Ok, another food post.....but this one's even more important...I promise! Thermic effect of food...

In one of the fitness groups I am a member of, a lady with a vast knowledge on fitness posted on this particular topic. She, and a lot of your questions about food are the inspiration behind this post. If you're serious about weight loss and maintenance, food is the one thing you MUST pay attention to. If you're serious about getting those chiseled abs, Abs are made in the kitchen, so listen up. 

So what is the "thermic effect of food?"

'Thermic' derived from 'Thermal' relating to heat and temperature...translation...burn! The expression describes the energy expended (burning calories) by our bodies to consume (bite, chew and swallow) and process(digest, transport, metabolize and store) food. 5 - 10% of the body's energy each day goes into processing ingested food. Getting interesting? Read on!

Generally, protein requires the greatest energy to process it....up to 30% of the calories contained in the foods. Carbohydrates are next on this list requiring 15 - 20% and the last are fats  with a thermic effect of only 2 - 3%. 

Sooo...in layman's terms? If you eat 100 calories of lean protein, only 70 will be left for you to use up after digestion e.t.c However, if you have the same in fats, up to 98 will be left for you to use up...and if you don't use them up, they will likely end up stored in some fatty tissue in an area you don't want...like your belly. :-(

High quality protein: 
Apart from having a high thermic effect, these foods also help by making you feel fuller longer. How so? They keep blood sugar levels stable preventing the highs and lows associated with hunger pangs. Ideal foods are milk, egg whites, lean beef and pork, lean chicken and turkey and fish. 

High Fiber Carbohydrates
To increase metabolism, increase consumption of high fiber carbs which includes but not limited to yams, sweet potatoes, whole grain bread, brown rice, broccolli, spinach, salad greens, apples, pears, oranges, sweet melon, beans and oatmeal. 

In effect, you can increase your metabolism and reduce hunger pangs just by changing what you eat and how you eat it. I hope this helps some towards understanding how important it is to really be conscious of what you eat. 

Have an active weekend!

If you have to do bread....there is a healthier option to "brown" bread

What is this? Bread? And why are you posting this here? Isn't this part of the 'enemy'? Carbs? You are misleading us!

:-D

Just take a minute (or three....I can foresee this is going to be a long post) and read through....

This is sour dough bread made from whole meal flour (not whole wheat). While we all know that white bread is especially bad when you're trying to live healthy, spiking your blood insulin, providing unnecessary calories....it turns out, there is a healthier bread, and it's sour dough bread.


What makes it healthy? I had actually composed a looong post with a lot of scientific mambo jambo, but figured it's easier to point it out then if you have a question I can try to answer or point you to a website that does.

The dough to make the bread contains a lactobacillus culture used in combination with natural yeasts. The lactobacillus is in greater proportion to the yeast and therefore the bread is not yeast based. The sourdough produces a sour taste mainly because of the lactic acid produced by the bacteria.


Sourdough bread preparation improves nutrition by:
1. Changing the nature of the starches (pre-digesting them) making the bread more easily digestible.

2. Lowering insulin response/improving glucose tolerance. - This effect actually lasts through to the next meal affecting the way your body responds to the next meal positively.

3. Protecting Vitamin B1 from the damage of the heat of baking

4. Breaking down gluten (very important!!!) into amino acids taking us back to easily digestible.

5. The bacteria in sourdough activate an enzyme that breaks down an anti nutrient present in all grains, beans and seeds i.e increases bio availability of nutrients.

6. It has a low glycaemic index. Low GI foods indicate  that food does not cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. This has been proven to provide many health benefits for medical conditions such as diabetes while also assisting weight control by improving appetite control and delaying hunger.

7. The Lactic Acid produced by the bacteria keeps the bread longer....It has a longer shelf life. However, because making this bread is a process (the waiting time not the actual labour) I usually make enough for 3 weeks to a month and freeze the bread. The only downside is you cannot have the bread without toasting it, you can also de frost in the oven but this takes longer.


Next post....how to make sour bread at home....

Beginners ab workouts without the sit ups and crunches

I have received a lot of questions on my facebook page about how to get rid of the ever stubborn pot belly. I am not a guru, I refer to my own experiences and the experiences of others I interact with on this journey.

The advanced exerciser may ignore this post. But if you're floundering around looking for something new to add to your push ups and sit ups at home, please read on.

Introducing the basic plank:

This is a great exercise because it works both the back and abdominal muscles.
How to do it? Start on elbows and knees, locking hands together. Straighten legs and raise your body so that you're supported by the balls of your feet with feet hip distance apart. Face the floor, being careful not to arch your back or stick your bottom in the air. Hold this position for 45 seconds to begin with, extending the time as you get stronger.

The Push Up Plank:

This time, hold plank in push up position. This plank position also works the chest and arms and is suitable to end your workout with. Since this is a beginners post, hold for 45 seconds rest, and hold again. Planks get more creative and challenging the stronger you get.

The Side Plank:

I had actually forgotten to start with the easier version of the Side plank which is propped on your elbows instead of hands. If you are on your elbows, be careful your shoulder does not roll forwards or backwards. Hold the position as long as you can then repeat on the other side. shoulder should be above elbow. Your body should be in a perfect triangle to the floor. In this photo, I am on my hands prepped for a T-Stand. This exercise works the obliques...translation, love handles :-)

Side Plank on Elbows: