YouTube - Sugar: The Bitter Truth

This is a great lecture on the evils of processed fructose sugar (specifically: high fructose corn syrup, which is added to most convenience foods: canned soda, sports energy drinks, and most other pre-packaged junk food and almost all fast food)
High fructose corn syrup is metabolized as fat, so all of those aformentioned items, as well as fat free snacks are actually fat producing, and a huge part of the reason for the obesity epidemic.

YouTube - Sugar: The Bitter Truth

Important notes:

• Always eat carbohydrates with fiber: it reduces the rate of your carb absorption, which reduces your insulin response.
• Real fruit is okay, because where there is fructose in nature, there is WAY more fiber.. so it counteracts the negative effects of the fructose. Fruit limits the amount of fructose that you are taking in, and it provides the essential nutrient: FIBER!!!
• Parents: there should be NO sugared beverages in your home. Obviously eliminate soda, but you should also eliminate juices and juiceboxes... they are a recipe for obesity and disease, and are missing the most essential nutrient of all: FIBER!!
• Eliminate as many pre-packaged foods as you possibly can from your household. Make nutritious meals and snacks ahead of time. Yes, this does take time... but skip a TV program and have the kids help in the preparation. Carry a cooler with you every where you go, so you always have a snack on hand.

He goes over the importance of fiber, and recommends getting 100-300 grams a day:

• Fiber reduces the rate of carbohydrate absorption, which reduces insulin response (minimizing fat storage).
• Adding fiber to your diet tells your brain that you are full more quickly. It does this by increasing the speed of transit of intestinal contents to the ileum (the lowest part of the intestine), and sending a satiety hormone (PYY) to the brain which tells you that you are full.
• Load up with fruits and veggies: Apples typically have 4 grams of fiber, a banana has 3, one half a medium Haas Avocado has 6 grams of fiber.

Estimated Daily Caloric Intake for Runners

Please click this link for a printable word document:
Daily%20Caloric%20Needs%20for%20Runners.docx

South County Runners Club: Chart for Daily Caloric Needs

Females:

Age	30	35	40	30	35	40	30	35	40
Height	5’1	5’1”	5’1”	5’4”	5’4”	5’4”	5’7”	5’7”	5’7”
Weight	110	110	110	130	130	130	150	150	150
BMR	1279.2	1255	1232	1380	1356	1333.3	1481.4	1457.9	1434.4
Moderately Active: exercise/sports 3-5x week: BMRx1.55	1983	1946	1909	2139	2103	2066	2296	2260	2223
Very Active: Hard exercise/sports 6-7x week BMRx1.725	2207	2166	2125	2381	2340	2299	2555	2515	2474

Males:

Age	30	35	40	30	35	40	30	35	40
Height	5’7”	5’7”	5’7”	5’10	5’10”	5’10”	6’1”	6’1”	6’1”
Weight	160	160	160	180	180	180	210	210	210
BMR	1709.7	1675.7	1641.7	1872.4	1838.4	1804.4	2097.4	2063.4	2029.4
Moderately Active: exercise/sports 3-5x week: BMRx1.55	2650	2597	2545	2902	2850	2797	3251	3198	3146
Very Active: Hard exercise/sports 6-7x week BMRx1.725	2949	2890	2832	3230	3171	3113	3618	3559	3501

Remember, these are just averages. Your daily caloric expenditure is dependent on many factors. Also please remember that counting calories is only one way to maintain or lose weight.

Please email me at lizfitness@gmail.com with any questions or comments!!

Nutrition For the Time Starved!

Are you starved for time? You don’t have the time to make healthy meals, so you just get whatever is quickest for you and your family?

Here is a scenario I hear from the time starved:

You decide you are going to start a healthy eating plan. You do really well for the entire week, and you’re feeling pretty good. The weekend comes, things get hectic, and you don’t have the time to making something healthy, so you get pizza for the family and enjoy several slices. Sunday night is Chinese food. By Monday, your energy is gone, and you begin the same old pattern of work, easy fast food for the family, relaxing on the couch (because you are too tired to do anything else), then bed.

This scenario is a viscous cycle. In short, when you’ve been eating crap, your body has to process it all and filter it. This makes you tired and groggy. Then you don’t have the energy to make healthy meals. So you eat some more, fast, easy crap. Then you sit on the couch and the crap food turns into fat deposits that your body stores for later (on your hips, thighs, and belly). Then you feel like crap, because you’re fat. So you decide to start a diet again. The cycle continues.

This cycle is wreaking havoc on your metabolism. Taking control and learning new habit’s will take just 21 days. With my 4 week diet plan, you will get 16 meals that you can make in advance for your family to enjoy. Yes, you can still have Pizza on the weekend! The Liz Fitness Nutrition healthy eating -program will help you take control of your food so that you will have energy and not feel like a slug at the end of the day.

Nutrition: Vitamins I recommend: My order on LivingFuel.com

I just placed this order on LivingFuel.com for :

Living Fuel - Super Greens
Omega 3 & E1
TheraSweet

I have been taking the Super Greens for the last 3 months and I feel really good. I also eat a very clean diet and exercise, but I have been restricting calories for the past two months, which can sometimes take quiet a toll on your immune system and your energy levels. Happy to say I haven't gotten sick at all and I really do feel good. Everyone needs to be taking a really good multi-vitamin, and I highly recommend this one. My friend Leslie recommended them to me and I take a 1/2 scoop every morning as soon as I wake up. The Omega's I haven't tried yet, or the TheraSweet, so stay tuned.
I also find that some of the multi-level marketing products, like Mona Vie, are beneficial as well; but I personally don't buy into those types of products.

Nutrition: Easy protein and Veggie Curry dish

I just came home from 5 days in NYC, and didn't have much in the fridge to eat. So I grabbed:
2 can's of tuna in water
1 package of Mediterranean style frozen mixed veggies
1/4 cup red curry sauce (from Trader Joe's) mixed with 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
I placed all of the ingredients in a skillet and cooked until the sauce thickened. Absolutely delicious!

Nutrition: Protein Pancakes with cottage cheese

Protein Pancakes with cottage cheese: EVERYONE, even my "non-fitness" friends love these pancakes!

• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup frozen, warmed berries with their juices as a topping or sugar free syrup
• Splenda to taste
  

Blend first four ingredients until smooth (I use the magic bullet; if you use a blender be sure to put the wet ingredients in first)
Pour onto heated griddle or non-stick pan (check to see if its hot enough with a splash of water-if it sizzles, its hot enough)
When pancake bubbles, flip and cook the other side
I like to top mine with frozen, organic strawberries-warmed and sliced and poured over the top with their juices. You can use Splenda to taste.

Good vs Bad Food

Click on the title read a really good article written by John Berardi, PhD, CSCS

Nutrition: Protein Pancakes with Whey Protein Powder

I just had these this morning; this recipe makes about 3 pancakes:
Approximate Nutrients:
40 grams protein (from the eggs, powder, pancake mix, and soy milk)
29 grams starch (pancake mix)
7 grams of carbs from the protein powder; 7 grams carbs from the applesauce
425 Calories

• 1/3 cup of Arrowhead Mills Organic Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle mix
• 1 scoop of Lean Dessert Protein powder in Fresh Cinnamon Roll (or flavor of your choice)
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/4 cup organic, unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup organic, unsweetened soy milk
• stir all dry ingredients together, then add wet ingredients; stir just until smooth
• fry on a pancake griddle or in a frying pan
• top with sugar free syrup or strawberries

Nutrition: My favorite Salad

Being on a restricted calorie diet and training hard for competition makes me a very hungry girl. Since salad greens, peppers, onions, and tomatoes are all free foods, I use a TON of them in my salads. It's very filling and I don't get hungry for at least 2 hours after I eat it! Here is my favorite salad recipe: (All ingredients from Costco)

• three full handfuls of organic salad greens (from Costco, of course)
• two handfuls of chopped green, yellow, red, and orange peppers
• chopped, cooked green beans
• chopped broccoli and/or dry broccoli slaw
• diced tomatoes, De-seeded
• 1/2 of a small avocado, chopped
• 4-6 ounces of your favorite protein source- chicken, ground turkey, 5 chopped egg whites, or tuna
  
• I top it all with a 50/50 mix of lemon juice and Galeo's low-fat miso or Galeo's Caesar dressing-1/4 cup of each.

This is a HUGE salad. If you don't quite have the same appetite as me, reduce it to half, and it will still be really big! I usually make about 5 salads at the same time, so I always have ready in the fridge. I eat at least one of these a day. You can substitute the avocado for olive oil, and mix with vinegar for dressing. Limit the olive oil to one tablespoon.

Nutrition: French toast recipe

Take two pieces of Ezekiel bread, soak them in 1 cup of egg whites, 2 packets of splenda, a drop of vanilla extract and lots of cinnamon. Put all ingredients in a non-stick pan with some cooking spray and cook until one side is done, then flip and cook though. Top with spray butter, cinnamon, and one packet of splenda. (or sugar free syrup)

Nutrition: High Protein night-time snack

This is a simple snack to make as you after dinner, pre-bedtime snack; It's sweet, low in carbs and high in protein.
1 cup of low fat organic cottage cheese
1 packet of splenda or 2 packets of Z-sweet
ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of roasted flaxseeds or 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans
(be sure to put whole flaxseeds, not ground- the purpose is for the crunch!)

place cottage cheese on a small desert plate
sprinkle splenda, cinnamon and flaxseeds or nuts on top

Cottage cheese contains Casein protein, which is a slower digesting protein; mixed with the fat from the nuts or seeds, it will take longer to digest and your body will utilize the protein for rebuilding through the night.

Nutrition: Turkey Burgers

I like to purchase the turkey burgers from Costco; they are the leanest that I have seen (only 5 grams of fat). You can find them in the freezer section.
I cook them all at once in a large tin pan from Costco, of course. You can cook them from frozen or thaw them, and season them with dry spices. Cook them for 30 minutes at 400 degrees; they do not need to be covered. Take them out of the oven and out of the pan to cool- that way they don't sit in the grease. Slice them when they are cooled and portion them out into 4 oz servings in snack bags. These are a great protein snack to eat with raw carrots or apple slices in the car.

Nutrition: Yummy, freezable Organic Chicken Breast Recipe

What you will need: (you can purchase all items at Costco or Trader Joes)

1 package organic, boneless skinless chicken breast
Marinade: I like to use jalepeno mustard and rosemary; you can use any low sugar marinade that you like, and you can water it down with organic chicken broth.



PREPARATION AND COOKING:
Filet the chicken breasts
Cover and Marinate4 to 5 hours or overnight.
Cook, covered in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.
Put serving sizes of chicken in Ziploc Freezer bags and store in freezer and fridge.
I like to make mini frozen meals with the chicken; take 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or whole wheat pasta and steamed veggies of your choices, place sliced chicken on top with 1/4 cup of the cooking sauce, and freeze. When you are ready to eat cook on medium power for approx. 4 minutes. This is great when I come home from work starving and wanting a comforting meal in a few minutes. You can also skip the starch and make it low carb with just the meat and veggies and sauce. Yum Yum!

Liz's Top Food Picks

Proteins:
Chicken
Fish
Lean ground chicken, turkey, and beef
Lean cuts of meat (filet and flank steak)
Eggs and egg whites
High quality whey protein powder
Scallops, shrimp, Tilapia, all fish
Turkey
Veggie Cheese
Plain, Greek style yogurt
Low-fat cottage cheese
Starches
plain, old fashioned oats
buckwheat pancake and waffle mix (arrowhead mills-organic preferably)
brown rice
brown rice pasta
100% whole wheat bread
couscous
Kashi Go Lean cereal: 2/3 cup
oat bran
Potato: 4 oz
Sweet Potato:4 oz
whole wheat spaghetti: 2/3 cup
whole wheat pita bread: 3oz
whole grain bagel: 1/2 large or 1 small
shredded wheat
Fats:
All natural organic peanut butter
nuts
olive oil, other oils
avocado
salmon
All fruits and veggies (frozen or fresh):
Berries
Bananas
apples
oranges
kiwis
papaya
honeydew
grapes
pineapple
brocolli
carrots
green beans
cucumbers
asparagus
romaine lettuce
spinach
squash
tomatoes

Condiments:
Organic Ketchup or Trader Joe's Ketchup (has 2 grams sugar per serving)
Mustard, yellow or hot and spicy, or jalepeno, some sweet are okay if low in sugar
Trader Giotto's Organic Marinara Sauce (regular or Tomato Basil) or any that have 3 grams of sugar or less per serving and 3 grams of fat or less
Trader Joe's Thai Red Curry Sauce
Trader Joe's Lemon Picatta Simmer Sauce or Marsala Sauce
Vinegar
Galeo's Miso Dressing
Lemon's (I use these to water down the Curry Sauce and Salad Dressing)
Cottage cheese blended with skim milk or soy milk and a packet of Ranch Dressing mix
spray butter
olive oil cooking spray
sugar free jello






There is no bad fruit or vegetable.
Avoid all processed food, including deli lunch meat. Condiments are fine.
Try to buy organic as often as possible. Please see my post about that.
Take the time to pepare your meals and carry a cooler everywhere you go. Yes, I am serious.
The most important thing I can tell you is to eat an adequate amount every three to four hours. Do not go hungry- it will inevitably lead to bad food choices, and/or overeating. Most people can only process less than 500 calories at a time; anything extra will be stored as FAT. So watch your portion sizes- read the labels!