Nuts Will Not Make You Gain Weight 

You can’t have your cake and eat it as the expression goes, but you can have nuts and not worry too much about weight gain even thought they are high in calories and fats! One of the most interesting observations that I have made over the years is that people are able to eat peanuts and tree nuts in significant quantities and still lose weight in spite of the significant amount of calories that come with every handful. Nuts of all kind (what we categorize as nuts are not actually nuts at all- almonds, walnuts and pecans are technically fruits, cashews are seeds as are candlenuts, pistachios and pine nuts, macadamias are kernels and peanuts are actually legumes) are high in many valuable nutrients and have tremendous health benefits. Many nuts are rich sources of vitamins E and vitamin B2, and are rich in high in protein, making them quite popular among those who choose to avoid or limit their meat intake. Nuts are also high in folate, fiber, and vital minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium. Nuts are also very high in fats namely essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic and most of the fats found in nuts are unsaturated and include monounsaturated fats which are extremely beneficial. Studies have found that people who consume nuts on a regular basis are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease¹ and that certain nuts such as almonds and walnuts can lower LDL cholesterol levels (the bad cholesterol)^2,3. In addition to their heart friendly benefits, nuts are also recommended foods for individuals with Type 2 diabetes thanks to their very low glycemic index. The problem is that because of their high caloric nature, many are afraid to add them to their diet for fear of gaining weight. Interestingly enough there are several studies that have validated what I have seen for several years now, namely that you can ingest a significant number of calories from nuts and not gain weight.

Studies On Nuts And Weight Gain

During a thirty week study of fifteen healthy normal weight adults at Perdue University participants added approximately 2000 kJ worth of peanuts to their regular diet for eight weeks and then for the next eight weeks peanuts replaced an equal amount of other fats in their diet. Researchers found that the subjects compensated for 66% of the energy provided by the nuts and body weight gain was far lower than expected with an average gain of only 3.6 kg. However when customary dietary fats were replaced with calories from peanuts body weight was maintained perfectly. Resting energy expenditure was increased by 11% after regular peanut consumption for 19 weeks and more importantly the high consumption of peanuts did not turn them off to its taste or lead them to consume other snack foods during the study. The study concluded that despite being high in calories, peanuts have a high satiety value and chronic ingestion evokes strong dietary compensation and little change in energy balance.⁴ Another study found similar findings with almonds. This study’s aim was to determine if adding 1440kJ (about 343 calories) of almonds in a daily diet would elicit positive energy balance and body composition change. For the duration of the 23 week study with twenty women there were no changes in bodyweight from daily almond consumption, but an inefficiency in absorption of energy from almonds was noted. The study concluded that a daily 340 calorie serving of almonds enough to brig about positive cardiovascular effects could be added to the diet with a limited risk of weight gain.⁵

Why Nuts Don’t Make Us Gain Weight

Why is it that nuts seem to defy the laws of thermodynamics that do not apply to other foods? We don’t exactly know why you can ingest more calories than the body needs to maintain an energy balance from nuts and still not gain weight but some data points to the fact that eating nuts increases the amount of energy our body expends and there seems to be evidence that our bodies do not absorb calories from nuts very efficiently. In either case these mechanisms seem to offset most of the calories ingested or the weight loss studies conducted all found that dietary compliance was improved when nuts were permitted. I personally include in all weight loss dietary recommendations for my clients for the health benefits and the fact that it does provide a welcome guilt free treat that actually helps you stay on your diet as well. Just be sure to get the unsalted variety!

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.

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.

Changing your diet is difficult but not impossible if you understand the dynamics behind our behavior.

Changing Your Diet Forever- Why Is Change So Hard?

Mark Twain once said that quitting smoking was the easiest thing in the world- as he had done it several hundred times himself. Unfortunately, the same applies to changing your diet and taking steps to ensure that you are eating healthy and able to attain and maintain a healthy body weight. Most people reading this can attest to the fact that most attempts at dieting and changing your eating habits result in only short term weight loss and that in time most of the weight lost is regained as you revert to your original eating patterns. The percentage that is often quoted from a very old study on the subject places dieting failure at about 95% and while the study may be somewhat antiquated, the fact remains that according to the World Health Organization figures there are over 1 billion overweight people on the planet today- more than ever before. At the same time more people are attempting to lost weight than ever before and most diet plans, supplements and products profit from the high failure rate as it creates a large number of repeat customers. So why is it so hard for us to change our eating habits and lose weight? Most of us are at least somewhat aware of what not to eat- but the change usually proves to be almost impossible, but it is indeed doable if you understand the mechanics behind our inherent struggles with change.

Changing Your Diet- Understanding The Patterns

The first key to changing your diet is an understanding of your food consumption patterns. If you foster an intimate, objective and non-judgemental understanding of your behavior in the course of time if you are patient enough you will be able to change it. Contrary to what many gurus would have you believe, simply resolving to never eat unhealthy foods again is not the answer for the majority of the population, nor does the answer lie in following every new fad diet and weight loss program that the media marketing machine trys to make a part of our collective popular culture. If that were the case then everyone would be successful in their attempts at weight control and somewhat sobering, the entire weight loss industry wouldn’t need to exist after everyone was successful after following the trendy diet of the day, used the weight loss supplements being advertised or followed the in vogue exercise program featured in the magazines and infomercials.

That certainly is not the case and every bonafide expert in the field would agree with my observation over the past two decades as a professional helping people with their weight management is that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to change your lifestyle permanently. For this to happen there must be an unrelenting commitment to a change. One that is completely divorced from the destructive and self loathing perspectives that somehow there must be some form of atonement for failures to stay on track.

It is human nature to believe that when a ‘wrong’ is committed a period of guilt is required, followed by penance of some sort. Unfortunately, this very idea of eating the wrong foods as a ‘sin’ of some sort is a reality with regards the way most people perceive their dietary slips. The individual falters, eating something that falls into the category of forbidden and goes into a downward spiral of self hatred and disgust. This self inflicted flagellation is followed by a resolve to either exercise more, diet harder or employ some extreme method to compensate for the ‘damage’ done by their indulgence. (Sound familiar?) As familiar as it sounds it remains a major obstacle to long term success.

How Guilt & Quick Fixes Make Changing Your Diet Even Harder

Physiologically speaking, there isn’t anything that you can do compensate for a slip in your diet. Nothing at all. What is done is done and any attempts to try to undo the past are simply wasted exercises in magical thinking. This way of thinking can lead to eating disorders and an overall pathological relationship with food and has little to do with attaining a healthy mind and body. Instead the slips must be looked upon as what they are; learning experiences that teach us more about ourselves as every slip holds the information necessary to help you avoid their continued recurrence.

The popular but limited idea of getting into shape for summer or for some upcoming event or vacation doesn’t permit a transition towards this way of successful thinking. There is a popular weight loss slogan that life is too short to slim fast but like so many advertising mantras it has no foundations in reality. No one ever became overweight overnight and we have to readjust to the reality that permanent change happens over the course of years, not weeks or months and that the idea of getting into shape has to be a long term day by day process rooted in taking care of yourself- not just looking great in a swimsuit. Nothing worth achieving in this life comes quickly and controlling your eating habits is no exception. It takes practice and and it takes patience.  On a personal note, while many look at my physique today and the steadfastness by which I am able to not indulge in processed foods of any kind, they overlook the fact that it took the better part of two decades to be able to get there,  and without the slips and failures I encountered along the way, I would never have learned the invaluable lessons that allow me to be where I am today.

Understanding The Dynamics Behind Learned Behavior

The other important factor is an understanding of the dynamics behind learned behavior. When you decide, for example, that you are no longer going to eat unhealthy foods, your new attitude only serves to supplement your original behavior where eating unhealthy foods were acceptable. Behavioral psychology has found what many of us in the trenches have learned through objective observation. Namely that the very habits that we seek to change resurface because they are not fully forgotten. As long as new and old ways of thinking coexist as opposing impulses they will always be in competition unless steps are taken to disarm the undesirable attitudes.

Disarming those attitudes requires a fundamental change in perception, a change that comes again with time and patience. It is only when you are able to enjoy foods that are good for you that you will be able to break the cycle. Again, it does not happen overnight but a constant diet of natural unrefined and wholesome foods would eventually lead you to the conclusion that you don’t need added salt, sugar and fatty foods to enjoy your eating experience. Over time your taste buds adapt and if you engage in a well executed exercise plan that increases your caloric and nutritional needs, you will find yourself eventually craving foods that are good for you. You new ‘comfort food’ would be foods that make you physically make you feel better and not junk foods that create only a passing mental illusion of comfort while wreaking havoc on your body.  The temptation to indulge in the foods that you wished to avoid therefore would fade into the background, a temptation that over time would simply be forgotten.

Eating Well Has To Be A Way Of Life

This is the same progression that allows me to maintain my diet all year round without any exceptions whatsoever, and the one that has worked unfailingly for innumerable individuals that I have been honored to work with over the years as a personal trainer. I know that many of you are asking yourselves how could you possibly stay on a diet of only healthy foods long enough to get to a point where the old habits are pushed aside. Taken by itself it would be a daunting task, but if you take small steps large tasks are easily accomplished. Finally on a spiritual level, you will be opening the doors to a whole new way of perceiving the world. One where limits are constantly being re-evaluated and where the seemingly impossible task of breaking free of the perpetually destructive cycle of weight loss and weight gain becomes very much a reality for you to enjoy.

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.

Learn more about his personal training services at www.naturallyintense.net

Slow down to lose weight!

Want A Simple Way To Lose Weight- Eat Slowly!

Over my many years of studies in both traditional Easter medicine and traditional Japanese martial arts, the idea of eating your food slowly has been a recurring theme for weight control and optimal health. I think everyone is familiar with how often children are admonished to chew their foods slowly, and now thanks to recent research we know that this age old health tip does indeed have merit.

In a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, seventeen healthy male adult volunteers were observed to see whether eating the same meal at different speeds would bring about  any differences in hormonal response. For the study, volunteers were given a serving of ice cream and made to eat the same amount at different speeds. Blood samples were taken to measure both insulin and gut hormones and what they found was that the volunteers released more hormones that made them feel full when they ate the ice cream in 30 minutes as opposed to five minutes. The two particular hormones released glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY are key components to signaling feelings of perceived satiety and fullness and thus leads to eating less.

Several Studies Confirm That Eating Slowly Decreases Caloric Intake & Risk Of Being Overweight

Several other studies back this claim, including a very large scale survey published in the British Medical Journal. For this survey 3287 adults (1122 men, 2165 women) ages ranging from 3 to 69 years old participated in reports on cardiovascular risk from 2003 to 2006. The results found that those who self reported consuming their foods quickly and eating until they were full had three times the likelihood of being overweight when compared with others that ate at slower paces. Another randomized study of 30 women published in the American Dietetic Association found that participants reported greater feelings of satisfaction and consumed less calories when they ate at a slower pace compared to when they ate quickly.

Our Fast Food Mentality May Be Doing Us More Harm Than We Know

The ancient wisdom of eating slowly and enjoying your foods can indeed help you eat less and thus should be considered a simple and effective method of weight control but it also raises some questions about common practices that might be contributing factors to our obesity epidemic. Given the ever increasing numbers of children that are overweight in the United States and the small alotment of time given to children for lunch breaks in public schools one cannot help but wonder just detrimental this practice is to the health of our children. For adults the idea of eating on the run and for that matter the whole idea of fast food and rapid eating may be more of a problem than we think. So eat slowly and enjoy your meals!

Related Articles:

Controlling Your Eating Habits

Best Way To Lose Weight- Eat A Healthy Breakfast!

NYC Personal Trainer Kevin Richardson is the most sought after personal trainers in New York City, a lifetime drug free bodybuilding champion and the founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™. His high intensity 10 minute workouts have been helping people get better results in less time for the past 19 years! Get a copy of his free weight loss e-book here!

When you begin a regime of diet & exercise your clothes will fit differently.

Of course it does, because you are a different person!

Warmest regards,

Kevin Richardson

Founder, Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™

Naturally Intense Personal Training NYC

www.naturallyintense.net