Top 10 Health & Fitness Articles Of 2011

In 2011 over a quarter of a million people read our blog articles as it has become more and more popular over the past several months. In this posting we take a look at the top ten most popular health and fitness articles posted in 2011. To determine popularity we looked not only at the number of ‘Likes’ and ‘Tweets’ but also factored in the number of readers and reader response. Hopefully some of your favorites made it into the final top ten list and I am sure that you will find a few other gems that you may have missed! Thanks again for the continued support!

Top 10 Health & Fitness Articles of 2011

10. The Anti-Aging Properties Of Weight Training & Resistance Exercise

A detailed look at how our body ages on a cellular  level and how weight training and resistance exercise can play a significant role in maintaining quality of life as you get older. You can read the article in its entirety here.

9. Sweating Has Nothing to Do With Losing Fat

Getting a good sweat is thought of as the key to a good fat burning workout, however sweating has nothing to do with fat loss and is a poor indicator of how much fat you are burning while training or doing any physical activity. Read the article in its entirety here.

8. Tongol Tuna- A Safe Real Food Choice

I started writing about the benefits of tongol tuna several years ago and in this article we go over the problem of mercury in fish and the role of tongol tuna as a lower mercury alternative to traditional albacore tuna. You can read the article in its entirety here.

7. Six Pack Abs- It’s Not What You Do- It’s What & How You Eat

The quest of six pack abdominals has become the Holy Grail for many as the ultimate goal of their diet and exercise program. Unfortunately a surge of exercise products and services have sprung up over the years offering consumers much in the way of false hope by promoting various exercises as the way to a chiseled midsection. As lucrative as these products may be they not only don’t work, but distract us from the reality that a six pack comes from what and how you eat more than what type of exercises you do. You can read the article in its entirety here.

6. Multi-Vitamins & Vitamin Supplements Do More Harm Than Good

Multi-vitamins have long been thought of as a must have for anyone serious about their health. However hundreds of studies show that not only are multi-vitamins unnecessary for a population that is not clinically deficient in any major nutrient, but that they may actually increase the likelihood of certain diseases. If you take multi-vitamins or any vitamin supplement this is an article that you owe it to yourself to read.  You can read the article in its entirety here.

5. The Economics Of Obesity- Why The Food Industry Needs Us to Overeat

One of the biggest problems we face in the fight against obesity and growing diet related problems is the fact that the government plays a key role in supporting and promoting the food industries that make the very foods that we ought to avoid. In this in depth two part article we take a look at how the industry makes us eat more and how important overeating has become for the sustainability of the American economy as we know it. A must read for anyone interested in the behind the scenes machinery that allows corporations to wreak havoc with public health. You can read the article in its entirety here.

4. Can Bread Make You Gain Weight?

There is a common belief that bread will make you gain weight but the truth is that if you eat anything more than you should you’ll put some extra pounds on. In this article we take a look at the history of one of our oldest foods and debunk some of the myths about bread while showing the major differences between what we eat today and the bread that sustained our forefathers. You can read the article in its entirety here.

3. How Do Muscles Get Bigger And Stronger?

While many slave away at the gym in the quest for bigger and stronger muscles, few take the time to understand the mechanisms by which our muscles grow. In this comprehensive piece we take a look at our body’s response to stress, how it translates into improvements in our physiques and our performance and why training less is best. You can read the article in its entirety here.

2. Rethinking The Need For Cardio- Why Aerobics Don’t Work Well For Fat Loss

Aerobic type exercise is without question the most popular fitness activity for those bent on losing weight- however numerous studies and an understanding of the physiology of how our cardiovascular and muscular systems interact show that it isn’t the most effect form of exercise if weight loss is your ultimate goal. You can read the article in its entirety here.

1. Are Protein Shakes Bad For You?

The most popular article of the 2011 is about the now ubiquitous protein shake. While a staple in the dietary regime of almost all gym goers there is yet no real evidence that protein shakes actually help increase muscle mass or improve performance. In fact, evidence suggests that they might not necessarily be a good choice for someone interested in getting into peak shape. You can read the article in its entirety here.

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Celebrity NYC personal trainer Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss e-book here. You can contact Kevin at 1-800-798-8420.

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How much do you know about health and fitness?

Take our quiz based on our blog articles, daily Twitter & Facebook health tips and see where you stand. Good luck!

Quizzes by Quibblo.com | SnapApp Quiz Apps

How Did You Do?
90 to 100%- You are a tried and true expert in all things related to health and fitness.
70 to 89%- You know your stuff, but could do with a little brushing up on your diet and exercise knowledge.
50% to 69%- You passed, but just barely. Lot’s of catching up to do.
49% or less- You didn’t pass, but don’t despair, keep reading our blogs and articles and be sure to follow Kevin on Twitter for daily fitness updates and you’ll be up to scratch in no time!

The answers:

1. Someone who is overweight has a slower metabolism than someone with a healthy body weight.

False- The heavier you are the faster your metabolism will be- read more here

2. An apple really has 70,000 calories.

True. Strictly speaking an apple has 70,000 calories- since the energy content of food is measured in kilocalories which is one thousand calories. Confused? Read my article on understanding calories here.

3. If you follow a proper diet you can lose 10 lbs of fat in 1 week.

False- it’s mathematically  impossible if you are eating any food at all to lose that much fat in a week given the fact that you need to expend 36000 kcals for every 1 pound of fat. Read more here.

4. As little as 40 kilocalories over your daily energy requirements can lead to a weight gain of over 40 lbs in ten years.

Sad but true. A small intake over what your body really needs creates the silent, cumulative weight gain that seems to sneak up on you over the years – read more here.

5. Regular Snapple juices have less sugar than Coca Cola

False. Regular Snapple drinks have more sugar than an equal amount of Coca Cola even though it is marketed as a healthier alternative to sodas. Check out Kevin’s Twitter and Facebook updates for daily health tips!

6. When eating at a restaurant anything labeled ‘Crispy’ is fine to eat as a healthier choice.

False. The word ‘crispy’ is code for fried. Read more in our guide to healthy restaurant eating here.

7. Oats contain gluten.

False, pure oats do not contain gluten proteins. Read more on oats and gluten here.

8. Cane sugar is healthier than corn syrup.

False, several notable health organizations have affirmed that there is no distinction that should be made between the two in terms of health risk when consumption is immoderate. Read more here.

9. Weight training can’t protect you from bone loss over time.

False. It does and you can read more about the mechanisms of increasing bone density through resistance exercise here.

10. Feeling guilty after eating junk food can help you not eat it again.

False. The more you think about a food you ate the more likely you are to continue eating it. Read more about how guilt can sabotage your diet here.

11. Multi-vitamins have been conclusively proven to make you healthier.

False. Every study on the matter has found no health benefit to those without significant vitamin deficiencies (which contrary to popular belief if almost non-existent in developed countries). Read more about it here.

12. Soil today has 50% less of the nutrients it had 50 years ago and so do the fruits and vegetables grown in them.

False. While there is some reduction in soil nutrients over time, the amounts found in produce isn’t significantly lower, nor does it justify the use of vitamin supplementation. Read more here.

13. When you buy fruits and vegetables the growers get get as much as 50-60% of the profits.

False. Farmers get as little as 4% of the profit at times for produce- a figure that is far higher for those who raise animal stocks. That’s one of the reasons fruits and vegetables aren’t promoted as much as meat and high profit junk foods- the profit margins are simply too low. Read more about the economics behind the food that you eat here.

14. It is the interest of the US economy for you to eat more of the foods that aren’t good for you.

True. The food industry not only generates over 8% of the U.S. GDP with a trillion dollars in annual sales, but it also employs 12% of working Americans. Given these figures it isn’t surprising that government programs are in place to support their marketing  strategies to get you to eat more. Read more here.

15. Eating foods with added Omega 3 fats can improve your health.

False. Studies have shown this to not all be the case. Read more on how adding omega 3 fats to products do little to help anything but profit margins here.

16. Fasting is a great way to detoxify your body.

False and the only way to give your body a break from foods you believe to be toxic is to not eat those foods in the first place. Read more here on fasting and what it can and cannot do.

17. Aerobic exercise is essential for building endurance, losing body fat and working your heart.

False. It’s not the only way as studies have shown that you can increase endurance, lose body fat and get a significant improvement in cardiovascular efficiency from high intensity resistance training alone. Read how you can get fit in less time here.

18. Early man did not eat bread during the Paleolithic era and thus it is not a natural part of our diet.

False. Recent archeological digs in Italy, Russia and the Czech Republic have revealed the use of flat breads dating back as far as 30,000 years ago into what is commonly called the Paleolithic era. Read more about bread and its role in weight gain here.

19. Protein shakes are just as good as solid foods for your protein needs.

False. Contrary to marketing that masquerades as science, protein shakes are not only unnatural and highly processed products, but they can actually make you gain body fat. Read more here.

20. Tongol tuna is a better choice because it has lower mercury levels than regular tuna.

True. It’s a smaller fish and thus is lower in methyl-mercury. Read more about tongol tuna here.

21. The longer and more often you train the bigger and stronger your muscles will become.

False. Without continued overload to the point that stimulates an adaptive response, after becoming accustomed to the stimulus your muscles will have no reason to get bigger or stronger. It’s not always how much you do, it’s how you do it. Read more about how muscles get bigger and stronger here.

22. Eating for  your blood type is a proven way to ensure that you eat what is best for your body.

False. There is no science behind the idea that blood type has anything to do with food intake. Read more about the misinformation behind blood type diet theory here.

23. A drink or two a week won’t make a difference in your weight loss efforts.

False. Alcohol goes a long way in stopping your efforts to lose body fat. Read more about drinking and weight loss here.

24. Carbohydrates can make some people gain weight faster than anything else.

False. Any food, be it a protein, carbohydrate or fat consumed in quantities exceeding the caloric requirements of your body will make you gain weight. Fats, with a caloric value of 9 kcals per gram are actually more likely to make you gain weight as they have more calories than carbohydrates which have 7 calories per gram, but all things being equal eating anything more than you should will make you gain weight. Regardless of genetics. Read more about calories here and read more about the lack of evidence supporting a genetic link to modern obesity here.

25. The simplest way to eat well is to eat foods in as natural a form as possible with some degree of moderation.

True. The more unnatural a product is, the more likely it may not be the best decision for you to eat it. Read more by following updates on my Twitter account here.

Thanks for taking the test!

Kevin Richardson is an award winning fitness writer, one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training^TM. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and need help losing weight or toning up and taking your body to the next level with a time saving and practical system of diet and exercise, 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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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

A Comprehensive Guide To Eating Out & Staying In Shape- Restaurant Rules

Part 1 of 2

It used to be really simple. If you don’t want to gain weight and always eat healthy just cook all of your meals at home and don’t eat out at restaurants. It’s how I grew up back in the islands and it works- but as effective as it may be in terms of having complete control over what goes into your body, eating only home cooked meals simply isn’t always possible for everyone in today’s fast paced world. More and more people have little choice but to eat out on a regular basis as home cooked meals aren’t always practical if you are always on the run. Ask your grandparents and they’ll tell you that jobs today aren’t anything like what they were several decades ago. Our information intensive environments coupled with an ultra-competitive job market have made 40 hour weeks all but obsolete and it isn’t uncommon for many to have to endure 50-70 hour work weeks to get by. Such arduous hours make it impractical if not impossible for many to find the time or the energy to cook everything they need for the coming week. For others, eating out is an integral part of their job description if not a regular event that is part of their office culture, needless to say, while eating only home cooked meals may be the easiest way to stay in shape- it is very much possible to eat out and keep the pounds off as well. It takes some doing but it isn’t impossible.

I, for one, eat out on a pretty regular basis, so much so that I’ve been a Zagat reviewer for the past ten years or so, here in New York City and not in any way does it force me to make compromises in terms of consistently eating well. That being said, you do have to be knowledgeable of what you can and cannot eat on the restaurant menu and you can’t expect to find something wholesome at a fast food chain. Too often, health fanatics isolate themselves from their friends and family by not going out to eat and in so doing they miss the opportunity to partake in one of the most ancient of human social activities- which is in sharing a meal. It doesn’t have to be that way and it shouldn’t be. Being healthy isn’t about living a Spartan and hermetic existence- it’s about balance, and when done judiciously, eating out can easily find a place in a healthy lifestyle. In part one of the Eating Out Guide, I will do my best to outline some of the basics  to keep in mind when eating out in general and in part two I will cover in detail the food selections available to you and what you should avoid in over a dozen different popular cuisines. Thanks for reading and I hope this guide not only encourages you to eat out at good restaurants but also helps you keep your waistline trim at the same time.

The Psychology of Eating Out & Staying In Shape

The Rules

1. Don’t be negative-  If you think that there’s nothing healthy to eat- you won’t find anything healthy to eat.
2. Your parents aren’t watching- Just because it’s on your plate doesn’t mean that you have to eat it
3. You are the boss so don’t be afraid to ask for what you want the way you want it.

Rule 1. There is always something you can eat if you are at a good restaurant

One of the biggest mistakes when you are eating out is to think that you don’t have any healthy choices. Such a predisposition only makes it more likely that you will indeed eat eat junk food and is one of the reasons people blow their diet when eating out or ordering in. In Ninjutsu, the martial tradition that I have taught and studied for the past few decades,  there is a sub-discipline called tonpo- the art of escape. You may wonder what the art of escape has to do with eating out, but the fundamental precept of tonpo is that if you believe there is no way out then it is unlikely that you will ever find one. However if you see things for what they are without a prejudiced point of view and remain alert, you will find that there is almost always a way out. With regards to eating out, if you go to a restaurant and resign yourself to eating poorly then that’s exactly what you’ll do. You’ll only see the poor choices on the menu and won’t have the perspective of trying to make the best of the choices before you. If you are always  positive that there must must be something healthy on the menu then you’ll most likely find it and make wiser choices. Keep in mind that these precepts won’t always work in a dive or fast food restaurant and it’s another reason why you should always eat or order in from quality establishments. It costs a bit more but you are more than worth it.

Rule 2. Just because it’s on your plate doesn’t mean you have to eat it.

When we were children most of us were taught to always finish what was on your plate. Growing up it was often painful to be confronted with something I didn’t like as I knew that if it was on my plate I had to eat it. While this is great principle to teach kids the value of food and not to be wasteful, it can cause more problems than it solves when we are adults as it can encourage us to overeat. Especially given the over-sized portions served at many restaurants here in the United States. Compounding the ingrained traits of always eating what’s on your plate is the conviction that you’re not getting the most for your money if you don’t eat your money’s worth of food. It might be good economics- but good economics is actually one of the reasons our nation faces obesity problems in the first place (read my article on the Economics of Obesity here). These ways of thinking do little to promote healthy eating habits and hinders you from making sensible judgements about what goes into your body and encourages a very negative way of looking at food. Such points of view create great consumers but fall far short of creating healthy individuals.

It can be hard to not eat everything and not feel wasteful, but a different point of view can make all the difference. If I’m at a restaurant and an order of mashed potatoes automatically comes with my main course, I look at it from the point of view that I only paid for the main course and not the  included mashed potatoes. From my perspective the extras are thrown in for free and I am always very firm about asking that any extras that I will not eat stay in the kitchen and not on my plate. By focusing only on what I ordered and not having the included side dishes on my plate makes much easier to not give in and something out a misplaced sense of obligation. Sometimes the side dish is already on your plate, in which case you just have to keep your goals in perspective. You can get some practical tips on avoiding the temptation of food right in front of you in my article on avoiding temptation here.

Rule 3. Remember that at a restaurant that you are the boss.

When was the last time you were at work and your boss asked you to do a project a particular way but you chose to do it your way instead and he or she was perfectly fine with it? Doesn’t happen too often in the real world, does it? And the same applies to the restaurant staff when you are eating out. When you order at restaurant of any kind- you are the boss. Not the waiter and not the chef, just you. That being said you shouldn’t be afraid of hurting anyone’s feelings since it’s their job to see to it that you get what you want. That’s the contract between a customer and any reputable restaurant, when you want something cooked a certain way you should be able to get it prepared just the way you want it. This is another reasons I advocate restaurants over fast food chains. In a real restaurant your preferences are far more likely to be accommodated. You can’t ask for your hamburger without salt or additives at McDonald’s nor should you expect such levels of service at as such establishments. It’s very much take it or leave it and my advice would be to always leave it and eat somewhere else. You aren’t the boss and so it is always worth the extra money it costs to eat at a better place.

Click here for part two of our Eating Out Guide as we cover over a dozen different cuisines and what you need to know to make the best food choices when ordering them:

Eating Out & Staying Healthy- A Restaurant Guide by Cuisine

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

Sign up for our Email Newsletter

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

The Economics Of Obesity- How The Food Industry Makes Us Eat More- Part 2 of 2

This is part two of two articles on the economics of obesity. If you haven’t already you can read part one here:  Why The Food Industry Needs Us To Overeat- The Economics Of Obesity Part One

The Effects of Food Industry Advertising on Public Eating Habits

The influence of the American food industry doesn’t stop with convincing Washington to promote their interests, but reaches deep into our very hearts and minds through omnipresent advertising. Cut throat public relations campaigns are essential in an environment where there is such an overabundance of product. Our enormously high food production rates here in the United States brings about fierce competition among brands. So much so that it creates giant conglomerates as companies merge as a way to reduce competition and increase overall influence. Small companies simply can’t compete against monster corporations with billions in revenue and they are inevitably bought out and assimilated into the larger conglomerates. It’s a perfectly legal activity but it does lead to some degree of deception on the consumer end as buying out the competition creates the illusion that consumers have more choices than they really do. Only three companies, Philip Morris (you might know them better as Kraft Foods and Miller Brewing), ConAgra and RJR-Nabisco accounted for 20% of the market in 1997.[1] With the growing popularity of organic foods, the corporate Goliaths were quick to step in and buy out almost all of the small scale organic farms and companies who made products that they public loved to support. You never get the memo announcing the sale, nor is there much of anything in the news as they do their best to keep any such acquisitions as quiet as possible. You’ll just see your favorite local brands in more supermarkets than before in larger quantities with a significant increase in the amount of advertising for it. All geared towards making you eat more.

Why Making Junk Food Is An Important Part Of Keeping Profits High

In 2002, we had 320,000 different food items for sale here in the U.S. with one small problem- supermarket shelves only have room for 50,000 products.[2] Given such an outlandish surplus, foods today have to appeal to consumers while not costing too much as the American public as a whole is not willing to spend very much on what they eat. Americans spend less than 10% of their income on food- which might seem like a lot to those of us who live here, but it is far less than what is spent in other developed countries. Europeans spend 15-17% of their income in food, the Japanese spend 20% and people in poorer countries spend half to as much as 70% of their income on food.  American consumers however will not tolerate such high food costs, and so to keep prices low, food producers cut corners whenever they can. This means using farming models that aren’t always best practices for the environment or the animals involved, but ones that yield the most profit from lower overhead costs. Food producers also increase their profits by making more processed products. For example, by turning corn (which is dirt cheap and doesn’t bring much in terms of mark up profit) into corn snacks (which are relatively expensive), they increase the value of a basic foods. That these foods are for the most part nutritionally worthless isn’t the point- people will buy it, it doesn’t cost much to make and the profit margins make it worthwhile. Thus cheap rice is made into expensive organic rice crackers and inexpensive potatoes become pricey chips and French fries.

It isn’t possible to mark up the value of fresh fruit and vegetables very much other than giving it an organic label- but there are limits to how much consumers will pay for fruits and vegetables and they don’t sell as well as processed foods. To make matters worse, vegetable growers get as little as 5% of the market value when you purchase produce in a store while poultry and meat producers get anywhere from 50 to 60% of the final retail costs. Again, the economics are stacked against healthy foods. So calls to action by eating more fruits and vegetables won’t do much if food growers make such relatively little profits. Almost 70% of the 33 billion dollars spent on food advertising goes towards persuading the public to eat more candy, snacks, soft drinks, desserts and alcoholic beverages. The fruit, vegetable and grain sectors make up only 2.2%[3] of those advertising dollars while the USDA spends less than 300 million dollars a year on education on healthy eating. This number isn’t completely an accurate figure as most of those funds go towards agricultural research projects so the total amount dedicated to promoting better food choices is far less. To say the odds are against the messages of not overeating and avoiding junk foods would be an understatement of the highest degree.

The Ideal Consumer Is A Confused Consumer

One of the most harmful aspects of the food industry lobby is the exploitation of single nutrient studies. Food companies help fund research centered on the potential health benefits of single nutrients and then use the results of these studies to justify ridiculous health claims on their labels. There is considerable confusion created by the mixed messages and constantly changing ‘nutritional news’ when one study reportedly finds a food product to be healthy one day and another study finds it to be harmful the next. Such confusion works to the advantage of food producers as confused consumers are more likely to believe the questionable health claims on their products. The influence of the food conglomerates is frightening and far more insidious than we like to think. The heart healthy check mark of the American Heart Association is one of the most recognized consumer health symbols in America- yet it has been brazenly displayed on the sides of boxes of Lucky Charms, Trix, and Cocoa Puff cereals, in addition to Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drinks, Healthy Choice’s Caramel Swirl Ice Cream and Mazola Corn oil. None of these products are remotely healthy by any stretch of the imagination, yet somehow they were able to secure backing from one of the most prominent and trusted health authorities in the country. I will leave you to your own conclusions as to how that happens.

How The Food Industry Makes You Eat More

One of the easiest ways to make consumers eat more is to make the larger sizes cheaper.

The other way food companies increase their profits is by making you eat more. While no one likes to admit to being manipulated, the rising levels of obese and overweight men, women and children here in the U. S. show that the food companies have been enormously successful at manipulating us to eat more. With a limited number of calories that can possibly be consumed by the adult population, promotion to children to get them to eat more as well has become a standard part of the food industry’s advertising push over the past several decades. Interestingly enough, this increase in advertising focus coincides directly with the term Adult Onset Diabetes being officially changed to Type II diabetes given the alarmingly high number of children that are developing it today. It’s hardly a coincidence.  In the years 1976-1980 the rate of obesity among preschoolers aged 2-5 was only 5.0%. A rate that doubled to 10.4% in the years 2007-2008. The figures get worse as the children get older as obesity rates among those aged 6-11 jumped from 6.5% to 19.6% during the same periods and increased from 5.0 % to 181% among adolescents aged 12-19.[4] Focusing on getting kids to eat more isn’t the only way food companies increase consumer eating habits- adults are equally targeted by shrewd policies that go unnoticed by most of us.

One of the easiest ways companies get you to eat more is by increasing serving sizes. By making the bigger serving portions cheaper than the smaller ones consumers inevitably go for the better deal and end up eating more in the process. It’s a masterful strategy as you have to pay more to eat less. Now it might seem that the food industry loses money by giving you bigger portions in restaurants and packaged products, but it’s sound economics in terms of their profits. The cost of food production is quite low relative to labor and the aforementioned factors used to increase the retail price of the original food. So, by encouraging larger portions and increasing the cost of smaller ones- you make people buy more and eat more. It’s a relatively easy way to increasing profits without increasing production, but it creates unhealthy serving sizes and a population that doesn’t think twice about eating more to get the most ‘bang for their buck.’ Take a look at the oversized popcorn and soda choices at movie theaters that cost only a fraction more than the smaller options. Look at the ‘bargain’ supersized portions sold at fast food restaurants and the better value bigger packages in supermarkets and you’ll see it for yourself. No other country that I’ve been to has servings quite as larger as the ones offered here in America and it’s all part of a carefully thought out strategy to make you buy more and eat more. The constant influx of new products also plays a major role in getting people to eat more. New food products labeled as ‘organic’ or containing ‘organic ingredients’ have joined the roster of ‘low fat’, ‘all natural’, ‘fat free’, ‘no cholesterol’, ‘high fiber’, and vitamin enriched foods. None of these labels have any bearing on whether a food is inherently healthy or not, but it gives the public a feeling of comfort when they buy them. A sense of comfort that also encourages us to over consume foods that we shouldn’t be eating in the first place. If high fructose corn syrup is bad today, replacing it with ‘organic sugar’ in a product still makes it a junk food, but the illusion of it being healthier persuades consumers to eat it with a guilt free conscience. Feeling guilt free about what you eat won’t stop you from gaining weight by eating too many empty calories but it is good for business.

How To Protect Yourself From Marketing Messages To Eat More

We gain nothing by saying that we are immune to the effects of food advertising as such ways of thinking only leads to a false sense of security. Most advertising operates far below our consciousness and it influences even the most health conscious of us all. Today there is little that isn’t manipulated to make you buy more and eat more; religion, your concerns about the environment, animal rights and your own health concerns are all used to influence your buying and eating decisions with products designed to align with your way of thinking. Whether we like it or not, research consistently shows that by increasing the intensity, repetition and visibility of food related advertising messages we buy more and eat more.[5] Our 24/7 hour connections to the Internet, television and other media makes it almost impossible to avoid ads and secluding yourself in the mountains isn’t a practical answer to not being influenced by them.  However if you understand how the food industry works, you’ll be far less likely to fall for the ploys designed to make you eat more of the wrong foods.

Eating healthy isn’t confusing- it’s just not titillating or slick by any stretch of the imagination, and in a room with so many other voices shouting louder it isn’t often heard. The new and entertainment industry wouldn’t see much of an increase in their audience if every diet related segment said that you should avoid refined and processed foods, don’t overeat and use only fruits and vegetables as your snacks. Not only is it somewhat tedious, but it would alienates the very food companies whose refined products provide the lion share of advertising profits. It might not be a popular message backed by billions, but it is one that won’t ever change and one that you should heed if you are serious about being in shape.

Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training. You can download his free weight loss  ebook here. If you live in the New York City area and need help losing weight or getting into shape give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420. Check out Kevin personal training services here.

Recommended Reading: Food Politics. How the food industry influences nutrition and health by Marion Nestle. University of California Press

References:

1. Nestle M. Food Politics. How the food industry influences nutrition and health. University of California Press

2. Harris JM et al. The Food Marketing System. 2002 Agricultural Economics Report

3.Gallo AE. Food Advertising in the United States. America’s Eating Habits- Changes and Consequences- USDA

4.Ogden C, Carroll M. Prevalence of Obesity Among Children and Adolescents: United States, Trends 1963-1965 Through 2007-2008. CDC

5. Enyinda CI, Ogbeuechi AO. An empirical analysis of retail pricing and multimedia effects on sales performance. J Food Products Marketing.

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Post tags: diet, diet tips, eating tips, fast foods, food industry, health tips, healthy eating, nutrition, weight loss

The Economics Of Obesity- Why The Food Industry Needs Us To Overeat

In 2007-2008, the prevalence of obesity in the American population was a staggering 32.2% among adult men and even higher at 35.5% among adult women.[1] It isn’t a secret that the overabundance of food and the propensity towards overeating are key contributing factors to the lofty numbers of obese and overweight men, women and children here in the United States. But few understand the economics of what brought us to this unfortunate juncture in our health history. Weight problems and the collection of metabolic related diseases that accompany them stem mainly from eating more calories than we need. It might seem a simple cause and effect relationship but is personal weakness really the issue behind our tendency to overeat, or are there significant external factors? A studious look at the economics of food production provides considerable insight into the fact that overeating and excessive consumption of processed foods aren’t simply a matter of personal failing- but are requirements for the continued success of the U.S. food industry in its current form.

As disquieting as it may be, almost everything we hear or see relating to how and what we should eat is influenced in one way or another by major food conglomerates. From the seemingly obvious advertising via the direct media, to not-so-obvious processed food product friendly studies and government issued dietary guidelines. The fact that we are mostly unaware of the effectiveness of advertising and public relations by the food industry in making us eat more of the foods than we should is in itself a testament to its success. Food companies spend upwards of 33 billion dollars a year promoting their wares to the public- a figure that’s hard for most of us to really comprehend. Seventy percent of those funds are used to promote processed convenience foods, candy, snacks, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and desserts compared to the meager 2.2% which goes towards the encouraging consumption of fruit, vegetables, grains or beans.[2] The state of confusion experienced by most members of the public with regards to all matters related to diet and what is or isn’t healthy, is a deliberately planned result of these advertising dollars. Consequently, more people believe they are eating healthy while overeating and consuming the very processed foods and beverages that lead to weight gain.

Understanding The Impact of The Food Industry On Our Eating Habits

People often ask why would the food industry go to such ends to undermine public health and why does our government allow such things to happen? Most dismiss the question with the overly simplistic refrain that food corporations are inherently evil. As tempting as such explanations may be, the question remains unanswered. We are then left unaware of the inner workings of a system that can often mislead us if we don’t fully understand it.

“Know your enemy and know yourself and in a thousand battles you will always be victorious” –Sun Tsu

When I started personal training twenty years ago in Trinidad, there was never any mystery as to why some of the people who worked with me were overweight. They understood very clearly that their weight gain was caused by eating too much of the wrong foods. They could readily identify what those foods were. They also knew that remedying their situation meant regular exercise and eating a diet of natural foods, fruits and vegetables while avoiding processed food products. Now let’s fast forward to my practice today in New York City, where over the last ten years most of the overweight individuals who start our training program don’t understand how and why they put on weight. Many firmly believed that they followed a healthy diet and were baffled by their weight gain. But those diets always included processed food products. These products, marketed under the healthy food banner and or ‘organic foods’, do little but add an abundance of empty calories and are easily overeaten. Given such deceit, it’s hard not to see food corporations as evil troll-like entities bent on destroying our health. But the explanation is far more complex than we tend to think.

Why companies work so diligently to sabotage our health with messages of overconsumption of unhealthy foods? It has to do with economics and with the limitations of our profit driven society. Corporations are just that: corporations. They don’t have conflicts of conscience or moral dilemmas as they aren’t human beings capable of such abstractions. A corporation is an entity whose survival relies completely on its ability to amass growing profits for its shareholders. The ethics of any system usually revolve around what’s required to sustain the life of said system and food corporations are no exception to this rule. Without profit, corporations eventually cease to exist and so, in the name of generating revenue, everything becomes fair game. With regards to food production here in the United States, there are two inter-related economic factors that most of us don’t think about very often. They are that:

1. Food production in the United States is so efficient that it produces a food supply far greater than the caloric needs of the population
2. In spite of profits that seem to be astronomical, the annual growth rate of the food industry has always been very low

The Overabundance of Food and Its Effects on How the Food Industry Operates

The development of agricultural technologies have allowed American farmers (if you can still call them that) to become more efficient and productive while using less labor. Therefore, the American food supply is now large enough to feed everyone in the country twice- even after exports.[3] As encouraging as this may sound, it does impose some very finite limits- namely that there is more food being produced than people in this country can eat. Even the most voracious can only eat but so much, so in order to be successful, food companies not only have to aggressively promote their products as being superior but also must convince consumers to eat more of it. Much more. Economically speaking, overeating is a required condition for the survival of American food corporations because it is the only way they can turn large enough profits to satisfy their shareholders.

Tying in with the quandary of an overabundant food supply is the problem of limited market growth. With so many different products on the market, the annual growth rate of the food industry is only one or two percentage points. Thus, companies do their utmost to ensure that nothing interferes with this growth as it isn’t very much to begin with. Hence, they spend billions not only in advertising but in influencing government officials, nutritional authorities and the media to either say that their products are healthy or say nothing that could be construed as negative about their products. Lobbyists from the industry pressure Congress to see that no restrictions are placed on the consumption of their foods. The government has little choice but to be swayed by such lobbies as food sales in the U.S. account for 8% of the gross national product which works out to more than a trillion dollars in sales.[3] Equally persuasive is the fact that the food industry employs 12% of the American labor force. So, Washington has no alternative but to look out for their interests – given the enormous impact food production has on the stability of our economy. We tend to see our government as a system designed to protect the interests of its citizens and forget that for our current society to continue, they must also consider the well-being of corporations within its borders.

The Political Consequences Of Food Overproduction

The US need to protect the prosperity of the food conglomerates politicizes all nutritional guidelines. Therefore, policies as words like ‘eat less’, ‘don’t eat’ and ‘bad foods’ are vehemently opposed by lobby groups and seldom find their way into any public statements. Bear in mind that the government also supports financially the food industry to make sure that their profits remain high so it would be ludicrous to think that they would do anything to jeopardize an industry that they help sustain. Our tax dollars subsidize everything from price supports to marketing and food promotion programs. So, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to learn that the government actively works to promote higher consumption levels of foods that may not necessarily be good for us. The recent revelation that the US Department of Agriculture had been working with fast food restaurants to increase the amount of cheese that people eat in pizzas while the administration talks a fighting a war against obesity is a classic example. There is often much going on under the surface. The average citizen isn’t necessarily aware that the government’s public message isn’t always congruent with what goes on behind closed doors.

Read Part 2 of of the Economics Of Obesity- How The Food Industry Makes Us Eat More Than We Should here.

Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training. Download a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York City area and need help losing weight or getting into shape give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420. Check out Kevin personal training services here.

References & Sources

1. Flegal KM, Carroll M.D, Ogden CL, Curtin LR- Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, JAMA
2. Gallo AE. Food advertising in the United States. America’s Eating Habits: Changes & Consequences. USDA

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The Best Health And Fitness Articles Of 2010

2010 was a landmark year!  My blog won several awards for and most importantly had an average of over ten thousand people reading my articles each month! With a tight writing schedule of one new article every week, fifty-two articles a year, it isn’t always easy. I spend a lot of time painstakingly researching each post, but it is worth it! My thanks to all of my readers for the continued support and to commemorate this successful year I have complied for your browsing pleasure the most popular health and fitness articles on our blog for 2010. Be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter so you won’t miss a post!

Be sure to vote for your favorite!

The Best Health And Fitness Articles Of 2010

Food And Self Control- How Do You Stop Cravings?
Self control is one of the hardest things when it comes to following a diet and research from the now famous ‘Marshmallow Experiment’ gives us some scientific insight into how we can increase our own self control.

Overcoming The Fear Of Going to The Gym
While lack of time is often cited as the number one reason why people don’t exercise- the fear involved in joining a gym is another often overlooked factor.

5 Tips For Eating Well And Losing Weight On A Budget
Can you lose weight and eat healthy while on a tight budget? Of course you can and here are five easy ways to do it!

Keeping Us Fat- Why Not Losing Weight Is Profitable
Given that we spend more money on weight loss than ever before the number of overweight people continues to climb, could not losing weight be more profitable?

Obesity And Chronic Disease- Is It Genes Or Lifestyle?
Many blame genes for the prevalence of obesity and metabolic disease in society, but research shows that lifestyle and environmental factors are to blame.

5 Reasons Why You Should Never Take Weight Loss Supplements
Here are five very valid reasons and eye opening reasons why you should never use weight loss supplements.

Being Skinny Doesn’t Mean Being Healthy
Contrary to popular belief being skinny isn’t always an indication of how healthy you are and you can be overweight and still be physically fit!

Is Exercise As Effective For Relieving Depression As Therapy and Medication?
Exercise has been proven as a preventive aid to major depression, but can it relieve depressive symptoms as well as medication and conventional therapies? Some research says it can!

You Can Eat Nuts Guilt Free And Not Gain Weight
Research shows that although nuts are high in calories, you can eat them with a very low risk of weight gain. Eating nuts also seems to help you stay on your diet!

As Little As One Drink Of Alcohol A Week Can Significantly Reduce Fat Loss
As little as one or two drinks a week can have a marked effect on your efforts to lose fat! Here is why.

The Dangers Of Visceral Abdominal Fat
Once it was thought that all fat was the same, but we know now that visceral abdominal fat can increase risk of metabolic syndrome, chronic inflammation, cancer and impair daily life.

Is It Safe To Exercise With A Cold?
A common question about the common cold- should you or should you not exercise when you have the sniffles. The answer may not be what you think it is!

Out of the 52 articles posted for 2010 there were some notable runner ups. Here they are:

The Best Health and Fitness Articles Of 2010- Honorable Mentions:

High Intensity Training Workouts For Women Increases Bone Density

The Biggest Loser- A Bad Example For Weight Loss

Does Weight Training Reduce Breast Size In Women?

Agave Isn’t A Healthy Sugar Alternative- It’s Worse Than Sugar

Short High Intensity Workouts Can Help Regulate Blood Sugar

Changing Your Diet Forever- Why Is It So Hard?

Not to forget our pick of most popular health and fitness article of 2009. With a total of almost 22,000 page views in 2010, this article tops the list as the most viewed post of the year-

Best Health & Fitness Article 2009

Is Subway Really Healthy?

Thanks again for reading and be sure to let me know in the comments which one was your favorite!

Get a copy of Kevin’s free weight loss ebook here!

Kevin Richardson- celebrity NYC Personal Trainer, is the creator of Naturally Intense™ High Intensity Training, a lifetime natural bodybuilder and arguably the most sought after personal trainers in New York City

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Post tags: body fat, body fat percentage, diet, diet tips, eating tips, exercise, fast foods, fat loss, flat stomach, health tips, healthy eating, high intensity training, junk foods, personal trainer nyc articles, self image, training tip, weight training

A 10 Step Guide To Healthy Eating

Eating healthy today isn’t as easy as it might have been for those in generations past, but as waistlines expand around the world and mortality rates climb from diet related diseases- healthy eating is not only a cosmetic concern in terms of maintaining an ideal weight- but it is also an important factor in our longevity. It isn’t always easy and you have to keep in mind that Rome was not built in a day and you should not expect yourself to be able to eat healthy foods at all times right off the bat. Like anything else, consistency in healthy eating is a skill that comes with practice. The more you do it , the better you get at it. It took me the better part of 15 years to be able to consistently stay away from processed foods, and not for lack of trying!  The key is to be patient with yourself and don’t think about never eating some of your favorite foods ever again- it will just drive you insane (and make you more likely to eat it!) Instead take it day by day, one step at a time- think about eating well today and stay in the moment. As the days go by you’ll find it easier and easier to stay on point.

That being said here are 10 steps to help you stay on your path towards healthy eating:

Step 1: Lead Yourself Away From Temptation By Stocking Up On Healthy Foods

Eliminate temptation at home. Clear out all the junk from your cupboards, and get the whole family on board. It is so much easier to change your diet when you are not surrounded by the foods you should not eat. At work you may not have that much control over what you are exposed to, but I always have my clients include their entire family in their weight loss endeavors. The good part is that everyone will be all the healthier as a result!

Step 2: Eat A Large Healthy Breakfast

Eat a large breakfast. My experience has been that individuals that skip breakfast almost always have difficulty towards the afternoon to evening avoiding junk foods. A good breakfast will do wonders to regulate your appetite, and you will be surprised at how quickly the late night cravings disappear! The mantra I keep repeating to my clients is to always breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and eat dinner like a pauper- follow that rule and you will be in shape in no time. (You can download my free weight loss ebook on healthy breakfast choices here!)

Step 3: Get A Support System

Let everyone at work know that you are trying to eat better and actively recruit them. Not eating what everyone else is eating can be a real strain at times and it helps to have people around who understand and support your endeavors.

Step 4: Set Realistic Goals

Set realistic expectations for yourself by remembering to practice moderation, and don’t feel badly if you indulge. The guilt that we feel after eating something that we should not will work against you, in that it will cement the idea of eating the wrong food in your mind for a long time afterwards, as you keep on beating yourself up for slipping. In so doing you are actually more likely to do it again. The best bet is to forget about the past, (since there is nothing that you can do about it unless you have access to a working time machine) and instead just pick yourself up and keep on going. Everyone slips sometimes and we forget instantly how well we have eaten for the day and instead focus on the one bad food that we may have eaten. So be patient with yourself and keep things in perspective. (See my article- Why Is Staying On A Diet So Hard)

Step 5: Know Your Problem Times & Triggers

Identify those times of the day when you’re most vulnerable to a junk-food attack. Is it that relentless 8 pm craving? The phone call from your client-from-hell that spurs a run to McDonald’s? Stress at work? Stress from the kids? Whatever the trigger, prepare ahead of time by having healthy, flavorful alternatives on hand. Better yet, schedule alternate activities for those times when you’re most likely to face temptation.

Step 6: Make Good Choices When Eating Out

When eating out choose grilled or broiled versions of foods that are typically fried, don’t eat the bread and ask for all the sauces on the side. In the better restaurants, you can ask for salt free food preparation, but almost everywhere (except fast food restaurants) you can find entrees that are mainly natural foods sources like chicken, fish, or lean meats that can fit in with any healthy diet.

Step 7: Never Let Yourself Get Too Hungry

Try to eat every 3 to 4 hours so your body always has a steady stream of nutrients. That will help keep your blood sugar nice and level and help keep the cravings away. As an aside, never go food shopping hungry as well. You’ll be more likely to buy things that you shouldn’t!

Step 8: Keep Busy

Sitting in front of the television late in the evening can be a formula for bad eating habits. In addition to exercising three times a week- you should find other activities to keep you occupied. (I don’t recommend any more than that and as great as exercise may feel, if you train too often you will end up being overtrained and diminish any potential gains you are getting from the activity.) Instead find a hobby over simply going home and watching television night after night, as it will indeed help you stay on track, diet wise.

Step 9: Prepare Your Own Meals

Learn to cook. It is not easy to always find the right foods, and so you end up giving in to the always available junk foods that are everywhere. The best way to beat this is to cook your own foods and bring it with you. A great idea is to cook large quantities and put extra meals in the freezer. You will also need to get some containers to carry your foods around with you.

Step 10: Plan Ahead!

Plan ahead. If you know that you are going to be gone for a certain period of time, carry enough food to eat for the duration, and then some. When an aircraft takes off from an airport, they always carry contingency fuel, just in case something happens and they end up spending more time in the air that they planned. You should do the same and bring along some extras with your meals like non perishable snacks (like nuts, etc) so you don’t get stuck with nothing to eat in a sea of fast foods. This is perhaps the best advice I can give, and is what helped me and so many others that I have worked with over the years get away from eating the wrong foods.

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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Healthy Foods To Avoid To Lose Weight- Part 2 of  2

Check out: Healthy Foods To Avoid Part 1

Are you tired of ‘eating right’ only to find that you are still out of shape and are nowhere near the body of your dreams? You can thank the wonders of modern advertising for most of your woes as the majority of so called healthy foods are in fact junk foods that will so do nothing but adversely affect your health and increase your waistline. In this the second part of my postings on unhealthy health foods we will take a look at the remaining members of the health food list that you need to avoid!

6. Margarine.

Whenever people gather around and cite the news, or media as a source of health information I always bring up margarine. In the 1980’s it was touted as the new health food, and a far superior alternative to butter, as it was low in saturated fats. Just as it is today, no one questioned the veracity of those statements and we seem to have ignored the fact that we know today that margarine contains the worst type of fat possible, trans fatty acids which we know well as hydrogenated oils. These fats are artificially created and the human body simply is not able to function well with this new synthetic fat that man has made to make foods last longer on the shelf and give them a smooth texture and taste. Banned in many parts of the world outright, trans fatty acids lower your good cholesterol, and hike up the bad cholesterol. It also has been linked to an increase in risk of heart disease and diabetes. Interestingly enough, this is a food that most people can remember being endorsed by the nutritional powers that be and should serve as a warning to anyone that loos to the government and expert nutritionists for information on what is healthy. 

5. Milk 

Milk is a high sodium, high fat and high sugar food that will bloat your physique and keep you from attaining the look that you are training for. We grew up hearing (thanks to the great sums of money invested by the dairy association lobbyists) that milk was the ‘perfect food’ and that’s true if you are an infant. As we get older however our ability to digest milk declines. This, along with the fact that adult mammals do not drink milk leads me to believe that milk is a food geared towards a particular stage of our development. As an adult, drink it regularly and just watch your toes disappear. If you have to drink it stick to the skim version and not the 1% and 2% variety. (Ladies, don’t worry about calcium and osteoporosis if you decides to skip milk- there are many better alternative and to be honest there are no validated studies to show that calcium loss is prevented by drinking milk or taking supplements. What has been observed is that calcium loss can be prevented by increasing weight bearing exercises and increasing exposure to Vitamin D. It doesn’t sell dairy products, but keep in mind as well that in Europe and the United States, milk is a staple, and yet we have high incidences of bone loss in our population, while many in third world countries where milk is not consumed they have no such occurrences. Sadly, contrary to the ads for milk and calcium supplementation, the studies conclusively show that bone loss has more to do with a high sodium, high caffeine, high phosphorus (from carbonated beverages) and or alcohol intake and lack of exercise and sun exposure than anything else.

4. Soy Milk.

Soy milk is one of the biggest selling soy products, with $300 million in sales in the year 2001, up from a mere $2 million in 1980 due to the advertising of its potential benefits. The irony is that this so called health food that is supposed to be a staple part of the Asian diet is virtually unknown in that part of the world. Vegetarianism itself, has become profitable for companies to promote as a result, and more and more people are trading soy over animal based proteins largely as a result of the overwhelmingly present push towards soy being a superior food source, with soy protein used for a wide variety of vegetarian friendly products. In fact you would be hard pressed to find someone that did not believe that soy was good for the body after such an extensive and pervasive campaign, but no matter how many people call an arm a leg, it remains a leg and processed soy products are not at all good for you! Refined soy products do not provide the full array of essential amino acids required by the human body and the chemical processing required to make it safe for consumption fast and  in large quantities denatures much of its useable amino acids, especially lysine. In fact, soy products are not as natural as one might think, since they are contain inherently harmful toxins such as phytic acid and protease inhibitors and are perhaps the most processed foods being consumed today. In terms of its effect on weight loss- very early on in my career I noticed that soy milk consumption made a huge difference in the amount of weight lost by my clients. My advice is to stay away.

3. Rice Cakes

One of the original diet foods. As odd as it may sound, rice cakes have a higher glycemic index than sugar- so forget about adding it to your diet if you are serious about getting and staying in shape. Again, it sounds like a great idea- as it is after all made from rice- but they are so highly refined that they are devoid of the fiber that makes rice a great food choice. Forget the advertising and avoid it and don’t even consider the chocolate and butter flavored versions.

2. Granola

A personal favorite. I love to hate granola in all of its incarnations. It is marketed in a manner  similar to the aforementioned rice cakes as a ‘health food’ with labels proclaiming that it is ‘all natural’, well, natural does not mean good for you! Granola is nothing but candy with good press. It’s chock full of sugar, fat and calories and last time I looked there is no such thing as a granola tree. Best left on the supermarket shelf.

1. Diet & Protein Shakes

Another one of those suspicious ‘health foods’- one popular brand whose name I will not mention has the ludicrous marketing slogan that life is too short not to slim fast! All of them, protein shakes included promise quick nutrition and weight loss in a gulp or two while the truth is usually far less promising. Firstly, the majority of those so called ‘shakes’ are nothing but glamorized milk shakes. That’s right- milk shakes, filled with sugar and fats, with some vitamins thrown in for good measure- the most hyped up cross filtered whey protein drink is nothing more than a milk byproduct at the end of the day and if you use them regularly you’ll see a nice rounding of your stomach over time. So forget about a quick fix- there are no quick fixes and there is a reason why we have evolved the way we have as a species to ingest solid food sources over liquid ones.

As depressing as the list may seem, there are indeed really good choices out there if you really want to lose weight and stay in shape. By choosing foods in their natural form and eating only foods that your great-great parents would recognize in the way that they ate it is the only tried and true way to help the general population take control of their health and their waistlines. It really is that simple- natural foods don’t need fancy slogans and neither do you.

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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The Dirty Dozen- So Called ‘Healthy’ Foods To Avoid To Lose Weight

So many people struggle every day with diets that do far more harm than good to lose weight and get themselves in shape. Thanks to the multi-billion dollar bonanza created by the public need for weight loss solutions companies spend an enormous amount of money to influence what we think is healthy. From public relations campaigns where their products and foods are touted in the press and endorsed by celebrities and at times government organizations to studies funded by food lobby groups to find healthy attributes in foods with questionable health properties.

Never before has it been harder to get unbiased information on what you should and should not eat if you want to lose weight, stay healthy and avoid diet related diseases. The misconceptions are so numerous that I thought I might help a bit by going over the definitive no-no’s to keeping your tummy tight and your body in the best shape possible. Remember that words like ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ are marketing terms that refer to the foods ingredient but have no bearing on whether the food is actually good for you or not. Nightshade berries for example are organic, natural and are high in vitamins anti-oxidants – but it doesn’t make it a good idea to eat it as it is the most poisonous plant in the Western Hemisphere! The same applies to our foods- don’t be mislead by hype about the great properties a food product is supposed to have- in fact I would venture to say that the more of a health food it is supposed to be the more you should avoid it! We are today eating more ‘organic’ and ‘health’ foods in the United States than ever before but our rates of obesity and diet related ailments continue to climb so obviously there is something fundamentally wrong with Western processed foods. Here is my definitive dirty dozen of hidden dangers in what most refer to as healthy foods:

‘Healthy’ Foods To Avoid To Lose Weight

12. Bran Muffins 

It always amazes me that people still think that there is some inherent good in having bran muffins for breakfast. Trust me, there isn’t, even though they do contain some fiber, bran muffins are notoriously high in sugar and have a very high glycemic index. It is are refined carbohydrate and often also contains a fair amount of partially hydrogenated oils- (trans fats)- exactly what you want to stay away from if you want to get into shape. Carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index will give you a nice sugar rush, followed by a nasty crash. Whenever your body consumes a high glycemic rated food your insulin levels will go up dramatically. Increased insulin levels make your body store fat– which I am sure is not your goal nor are they healthy for your body as over time it can lead to pancreatic problems and the onset of type 2 diabetes. The key is to eat only complex carbohydrates that are naturally occurring foods not their refined cousins that are man made.

11. Juices

“You must drink orange juice everyday to be healthy and get your Vitamin C!” is what most of us grew up hearing. Oddly enough, fruit juices are devoid of almost all naturally occurring vitamins as the refinement process destroys them and thus vitamins have to be added back into it. Basically when you drink a glass of orange juice all the vitamin C that you are getting comes from a dissolved vitamin tablet (which explains the taste) which our body cannot use as efficiently as a naturally occurring source. Juices of all kinds should be avoided if you are really trying to slim down as they are high in simple sugars and low in fiber. As strange as it may seem but juices are very much a foreign entity to our bodies as we are not at all designed to drink them. In nature, sugar occurs in fruits in the presence of fiber. This fiber is a key factor in how our body processes the sugars and serves to reduce any severe spikes in insulin levels after consuming it. The naturally occurring fiber also helps tell our brain when enough is enough. Anyone can easily drink a glass of apple juice in a couple of seconds but it takes anywhere from 6-8 apples to make one glass of juice and our bodies are not made to ingest that many apples at one time. In fact I don’t know of too many people that could eat more than one or two apples at a sitting as the high fiber content would prevent you from overdoing it. Take away the fiber by juicing it and voila you have just transformed a perfectly healthy food into a refined food product that isn’t good for your health or your waistline.

Don’t fall for the nonsense marketing of the health benefits of juicing- it’s a great way to sell juicers but don’t think that you can get your servings of vegetables and fruits by gulping down a glass- even vegetable become refined food products if you use a juicer because the concentration is unnatural to our bodies. So if you want the nutrition of a fruit and vegetables just do what we’ve been doing for the past 150,000 years without any problems- just eat fruit and vegetables.  You’ll lose weight, save money and stay healthier.

10. Soda.

There is no getting around it, soda is evil. Every year Americans guzzle over 15 billion gallons of it and I cannot understand why. Simply put, soda is loaded with empty calories and simple sugars. One can of soda exceeds your USDA recommendation of sugar requirements for the entire day! What about diet soda, you ask? That couldn’t be too bad,  right? Wrong! Diet sodas contain high amounts of phosphoric acid, which can destroy your teeth and gums. The phosphorous in soda also weakens bones by interfering with calcium absorption. Additional studies have found that diet soda also can lead to weight gain.  So don’t fool yourself at the checkout window by thinking that you are doing yourself a service by having the diet soda instead of the regular kind. Having a diet soda instead of a regular one like jumping from the 70th floor instead of the 75th. The only healthy choice is a little known beverage called water but thankfully it isn’t that hard to find.

9. Processed Meats.

Lunch meats and cold cuts are among the most disgusting and revolting foods on the planet and I intrigued by the fact that they are allowed to get away with labels that proclaim some form of health benefit. You’ll see tags saying that they are ‘99% fat free’ and such but it is still junk and really bad for you. Pregnant women are advised to avoid cold cuts and deli meats and for good reason. Keep in mind that these meats have only a quarter of the protein value of real meat per serving size. The other 75% is made up of preservatives and nitrates designed to keep them ‘fresh’ as well as fillers and binders made from questionable animal parts to make up the extra weight. Consider how old the meat that you are eating might be– do you really think eating meat that is several months old is a good idea? The extremely high sodium levels also won’t help your blood pressure and your physique. But there is more cause for alarm,  according to a recent study in the journal Circulation- eating just one serving a day of processed meats like bacon, sausage and deli meats was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and 19% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Interestingly enough, there were no risks at all associated with eating the much maligned red meat as long as it was unprocessed. Remember our forefathers ate red meat for hundreds of thousands of years without any problems- it’s the processed meats that will kill you.

8. Cereal.

Here’s the deal, if you start your day with cereal, resign yourself to end it without looking and feeling great. Most cereals claim to be low in fat and that may be so, but they are still highly refined and processed, which means that most of the inherently good nutrients are lost. Refined carbohydrates also have a high glycemic index, which we talked about earlier which will make you ‘crash and burn’ as well as help put on some unwanted pounds. All cereals are bad, and many are high in sodium as well even the so called ‘organic cereals’. Be smart and stay away and keep your kids away from it as well. You are better off eating something like oats as a carbohydrate source in the morning for breakfast. Read my article on oatmeal as a breakfast food here.

7. Alcohol.

Quite often I my clients whether or not they drink and the answer is often “Only a little on social occasions.” I have been able to catalog the effects of alcohol consumption on the weight loss progress of my clients over the past fifteen years and my notes clearly show that as little as one drink a week reduces the rate of weight loss by as much as 50 to 75% when compared to non-drinkers on the same diet and training program. This holds true for all ages and levels of fitness and comes with a significant decrease in performance during training as well. There is a great deal of media coverage given to to research about the benefits of moderate alcohol intake in reducing your chance of heart disease (thanks to a lot of money spent by wine and alcohol lobbies). Granted there may indeed be benefits, but there other, safer ways to reduce your likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, like good nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight. Last time I checked alcohol didn’t help too much with the latter two categories and the risks far outweigh the benefits. Alcohol contains 7 empty calories per gram. It can also wreak havoc on your hormone levels, damage your liver, dehydrate you, depress you, impair your judgment, addict you and leave you with an always fashionable beer belly. Keep in mind as well that the positive studies were underwritten by the wine industry and aren’t by any means conclusive. Read my article on alcohol and weight loss here.

Read part 2 of Healthy Foods To Avoid To Lose Weight

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 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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