Five Weight Loss Tidbits

1. Eat smaller meals more often.
You should try to eat every 2 to 3 hours and never go all day without eating. When you skip meals your body loses sensitivity to the fullness hormone called leptin. This in turn causes the energy burning compartments of your muscles to become damaged, your metabolism will slow down and you will have a tough time feeling satisfied when you do eat. So, eating every 2 to 3 hours will boost your body's response to leptin which keeps the metabolism high and provides a better sense of fullness and hunger.

2. Chew Your Food 20 Times
Studies have shown that if you give your brain time to register satiety by chewing your food 15 - 30 times before swallowing you will eat fewer calories. You will also digest your food much more efficiently since digestion starts in the mouth.

3. Eat Good Fats
Good fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are contained in nuts, seeds, fish, seed oils and avocados. They are excellent to snack on in moderation. These fats will make you feel satisfied, are good for the heart and produce a protein called adiponectin. This protein signals the body to burn fat stores for fuel and helps prevent the conversion of sugar into fat. I usually eat a handful of raw almonds and it helps with my hunger and I can take them with me when I am on the go.

4. Avoid Artificial Sweeteners and opt for Agave or Stevia
Artificial sweeteners are really not good for you and are full of chemicals that are foreign to the body. I have read some startling articles lately about some of these sweeteners that have caused me to eliminate any foods that contain them from my diet. Sugar free gum and diet pop were tough to give up but I feel better because of it. Some of the chemicals within these sweeteners can trap fat within your body. I suggest sweetening cereal, coffee and etc with agave or stevia because they are very low in calories (in small amounts), do not raise insulin levels and best of all are all natural.

5. Drink Peppermint Tea
Drinking peppermint tea will help stop you from caving into cravings. The peppermint leaf compound menthofuran helps to signal fullness within the brain.

Please contact me at: meg_mccurdy@hotmail.com if have any questions or would like to take the next step in your health and fitness goals. Remember you are so worth it and of tremendous value to this world! Team Brown Approved Training can help you. We offer customized fitness and nutrition plans based on YOU!

Using the Law of Attraction To Lose Weight

Happy Monday Everyone!

I came across this article yesterday as I was reading the August edition of Healthy Wealthy n Wise magazine. It is about how the Law of Attraction can help you lose weight. It is interesting how the Law of Attraction can also hinder your weight loss efforts based on the mental image you have of yourself! Have a read and definitely let me know what you think. I really did find this profound and I am sure many of you can relate to some of the things that are mentioned in this article!!


How to Lose Weight Using The Law of Attraction

Apricots - The Perfect Package Deal

Apricots are a great fruit and have a lot of health benefits. One apricot has about 17 calories but it packs a ton of goodness in those 17 calories.

Promotes a Flat Tummy
At least half of the fiber contained in an apricot is soluble fiber. Soluble fiber can help flatten your tummy because it helps to keep you regular by effectively moving food through the GI tract. It also forms a slow digesting gel in the stomach that suppresses hunger for hours. It is a natural appetite suppressant.

Gives You Silky Soft Skin
Apricots are an effective antioxidant for the skin. They contain rich stores of lycopene which when consumed migrates to the skin and can remain there for a couple of days. This amazing antioxidant neutralizes the skin-roughening singlet oxygen that is produced during exposure to the sun's ultra violet rays. The results of this neutralization is soft silky skin!

Makes You Smarter
Apricots are high in zinc. Zinc plays a vital role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as dopamine. This in turn helps improve signaling into the brain's memory center (hippocampus).

Energy
Eating apricots regularly can help increase energy. This could be from the malic acid found in apricots. Malic acid aids the body's production of adenosine triphoshate (ATP) which is an energy dispensing molecule. Also, the potassium in apricots thins the blood which then optimizes the delivery of oxygen throughout the body.

The Amazing Lemon!

Here are some interesting facts about Lemons!

• Lemon water is a great detoxifier. It will promote a healthy glow to your skin because both water and lemon flush out toxins. Your skin is the first to show this.
  
  
• Hot lemon water can help releive many digestions problems. Lemon juice acts as a liver tonic so it will help you digest your food better because it will help your liver produce more bile.
  
  
• Lemon water helps reduce hiccups.
  
  
• Lemons are high in Vitamin C.
  
  
• Lemons can be used to treat infections and can promote the healing of wounds.
  
  
• Lemons relieve sore throats.
  
  
• Lemon is a natural diuretic.
  
  
• When lemon is mixed with coffee, it can eliminate headaches.
  
  
• Lemons are a key ingredient in a liver cleanse.
  
  
• Lemon is good at removing hair product build up.
  
  
• Lemon can add highlights to your hair. To do this, simply squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon (or more) into your hair and sit out in the sun for an hour. Shampoo and condition after.
  

Lemon and water together will replenish and rejuvenate your body! It doesn't cost a lot and it is 100% natural! For a healthy start to your day try drinking a glass of lukewarm lemon water when you wake up!

Shoulder Surgery

Hi Everyone,

I have not posted anything on here for a week or so because I had shoulder surgery last Thursday! It was an old gymnastics injury that has been hindering my performance for a few years. Luckily the surgery went well and I am healing really fast! YAY!

Stay tuned for more fat loss and exercise tips coming very soon!

In the meantime check out my Squido Lens at:

Health and Fitness Tips

Very cool!

Stay happy and healthy!!

Megs

Eating healthy

In my last article I talked about what I think are the seven key components to successfully losing weight and keeping it off. I mentioned in that article that I would expand on the food aspects in a future article and that is what I am gonig to do now. This article talks about clean unrefined foods and foods that are good choices towards a healthy lifestyle. The opinions expressed in this article are my opinions only and based on my own experiences with clients, friends and of course myself.

Each meal should consist of protein, carbohydrates and fats. I am a firm believer in eating food the way nature intended it so the more whole the better.

The quantity and ratio of protein, carbohydrate and fats that you would eat is individual to the person. It is dependent on many factors which are too in depth for this article. This article is a basic guideline for the types of foods that are clean and healthy. I suggest eating a small meal every 2 to 3 hours. Keep in mind that if this is new to you then it will take some getting used to and it will not happen overnight. The key is to be patient and consistent.

Protein - There are many delicious sources of lean and clean protein. Below are some excellent protein sources:

Chicken breast
Turkey breast
Fish Eggs (egg whites)
Whey Protein powder - no added sweetner

Carbohydrates - Complex carbohydrates are your best choice. Try to avoid anything that has been processed or refined like white flour. Excellent complex carbohydrate choices include:

Oatmeal
Sprouted grain bread
Whole wheat pasta
Brown rice
Yams
Sweet potatoes
Beans
Green leafy vegetables

Vegetables should be an essential part of your daily food intake. I try to eat a lot of vegetables in my diet and consider most vegetables to be "free" carbohydrates. I do not eat starchy (complex) carbohydrates at every meal because they tend to be high in calories but I always load up on vegetables and add a serving of fruit to most of my meals. Fruits and vegetables have so many amazing benefits to your health and well being. Fruit is also great for keeping a sugar craving at bay.

Fats - Healthy fats have so many health benefits and eating good fats does not make you fat. The culprit there is too many calories whether it is protein, carbohydrates or fats. I like to eat my salads and vegetables with some fats because many of the vitamins in vegetables are fat soluble. That means it requires fat to be absorbed. Below are some sources of healthy fats:

Fish
Fish oil supplements
Nuts and seeds
Olive oil
Flax seed oil

These kinds of foods will do wanders for your health and your well being. You will feel good, look good and just glow with wellness. If you eat to live rather than live to eat then your body will naturally reflect this.

For more information on living a healthy lifestyle please visit my blog at:

http://fatloss-exercisetips.blogspot.com/

The Top Seven Weight Loss Tips

As a personal trainer and athlete I have experienced so many ups and downs with dieting and trying to lose weight. I have seen this in my clients, colleagues, friends and of course myself. I have compiled a list of the top seven things that are, in my opinion, keys to successfully losing weight and keeping it off.

1. Eat Clean Unrefined Foods

Whole and natural foods are our best bet not only when trying to lose weight but as a lifestyle. Our bodies can use the many amazing nutrients found in clean unrefined foods. Processed or refined foods are loaded with sugar and fat and because of the refining process are lacking in many of the essential nutrients our bodies require.

Even after consuming these processed foods our bodies still need the required nutrients and I strongly believe this is one reason why junk food is so addictive. One rule of thumb in regards to healthy eating is that if your food comes from a window (fast food) or a box (processed/refined food) then do not eat it. Strive to eat green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and essential fats. I could really delve into talking about these foods but will save it for another article in the near future.

2. Set a Target Weight

Setting a target weight that you want to attain (ie: your ideal body weight) that is realistic is much more powerful than just trying to lose some weight. When you have a a goal weight that you focus on you create a mindset of being at that weight. That being said it is important to be patient in your quest to reach that weight and to focus on the tasks required to get to your end goal!

3. Eat Smaller Meals More Often

It is best to eat a small meal consisting of clean unrefined foods every 2 to 3 hours. When you eat often you are letting your body know that it is being properly fueled and this will promote a faster metabolism. You want to have some lean protein, vegetables, essential fats and complex carbohydrates with each meal. In a future article I will talk in depth about this.

4. Drink Plenty of Water

Our bodies are around 65% water so proper hydration is essential not only for weight loss but for proper bodily function. Proper hydration will moisturize your skin, help to avoid muscle cramps, increase exercise performance, help to avoid constipation, you retain less water, it enhances your immune system and helps your kidneys work their best. It is easy to test for proper hydration by checking your urine. If your urine is bright yellow then you need to drink more water.

5. Strength Training

A weight training regime of 3 to 4 days per week is extremely beneficial for weight loss. Strength training increases lean muscle mass which will boost your metabolism. For the purposes of weight loss a proper weight training regime will help you lose fat and tone up. If you are unsure or nervous about what to do at the gym then I suggest working with a trainer. Don't be afraid to push yourself or to go outside of your comfort zone.

6. Cardiovascular Training

Cardiovascular (cardio) training is probably one of the most important steps to losing weight and should be combined with weight training. It burns calories, releases endorphins and it is good for your heart and lungs. It is my opinion that some form of cardio should be performed every day. Cardio can be walking, riding a bike, swimming, rollerblading or whatever you want as long as it gets you moving and your heart rate up.

7. Be Consistent and Be Patient

Consistency is the key in any weight loss challenge. Take your challenge day by day and be patient with yourself because it won't happen over night. It takes work and dedication to achieve any goal. Try to focus on the tasks each day that will get you to your goal. Remember that as you embark on your challenge you are making a decision to improve yourself and your life! That is amazing and good for you! You can do it!

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