Do you remember, Ginger?
I remember sitting in my grandparent’s living room watching re-runs of Gilligan’s Island and asking the same question as most people, “If it was only a three hour tour…why did they have SOOO much stuff?”
Anyway, this is NOT the Ginger I’m talking about but I thought it might bring back some memories for some of you.
Ginger is one of the most cultivated spices in the world. It has been used for thousands of years from the Middle East to Asia, China, and Japan. Even the Greeks and Romans used ginger for good health and strength. There are countless books and papers promoting ginger as a medicinal and spiritual herb, which once was very expensive.
Of course ginger has digestive properties, helping to soothe an upset stomach. Here are some other ways ginger was, and is still, used back to this day:
• Aphrodisiac
• Alleviate menstrual symptoms associated with PMS (early 20th century)
• Strength and vitality
• Way to keep foods fresh (before the invention of refrigeration)
So you see, ginger has been used in many different ways for hundreds of thousands of years. Flash forward to today: New research on ginger which blew me away! Let me sum up the research for you.
Ginger can stop pre-adipocytes from becoming fat cells through certain components in ginger. This is important because the more adiponectin in the blood, the lower your body weight and fat becomes. In fact, obese individuals have lower levels of adiponectin than their lean counterparts. Ginger helps increase the production of adiponectin by inhibiting TNF-? production.
Components found in ginger can help burn fat and decrease the number of fat cells produced by the body. Those same properties have both anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity fighting effects
A once-vibrant nutrient used worldwide, ginger has tremendous health-promoting effects in the body. Acting as an aphrodisiac to aiding in digestion, ginger is used in different medicinal and spiritual ways. Certain properties naturally occurring in ginger are researched because of the positive effects with fat. These properties block specific receptors and they reduce the progression, or may even block the formation of fat from accumulating in the liver. Ginger, in combination with the other nutrients found in Prograde Metabolism, may help you lose weight and split and burn fat cells forever.
Malinda and Chuck Walker
Imagine Fitness
Prairie du Sac, WI 53578
References:
Woo, HM. Kang, JH. Kawanda, T. Yeo, H. Sung, MK. Yu, R. Active spice-derived components can inhibit inflammatory responses of adipose tissue in obesity by suppressing inflammatory actions of macrophages and release of moncyte chemoattractant protein-1 from adipocytes. Life Sci. 2007. Vol. 13(80); pp. 926-931.
Isa, Y. Miyakawa, Y. Yanagisawa, M. Goto, T. Kang, MS. Kawanda, T. Morimitsu, Y. Kubota, K. Tsuda, T. 6-shogoal and 6-gingerol, the pungent of ginger, inhibit TNF-alpha mediated downregulation of adiponectin expression via different mechanisms in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008. Vol. 373(3);pp. 429-434
Sahebker, A. Potential efficacy of ginger as a natural supplement for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. World J Gastroenterol. 2011. Vol. 14(17);pp. 271-272.
Al-Suhaimi, EA. Al-Riziza, NA. Al-Essa, RA. Physiological and therapeutical roles of ginger and turmeric on endocrine function. Am J Chin Med. 2011. Vol. 39(2);pp. 215-231.
Soldo-Juresa, D. Metelko, Z. PPAR?- A New Concept of Treatment? Diabetologia Croatica. 2009. Vol. 38(2);pp. 23-29.
Posted in Fat Loss Nutrition Fat Loss Strategies by .
Lose weight fast with fiber! Some people wonder about the benefits of fiber. Fiber is a beneficial nutrient. Fiber has been linked to reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol, and body weight, as well as increased sensitivity to insulin, a good thing for diabetics.
Before we discuss fiber and weight loss, we need to know what fiber is. Fiber is a sugar molecule found in some common foods, which cannot be broken down by the body. There are two forms:
• Soluble – this type of fiber dissolves in water and produces a gel-like substance in the stomach. This substance helps digested food slowly move into the small intestine. This slows down the food absorption by the small intestine, resulting in the slow release of nutrients in the bloodstream. Soluble fiber binds to bile produced limiting the amount of cholesterol released into the blood. There are hundreds of strains of microflora in the small intestine which protect us from diseases and can strengthen our immune system. Soluble fiber helps the microflora grow, which protects us against other bacteria which can lead to diseases.
• Insoluble fiber – this type of fiber cannot be broken down once entering the stomach. It increases in size by absorbing water, very much like a sponge. This type of fiber speeds up foods absorption once it enters into the small intestine. Insoluble fiber acts as a “cleaner” taking on water as it travels through the intestine making a softer stool in the end.
Research shows Americans are below the recommended average for fiber. You might be thinking, “How can I get more fiber in my diet?”
Including items such as fruits, vegetables, oat bran, whole wheat products, and whole grain cereals are easy ways to increase the amount of fiber on a daily basis. But be careful – do not rush to increase fiber in your diet all at once.
Rushing can lead to increased gas, bloating, and constipation. Even though fiber can help aid digestion and constipation, increasing fiber quickly can produce negative effects on the body. Start by adding fiber-rich foods gradually to prevent increased gas, bloating, and constipation.
There are many benefits associated with fiber. Research has shown you can reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and for those who ate the recommended servings, had reduced body-fat levels. Amazing!
Let me explain how fiber can do all these wonderful things!
Soluble fiber has positive effects on blood cholesterol. There are many different reasons why this happens. First, soluble fiber is able to ferment and help the microflora grow in the small intestine, which releases essential fatty acids into the bloodstream. These fatty acids not only alter cholesterol levels, but benefit the small intestine by providing a breeding ground for healthy bacteria. The associated reduction in cholesterol from fiber has to do with steroid excretion and altered fat absorption. Also, once soluble fiber dissolves in water and the gel-like substance is produced, it binds to bile produced by the body, altering the release of cholesterol into the blood. Unreal!
Fiber also has effects on weight management. There are many different reasons for this. The major component of fiber is water and other nutrients, which give fiber its bulk. Since this bulk cannot be digested, you feel fuller for longer periods of time. Another component of fiber is water. This also helps us feel fuller, longer resulting in not feeling the need to overeat or snack. Increasing fiber in your diet helps you feel satisfied after you eat. Results: increased weight loss!
Fiber is beneficial in so many ways. It helps control blood pressure, has positive effects on cholesterol, and can help shed a pound or two. Americans are not even close to the recommended servings of fiber, so increasing your intake is crucial to overall health.
Here is a list of foods which contain high amounts of fiber:
Fruits
Raspberries – a one cup serving has 8.0 grams of fiber
Pear (with skin) – 1 medium pear provides 5.5 grams of fiber
Medium Apple with skin – 1 medium apple provides you with 4.4 grams of fiber
Banana and orange – 1 medium banana or orange gives you 3.1 grams of fiber
Vegetables/BeansPeas (cooked) – 1 cup of cooked peas gives you a whopping 8.8 grams of fiber
Broccoli – 1 cup of boiled broccoli gives you 5.1 grams of fiber
Sweet corn (cooked) – 1 cup of cooked sweet corn gives you 4.2 grams of fiber
Potato with skin (baked) – 1 medium potato baked with the skin gives you 2.9 grams of fiber
Lentils (cooked) – 1/2 cup cooked lentils gives you 6.6 grams of fiber
Navy beans (cooked) – 1/2 cup cooked navy beans gives you 9.5 grams of fiber
Other foodsBran Flakes – ¾ of a cup gives you 5.3 grams of fiber
Oatmeal (cooked) – 1 cup gives you 4.0 grams of fiber
Black Beans (cooked) – 1 cup of black beans gives you 15.0 grams of fiber
Almonds – 1 ounce of almonds gives you 3.5 grams of fiber
Remember these three tips to help you increase your fiber intake:
1. Start with the most important meal of the day: breakfast. Include whole-grain breads or cereals to your breakfast meal. Make sure the package states “made with whole grain or whole wheat” to ensure you have the right bread or cereal for increasing your fiber intake. Also, look for cereal which has fiber or whole grains in the title.
2. Add fruit and vegetables as quick, easy snacks you can grab on the go. Increasing fruits and vegetables can easily increase your fiber intake.
3. Alter the way you make homemade breads or bakery items which include white flour. Most of the nutrients in white flour are stripped away and then added again. Alternating whole-wheat flour will add extra fiber to your diet
When adding fiber to your diet, add it gradually over time to prevent bloating and gas associated with fast increases in fiber. Fiber can help you lose weight faster, by making you feel fuller and for longer. Include items from the list above to help your heart while trimming your waistline for the future.
Chuck and Malinda Walker
Imagine Fitness
Prairie du Sac, WI 53578
(608) 215-3101
Posted in Fat Loss Nutrition Fat Loss Strategies by .
Could you imagine seeing the headline: “Nature’s antibiotic is the latest nutrient in the battle on obesity.” This would send the media into a frenzy, and practically put garlic growers on pace to become multi-millionaires, or even billionaires.
Of course, I don’t know if we should take it that far!
But the headline above is true! Garlic has wonderful effects in the body, from heart disease and blood pressure to cholesterol.
Garlic is a potent nutrient used in cooking in many cultures as a way to spice up food and increase the taste. Most people know that garlic has powerful effects on the cardiovascular system by reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reducing triglycerides and helping raise good cholesterol.
Most people are unaware that garlic has anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects in the body. Garlic can reduce the amount of cytokines and macrophages released by fat tissue, which affect fat tissue and distant areas in the body. More research is needed on the power of garlic, but it shows promise in the fight against obesity!
Imagine if those same nutrients which help the heart, can actually help us lose fat! How would that information affect you? Would you run out and buy garlic, just to see if you could lose a pound or two?
Most people looking to lose weight would answer with a resounding yes! How does it work? Let me explain.
THE SCOOP ON GARLIC:
Garlic has cancer-fighting, heart disease-fighting and blood pressure-lowering properties built into it. We can now add obesity-fighting and anti-inflammatory properties!
Obesity, along with heart disease and a host of other diseases, start by an inflammation response. Adipocytes are no different.
This chronic, low-level inflammation leads to fat cells impairment. Inflammation leads to the release of macrophages, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and proteins which are released from adipose tissue. Certain properties found in garlic can reduce these militants from being released from fat cells.
Allyl isothiocyanate, a major component of garlic, inhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity effects. In obesity, adipose tissue releases macrophages, fatty acids, and other proteins, causing increased inflammation leading to other obesity-related complications. The problem with obesity is the higher the obesity levels, the more macrophages are released, causing other metabolic conditions to arise.
Allyl isothiocyanate is a phytochemical which inhibits cellular production of major pro-inflammatory mediators. Those mediators are:
• TNF-? – a major cytokine involved in systematic inflammation. Higher levels lead to insulin resistance in the body.
• Nitric oxide – produced by phagocytes from an immune response, can also be signaled from the production of TNF-? in the body. Nitric oxide can increase inflammation in response to certain conditions.
• MCP-1 – a protein which recruits monocytes to areas of inflammation. Commonly found in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), it is found in joints and other areas of the body. High levels of MCP-1 perpetuates the inflammation process in joints and adipose tissue.
Allyl isothiocyanate can inhibit the production of these inflammatory hormones. It works exceptionally well in inhibiting MCP-1 protein found in 3T3-LI adipocytes. Of course you are probably wondering what it means, right? Give me a minute to explain.
The body is able to create new cells. In fact, every minute cells die, the body makes new ones to replace them. In adipose tissue, pre-adipocytes undergo a process making them full-fledged adipose tissue, or FAT. Research shows garlic can inhibit adipogenesis, or the process of making pre-adipocytes into adipocytes. Simple terms: garlic stops pre-fat cells from becoming fat cells, by inhibiting the process.This same research also showed garlic can increase activation of brown adipose tissue, therefore increasing thermogenesis in brown fat cells. The research behind it is amazing!
Researchers took mice and fed them a high-fat diet for the purpose of increasing obesity in the mice. Then they fed them the same diet, but added 2% or 5% garlic extract mixed with the food. The group supplemented by garlic decreased body weight and certain adipose tissue deposits. You would expect a high-fat diet to increase fat in the blood and plasma. When implementing garlic in the high-fat diet, there was significant improvements in blood and plasma fat levels. Garlic reduced blood and plasma fat levels.
The mice also had increased activity in brown adipose tissue. Brown fat increases thermogenesis in the body. By breaking down fatty acids, the breakdown increases energy and spares the use of ATP. In garlic-fed mice, there was an increase in activation of uncoupling protein 1 in the brown fat cells. This happened in the liver, white adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle, and not just in brown fat. Result: increased body temperature when exposed to cold temperatures. It was determined the activation of AMPK, an enzyme responsible for cellular energy thermogenesis, increased therefore increasing thermongenesis in brown fat tissue. They also found a decrease in the expression of adipogenesis, or the development of pre tissue into full-fat tissue.
Malinda and Chuck Walker
Imagine Fitness
608-215-3101
www.imaginefitnessblog.com
Posted in Fat Loss Nutrition Fat Loss Strategies by .
Today, I am going to show you the steps needed to successfully lose weight and keep it off.
Typical weight loss plans include diet and exercise. These are staples to losing weight, and should not be stopped. But what really is a diet? It is a way to monitor the calories we are putting in our bodies. Some need it for health reasons, and some do it just to look good. It is a way to ensure we are getting the right amount and servings of fruits, vegetables, and fiber. It is a way to incorporate leaner cuts of protein (meat) and more healthy fats! Sound familiar?
Exercise is another way to eliminate calories. Cardio can expend a great deal of calories. Also, strength training increases lean muscle mass, helping to keep our fat burning furnace firing at optimal levels.
This combination is great for helping us lose weight. But what happens when it stops working? What happens when we resort back to our old ways?
There are different reasons why diet and exercise stop working: the restriction of calories, all the healthy food can be more expensive, boredom, and depriving yourself of what you love. These can be the downfall to any good program that lacks one step: a plan.
That’s right, developing a plan is the key to losing weight and keeping it off. People go to dietitians, personal trainers, and group exercise classes because of one central component: they have a format or a plan. Each aerobics class or bootcamp is choreographed with a routine of exercises, which help people from one level to another. A personal trainer designs an exercise program with increasing intensity to help you lose more weight. A dietitian develops a sound nutrition plan which includes when to eat, what to eat and the amount to eat.
Each one gives you a PLAN. So how can a plan help?
Having a plan can help you lose weight and keep it off, and help in other areas of life. You can plan for retirement, how to send your kids to college, and to change certain behavior hindering your weight loss.
Here are the components of a plan:• Recognizing the need to change some aspect in your life
• Establishing short- and long-term SMART goals
• A proper support system
• Rewarding your successes and acknowledging your failures (more on this one later)
The biggest shift in the health industry is listening and assisting, and not prescribing. A dietitian gives a plan and you are told what to eat. There is nothing wrong with this, and this approach can work for some. However, some people, when told to do something, a little rebellion happens resulting in lack of adherence to the program. Does this sound familiar?
So let me break it down for you:Recognizing the need to change - everyone has something in their life they need or want to change. It could be weight loss, losing stubborn belly fat, living a healthy life, or financial freedom. Whatever the goal is, figure it out and write it down. You can even tell someone else about your goal and what you think you need to change. Now you have what you want to change so you….
Establish short- and long-term goals - This is the most important step in the process. You want to think long range – three months – and develop goals around what you want to change. Develop three to four goals you want to work on and write them down. Then break down those three or four goals into smaller, more manageable goals. Like the movie, “What About Bob,” baby steps are the way to go in accomplishing your goals.
When developing goals, you want SMART goals. You may be asking yourself, “What are SMART goals?” They are:
Specific - the more specific the goals, the more apt you are to accomplish your goals. Just saying you want to lose weight is a vague statement, but saying “I want to lose five pounds over three months,” makes the goal more specific. Making specific goals provides a timeline to accomplishing the goal(s). This increases success for reaching the goals. They also must be…M
- you should be able to track the goals. This way you can see when you complete the goal or the level of success at the end of three months. Goals should also be…
easurable
Attainable - you should never set goals out of reach or unattainable. Each goal you set should be difficult, but accomplishable, with hard work and dedication. This builds self-confidence and self-esteem, and shows you have the ability to accomplish what you set out to do. Research by Stizcher et al. concludes goals which are difficult to obtain, lead to higher performance in reaching those goals. Goals should also be….
Realistic - attainable and realistic go hand-in-hand. Your goals should be realistic to what you want to accomplish. Saying you want to lose 100 pounds in 3 months can set you up for failure. It might not be realistic, unless you take drastic measures. Set goals that are realistic to your situation – goals you know you are able to accomplish and you know you CAN accomplish. Leading to…
Time-based - make sure you set an end time to your goals. This creates a sense of urgency in completing them, adding to the difficulty. This holds you accountable for your success and gives you direction for accomplishing your goals. It motivates you every day to look at your goals and work hard on them.
A proper support system - now that you have your SMART goals in place, share them with someone else. Confide in a friend, a relative, your personal trainer, or dietitian. This holds you accountable because someone else is watching. They hold you as accountable as you hold yourself. This motivates you to succeed since you do not want to let them down. Why is Weight Watchers successful? By sharing experiences with others who can relate, they are held accountable by everyone in the program.
The reward system – you always want to reward your successes and recognize your failures. Rewarding your successes gives the opportunity to acknowledge when a change has been made or a goal has been accomplished. It provides positive reinforcement which builds more confidence!
Recognizing your failures is also important. It is just as hard to change behaviors as it is to fail. Failure can devastate success. Recognizing you did not meet your goals and then letting it go. Letting go helps you understand there are challenges and bumps along the way, however, you can overcome them and move forward. We do not want to move backwards, but always forward. Dwelling on failures prevents forward movement which destroys momentum. So stop dwelling on the failure, and move in leaps and bounds forward in a positive way.
Changing behaviors does not come easy. Behaviors are deeply ingrained in us, sometimes making it hard to see the forest through the trees. Admitting when a change is needed, you set the stage for success. Including short- and long-term weight-loss goals, a reward system for the little and big successes, and a great support system will help in developing a plan for losing weight and keeping it off.
Chuck and Malinda Walker
Imagine Fitness
www.ImagineFitnessblog.com
Posted in Lifestyle & Self Improvement Motivation & Inspiration by .
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