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

Best Way To Lose Weight? Eat A Healthy Breakfast

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

Want To Stop Your Cravings- Eat A Healthy Breakfast

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

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

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

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

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

Download your copy here

Kevin Richardson is the founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™ and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Learn more about Kevin and his revolutionary high intensity 10 minute workouts at his official website at www.naturallyintense.net

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The end of the year is upon us, and I thought, what better way to recap all the great health and fitness related articles covered in the blog this year than by having a bit of a quiz. I invite everyone to take the fitness test and see just how much you know about health and fitness.

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I think one of the main concerns of people with kids is how do you eat healthy in a household where the kids eat all sorts of unspeakable junk foods. The answer is simple- you cook for them, and work at it long enough and hard enough that they don’t feel a need to have a can of soda or stop by McDonalds. The key is to start young and lead by example. It’s a lot of work, but in the end the rewards of having a healthy household where the kids eat well and don’t feel like they are missing out on anything is priceless. By popular demand, here is a repost of one of our most popular blog posts on the subject: A morning in our household with the kids. Enjoy! Kevin Richardson, Founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise.

Making Breakfast & Getting 5 Kids to School

It’s Monday, the end of the weekend and the beginning of the mad hundred meter dash that is the work week. I wake up promptly at 6 am, amidst the snoring of a sleeping household. The kids are still asleep and my (far) better half is still in dream world as well after a long night with the newest member of the Richardson family. Lucien is 8 weeks old, so we are still in the red-eyed stage and stumbling over ourselves as his highness wakes up every two to three hours to feed, (which is not too different from how his dear old dad eats, although I prefer to do so during conventional waking hours.) Seeing as everyone is asleep, I take the time to enjoy the silence and as I begin my morning routine.

With five kids in the house these moment are few and far between so I always try to make the most of it whenever I can. I start getting breakfast ready. Many have asked me if my family eats the way that I prescribe as the founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise and the answer is a resounding ‘Yes!” This is indeed a Naturally Intense household and I have always ensured that the kids eat as healthy as possible. I am also blessed in that my significant other has been eating in accordance with the Naturally Intense guidelines for over 5 years before were even dating-so everyone is very much onboard! That being said, I don’t believe in prescribing to others what they should and should not eat as I think that with so many couples it ends up being a source of discord and I think it a bit disrespectful. Stephanie was originally a Naturally Intense personal training client many, many moons ago in addition to being a senior member of the martial arts school that I run, and she has always adhered to the eating principles on her own (which is how the dietary component is supposed to work in the first place). Thus it always made eating at home and eating out really easy for both of us. (Yes, we do eat out and you can check out the Healthy NYC Restaurant Guides if you don’t believe me).  I call breakfast time at the Richardson residence punch in time for my first shift as a short order cook, as each of my little ones have their own particular tastes and preferences. So it isn’t uncommon that I end up cooking 4 different meals for each of them, in addition to what Steph and I will eat as well.

The Munchkins Wake Up

By 6:30 am the munchkins are waking up, bleary eyed and hungry, and I take the orders as they file into the living room to watch Nickelodeon Junior, much to the chagrin of my 14 year old who protests that he never gets to see the BBC News in the morning. I remind him that life isn’t fair and that the 4 year old, the 5 year old and the 6 year old outnumber him, and have been showing signs of feral pack activity recently so he’d better endure a few minutes of Sponge Bob if he knows what’s good for him. He has been humbled by the horde before so he sheepishly submits. So here are the orders for today, Indi, my daughter and future president of a yet undisclosed developing country wants 6 boiled eggs some oatmeal and some strawberries, and I fire up the stove to start it up. (She might be small- but she eats a big breakfast just like Daddy!) My step-son, Paolo (the intellectual) wants white rice and scrambled eggs, while Reid (the muscle of the group) wants rice as well, but with tuna fish (he isn’t too big on eggs these days) . My 14 year old wants oatmeal, with raisins an orange and some eggs. He likes his scrambled whereas boychild number 3 prefers his in omelet form. Thank goodness the youngest of the bunch is breast fed! But he’ll have his orders in soon as well. While juggling all this in the kitchen, I am also getting lunch ready for the little ones as I don’t put much faith in the school lunches and they really like it when they have a home cooked meal at school.

Making Lunch For The Kids As Well

 Today is their lucky day, as I am cooking up a dish of rice, peas and beef, a universal favorite with all of the kids! I have always done my best to cook great tasting meals not just for me, (I am quite the connoisseur if I do say so myself) but for the kids. It only takes a bit of imagination and a small investment of time, but having kids that not only eat well but prefer to eat well as a rule is a priceless return on that investment. Anyway, on to breakfast, which for me is a large bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal, (Steph likes adding some raisins to hers, but I prefer mine plain or with some coconut tossed in). Since I was already cooking in the kitchen I am also having some mahi-mahi that I cooked with a teaspoon of olive oil. I always have some fruit for breakfast, (I try to eat them as they come into season as opposed to eating the same thing day in day out.) The oranges were especially good so I am having one from the bunch.

A small omelette with thyme, onions and a touch of black pepper tops off the feast. The Naturally Intense mantra has always been, ‘Breakfast like a king’ and I certainly follow my own advice! The television is turned off (with some groans, of course!) as we all sit around the table for our breakfast. It is important for us that eating be an activity in and of itself, not something we do while watching TV as the conversations and interaction are an important part of being a family. After breakfast comes the mad rush to wash dirty faces, have teeth brushed, put on clothes, pack lunches and get the kids in the car for the drop offs. The oldest goes by school bus, but it is quite a challenge getting the others all to school on time. After the customary fight over who gets to use the Spiderman toothbrush, and the mandatory wardrobe changes that the little ones go through before selecting an ensemble suitable for them to be seen in public wearing, we are off!

 Continued in A Day In Our Naturally Intense Life Part 2

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Visionary NYC personal trainer, internationally renowned natural bodybuilder and fitness expert, Kevin Richardson lives in Brooklyn with his wonderful family and 2 cats! Get a copy of Kevin’s free award winning weight loss ebook here!

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Tuna is a great source of protein, but it shouldn't be your only one.

Man Cannot Diet On Tuna Fish Alone- And Shouldn’t!

With the recession in full swing a lot of people are trying to cut down on their food expenses and for many interested in losing weight and getting into shape, canned tuna fish (the low sodium and water-packed variety of course- as all other forms have far too many added preservatives and salt to be considered a healthy choice) seems to be the ideal high protein, low fat and low cost alternative fresh fish, which is almost always far more expensive. Many of my personal training clients turn to canned tuna as well as a quick and convenient way to get their protein requirements. To that end, I am often asked if it is a good idea to eat canned water packed tuna fish as the center piece of a weight loss diet and I am always a bit reluctant to give it a clear thumbs up.

The Pro’s- Tuna Is Cheap And Convenient

Low sodium, water packed tuna in a can is a widely available source of protein, it is relatively inexpensive- though a bit more pricey than the regular oil packed and higher sodium versions- and easy to eat on the run. All things considered, however,I cannot say that it is a good idea to eat too much of it over the course of a day. While tuna fish does indeed supply a hefty amount of protein per serving, it should not be your sole source. It is my firm belief that we as human beings should eat foods that are not only nutritious, but that are prepared for us with some degree of positive energy. It might not occur to some, but I know personally and with my experience working with others that there is a significant difference to the way that our bodies respond to food that we or someone we know, love and trust over food that comes in a box, can or from a fast food restaurant- even if the foods are the same, and are made with the same ingredients.  Aryuvedic philosophy places a great emphasis on the healing properties of a well prepared meals. I think everyone can easily reflect on the joy of eating meal made by a spouse, loved one, mother, father, grandmother or otherwise. There is almost an extra ingredient that somehow cannot be reproduced by a mechanical process, and while most can see the detrimental effects of modern refined foods due to the manner in which the food is made and prepared, we often lose sight of the importance of having a connection to our food sources as well. 

The Cons- Tuna Is High In Mercury But Low In Fat

Getting back to canned tuna, the high levels of methyl-mercury are also causes for concern if you are going to eat it on a daily basis. There are ways to minimize your intake by consuming tongol tuna fish instead- (read my post on tongol tuna fish here) as it has significantly less mercury levels as it is a smaller fish than the traditional albacore that is available in low sodium and water-packed forms. Mercury levels aside, there is also the problem of fats. Canned tuna, while it does contain some omega 3 fatty acids, still  have nowhere near enough fat to support your nutritional requirements, less so if you are engaged in regular intensive exercise. A can of tuna may be acceptable occasionally, but you will still need to eat a wide array of other fishes and meats to get the fats your body needs to stay healthy and to lose weight long term. Fat is an important part of the equation, as are the micro-nutrients found in higher concentrations in other protein sources, such as eggs, chicken, and other meats. (See my article on fats here).

A Healthy Diet Must Have A Variety of Food Sources

The other problem is that unless you intend to eat canned tuna for the rest of your life as your main source of protein (which is really a bad idea)- you are not going to be taking the steps to eat well long term and you do risk regaining any weight that you may lose when the time comes that you really can’t eat tuna fish anymore- as believe me it will happen.  A healthy diet is one that has a variety of foods, and though it might be convenient to just open up a can, it isn’t the path towards getting lean and staying there. The same goes for skinless chicken breasts as well, which in my opinion is not the best choice for a weight loss eating regime, but that is material for another blog post!  I do know that many people out there have very few choices when it comes to food and for them canned tuna fish is very much a luxury. Growing up, it was for me and was really all that I could afford when I started training back in Trinidad, so I know firsthand how hard it can be to be able to afford fresh fish and other quality protein sources. Hopefully a day will come when everyone will be able to eat a wide variety of choice foods and not only those with higher incomes. Thank you for reading!

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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!

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All,

I wrote this three years ago and stumbled upon it recently. It is one of my favorite pieces and I hope you like it.

Thanksgiving Day 328 

Today is Thanksgiving Day 328 for me, and in my own personal calendar, there are so many of them each year (365, most years but sometimes even as much as 366), that it is really hard for me to celebrate each and everyone of them by going off my diet. This year marked the third holiday season that I have lived through without any concessions in terms of my diet. A lot of people ask me how I do it, and to be honest, I really do feel as though every day is special enough to deserve some form of celebration, and I choose to mark the beauty of every rising and setting sun with the same steadfastness and dedication that I have everyday.

 
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the Thanksgiving Day holiday as much as anyone else, and I think many people are of the opinion that because I do not indulge, that somehow I am apart from the spirit of the day. Nothing could be further from the truth- I spend every Thanksgiving in the kitchen cooking the best Thanksgiving meal that anyone could imagine. I am a very accomplished cook (yes, the cook book is being written as we speak), and I cook every year for my friends and family- turkey, roast beef, fried plantains (well, I bake them, but don’t tell anyone, as they think it is fried), rice and peas, garlic bread, ham, my special potatoes and yams. I hear that it is delicious and son number one spent most of his afternoon doing the ‘dance of joy’ after eating dinner, so I think I scored another hit this year.

 
What is funny is that I don’t have the slightest clue what any of this stuff tastes like. I eat what I always eat, as I always eat it, even though I cook all those foods, I never taste them, but that does not stop me from enjoying the time with my friends and my family, and that is more than enough to be thankful.

 Related Posts: What is it like to never cheat on your diet?

NYC Personal Trainer Kevin Richardson is one of 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 unorthodox 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!

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