! Stick with the choices only from reputable Japanese restaurants.

Japanese Cuisine Rules For Staying In Shape

• Ask for sauces on the side, have appetizers only if you are going to be active later or if it is earlier in the day.
• Choose protein foods and vegetables as your appetizers, as most Japanese restaurant menus offer a wide range of them.
• Skip the sake and have water as your main drink- you’ll save a lot of calories that way and have no regrets!
• Don’t overdo it. Even though foods like sashimi are low in calories you can still overeat. Think in terms of having a quality dining experience and not paying to fill your stomach to the point of bursting.
• If they don’t serve fresh fruit then skip the dessert. Like anything else, the taste for sweets is learned and anything learned can be unlearned with time.
• Enjoy yourself!

Mediterranean Cuisine- A Guide To Eating Out & Staying Healthy At Mediterranean Restaurants

Hummus is fine when eaten in moderation

Thanks to the commercial success of many of the Mediterranean diet books most of us are aware that the emphasis on seafood, beans vegetables and olive oil and garlic infused meals create healthy items on any menu. One of the problems is that it is hard to define Mediterranean cuisine as a whole as it encompasses so many countries- from the African Middle Eastern countries like Egypt and Tunisia to Israeli, Greek and even French and Italian cuisines. That being said most Mediterranean restaurants here in the United States tend to have what many would term Middle Eastern food- but appellations aside they do offer great healthy choices for eating out or ordering in.

Hummus is perhaps one of the standards these days for many eating at Mediterranean restaurants and it is a spread made from made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. The sodium content can sometimes be high but at higher end restaurants it tends to be a bit lower. Hummus is a great food choice that’s high in fiber and protein but you must be aware that it isn’t a low calorie food and it is easy to overdo it. Usually used as a dip with pita bread or with  falafel, grilled chicken, fish or eggplant. Aside from falafel- which is a deep fried patty made from chickpeas or fava beans- having hummus with the other selections is fine. Combined with pita it creates a complete protein for anyone following the vegetarian route but be aware as well that pita bread does come with some added calories and can be easy to overeat. I usually recommend that people avoid breads altogether but if you must have it then do so in moderation. Other hallmarks of Mediterranean cuisine are variety of lamb, goat, yogurts and cheeses. Most restaurants have roasted meats on the menu which are always good choices but the cheeses and yogurts should be on the side if you want to keep your diet in check. There are also an assortment of vegetable dishes- okra, lentil pilafs, eggplant and wheat germ plates that are fantastic foods for anyone not wanting to eat meat. As good as the food may be, do keep in mind that you can overeat anything- so be vigilant of your portion sizes and get all sauces on the side so you can be in control of how much of it you eat- if any.

Mediterranean  Food Rules For Staying In Shape

• Go easy on the hummus and have it with grilled chicken, fish, eggplants or vegetables instead of with pita breads.
• Ask for all sauces and yogurts on the side
• Goat cheese is still cheese so skip it if you want to keep your calories in check.
• Choose grilled foods over fried ones. Lamb and goat are fine from time to time as long as you don’t overdo your portions.
• Stock up on the array of vegetable plates.
• Keep in mind the time of the day- feel free to have an appetizer if it is in the middle of the day, but load up more on  vegetables if it is later in the day or on days when you will be inactive.
• Have water as your drink- you’ll spend less and your liver and your waist will love you for it.
• Always leave feeling like you could still eat a little more, especially with easy to eat foods like hummus. Never leave a restaurant feeling stuffed!
• Enjoy yourself!

Caribbean Cuisine (See rules for Spanish and Indian Foods)

Mexican Cuisine- A Guide To Eating Healthy At Mexican Restaurants

Mexican restaurants offer a variety of healthy choices

Mexican restaurants are often thought of as places where healthy food isn’t on the menu and nothing could be further from the truth. As a rule, most quality Mexican restaurants offer a range of wholesome food choices that you can have while staying within the boundaries of eating healthy- you just have to make sure that you don’t overdo it. Of late, chain restaurants like Chipotle have opened across the country with a variety of healthy selections on the menu doing much to show that Mexican cuisine does indeed have a lot to offer those who are health conscious. Be mindful though that not everything on the menu falls into that category, even though it might be marketed as such.

To start or as your main course, any chicken or meat based salad is fine- but you have to forgo the cheese, the dressing and the guacamole if you want to keep your calorie count down. If you must have salsa- ask for it on the side as opposed to drowning your food in it- that way you can moderate how much of it you eat as it can be a source of added calories and unwanted sodium. Things like chips and guacamole are obviously not great candidates nor are soft tacos with cheese and sour cream added to it. If you must have a taco, have it custom made without anything added to the protein selection except for beans, corn and or rice. It’s a bit of a splurge so don’t have it too often and only if you plan on being active afterwards. Burritos can be a problem since everything is wrapped up but burrito bowls are fine as you can ask for the sour cream, guacamole and salsa to be omitted or on the side. Again these are foods you have before doing something- not late night dinner choices and be sure not to go overboard with it.

At many Mexican restaurants, steak is usually on the menu as is poultry, ceviche, seafood salads and soups. As long as the salt levels aren’t too high and you stay clear of the usual suspects like quesadillas and nachos you should be fine. While I am not a huge corn advocate, if the restaurant serves organically grown fare then corn tortillas should be okay in moderation.

Mexican Food Rules For Staying In Shape

• Ask for sauces on the side, freshly made salsa is okay in moderation if it isn’t too salty, as is guacamole. Guacamole is a bit high calorie, but not a problem if you don’t overindulge
• Skip the cheese laden foods.
• Choose grilled foods over fried ones. Chicken, fish, shrimp, and even beef and pork are fine as long as it isn’t fried and you don’t overdo your portions. Keep in mind that  ‘Crispy’ means fried!
• Have the corn tortillas- it has higher fiber content than wheat products and is gluten free.
• Keep in mind the time of the day- feel free to have an appetizer if it is in the middle of the day, but load up more on salads and vegetables if it is later in the day or on days when you will be inactive.
• Have water as your drink- you’ll spend less and your liver and your waist will love you for it.
• Always leave feeling like you could still eat a little more, especially with easy to eat foods like tortillas. Never leave a restaurant feeling stuffed!
• Enjoy yourself!

Spanish Cuisine- Eating Out & Staying Healthy At Spanish Restaurants

Seafood dishes are great healthy choices for eating out at Spanish restaurants but go easy on the rice if you aren't going to be active later on

By Spanish food, I will include not only the foods of European origin but also the foods found in restaurants with cuisines from South America and the Spanish speaking Caribbean as well as they tend to be similar in many ways. The Spanish influence on the colonies is quite evident and for the most part Spanish food tends to have an impressive assortment of plates. From seafood, paellas, and other shrimp dishes to steaks, chorizo and rice dishes. As always you can hardly falter if you choose to have a protein or vegetable based appetizer and a main course of seafood, poultry or meats with the sauces on the side.

Rice dishes such as paella are common throughout most Spanish cuisines with rice and bean plates such as arroz con gandules more common in the Caribbean islands. All are fine choices when eaten in moderation and with an eye for what you are going to do next. A good way to look at it is that starchy carbohydrates like rice, potatoes and the like are energy foods you eat before doing some form activity, so if you plan on not doing anything after your meal you should go easy on them and have more fibrous carbohydrates like vegetables instead. On your training days rice dishes are fine- but have veggies on your off days or if you are eating later in the day and plan on going to bed afterwards. It is a myth that eating and then going to bed will make you fat as the time of the day that you eat doesn’t influence whether you store calories or not. What is important is that at the end of the day most people are more likely to overeat and not do anything with the excess calories ingested- so make it a rule not to load up later in the day.

Tomato based dishes are fine as well as long as they are not too high in sodium as are shrimp plates. There is much said about shrimp being an inherently unhealthy food and while I personally don’t eat it due to the way it is farmed and the harm such farming does to the environment, I see no reason why it can’t be consumed in moderation as long as it isn’t fried or smothered in butter even though it has a high fat content. With more Caribbean Spanish foods, pork dishes such as pernil and chuletas are fine as long as you limit yourself but beware of the fried dishes, especially ones like maduros- fried plantains which are highly addictive!

Eating anything in excess can make you fat- so be especially aware if you are having tapas that while you are enjoying the ambiance and perhaps the company that you may not know when enough is enough if you don’t pay attention to how much you are eating. And of course be sure to avoid alcohol as much as you can.

Spanish Cuisine Rules For Staying In Shape

• Ask for sauces on the side, have appetizers and rice dishes only if you are going to be active later or if it is earlier in the day.
• Choose protein foods like grilled seafood and poultry as your main courses with other meats and shrimp as occasional selections.
• Frito or frita means fried as does crispy- so stay away from anything on the menu with these words in it.
• Have water as your main drink- you’ll save a lot of calories that way and skip the alcohol!
• Don’t overdo it. Think in terms of having a quality dining experience and not paying to fill your stomach to the point of bursting.
• Learn to do without dessert unless they serve fresh fruit. Like anything else, the taste for sweets is learned and anything learned can be unlearned with time. (Read my article here about controlling your eating habits)
• Enjoy yourself

 Steakhouse (see American Cuisine)

Thai Cuisine- Eating Out & Staying Healthy At Thai Restaurants

Ask for the sauces on the side and you will always have something healthy to eat at Thai restaurants

The first thing that strikes you in any Thai Restaurant is the abundance of peanut and curry sauces. Curry is actually fine and used by many while dieting to add flavor to their food while shedding extra pounds. The peanut sauces are okay as long as you are able to moderate yourself. As high calorie as peanuts can be, our bodies don’t metabolize those calories the way it does other foods so a little here and there should be okay. Most Thai restaurants and Asian restaurants in general boast an abundance of seafood and healthy protein dishes to choose from. Appetizers menus tend to be filled with protein foods, salads and vegetables which are always good choices.  As always, don’t have appetizers if you are eating later in the day or are not going to be terribly active after your meal, (see my article- Managing Your Carbohydrates  for more information about food timing).

In Thai cuisine, there is an array of dishes with beef, pork, chicken, duck and fish with the occasional exotic foods like frog, crab and muscle tendons (which aren’t bad at all if you are adventurous enough to order it). In general, the roasted and barbecued meats are always good choices as are the steamed seafood selections like red snapper, tilapia, striped bass crab and shrimp. Vegetable dishes abound as well and curries and peanut sauces are fine as well as we mentioned before in moderation. If possible though try to get it on the side and dip you food in it for flavor as opposed to having your main course swimming in it. That way, you’ll cut the calories down a bit. Rice dishes are fine for active days while vegetables should replace them for dinner or later meals where you aren’t going to be doing much after your meal.

Thai Cuisine Rules For Staying In Shape

• Ask for sauces on the side, have appetizers only if you are going to be active later or if it is earlier in the day.
• Choose protein foods as appetizers.
• Have water as your main drink- you’ll save a lot of calories that way and skip the sake!
• Don’t overdo it. Think in terms of having a quality dining experience and not paying to fill your stomach to the point of bursting.
• Learn to do without dessert. Like anything else, the taste for sweets is learned and anything learned can be unlearned with time.
• Enjoy yourself!

Related Articles- Eating Out & Staying Healthy- The Rules

Kevin Richardson is an award winning health and fitness writer, one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training^TM. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here and be sure to sign up below for our newsletter for more fitness tips and an even more in-depth restaurant guide coming out in the coming weeks! If you live in the New York metropolitan area and need help losing weight or taking your body to the next level give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420 or click here to get started with 50% off your trial personal training session.

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Post tags: diet, diet tips, eating tips, fast foods, health tips, healthy eating, healthy restaurants, weight loss

Can Glucosamine Stop Arthritis Pain?

Supplements are always a bit problematic in terms of figuring out what works and what does not. Often the placebo effect is so strong that it makes it very difficult to determine whether what you are taking really works or whether any positive benefit comes only from the power of suggestion. We have seen that the more advertising there is of a particular drug or product, the higher the placebo effect will be. One of the products that raises that question mark is glucosamine- a supplement used as a popular over the counter treatment for arthritis. I originally published an article in August of 2009 on the subject and I think given what we know of the increase in the placebo effect it should be revisited. Here is the original article updated to include some additional observations:

Over the past 20 years I have worked with a lot of individuals suffering with osteoarthritis. Many used glucosamine as a way of dealing with the often crippling pain that comes with osteoarthritis. Visit any supplement store and the people working there will give glowing reviews of the power of glucosamine in reducing the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis or any joint disorder. Having never used it myself and being a bit of a skeptic in these matters, I can say that my opinion is mixed. I never advocate the use of any supplements, but when my clients use something, I do take notes to see if there is any validity to the claims and have continued to do so for several years.

What I have seen with 10 clients who used glucosamine- some of them used glucosamine with chondroitin,  all but one reported an initial sense of relief. But, interestingly enough, as the months went all of them reported at one point or another that they saw an improvement in their symptoms. Keep in mind that this is in no way a controlled study or anything remotely resembling one. The dosages, products and time frames were also inconsistent but from what I observed everyone seemed to derive some benefit nonetheless. There is one issue that does prevent any declaration that glucosamine might be responsible for their relief. Namely that they were all doing supervised resistance training at the time. Training focused directly on helping them improve their joint mobility and increasing the strength of their surrounding muscles. (8 of the clients had knee issues, 1 had elbow issues and 1 had problems with his fingers).

Was glucosamine responsible, the placebo effect or was it the training? I am inclined to go with the conclusion that it was the training, as I have trained many clients with osteoarthritis who never used glucosamine but nevertheless reported similar relief over time.  But don’t take my word as the final answer on whether or not glucosamine can improve the suffering of people with joint problems. The Cochrane Review is a well established, peer review group that evaluates and confirms the results of thousands of studies in many fields. They are looked upon in clinical circles as the authority on what works and what doesn’t and thus far their findings are that glucosamine’s effects on humans are thus far questionable at best.

Hope this helps.

Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City, a prominent health and fitness writer and the founder of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™.

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Post tags: arthritis, glucosamine, joint problems, supplements

Honor all with whom we
share the Earth:-
Four-legged, two-legged,
winged ones,
Swimmers, crawlers,
plant and rock people.
Walk in balance and beauty
- Native American Prayer

Domestic Turkeys Are Not What The Pilgrims Ate

Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite American holiday. The tradition of giving thanks every year with friends and family handed down from the early European settlers of the continent is truly special. But things are quite different from the way they were when the pilgrims first landed on Plymouth Rock. In those days, long before the era of factory farming and food industrialization, where food came from was common knowledge. Everyone knew intimately what a turkey was, whether you were a farmer or not, and everyone knew what their lives were like. Fast forward to today’s Thanksgiving, several hundred years later, and you will see a huge disconnect between consumers and their food sources. Food today is something we buy at a supermarket and we often pay little mind to its origins. This lack of concern and lack of connection to our food has not served us well. Mortality rates from diet related diseases get higher every year as we struggle with the burden that comes with having a nation of predominantly overweight people. Science and government policies have tried to no avail to help stop the tide of diet related problems that plague us. To solve our problems today I think that it is important that we look back to the generosity of those Indians centuries ago and learn one more lesson from them- the lesson that if we do not honor and treat with respect the animals we use as our food sources, we will always suffer for it.

Modern Domestic Turkeys Cannot Fly Or Reproduce On Their Own

To solve a problem you first have to be able to define it. In the case of our foods, the problem is often that our distance from the animals we eat is so great that few have the slightest idea that our food supply is not at all what we think it to be. Take turkeys for example- the symbol of Thanksgiving. Everyone knows what a turkey is, but is it common knowledge that the turkey that 99% of us eat on Thanksgiving has almost no relation whatsoever to the birds the pilgrims enjoyed? Ask any turkey hunter about turkeys and they will give you stories of intelligent and stately birds that are as fast and strong as they are majestic. Wild turkeys fly and strut in the forests of North America with a magnificence that you really have to see to appreciate. These are the birds of the Indians, the birds of our great grandparents- but they are not the birds we eat today.

Most turkeys bought in a supermarket can’t walk. That’s right, they can’t walk nor can they fly, strut or do most of the things that their wild counterparts can do. In a way, even more so than chickens- turkeys represent the ultimate in human animal engineering so much so that every conventional store bought turkey that you ever ate was the product of artificial insemination. Frail and genetically unable to reproduce- we have created a bird that exists only to serve our desire for more breast meat. Without a steady diet of specialized foods, vaccines and antibiotics they would cease to exist and without our intervention their inability to reproduce on their own would make them extinct within only one generation.

Factory Farmed Turkeys Are Not Sustainable

As horrible as this may all sound, there is more. These birds never see sunlight- the idea of free range is for the most part a marketing strategy to make people who have never set foot on a farm feel better about what they buy in the supermarket. To be labeled ‘free range’ one need only have a small opening in a shed of thousands of birds. Birds that know nothing of the outdoors or food outside of a pipe that feeds them on schedule will not go outside so it is truly a farce in most cases. Factory farmers need their birds indoors as it allows them to make them eat more by manipulating their lighting. By exposing them to constant intensive lighting the birds sleep less and eat more of the grain based feeds. By using this intensive feeding system and thanks in no small part to the genetic engineering that allows domesticated turkeys to be bigger than their natural counterparts factory farmers don’t have to resort to the use of steroids and growth hormones (which are widely used and USDA approved for use in cattle and sheep) but they do rely heavily on antibiotics to keep the birds alive.

There are no healthy domesticated turkeys as by definition they are sickly animals that need drugs to survive in the cramped and filth filled environments where they spend their short and miserable lives. USDA regulations call for antibiotics to be withheld for a period of time before slaughter so that drug levels fall below federal limits for human consumption- but there will always be some remaining in the animal and as we are seeing more and more this can lead to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

So given the doom and gloom that is the reality of the life of a genetically engineered crippled bird, are there healthier and ethically better choices out there for us on Thanksgiving Day? There are but you are going to have to pay extra for it. There are farmers that still breed what are often termed ‘heritage turkeys’ which are genetically far removed from what you would get in a regular supermarket.  These birds live the life that a wild bird would live, receive better care and are raised without the use of any drug, vaccine, specialized feed or antibiotics. It might create a bit of sticker shock to realize how much more expensive it is to buy a real turkey but a lot of hours of care go into getting it to you and every dollar supports those who care about bringing you food that is not only healthy, but ethically raised as well. It is no secret that our food supply is not what it should be, but this Thanksgiving be thankful that we can indeed still find real turkeys and that we still have the option of making healthier eating choices. I am also thankful that we live in an age where for all the misinformation about our food, you can still find the truth. Truth that may not always be convenient but truth nonetheless. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after and respected personal trainers in NYC and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts. You an download a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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Post tags: diet, diet tips, eating tips, health tips, healthy eating, turkey

The Four Enemies Of Healthy & Radiant Skin

A guest blog post by skin care expert, Sandy Alcide

In an effort to achieve healthy radiant skin, many undergo painful and invasive procedures while the truth is that poor skin is usually a symptom of poor living habits. Some habits are easy to overcome, while others are a bit more difficult, but if you want healthy radiant skin, you’ll need to make sure that you avoid these four common skin enemies:

1.    HEAVY DRINKING

If you are even slightly health conscious you’ll know that you should always go easy on alcohol consumption (See Kevin’s post on how alcohol inhibits fat loss here) as even two or so drink is a night a week is plenty. However the effects of a single night of a drinking binge can make itself known on your skin as early as the morning after in the form of dehydration and the subsequent water retention under your eyes.

Heavy drinking saps B Vitamins from your body- especially folic acid and thiamine- both essential micronutrients that your skin needs to maintain good health. A deficiency can cause dryness, sallow complexion, slackness and even unexplained breakouts.

Not only that, whoever feels like taking off their makeup, washing their face and putting on your skin care products when the room is spinning after a heavy bout of drinking?

2.    POLLUTION

We all know that pollution can be bad for your lungs, can cause eye irritations and may contribute to birth defects, but how does it affect your skin complexion? Most dermatologists believe that it adversely affects your skin as polluted air consists of not to skin friendly chemicals such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, lead and chlorofluorocarbons. These chemicals set off free radicals which can lead to collagen and elastin breakdown- which in turn leads to slack and dull looking skin. Especially sensitive faces may find that pollution can cause rashes and other allergic reactions, while oily skin may suffer from blocked pores and increased greasiness. Protect your skin my using quality skin products- (our Motion Medica’s Peptide Treatment is a good start) to prevent future lines and sagging.

3.    STRESS

You’ve had a bad day, or week, or month. You’ve been working overtime, you have over-trained or have a big race, sporting event or competition coming soon. When the body is stressed your adrenal glands release stress hormones. These hormones generate a number of changes in your skin, including breakouts, oily patches, dry patches and rashes.

It might sound unrelated to skin care- but learning to deal with stress in a positive way will affect the way you look. Deep breathing, meditation, or massage be it professional or from a loved one can really make a difference. Exercise can be a great way to reduce stress- but if you over do it you will be over trained which will make matters worse. So if you are over trained it might make sense to take an extra rest day and if you are not exercising at all then you should get started!

4.    SUN DAMAGE

According to dermatologists the sun’s ultraviolet rays are accountable for more skin damage than any other factor in daily life.

UVA rays can penetrate cloud cover and glass. They are present in the same degrees of intensity throughout the day, can increase in winter and can cause skin cancer and major skin changes such as blotchiness and collagen breakdown which is associated with aging skin. How does this happen? By penetrating your skin, UVA rays create free radicals which wreak havoc on melanin making cells and degrade the skins elastin. Tanning beds can cause tremendous damage to your skin by drawing water from the skin, thus eventually giving your skin a dry, weathered appearance. I discovered this on my own from only one time laying in a tanning bed so I strongly recommend that you avoid them.

So be a skin friendly and do your best to avoid their enemies.

Sandy Alcide is the president of Fitness Botanical Skin Care Co. a published author whose articles about fitness skin care have been featured in national fitness magazines and high profile websites. She currently attends notable educational fitness seminars as a guest speaker across the country and is the president of the American Athletic Skin Care Association. You can get her high quality skin care products at www.MotionMedica.com

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Post tags: health tips, self image, skin care, toxins

By following some basic food safety rules you can be food- illness free all summer!

Six Tips For Staying Food Illness Free For The Summer!

Diet is an important part of the process for anyone serious about losing weight and getting in shape, however in all the details about what to eat, when to eat and what not to eat, there is often little time given to the element of food safety. As the temperatures go up this summer more and more people will get sick from food poisoning and the bad part is that if you are eating several meals throughout the day, with most of those meals consisting of high protein foods, then you do indeed run a very high risk of getting sick if you are not careful with your food preparation and storage. According to the Center for Disease Control an estimated 76 million cases of food borne disease occur each year in the U.S. with most of them being rather mild cases and cause symptoms that last for a day or two. However many are indeed life threatening and the CDC estimates that there are 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to foodborne diseases each year.  

Food safety is a big issue for me, mainly because had a serious run in with food poisoning about 15 years ago and it changed my life forever. It was my first summer here in the U.S. and I left the house earlier than usual for work and thus was unable to cook and take my lunch with me, as I usually do. That day for lunch I had Chinese food for lunch at a nearby take out restaurant - nothing fancy or unhealthy, mind you just some steamed vegetables. Later that afternoon however I got so sick that I woke up the next day in a hospital bed a full 17 lbs lighter than I was the day before! After that ordeal I promised myself that I would learn everything there was about food safety to ensure that this would never happen again- and so far so good- which is quite an accomplishment for someone that eats 6 plus times a day!  

I also worked for 14 years as the director of the recreation and food programs for both HIV/AIDS and the formerly homeless populations, and since I was responsible for sometimes preparing and handling food, I had to get food handling certification. When working with individuals with compromised immune systems, what might give someone else a bad day can end up costing them their lives!  That being said, I would like to pass on some very important tips for you this summer to make sure that you stay bacteria free this summer and all year round!  

Rule 1: KEEP HOT FOODS HOT AND COLD FOODS COLD!  

If I was asked what is the best overall rule of thumb for food safety, I would have to go with this one. It is so important if you are carrying food with you during the day that you keep it at the appropriate temperature. If you cook something fresh and need to eat it several hours later I would suggest that you invest in a thermos that is big enough for you to fit your food into. You can also use your thermos to keep foods cold that may have been refrigerated- just be sure to wash your thermos by hand after each use and check to see that there are no cracks before you put your food inside. That way you have a safe way of carrying your food around with you during the day!  

Rule 2: Wash your hands before you eat!  

I know I sound like a mother on this one, but I can hardly tell you how much of a difference it makes if you routinely clean your hands before eating or handling your food. A quick trip to any bathroom will show you that most people don’t know how to wash their hands. You have to wash with hot water and soap (any kind will do- it doesn’t have to be antibacterial) for at least 30 seconds to really get the germs off. Most wash for less than 10, which really doesn’t do much. A good guide is to sing the Happy Birthday song twice while washing, that will make sure you spend just enough time to wash your hands properly. If not around a water source, you can use a hand sanitizer or alcohol swabs, just don’t assume that your hands are clean and just eat.  

Rule 3: Get a thermometer for your refrigerator!  

Bacteria exist everywhere and you cannot get away from them. Under certain conditions like when they have moisture, and favorable temperatures, they grow very quickly, increasing in numbers to the point where some types of bacteria can make you sick. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, the so called “Danger Zone,” with some forms being able to double in number in as little as 20 minutes.  

To minimize the growth of bacteria in a any unit the temperature must be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Unfortunately, while we humans can do a pretty good job of saying whether something is hot or cold, we cannot tell the difference between 39 degrees or 40 degrees, and that difference could make you very sick or worse. Don’t leave your temperature regulation to simple guesswork, invest in a thermometer for your fridge and you might be surprised that it isn’t always at the best temperature to keep your cold foods cold! By the way any perishable foods kept at temperatures above 40 °F for more than 2 hours should not be consumed.  

 Rule 4: If you eat out check the restaurant’s health inspection record!  

It might sound a bit involved but the beauty of the Internet is that you can access the food saftey inspection records for just about any restaurant  from your local department of health. Do a search for ‘restaurant food saftey inspections’ and you can look up where you are about to eat online. Interestingly enough, the Chinese take out restaurant that put me in the hospital had 48 violation points on their last inspection with everything from inadequate personal hygeine and unsantizited food contact surfaces to the presence of vermin in food areas. Do a quick check of the restaurants in your neighbourhood (if you live in New York you can do a check here) I’m sure that you will be surprised at how many places have sub standard food inspection reports.  

Here in New York starting in July 2010,  the health department will require certain types of food service establishments to prominently post letter grades that correspond to their sanitary inspection scores- which I am certain will go a long way in forcing a lot of food establishments to clean up their act!  

 Rule 5: Use Bleach and water to clean up!  

Whenever you handle meats, you should have a bottle with a bleach solution to disinfect surfaces that come into contact with meats in addition to washing with hot soapy water. You only need 1 tablespoon of bleach per quart of water to make an effective germ killer and it is a cheap and effective means of killing bacteria. More expensive cleaners only make the germs smell nice for a while, but do nothing to kill them, so bleach is the way to go.  

Rule 6: Use Your Sense Of Smell!  

Sounds a bit primitive, but it works! I cannot tell you how often I hear people say that the fish they ate didn’t smell too wholesome, but they ate it anyway- that might be a recipe for getting sick as fresh fish does not have any smell whatsoever! For over one hundred thousand years our sense of smell has kept us healthy by telling us when foods were not good to eat but today it is a sense that we almost ignore when it comes to food. That and the fact that most of our meats are wrapped in plastic- which does a first rate job of hiding the fact that the meat may be past its prime. When buying meat, chicken or fish, there should be no smell- none at all. Any odor is a sign of bacteria proliferation and you need to not buy it, not cook it and not eat it! For prepared foods (especially at restaurants) if your protein foods have a strange odor, don’t be afraid to send it back. It is your right as a consumer and don’t take the risk of eating it because the potential downsides really aren’t worth it.  

If the food is supposed to be served hot and is only lukewarm when you get it, or hot on the outside, but only warm on the inside, then send it back as well. It might sound like you are being a pain, but the reality is that you need to look out for your health, and if you are paying for food, it should be food that is safe to eat. Unfortunately foods don’t have to smell badly to make you sick, so it isn’t a be all and end all proposition that because there is no smell that all is well. There are two different types of bacteria: pathogenic bacteria, the kind that cause foodborne illness, and spoilage bacteria, the kind of bacteria that cause foods to deteriorate and develop unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures.  

Pathogenic bacteria can grow rapidly in the “Danger Zone,” the temperature range between 40 and 140 °F, but they do not generally affect the taste, smell, or appearance of a food. In other words, one cannot tell that a pathogen is present.  

On the other hand, spoilage bacteria can grow at low temperatures, such as in the refrigerator. Eventually they cause food to develop off or bad tastes and smells. Most people would not choose to eat spoiled food, but if they did, they probably would not get sick. It comes down to an issue of quality versus safety. I hope these tips help you stay safe and I wish everyone a happy summer! 

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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Post tags: diet tips, eating tips, health tips, healthy eating, healthy restaurants

There are no advantages to using sea salt over refined salt- both are equally bad for you!

Sea Salt Is Not Better Than Regular Salt And You Should Avoid Them Both

There are no advantages to eating sea salt nor is sea salt better than regular salt. Sadly it all comes down to marketing- and the fact that most processed foods today are extremely high in sodium and there is a great need to make them appear to be as healthy as possible. Today sea salt is one of the latest in the fraudulent game of let’s-make-some-money-by-labeling-this-product-as-healthy a game that unfortunately has pushed as further and further down the path to poor health. Never before in history have we had so many foods labeled ‘healthy’, ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ and yet never before have we had so many food related illnesses. The mantra of modern advertising is based on the idea that if a piece of information is continuously presented as being factual- it will be publicly accepted as truth. This strategy, used by such iconic figures in history such as Joseph Goebbels, works wonders for marketers to encourage us to label certain foods as healthy and thus steer sales towards their products, but does little to address public health. The truth is that chemically and nutritionally the main ingredient of sea salt and table salt are exactly the same- sodium chloride. There is and cannot be any differences since they are pretty much identical chemically and have the same effects on your body. The only difference is in taste and texture. Sea salt comes from sea water through the process of evaporation, whereas table salt comes from mined mineral deposits of rock salt. Table salt may also have additives to prevent it from clumping together and sea salt has other minerals that give it a different flavor. Table salt is usually ground down to a fine texture and iodine is added to it, whereas sea salt which is less processed retains its natural levels of iodine- which is key to proper thyroid function. Salt is most people’s main source of this important mineral but it is also found in seafood, mushrooms, spinach and other greens and before the advent of high sodium processed foods this is is where we got most of our iodine from. 

You Don’t Need Added Salt of Any Kind In Your Foods- Sea Salt Or Otherwise

A central argument used to promote sea salt over regular salt is that the iodine in sea salt is naturally occurring whereas it has to be added to refined salt products. As great as this may sound, as far as your body is concerned there is no difference in the way it is processed and any minerals found in sea salt can be easily found in other natural food sources. Now should you choose sea salt over table salt since table salt may have some artificial additives, the answer is no, since you should not use either form in your everyday life if you are serious about taking care of your health. Although your body needs some sodium to function properly, most people consume far more than they need to. Some experts recommend an intake for healthy adults of anywhere from 1,500 milligrams to 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily which works out to just about 1 teaspoonful. (The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has no official sodium recommendation.) Most people here in the United States take in anywhere from 2,700 to as much as 7000 milligrams a day and over three quarters of that comes from eating processed foods. Most people who have high salt intakes don’t realize it as many sodium laden foods don’t taste salty. These include sweet snacks, breakfast cereals and many low fat foods. 

The Less Salt You Eat- The Lower Your Risk Of Disease

Many disagree with the figures recommended for adequate sodium intake and the  American Medical Association  has estimated that 150,000 lives could be saved each year if Americans cut their salt intake in half. There are also cite observations of ‘primitive’ hunter gather societies where their daily intake is far lower at about 690 milligrams a day from meat and plant sources. In these societies their low sodium, high potassium and calcium diet seems to keep their blood pressure constant over the years while here in developed countries blood pressure tends to rise with age. Hypertension in these societies is also very rare and salt is not a regular part of their diet. The detrimental effects of a high salt intake are well documented and it makes no difference whether the salt ingested is refined or sea salt. High sodium intake is associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart disease and the evidence between dietary salt intake and high blood pressure continues to increase. Interestingly enough a large scale study published in the British Medical Journal found that people with high to normal blood pressure who significantly reduced the amount of salt in their diet decreased their risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 25% over the course of 10 to 15 years. Additionally their overall risk of dying from heart disease also dropped by 20%. A high salt intake has also been linked to higher incidences of osteoporosis, gastric cancer and fluid retention. 

Cutting Salt Out Of Your Diet Isn’t As Hard As It Seems

It would be great to think that by consuming only sea salt that somehow you would be able to avoid the ill effects of a high sodium diet, but the reality of our biological history seems to point in the direction that salt of any kind should not be a food additive and that we should avoid processed foods with added salt- be it sea salt or its refined cousin. The good news is that while switching to a low salt diet intake can appear to be a daunting task after a period of only two to four weeks your taste buds will adjust and you lose the taste for salted foods. Over time foods with even trace amounts of added salt will be overwhelming to your senses and you will find yourself naturally gravitating towards foods with no added salt. You will be surprised how great foods can taste without salt and how better you will feel overall. 

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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Post tags: diet, diet tips, eating tips, health tips, healthy eating, junk foods

Not eating a healthy breakfast is a overlooked contributing factor to obesity.

Best Way To Lose Weight? Eat A Healthy Breakfast

If you were to ask for my professional opinion of what is the single most effective strategy for long term weight loss I would say with no hesitation that it would be to always eat a healthy breakfast. We have all heard since we were kids that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, however despite studies showing its importance in ensuring a longer lifespan and its role in appetite control and optimal performance; it is still the meal most often neglected. A survey of 1000 adults conducted  by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) found that while 90% of Americans are aware that having breakfast is important for health and peak function, a little less than half of them admitted to eating breakfast every day. We can also see from the many studies done on the significant decrease in academic performance by schoolchildren that do not eat breakfast that not only is a good breakfast vital for ideal brain function, but sadly that many adults here in the United States simply don’t appreciate the importance of breakfast for their families.

Want To Stop Your Cravings- Eat A Healthy Breakfast

In the grip of today’s hectic lifestyles, breakfast in general has been relegated to an ‘on-the-run’ meal in the best of cases and a skipped meal in the worst of them. It’s my belief that this trend is an overlooked contributing factor to the pandemic of obesity in this country. Over the past two decades working as personal trainer helping people lose weight and get into shape, I have always found that people who skip breakfast or have a cursory meal consisting of a quick donut or a bagel with some coffee, tended to be the ones who had a very difficult time not consuming large amounts of junk food in the later part of the day. Going over my training notes over the past 5 years, I can also point out that 100% of those who reported their junk food urges as being uncontrollable did not eat a proper breakfast- this from a sampling of well over 200 individuals of varying ages and fitness levels.

A Healthy Breakfast Is An Easy And Inexpensive Way To Control Your Weight

As simple as it may seem, one of the easiest ways to really take control not only your midsection, but also your appetite is to simply eat a healthy breakfast, and then follow through by eating balanced meals throughout the day. The better your breakfast is, the easier it will be for you to continue eating well throughout the day. It has never been my practice to stand idly by while others struggle and so about two years ago I wrote and published a free e-book on my website, The Naturally Intense™ Breakfast Guide- Keys To Long Term Weight Management. It took me just about a night to put it together, and having seen how much of an impact it has had, I don’t regret a minute of sleep that I lost that night. With almost three thousand copies downloaded from people all over the world, I constantly get emails saying how much better they feel and how much weight they have lost after following the guidelines outlined in the book. It’s a quick read and there are no supplements to buy or specialized meals to purchase- just rudimentary information that I have gleaned over the years that you can use to lose weight and keep it off.

Get A Free Copy Of The Naturally Intense Breakfast Guide- Keys To Long Term Weight Loss

I invite you to download a free copy and share it with your friends, and please feel free to write me if it helps you in your own quest for a better quality of health and fitness. I am always happy to hear from everyone.

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© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Personal Training™ Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: diet, diet tips, eating tips, flat stomach, health tips, healthy eating, naturally intense, weight loss

Can A Healthy Person Get Swine Flu?

For the most part my blogs tend to deal with more health and fitness type issues and not topics like ‘Can a healthy person get swine flu’, but being asked so many time by my personal training clients as well as friends and family members about the H1N1 virus, I felt it important to lay out the facts as we know it. Personally I don’t pay much attention to flu season. As a healthy young man in pretty good shape, the flu virus is not a life threatening concern. Swine flu, or as I prefer to call it- H1N1 virus is a bit of a different story.

As a father of five, including a newborn, it does raise some cause for concern as the flu season steadily approaches. I have never had, nor advocated flu vaccines at any time, as my lifestyle tends to not need to much in the way of medical interventions outside of the occasional acupuncture treatments that I would give myself. And while I am not yet fully convinced that vaccination is a be all and end all solution to the problem it does have me thinking as healthy persons in great shape can indeed contract H1N1 and in some cases with fatal consequences.

Image courtesy Wikipedia Commons

Being In Good Shape Is Not A Defense Against H1N1

In terms of actually contracting the flu, it is really simply a matter of being exposed to it. That happens from being in direct contact with someone that is infected, or coming into contact with the virus by touching something that has been contaminated by an infected individual. Being healthy really doesn’t apply here, it is a matter of exposure, where your defense can only be avoidance of infected individuals or really great hygenie practices, like hand washing. Both carry no guarantees unless you live in a bubble, as your level of health can affect the way in which your body responds to a virus- but not whether you can contract it or not.

My mantra for the uninsured has always been to keep yourself in as perfect health as is humanly possible since being in great shape does in most cases  bring some prevention of serious disease, or in some cases, milder effects from serious disease and is certainly less costly than paying for extensive treatment. With the H1N1 virus however the typical at risk population isn’t only the very old and the very young, but instead  young and healthy individuals seem to be at risk as well. The Bird Flu, (H5N1) has a similar profile and this because both viruses are very much new to the human immune system.  

When the human body has no experience dealing with a virus it sets off a powerful defensive response. It is that defensive response that makes us feel really sick in the first place. A newborn or elderly person has a relatively weak immune system, which explains why they are usually the primary concerns in flu season, as they are the ones most likely to succumb to complications due to the flu. Interestingly enough, with both babies and the elderly their immune response to the flu virus is a pretty weak one. Infants don’t have much of a developed system while older adults have systems that have been exposed to many viral strains and can be somewhat weakened over the years and thus have a limited response as well. So if both groups have such small responses, why are they the ones with the most fatalities? The problem for these two populations stem from complications from what are called opportunistic infections. Infections  such as pneumonia that seize the opportunity to spread after the host has had their immune systems compromised by the flu virus, and this can in many cases be fatal.

The Problem With Healthy People and The  H1N1 Virus

The problem with healthy people and new flu viruses is that when their bodies are faced with an unknown virus, it can some cases trigger a disproportionate response called a “cytokine storm” or hypercytokinemia. During the 1918 flu epidemic, which killed millions, many of whom were indeed young and otherwise healthy adults, the reason for this occurrence was attributed to this same overreaction on the part of the immune system.1 Cytokine storms as well were believed to be the cause of many of the deaths from the 2003 SARS outbreak as well.2
 
A ‘cytokinetic storm’ is characterized by an overreaction by our  immune cells to a new and unknown flu virus, to the point where it proceeds to attack the healthy organs of the body. As a result, individuals aged 15 to 60 can also be devastated  by the H1N1 virus or any other new viral infection. So far there is some debate as to whether cytokine storms are responsible for the deaths of younger people at this point. Some suggest that it is indeed as a result of cytokine storms, while the CDC so far has said that more data would be required to make that assessment.3 However the reports of healthy middle aged individuals succumbing to the virus has raised more questions than answers.

Can The H1N1 Virus Be Treated?

One of the problems with a excessive cytokine activity is that it can very disrupt the central nervous system and cause major respiration problems. In extreme cases the treatment is usually to put the patient on a s breathing machine- while their body copes with the virus. Unfortunately the worries that most health experts are having comes from the very small number of such machines in hospitals and that there is simply not enough to deal with a full scale epidemic. There are antiviral drugs available that when taken at the onset of infection can reduce the severity of the symptoms, but have limitations in terms of when they must be administered. So what is the answer to the H1N1?

Is The H1N1 Vaccine the answer?

As I said before, normally  I stay away from the idea of flu vaccines completely. I worked with HIV/AIDS and formerly homeless population s for the past 14 years and every year we would administer the yearly flu vaccines. It was available to me as well, but I never took it, for two reasons: number 1 I dislike putting anything in my body unless absolutely necessary my drug free policy extends to all drugs unless it is an immediate  matter of life and death and number 2: None of the nurses administering the vaccines ever took the injections themselves. It is always a hit and miss- every year the Center for Disease Control makes an educated guess as to what the seasonal flu will be, and creates a vaccine from the cells of the dead virus.

This time, they are a bit more certain that the H1N1 virus could be a problem and are mandating some health care workers and teachers to be vaccinated less they lose their jobs. I have given the speech for years- the vaccine cannot give you the flu- and am not particularly troubled by it, I would just rather not have to have a vaccine unless it was absolutely necessary. However the vaccine is the most effective tool against the spread of the virus outside of having us all encased in bubble wrap for the flu season.

I hope that this turns out to be a big scare that never materializes like so many other media blitzes, and so far the virus has not increased its mortality rate and has not grown into the widespread killer that so many expected earlier on. Hysteria aside it does help to know the facts so you can make an educated decision as to what you should do. In the meanwhile keep your hands clean, stay away from anyone that might be sick, and keep eating well and exercising. After all, there are still many other flu viruses that you could pick up this season, and it does help to be in good shape if you do. Excelsior.

Disclaimer: All information in this article is for informational purposes only and is not to be used as a subsitute for medical advice.

References:

1. Osterholm, Michael T. (2005-05-05). “Preparing for the Next Pandemic”. The New England Journal of Medicine

2. Huang KJ, Su IJ, Theron M, Wu YC, Lai SK, Liu CC, Lei HY (February 2005). “An interferon-gamma-related cytokine storm in SARS patients”. Journal of Medical Virology

3. “Interim Guidance for Clinicians on Identifying and Caring for Patients with Swine-origin Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection”. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009-04-29. http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/identifyingpatients.htm.

Lose weight, build real muscle and get Superfit training only 10 minutes 3 times a week! That’s the slogan and the 100% guarantee of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™ created by visionary NYC personal trainer, internationally renowned natural bodybuilder and fitness expert, Kevin Richardson. Get a copy of Kevin’s free award winning weight loss ebook here!

© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Personal Training™ Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: flu season, flu vaccine, h1n1, swine flu

Having A Low Body Fat Percentage Doesn't Mean You Are Healthy!

Nowadays the gold marker by which all health and fitness levels seem to be measured seems to be body fat percentages. Ask just about anyone that is seriously into their fitness regime what their body fat percentage is and nine out of ten times they can tell you exactly what it is. When I started out as a personal trainer, some 18 years ago, I kept calipers as part of my training kit and was very dedicated to measuring my clients on a regular basis. One day my coach came to me and asked me why I had the calipers and the clipboard and I answered that the training manuals said that it was key to measure body fat percentage as an indicator of progress. He laughed and gave me some of the best advice I ever got as a trainer and said that if a client can’t look in the mirror and see the differences themselves in their body, then I am not doing my job! He added that at the end of the day, a change in numbers means nothing when they still have a sizeable layer of fat obscuring their midsection. To this day I don’t use body fat testing as a tool in the Naturally intense System of Diet & Exercise, and in this post I wanted to explore the various ways of testing available on the market to toady as well as why in the end it is really how you look that matters, not just the numbers.

Body Fat Measurements- BMI Examples

Body fat testing can serve a useful purpose to some degree in that it helps give some idea of how much body fat and how much muscle you are carrying at any given time, a reading that the scale or simple Body Mass Index estimates sometimes cannot give. I remember when I enlisted in the U.S. Navy and weighed in at a hefty 220 lbs at a height of 6 feet even.  I was told that I was significantly overweight and would have to lose at least 30 to 40 lbs before I could get in. My BMI was 29.8, which gave me a reading saying I was in the higher end of the overweight chart and almost at the point of being obese. I couldn’t tell you how funny that was as I had a body fat level of 6% at the time, with my abdominal muscles rippling and not an ounce of fat really visible on my frame and when the recruiter saw what I looked like under my clothes, he said not to worry about it, and that I would be fine. To this day at 225 lbs and at a body fat level of 5% or lower I am just about listed as being obese, which really highlights the limitations of the BMI scales. (To be fair- it is a noted fact that an athletically built human being’s measurement cannot be used to determine BMI using traditional methods.)

Body fat is a bit more reliable, but again, there are always limitations based on the method used to define it. There are many ways to measure your body fat, some being more accurate than others, but at the end of the day, it isn’t the number that matters, but the changes in the numbers as you keep on measuring using whatever method you choose.

The Simple Tape Measure Method

With tape measure and caliper testing, people who are muscular can get numbers 3 to 5 percent higher than their true percent body fat percentages. This is because they don’t have a lot of fat inside their muscles, so their measurements may be lower than this tape measure test indicates.

Conversely, if a person is skinny but doesn’t have much muscle, this body fat test may yield a number 3 to 5 percent lower than his or her true percent body fat. Though they look thin, unfit skinny people really have more than the usual amount of fat inside their muscles, which you can’t see from the outside. So, what’s the bottom line? For many people, this tape measure test is quite accurate, it puts you in control, it can be done frequently and it costs nothing.

Bioelectrical Impedance Testing

Bioelectrial impedance testing is a fairly common method and is being used more and more in scales that you can have at home. The way it works is that a small electrical charge is sent through the body. The greater the resistance (measured in ohms), the more fat is present, because fat interferes does not conduct electricity as well as muscle does. The lesser the resistance, the more muscle tissue is present, because lean tissue is highly conductive due to its high water content. It can be off by quite a wide margin, as to be accurate hydration levels have to be exactly the same each time as well as the amount of food in your stomach and intestines. The test also tends to overestimate percent body fat in very lean individuals, (sound familiar?)  and underestimate body fat in obese people.

Additionally the handheld devices only measure fat levels in the upper body- sending a current through one arm and out the other arm, while and digital scales only measure fat levels in the lower body- current goes up one leg and down the other). Both types models won’t take abdominal fat storage into account, so you’re not getting a full picture of the fat level of your entire body at any time.

Skin Fold Caliper Testing

With the skin fold testing, calipers are used to pinch certain parts of the body and then determine the body fat percentage based on the assumption that the amount of fat stored at these various sites is proportional to a person’s overall body fat, thus by measuring several sites, total body fat may be calculated. It is a pretty reliable test, if the same person performs it each time (it is a skill and there can be wide ranges in reading from different people performing them, as it does take some practice to master.) However there are limits. Some people just don’t pinch easily- and it is hard to get reading from them. Others have such high body fat levels that the calipers cannot open wide enough to pinch accurately and the tests will thus underestimate their levels.

The Golden Standard- Hydrostatic Testing

This can be a pretty involved  (and expensive) process, bordering on the extreme for most. Hydrostatic testing for years has been the golden standard, where you are completely immersed in water and then asked to blow as much air as possible out of your lungs. Not exactly a great way to spend and afternoon, but it does give a very precise reading, but is far more involved for most people (myself included) and while more accurate than the caliper tests or simple measurement estimations based on taking measurements from various parts of the body, it still has some degree of error, especially when it comes to athletes- who tend to have higher bone densities than the rest of the population and thus can read to have a higher fat percentage than is actually true. Differences in bone densities based on race also can throw readings off to a degree as well.

There are other methods that are being used more and more, from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (Cat Scans), Near Infrared Interactance and Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. All seeking to find more and more accurate ways to measure body fat. Most are way too expensive and time consuming for most as part of a regular regime to record someone’s progress outside of a clinical setting.

What Is A Healthy Body Fat Percentage

Personally, I shy away from the whole idea, as with the Naturally Intense System of Diet and Exercise, a healthy body fat percentage is attained when you can look in the mirror and see very little evidence of fat on your body- end of story. The numbers and the charting means very little to most of us if we don’t look great with our clothes off. That being said, there are some standards that you should know to start off with, in terms of what is healthy and what is unhealthy.

The American Council on Exercise and says men’s body fat should be 6-25%, and women’s should be 14-31% while the American Dietetic Association recommends that men have 15-18% body fat and women have 20-25% body fat.

Healthy male athletes might be as low as 5-12% body fat, and healthy female athletes could be as low as 10-20%.

Body Fat Is Not The Only Indicator Of How Good You Will Look Or Good Health

One of the reasons that I stress that the mirror is more important than any reading you may have, no matter how accurate the method used, is that where you hold your body fat is more important than what your percentage is. For example, my experience has been that two people can have exactly the same body fat percentages and look as different as night and day. Some people can have rippling abs with 15% body fat whereas others have to go as low as 6% to start seeing real definition in their stomach areas.

More importantly the risk of fat related conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers is determined by where you hold your body fat. Fat around the abdominal area holds the greatest risk for potential health problems, while fat around the hips and thighs for women seem to be relatively harmless with respect to these health problems.

Although two people can have the weight or the same body fat percentage, that doesn’t mean they face the same health risks. Where body fat is located can place a person at far greater risk for fat-related health conditions such as: cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and even certain types of cancers.

It is important, for health and well-being, to not only know your body fat percentage but to also pay attention to where that fat is located. Fat around the abdomen may present the greatest risk for health problems. In contrast, fat around the hips and thighs is most common in females and seems relatively harmless with respect to these health problems. So don’t get too hung up on the numbers.

NOTE: If you liked my blog post and are able to forward it to a friend, or give me a Stumble thumbs up or review, Digg it and add it to a few other social networking sites or link it to your blog, I would very much appreciate it!  Thanks for reading!

Get a copy of Kevin’s free award winning weight loss ebook here! Kevin Richardson is one of New York City’s most sought after personal trainers and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training. Visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and need help losing weight or taking your body to the next level give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420 or click here to get started with 50% off your trial personal training session.

© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Personal Training™ Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: body fat, body fat percentage, body fat testing

Will Bread Make You Fat?

Common question: Will bread make you fat? One that I get asked over and over, and of course no one food can make you fat, but there are certain foods that can contibute easily to and increase in your weight and that seem to correspond to an overall decrease in performance and possibly have a detrimental overall effect on your health. This two part piece will explore the issue and I will detail my theories on wheat products in general. I hope you find it to be of use. 

One of the first things that my personal training clients get is a dietary guide with a caveat of sorts, warning them to stay away from certain foods. Highlighted on that list are all wheat and bread products. It is a commonly accepted fact that consumption of bread and wheat products is an absolute no-no for anyone trying to get into and maintain really optimum condition, and so it doesn’t come to many as a surprise. It seems pretty cut and dry, bread and wheat products equals getting fat and holding excess water, but I have to be honest with you and say that it isn’t that simple.
You see the foundation of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise has always been a return to the foods that we as a species have been consuming for thousands of years over the modern post industrial revolution foods that dominate our food supply today. Before the push for more and more quick and easily stored mass produced foods to support the ever growing numbers during the huge manufacturing and population boom of the late 18th century, there were no epidemic level mortality rates from Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In fact all of the ills that we take for granted as just another sign of aging are really simply a byproduct of eating modern food products. Products that either contain ingredients that are foreign to the human body, or made in a way that disrupts the natural biochemical ratios of the micro and macronutrients in our foods. A disruption that ultimately wreaks havoc with the way that our body has been designed and adapted to over the course of our hundred thousand plus years of existence.
Bread, then falls into a bit of a questionable category, as it has been around for almost as long as civilization has existed, providing a convenient source of both carbohydrates, micronutrients, fats and some protein to millions over the centuries without any ill effects. It is still eaten daily by many in cultures where modern processing has not yet found a foothold, and those populations seem untouched by the idea that it is somehow bad for your health.  True bread does not grow on trees, nor is it a non processed food in the purest sense of the word, but just like rice, the human body learned to adapt to it over the course of the thousands of years that it was consumed. This process, called micro-evolution is one that occurs over a long period and one glaring problem with modern foods is that they simply are too new to our body to learn how to adapt to it. Perhaps over the course of several thousand years we will be able to consume high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils with no problem whatsoever, but I for one don’t want to see what humans would look like at that time.

The problem with modern bread is twofold- number one- it is not made in the manner that traditional bread was made, (and don’t be fooled into thinking that the so called organic breads on the market are any better, because 99% of them are not) and the ingredients that it contains. In PART 2 I will detail exactly why bread today is not what we think it is, and why even the organic brands are suspect. Keep on reading!

Lose weight, build real muscle and get Superfit training only 10 minutes 3 times a week! That’s the slogan and the 100% guarantee of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™ created by visionary NYC personal trainer, internationally renowned natural bodybuilder and fitness expert, Kevin Richardson. Get a copy of Kevin’s free award winning weight loss ebook here!

© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Personal Training™ Blog, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bread, carbohydrates, diet, diet tips, eating tips, weight loss