Square One Fitness CHALLENGE!

5 Powerful Fat-Fighting Spices

5 Powerful Fat-Fighting Spices

Parsley: Improves digestion so you can use
the foods you eat. The more food you "use"
the less you store as bodyfat.

Basil: Known to us pros as the "secret"
appetite-suppressing herb. Yep... it makes
you feel more full. Fantastic for killing those
late-night carbohydrate cravings.

Oregano: Reduces bloating! I love that.
When you are cutting body fat, you often get
tricked into believing belly bloat is belly
"fat"... but it's not. It's water pulled in from
cells during fat loss processes. Oregano
helps reduce it.

Rosemary: Helps keep you calm and lowers
the bellyfat-storing hormone "cortisol". It's
nature's best cortisol-lowering spice.

Black Pepper: Known fatburner, and it just
tastes really good. Plus a really powerful anti-
oxidant!

Salt, Blood Pressure and Your Health

Salt is essential to our body’s fluids. That’s likely why we evolved to enjoy its taste. On the other hand, anyone who’s gotten a mouth full of seawater knows that too much salt tastes terrible. Maybe your body’s trying to tell you something. It turns out that too much salt can lead to a host of health problems.

The chemical name for dietary salt, or table salt, is sodium chloride. Since 90% of the sodium we ingest is from salt, it’s difficult to separate the effects of salt and sodium in many studies. However, it’s the sodium part most doctors focus on.

“The best known effect of sodium on health is the relationship between sodium and blood pressure,” explains Dr. Catherine Loria of NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Dozens of studies, in both animals and people, have shown that a higher salt intake raises blood pressure. Reducing salt intake, on the other hand, lowers blood pressure.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as the heart pumps out blood. When this pressure rises—a condition called high blood pressure, or hypertension—it can damage the body in many ways over time. High blood pressure has been linked to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other health problems.

There are 2 blood pressure numbers, and they’re usually written with one above or before the other. Systolic, the first, is the pressure when the heart beats, pumping blood through the arteries. Diastolic is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. The numbers 120/80 mmHg are the ones you should aim to keep your blood pressure below.

Some research also suggests that excessive salt intake might increase the risk of stomach cancer. Scientists continue to investigate this possible connection.

Researchers do know that not everyone is equally sensitive to salt. “From our experiments, we know there’s lots of variation in the blood pressure response,” Loria says. Certain groups of people see greater reductions in blood pressure when they lower their salt intake: African-Americans, older people and people with blood pressure above normal.

“Within those groups, there’s a lot of variation between people.” Loria says. But about 1 in 3 adults nationwide has high blood pressure right now. Another third have “prehypertension,” meaning their blood pressure numbers are high enough to put them at risk to develop high blood pressure. In light of this, she says, “it’s really important for the majority of the population to reduce their blood pressure.”

Experts recommend that people take in less than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day—that’s what’s in about 6 grams of salt, or about a teaspoon. People with high blood pressure should shoot for 1,500 milligrams or less—about 3.7 grams of salt. But right now, the average man in the United States takes in over 10 grams of salt per day and the average woman over 7.

Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo at the University of California, San Francisco, recently led a study that used computer modeling to explore the effects of a modest reduction in salt intake in the United States. The researchers found that reducing salt intake by 3 grams per day could cut the number of new cases of heart disease each year by as many as 120,000, stroke by 66,000 and heart attack by nearly 100,000. It could also prevent up to 92,000 deaths each year. All segments of the population would benefit, with African-Americans having the greatest improvements overall. Women would particularly benefit from reductions in stroke, older adults from a decline in heart disease and younger adults from fewer deaths.

Some countries have already begun to tackle this problem using various strategies, such as working with industry to reduce the salt content in processed foods, requiring labels on ready-to-eat foods and educating the public. The UK has achieved a 10% reduction in salt consumption over the past 4 years.

But wouldn’t we all miss the taste? “Several studies have shown that as you gradually reduce sodium intake, you lessen your desire for salty food,” Loria says. And surveys of people across the UK have found that most people didn’t notice any difference in the taste of their food.

“A very modest decrease in the amount of salt, hardly detectable in the taste of food, can have dramatic health benefits for the U.S.,” Bibbins-Domingo stresses.

The salt we sprinkle on our food actually accounts for less than 10% of our salt consumption. Most of the salt we eat salt comes in processed foods from stores, restaurants and dining halls. You may already know that fast food, cold cuts and canned foods tend to have a lot of salt.

“Many people don’t realize that a lot of our salt is from breads and cereals,” Bibbins-Domingo says. Studies have found that over 20% of the salt in the average American’s diet comes from grain products, such as breads, cereals, crackers and chips.

“In terms of advice, I think the best guidance we have is for people to pay attention to nutrition facts on the labels,” Loria says. “The percent daily value is a better guide than the language that’s used on food labels like ‘low-salt.’ These labels can be confusing because they have very defined technical meanings.” Try to select foods, she advises, with less than 5% of the daily value of salt per serving.

Even small reductions can have an effect on your blood pressure. If you can’t find a low-salt alternative to a particular food, it still helps to pick something that’s lower than what you’re already consuming. “You can find remarkable variation in the amount of salt across major brands of food,” Bibbins-Domingo says. “Even without choosing something labeled ‘low sodium,’ you can often find a lower sodium alternative.”

Beyond salt, a healthy eating plan can help keep your blood pressure under control. Other lifestyle measures can help you keep your blood pressure down, too. Lose weight if you’re overweight or obese. Get regular physical activity. Quit smoking. And manage your stress. The more of these steps you take, the more likely you’ll be to avoid related health problems.

Why not start now? Make small changes at first, and then keep working to gradually lower your family’s salt intake

How butter can make you leaner and improve your health

What They NEVER Want You To Find Out About Real Butter

By Brian St. Pierre, CSCS, CISSN

If you want to talk about much-maligned foods, butter is right up there at the top of the list.

Health authorities have been telling us for years that foods like butter, rich in saturated fat, are clogging our arteries and causing heart disease. So they told us to replace them with trans-fat laden margarine, and how did that turn out? Then came polyunsaturated vegetable oils, and new research is linking these omega-6 rich fats to all sorts of health problems, including potentially increased risk of cancer.

The real question is, was there ever a problem

with butter in the first place? The answer just might surprise you.

There is actually a good amount of research, in several populations, that shows that full-fat dairy consumption is associated with lower BMI, lower waist circumference, and lower risk of cardiovascular disease (especially stroke). Low-fat or fat-free dairy is actually often associated with increased BMI and waist circumference.

In fact Dr. Ronald Krauss, one the world’s leading lipid researchers, directly showed that while saturated fat from dairy does raise LDL, it is an increase in large, fluffy and benign LDL – not the small, dense and atherogenic LDL. This actually decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease!

Now there is a clear difference between butter and dairy from grain and corn fed cows on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations that are milked nearly year-round, given growth hormones and antiobiotics and live in their own waste compared to cows on small farms that eat grass, get exercise, fresh air and sunshine and are only milked based on their seasonal reproductive cycle. The quality of life, and therefore quality of milk and dairy products is vastly different.

Butter from grass-fed cows contains a boatload of powerful vitamins and healthful fatty acids. These vitamins are fat-soluble, and they are bonded to the fatty acids in the dairy, and are therefore nearly non-existent in fat-free dairy. The fat is where vitamins A, D, E and K2 are, as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), butyric acid, omega-3 fatty acids, and medium chain triglycerides.

CLA is present in human body fat in proportion to dietary intake, and has been shown to be a powerful ally in the fight against cancer. Meat and dairy from grass-fed animals provide the richest source of CLA on the planet, containing three to five times more CLA than feedlot-raised animals. CLA has been found to greatly reduce tumor growth in animals, and possibly in humans as well.

In a Finnish study, women who had the highest levels of CLA in their diet had a 60% lower risk of breast cancer than those with the lowest levels. Simply switching from conventionally-raised grain-fed meat and dairy to pasture-raised grass-fed versions would have placed all the women in the lowest risk category. A good grass-fed butter will contain about 110mg of CLA per tbsp.
Vitamin D is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread and any time you can get some from food is always a good thing. Low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with lowered immunity, increased risk of 17 cancers and counting, increased risk of heart disease, psychological and neurological disorders including ADD and depression, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, bone loss, loss of muscle mass and strength as we age and more.

Omega-3s are absolutely amazing, as they may improve nerve, brain, eye, heart and cardiovascular function as well as decreasing inflammation, joint pain, arthritis, psychological disorders, and risk of breast cancer and heart disease, all while improving mood and body composition! Unfortunately grain-fed butter contains only about 40mg, but a good grass-fed butter will contain about 120mg per tbsp!

Medium chain triglycerides are unique fatty acids that are more readily utilized as fuel rather than stored as energy. Particular ones like lauric acid contain anti-viral and anti-microbial properties. Vitamins A and E are powerful antioxidants. Butryric acid may help with bodyweight regulation, and is a primary fuel source for our intestinal flora.

Notice that I didn’t mention vitamin K2 yet? That is because I was saving what might be the best for last. Several studies have found that a higher vitamin K2 (mostly from vitamin K2-MK4) intake is associated with a lower risk of heart attack, ischemic stroke, cancer incidence, cancer mortality and overall mortality. Men with the highest vitamin K2 consumption had a 51% lower risk of heart attack mortality and a 26% lower risk of all cause mortality compared to men consuming the lowest amount!

One of the ways vitamin K2 improves cardiovascular health is its ability to decrease arterial calcification by 30-40%. And, this only speaks to vitamin K2’s effects of cardiovascular health; it is also crucially important for proper fetal development and bone health, to name a few additional benefits.

Vitamin K2-MK4 is only found in animal products and the best known sources are grass-fed butter and foie gras (fatty goose liver).

Butter Might Prevent Diabetes?

Yes, it is true. Recently Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian and colleagues at Harvard found that blood content of trans-palmitoleate was associated with a smaller waist circumference, higher HDL cholesterol, lower serum triglycerides, lower C-reactive protein, lower fasting insulin and lower calculated insulin resistance.

In fact people with the highest trans-palmitoleate levels had 1/3 the risk of developing diabetes over the three years of the study!

Want to know what the dietary sources of trans-palmitoleate are? Dairy fat and red meat are virtually the only source of this fatty acid. In this study most of the trans-palmitoleate came specifically from dairy fat.

Conclusion

Well, it seems that consuming butter from grass-fed cows will make your LDL larger, fluffier and less likely to cause heart disease. It will also provide you with cancer-fighting CLA, as well as artery clearing vitamin K2-MK4. To top it all off it might also decrease your risk of diabetes. Sounds like a pretty good food to me!

References
German JB, Gibson RA, Krauss RM, et al. A reappraisal of the impact of dairy foods and milk fat on cardiovascular disease risk. Eur J Nutr. 2009 Jun;48(4):191-203.
Bonthuis M, Hughes MCB, IbiebeleTI, Green AC, and van der Pols JC. Dairy consumption and patterns of mortality of Australian adults. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010;64:569–577.
Elwood PC, Strain JJ, Robson PJ, et al. Milk consumption, stroke, and heart attack risk: evidence from the Caerphilly cohort of older men. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2005;59:502-505
Elwood PC, Pickering JE, Hughes J, Fehily AM, Ness AR. Milk drinking, ischaemic heart disease and ischaemic stroke II. Evidence from cohort studies. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2004 May;58(5):718-24.
Berkey CS, Rockett HR, Willett WC, Colditz GA. Milk, dairy fat, dietary calcium, and weight gain: a longitudinal study of adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005 Jun;159(6):543-50.
Rosell M, Håkansson NN, Wolk A. Association between dairy food consumption and weight change over 9 y in 19 352 perimenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Dec;84(6):1481-1488.
University of Gothenburg (2009, November 4). Children Who Often Drink Full-fat Milk Weigh Less, Swedish Research Finds. ScienceDaily.
Dhiman TR, Anand GR, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid content of milk from cows fed different diets. J Dairy Sci. 1999;82(10):2146-56.
Smit LA, Baylin A, Campos H. Conjugated linoleic acid in adipose tissue and risk of myocardial infarction. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jul;92(1):34-40.
Geleijnse JM, Vermeer C, Grobbee DE, et al. Dietary Intake of Menaquinone Is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: The Rotterdam Study. J Nutr. 2004 Nov;134:3100-3105.
Gast GC, de Roos NM, Sluijs I, et al. A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2009 Sep;19(7):504-10.
Nimptsch K, Rohrmann S, Kaaks R, Linseisen J. Dietary vitamin K intake in relation to cancer incidence and mortality: results from the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Heidelberg). Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May;91(5):1348-58.
Spronk HM, Soute BA, Schurgers LJ, et al. Tissue-specific utilization of menaquinone-4 results in the prevention of arterial calcification in warfarin-treated rats. J Vasc Res. 2003 Nov-Dec;40(6):531-7.
Mozaffarian et al. Trans-palmitoleic Acid, Metabolic Risk Factors, and New-Onset Diabetes in US Adults. Ann Internal Med. 2010

Foods to charge your libido

Some quick nutrition tips to bring some heat into your bedroom! ;)

1. Avocado is full of healthy essential fatty acids.
2. Pomegranate contains energy-giving antioxidants. Research from Sussex University found that pomegranate boosted libido in both men and women.
3. Superfoods such as acai berry, maca and raw cacao. These are loaded with antioxidants which increase blood flow as well as energy levels.
4. Quinoa is high in the relaxing mineral magnesium. Quinoa also contains all nine essential amino acids making it the perfect protein hit.
5. Asparagus: one cup contains 65 per cent of your daily folate requirements.

PLANK CHALLENGE RESULTS ARE IN!

CONGRATULATIONS to Claudio Ventura!

For winning the challenge with an outstanding

plank time of 7 minutes and 6 seconds!

Claudio has won 3x PT sessions valued at $225

Should Claudio decide to take the second part

of the challenge he can win an additional 3x sessions.

Will keep you posted! :)

PLANK CHALLENGE!

Ok, so some of my clients have been asking me how long i can hold the plank position for...

And up until today's workout, i have not challenged myself.

So i put forward a friendly plank challenge to all those reading this blog.

The winner gets 3x 1hr PT sessions with me in my gym over 3 weeks (Valued at $225)

RULES:

*Time your plank (where on an honor system here people)

*Submit your best time to the Square One Fitness facebook fan page by Feb 28.

(you have the rest of the month to work on a good time)...

*The best time wins the prize. (You have to prove to me that you can do the time you say)

And to add to that...

If i cannot beat your plank time, you will receive an ADDITIONAL 3x 1rh PT sessions over the following 3 weeks!

Good luck contestants! Lets step up and challenge ourselves!!

P.S - If you want to know what my plank time was today.... Go to the Square One Fitness Facebook page, and post on my wall the following...

"I am ready to step up and take the plank challenge!" - And i'll inbox you my time! :)