The Low Carb Low Down

Posted on June 30, 2009 by Jessica Howells

Ever wonder why it is that you can sit in front of the T.V munching on chips and the next thing you know, you’ve finished the bag?!? There are two things wrong with this scenario and they might just be the reason you can’t seem to lose or maintain your weight loss. But lucky for you there is an easy solution!
First of all, when eating, concentrate on your food. Eating in front of the T.V is called mindless eating, which basically means you are not conscious of what you are putting in your mouth and by the time you realize it, your tummy is bulging. Slow down, concentrate on the flavors of each mouthful. If you follow these instructions you will get much more satisfaction out of your food and you will be aware of when you reach fullness.
Second and most important of all, you need to understand the science of carbohydrates. Chips and apples are both high in carbs but one of these contains good carbs, I’ll give you one guess…Chips are made up of what are called simple carbs (or bad cabs). These quickly digested which means they do not satisfy your hunger and they quickly get stored as fat once digested. Try cutting out white bead, pasta and rice and keeping your intake of processed food to a minimum. I guarantee you will feel better, have more energy and see your waistline shrink before your eyes!
Complex carbs on the other hand are found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains which are crucial to a healthy diet. These carbs will fill you up on less, keep you full longer and prevent sugar cravings. The rule of thumb is to consume 55%-60% of complex carbs a day in order to get your 5 servings of fruits and vegetables in, the rest should come from protein and healthy fats (check out my post on healthy fats).
My final food –for-thought (pun intended) is beware of misleading food labels. Be the wise consumer you are by checking the nutrition facts making sure the product is 100% whole grain, or low in carbs if it is processed. Replace bread with low-carb wraps for sandwiches, and stuff it full with spinach, tomatoes and other nutrient-rich veggies.

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Best Ab Exercises

Posted on June 24, 2009 by Jessica Howells

You can thank the Big Guy upstairs for that muffin top. A woman’s body is designed to store more fat in the abdominal area to aid in pregnancy. That means we have to work twice as hard as our male counterparts to flatten our tummies. Through research and A LOT of trial and error (more error than trial…?), I have compiled my favorite, most fun and most effective abdominal workouts.

The stability ball transfer: Get into the position as shown and on the exhale lift both legs and arms up and transfer the ball from your arms to in between your legs. Lower down to starting position and hold, then repeat. Push yourself on this one and go for 20-25 reps.

Pike with ball: Start in push-up position with your feet on the stability ball and your hands on the floor, elbow under your shoulders. Move the ball towards your chest and pike your body in a V-position. This is probably the hardest because not only are you contracting your abs through the entire move you have to balance as well.

Stability ball roll out: Kneel on your mat with the ball directly in front of you. Roll the ball forward as you exhale contracting your abs through the entire move. Hold keeping your body straight without letting your belly sink or your butt in the air and pull the ball back in toward you as you sit back up to kneeling position.

Yoga abs: Start in a plank position on your mat. Pull your left knee in to touch your right elbow and hold for 3 seconds. Return to plank and pull your knee to your nose holding for 3 seconds. Return to plank and bring your left knee to your left elbow and hold for three. Return to plank and do three push ups and repeat for the other leg.

Other great exercises include mountain climbers, crunches on a stability ball, ab machines, plank, and bicycle. Remember when doing abs on your back look up at the ceiling behind you and keep your elbows down when they are behind your head. Try to do these every other day, you need to give your muscles time to recover in order to build muscle and burn fat more effectively. Happy crunching!

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Just Because It’s a Salad, Doesn’t Mean It’s Healthy

Posted on June 21, 2009 by Jessica Howells

Many of us think if we order a salad we are choosing the healthier option, but in many cases the salad can be worse for you than that cheeseburger you really want. First of all, we tend to compensate the fact that we went “healthy” and eat more. Calories are calories at the end of the day. The salad bar also offers so many choices that can take your salad from light meal to four-course meal. Some of these toppings are loaded with fat, sugar and carbs, recipe for diet sabotage. Here are a few tips on keeping your salad healthy and still tasty…

Greenery – Choose a darker leaf like spinach, arugula or kale. These are dense with essential vitamins and nutrients. Iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value and will not fill you up enough.

Dress appropriately – Stick to less creamy dressings like (extra virgin) olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette. Dressings like ranch and caesar are loaded with extra calories. And always ask for it on the side, restaurants always over-do it with the dressing.

Use the 50-25-25 rule – Your salad should contain 50% veggies and grains, 25% healthy fats, and 25% lean protein. Try and incorporate veggies that are rich in folic acid, vitamins and minerals such as broccoli, peppers and tomatoes. Healthy fats would be avocados and nuts.

Protein – Pick a protein that will fill you up, satisfy you and still taste good. I love to put salmon, grilled chicken, tuna or turkey sausages in my salads.