Carbs post-workout…will any do?
Posted on November 3, 2016 Leave a Comment
Some people drink chocolate milk after exercising. A power lifter I know admitted to eating gummy bears at the end of his grueling workouts. A trainer pops chocolate-covered raisins after cardio. Of course you’re going to feel better by refueling with these fast-acting carbs, but eating sugar increases inflammation. Exercise already causes an inflammatory response, so you’re just making matters worse by eating junk.
After exercise, you need recovery and repair, and sugar just causes additional damage. Eat fruit, whole grains or potatoes, with some protein post-workout, and you’ll feel better and recover quicker.
Want to healthy recipes that taste yummy? My book has all that and more! Order your copy today at http://www.thehighfivediet.com
You can also follow me on Instagram under @FitGirlUSA
Photo: all the things we shouldn’t eat!
Feeling Blue? Eat this
Posted on November 1, 2016 Leave a Comment
Eating seven servings of fruit, or eight servings of veggies may correct chemical imbalances in the brain. A person who is depressed can modify his diet by eating less meat and more plant food to improve his mood.
No wonder my vegan fruit smoothies make me happy!
Want to lose weight and make healthy foods that taste yummy? My book has all that and smoothies too! Order your copy today from http://www.thehighfivediet.com
You can also follow me on Instagram under @FitGirlUSA
Source: Greger, M.D., Michael. How Not to Die. Book. New York: Flatiron Books. 2015 pg. 203-204
Lean = healthy?
Posted on October 26, 2016 Leave a Comment
I was under the illusion that people who look fit are healthy, but a lot of these gym rats only care about total calories, and their daily percentage of macros, meaning: carbs, protein and fats. They don’t care if their food is organic and contains pesticides, chemicals, GMOs, or sugar. They will consume any protein powder as long as it tastes good. They will use supplements they don’t need because a bodybuilder with awards and photos of himself is on display at the gym. They use cream with petroleum on their bellies, and squeeze their organs with a waist-trimmer wrap.
When did looks become a priority over health? How narrow does one’s waist have to be? My grandfather had thin skin, with veins popping out, but now “vascular” is hot.
And who decided that visible ribs was sexy? I told a trainer whose face was looking gaunt, not to lose any more weight, after all, he wasn’t doing a show or a photo shoot. He snapped back with, “Yeah, I don’t want to get TOO good-looking.” To which I replied, “I don’t like skinny. There should be some meat on those bones.”
Photo: competitive bodybuilder Kasey Housmans, carbohydrate and water depleted
I created The High-Five Diet to help everyone be fit AND healthy. You can order your copy of my book at $14.95 from http://www.thehighfivediet.com
For exercise videos and motivation, follow me on Instagram under @FitGirlUSA
Fat and starving…the new trend?
Posted on October 19, 2016 Leave a Comment
I hope this is not the new trend, but I’ve heard from several people that they don’t know what to do about their friend, co-worker or client who is overweight and starving him or herself on purpose. When these overweight people initially started their weight loss journey, they dramatically cut their calories down to 800, and they started dropping weight fast, but then the weight loss stopped. In fear of gaining the weight back, they have kept on this starvation diet, even though they are not seeing any further results.
When you eat too few calories, your body holds onto that fat since there’s a famine, or so it seems. Your body burns a minimum of 1200 calories just through the normal process of living…processing your food, pumping your blood, digesting your food, etc. A woman should eat no less than 1600 calories, and a man, no less than 1700-1800 calories each day. Eating less than that will deprive you of nutrients and energy designed to keep you strong and well.
If you know someone that’s doing this unhealthy, obsessive, psychologically damaging starvation diet, or if this person is you, remember that doing the same thing without getting results just doesn’t make sense. You need to change something if it’s not working. I created The High-Five Diet to help everyone lose weight and be healthy, regardless of food restrictions, while explaining why certain diets and eating patterns fail. You can order your copy of my book at $14.95 for your friend as a gift, or for yourself from http://www.thehighfivediet.com
For exercise videos and motivation, follow me on Instagram under @FitGirlUSA
Photos: me
Is swapping this for that make sense?
Posted on October 5, 2016 Leave a Comment
My husband was making fun of me because my almond milk is only 15 calories less than his coconut milk. That made me think. Does a few calories saved here and there really make a difference? So, I made a few modifications to my diet. Here’s the things I changed:
- coconut milk to almond milk = 15 calories
- 1 tablespoon to 1 teaspoon almond butter = 60 calories
- 4 tablespoons coconut flakes to 1 tablespoon of coconut flakes = 150 calories
- extra 5 minutes of intense cardio before & after weight training = 67 calories
- flavored protein powder to collagen protein powder = 34 calories
With the above changes, only implemented three times a week, I saved 978 calories! So, if I keep up this new eating and exercise regimen, three times a week, I will shave off 3912 calories. Wow! It’s no wonder I lost 2 pounds.
This is one of the methods I teach in my book, The High-Five Diet. You don’t need to run marathons or starve yourself to lose weight. Order your copy today from www.thehighfivediet.com and if you have Amazon Prime, shipping is free.
You can also follow me on Instagram under @FitGirlUSA
Mediterranean Turkey Chili
Posted on September 27, 2016 Leave a Comment
3 lbs ground turkey- 2 T olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- handful of Kalmata olives
- 2 canned chopped tomatoes
- 3 T Frank’s hot sauce
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
- 1 T oregano
- 2 springs chopped rosemary leaves
- 1 T thyme
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground fennel
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Worchester sauce
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained and washed
Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent. Add turkey, stirring until browned. Add remaining ingredients, except for chicpeas and stir. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add chickpeas and serve.
Timing is everything for weight loss
Posted on September 20, 2016 Leave a Comment
If you eat at different times and don’t keep a consistent meal schedule, your body slows down your metabolism when you’re hungry if you don’t eat. Then, when you do eat, your body turns some of that food into fat. Yikes! With this knowledge I’m going to try eating my five mini meals around the same times, all seven days of the week.
Want to lose belly fat and eat healthy foods that taste scrumptious? My book has all that! Order your copy today at http://www.thehighfivediet.com
You can also follow me on Instagram under @FitGirlUSA
Source: Bachus, Tiffany. Blog post type. “8 Things that slow down your metabolism” Ace Fit/Fit Life blog. ACE Fitness. 8 Sept 2016.
Photo: Teriyaki chicken over vegetables, which I don’t eat anymore because there is too much sugar in the sauce
