For many of us sugar is almost like crack, we think about it late at night, we wonder when we are gonna get to enjoy it next, and let’s face it some of us are cranky without it. Sounds a bit unhealthy does it? You don’t feel that way towards broccoli do you? That’s because sugar can be addictive. And unfortunately it can be your enemy when it comes to your weight loss goals, and your ability to maintain stable energy levels throughout the day. Excess sugar can cause diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer and many other complications.

Unfortunately, in today’s food supply it’s hard to avoid over consumption with all of the places it hides; sweets obviously, but think about cereals, granola bars, terriyaki sauce, instant oatmeal even yogurt. Items you may think are health are also just gimmicks! The average American in 2010 consumed 132 lbs of sugar that year, compared to 4 lbs. in 1700, and you wonder why our health is in such shambles.

The American Heart Association recommends that we limit our daily sugar consumption to 7% or less of our daily calorie intake—that’s about 6 teaspoons (100 calories) for women and 9 teaspoons (150 calories) for men.  Just one 12-ounce can of regular soda contains 8-10 teaspoons of sugar and 130-150 calories. One glazed donut contains 6 teaspoons, and a half cup ice cream contains 4 teaspoons of added sugar!

When a client starts my San Diego weight loss program, one of the first areas we focus on is cutting back there sugar intake and weening them off of this bad habit. Because sugar does trigger the release of serotonin in the brain, it causes a sort of euphoric feeling before giving you that crash, and headache later on. Over time, frequent indulgences of sweets build a tolerance to it’s effects and actually need to consume more in order to get that high. And in fact, they actually crave it. Fortunately, this tolerance can be reversed within a few weeks and you can rid yourself of the addiction and actually develop low intolerance for it, which will actually curb you from ingesting the garbage.

The first step:

1) Go through your pantry and throw out all the obvious sweet culprits: cookies, cake, ice cream, ho-hos, whatever. Then go through and read the ingredients list for all the other items you consume. If any of the following are listed within the first 5 ingredients throw it out and don’t buy it anymore:

Agave nectar
Agave syrup
Barley malt
Beet sugar
Brown rice syrup
Brown sugar
Buttered syrup
Cane sugar
Cane juice
Cane juice crystals
Carob syrup
Confectioner’s sugar
Corn syrup
High fructose corn syrup
Corn sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup solids
Crystalized fructose
Date sugar
Dextran
Dextrose
Diatase
Diastatic malt
Evaporated cane juice
Fructose
Fruit juice
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
Glucose solids
Golden sugar
Golden syrup
Grape sugar
Grape juice concentrate
Honey
Invert sugar
Lactose
Malt

Even items that we think are healthy like granola bars, sports drinks, flavored yogurt and instant oatmeals actually harbor a lot of added sugar! And don’t think that aspartame, and splenda are better options. Stick to stevia. Keep in mind that fruits, veggies and non-flavored dairy products contain natural sugars that are okay for you.

2) So now that you have thrown out all the bad items, let’s go through and replace them with sugar-free counterparts. Replace those cereals with low to no-sugar whole grain cereals, and steel cut oats. To sweeten add fruit! Replace sweetened/flavored yogurt with Greek or plain and add nuts or berries. Replace your sugar protein bar or shake with Shakeology.  Instead of orange juice, eat whole oranges.

3) Now that you have rid your kitchen of temptations, now you will have an easier time sticking to the plan. When you find a sugar craving come on try eating a piece of gum, a handful of nuts, drinking some water, or even going for a short walk.  The first week is the toughest but stick with it! After a couple sugar-free weeks, your sugar threshold will start to decrease and you will find that you no longer crave sugar or sweets as you once did. As with any lifestyle change, the first couple of weeks are the hardest. Eventually, it will become habit to reach for a piece of fruit instead of candy.

4) Once you have successfully gone through 3-4 weeks without sugar, it is okay to allow it back in with moderation. An indulgence every once in awhile is okay but don’t make a habit of it. I tell my clients they can have one dessert a week. Then it becomes an indulgence that they enjoy that much more, but they also won’t go back into their old ways. You may actually notice that sweets you used to consume now give you tummy aches or even headaches. There is good reason for that! Listen to your body!

Andrea King helps her San Diego personal training clients achieve great results through incorporating both sound nutrition and exercise programs. Working as a San Diego fitness trainer, Andrea motivates her clients to become healthy through effective lifestyle changes.

Get rid of, or at least minimize this item and you will help reduce belly fat, and have an easier time losing wight. It’s an item that makes up 50% of the average American’s diet. Any idea? Bread….refined flour and sugars. The average American consumes entirely too much carbs, much more than their body needs to function optimally. Have you ever looked at the ingredients in most of the popular breads at the supermarket? High fructose corn syrup, soy, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, processed salt, emulsifiers. The refining process itself strips away the nutritious part of the grain, and you are essentially left with a form of sugar.

Take a look at what gets striped from the grain when it is refined:

* 80% of iron
* 50% of calcium
* 98% of magnesium
* 50-80% of the B vitamins

Consumption of refined flour and sugar has been linked to:

* obesity
* heart disease
* celiac’s disease
* asthma
* gluten intolerance
* vitamin B deficiencies

Vitamin B deficiencies contribute to a wide range of illnesses including: depression, dementia, anemia, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and considerably more issues.  An estimated 25% of Americans are vitamin B12 deficient.

Symptoms of B12 deficiency include: fatigue; lack of motivation; apathy; mood swings; and memory problems.

There’s an extraordinary rise in digestive illnesses, such as gluten intolerance and Celiac disease, and modern industrial baking methods are likely a major contributor to these widespread problems. The rise in asthma and allergies may also be related to our modern food processing and manufacturing practices. For example, one of the enzymes commonly used in modern bread making is amylase, which is known to cause asthma.

So you have gotten this far, and are probably wondering what does any of this have to do with belly fat? Well, I’m glad you asked. It’s quite simple really. A lot of the success my clients get from my San Diego weight loss programs come from not only the workouts themselves, but the nutrition program as well. And I emphasize the reduction of carbs, especially the refined and processed type.

Here’s why: Your body has a limited capacity to store excess carbohydrates, but it can easily convert those excess carbohydrates into excess body fat. Any carbohydrates not immediately used by your body are stored in the form of glycogen. Your body has two storage sites for glycogen: your liver and your muscles. Once the glycogen levels are filled in both your liver and muscles, excess carbohydrates are converted into fat and stored in your adipose (fatty tissue.)

But that’s not the worst of it. Any meal high in carbohydrates will also generate a rapid rise in blood glucose. Your pancreas secretes insulin into your bloodstream to adjust for this rapid rise, which then lowers the levels of blood glucose. Here’s where the problem lies – insulin is essentially a storage hormone, evolved to put aside excess carbohydrate calories in the form of fat in case of future famine. So the insulin that’s stimulated by excess carbohydrates promotes the accumulation of body fat!

In addition, to increased insulin storing fat it also has these adverse effects:

* Suppresses 2 important hormones glucagon which is responsible for burning fat and sugar as well as HGH which helps with muscle development.
* Increase in hunger levels. With the rise in blood sugar and then the fall within a couple hours you will experience sugar cravings, and hunger pains. Naturally your body should be able to go 4 hours between meals without feeling cravings of any kind.

So if you are looking to rid yourself of that belly fat, take a look in your cupboard and more importantly at how often you are consuming these carbohydrates on a daily basis. I personally have seen my clients lose inches upon inches in their waist by sticking to my San Diego personal training programs and nutrition advice.

Andrea King is a holistic San Diego personal trainer offering a unique approach to health and wellness. Health and happiness is what she aims to bring to all her clients.

We all have stress in our lives: our job places too many deadlines on us, children are involved in too many activities, family events and functions, financial burdens, traffic delays. We all encounter stress in our lives. It is how we react to stressful situations, and what we voluntarily expose ourselves to, which will either allow us to be very healthy individuals, or drain our energy levels and hinder us from making progress in our exercise programs.

As a San Diego fitness trainer my focus is not only on exercise but also nutrition, stress management, emotional and mental perceptions, and how my clients live their lives outside of the gym. Because all these impact how successful my client’s results are with my program. Stress can hinder weight loss, and muscle development. If I have a client that is a giant stress ball: negative attitude, running from place to place, eating junk food, and working ridiculous hours than that is going to impact the success of my program. That is why I have aligned myself with experts that can help them in areas I am not qualified to, such as balancing the central nervous system, prescribing supplementation, emotional therapy, and meditation.

Stress management is crucial to optimal health. If we walk around week to week stressed about this or that, anxious and irritable, over time our sympathetic system (the flight/fright) will dominate over our parasympathetic (relaxed) system. The flight/fight response is our bodies reaction to stress. Our body cannot differentiate between different types of stress, whether we are running late, or we are grieving the lose of a loved one. When our body reacts to stress it releases the hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which have a stimulating effect upon the body, allowing it to carry out the necessary tasks for survival. The body will continue to release adrenaline until the stress trigger subsides. However, the body may continue to have high levels of cortisol for some time following the stress trigger. This consequently will have some physiological effect on the individual.

While some stress is important for the body, the problem with living in today’s society is that many of us are in a constant state of stress, and physiologically we are in a state of constant overdrive. Our adrenals are being asked to constantly perform without reprieve, and we run the risk of fatiguing our system, therefore affecting our overall health and homeostasis.

As a result is we tire the adrenal glands that are responsible for releasing hormones, some of which are DHEA which impacts estrogen and testosterone levels in the body. Many individuals have this problem and they don’t even know it. Here are some common symptoms of adrenal fatigue:
* Increased appetite
* Cravings for food (i.e., chocolate, sweets, pastry, breads, caffeine, alcohol)
* Mid afternoon slump
* Low immune system
* Headaches
* Digestive problems
* Muscle aches and pains
* Hair loss
* Irregular or absent periods
* Reduced mental awareness
* Depression
* Social withdrawal
* Slow metabolism
* Low sex drive
* Tiredness, fatigue, lethargy

If you have some of these symptoms you want to start to evaluate the following areas to see where you can be suffering from stress and how you can start to address the problems.

* Physical: poor posture; too much/ too little exercise, lack of adequate rest
* Emotional: financial, work overload, relationship troubles, moving, bereavement
* Chemical: pesticides, alcohol, cosmetics, processed foods, cleaning products
* Nutritional: overeating or eating too little, eating foods your body is sensitive or allergic to

If you suspect you are someone that is suffering from adrenal fatigue there are a few steps you can take on your own. I suggest doing the following for 30 days and see how it impacts your energy levels, mood, and overall wellness.

1. Avoid Dieting – Restriction of calorie intake can cause the body to go into survival mode. This can cause a reduction in the metabolism, which can also increase eating habits. This is a familiar pattern for those who regularly crash diet rather than adopting a healthy eating pattern for life. So don’t be too consumed with how many calories you are taking in, instead keep it to small portions and avoid the foods I have listed in number 5.
2. Eat Regular, Small Meals – Consuming five to six smaller meals a day rather than the typical three large meals will ensure a stable blood glucose level throughout the day, which will send the body a message that it is not under stress. Eating smaller meals more regularly (every three hours) boosts the metabolism, decreases cortisol levels by roughly 17 percent and allows for a more steady state of emotions. Lastly, try and consume your meals in a state of relaxation. Eating in a peaceful environment will minimize the release of stress hormones. If you are regularly eating on the run, your body will think it is in a state of stress, and your ability to digest the food may be affected, therefore affecting the absorption of valuable nutrients.
3. Eat Breakfast – Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Upon waking, your cortisol levels are high in order to get your body up and running. Eating breakfast rather than consuming a cup of coffee will help to maintain a steady blood glucose level. Those whom consume coffee for breakfast only increase their cortisol and blood glucose levels, leading to an increase in the release of insulin, which will increase appetite and promote the storage of food to fat.
4. Eat Fiber – Increase soluble and insoluble fiber intake. Soluble fibers are found in fruits, nuts, vegetables and beans and help to better manage blood sugar levels and regulate cholesterol. Insoluble fiber can be found in wholegrain and nuts and will help with the general digestion. Beans such as Soy, butter, lentils, kidney beans and chick peas are preferred. Nuts such as Brazils, almonds, cashews, pistachio, peanuts and seeds such as sunflower, sesame, flax and pumpkin will help to promote a healthy digestive system.
5. Proper Food Selection – We should be aiming to reduce our intake of refined carbohydrates and sugars, as well as including a portion of protein in every meal (vegetable or animal). Swap refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice, pasta) to whole carbohydrates (rye, oats, brown rice). Grains such as brown rice, oats, rye, buckwheat, barley and whole wheat are preferred.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

* Fruits
* Vegetables
* Nuts
* Fresh fish
* Meat (grass/pasture fed)
* Eggs (organic)
* Red wine
* Spices (oregano, ginger)
* Extra virgin olive oil (organic)

Pro-Inflammatory Foods

* Refined grains
* Wheat grains
* Grain/Flour products
* Meat (Grain fed)
* Most packaged foods
* Most processed foods
* Deep fried food
* Trans fat i.e. margarine
* Corn/Safflower/Sunflower/Soybean oil
* Alcohol
* Caffeine

6. Exercise. Exercise that involves a combination of weight training and cardiovascular is preferred. Exercise helps to burn off energy, increase muscle mass and metabolism, prevent insulin resistance, reduce the negative effects of cortisol, improve insulin sensitivity and improve body shape.

Stick to this program for 30 days and see if you can’t kick stress in your life to the curb, and get yourself back on track. Check out my 30 Day Wellness Challenge. Everything addressed in this blog is reflected in my 30 Day Wellness Challenge and is an excellent way to get you on the road to a healthier lifestyle. If you decide to take on the 30 Day Wellness Challenge, just email me and I can send you all the information you need.

To Your Health!!!

Andrea King is a certified San Diego personal trainer and nutrition coach. Andrea takes a holistic approach to her training and strives to address all areas of health and wellness with her clients. Stress reduction is a big part of Andrea King’s personal training programs.

It was only a matter of time, till I wrote a blog post on this. It seems so many people are still naive to the serious consequences that come from consuming soda. As a San Diego personal trainer I am shocked at how many clients start my San Diego weight loss program and log in their food journals soda! Especially with a recent report in 2005 stating soft drinks are the number one source of calories in the American diet! I keep repeating that statistic because I find it so incredible. According to recent statistics, Americans consume close to 50 billion liters of soda per year, which equates to about 216 liters, or about 57 gallons per person. Holy Crap Batman!!

So what makes soda so bad for you. Let’s start with the amount of sugar found in a can of soda, 16 teaspoons. This is nearly three times the maximum daily sugar intake recommended by the American Heart Association.

Once soda is ingested, your pancreas rapidly begins to create insulin in response to the sugar. The rise in blood sugar is quite rapid. Here’s a play-by-play of what happens in your body upon drinking a can of soda:

* Within 20 minutes, your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into fat.
* Within 40 minutes, caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.
* Around 45 minutes, your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain – a physically identical response to that of heroin, by the way.
* After 60 minutes, you’ll start to have a blood sugar crash, and you may be tempted to reach for another sweet snack or beverage.

High fructose corn syrup is processed in your liver, and unlike other natural sugars, most of it gets shuttled into fat storage. This is why fructose is a primary culprit behind obesity—far more so than other sugars available.

Aside from the weight gain, eating too much fructose is linked to increased triglyceride levels in the body. In one study, eating fructose raised triglyceride levels by 32% in men! Triglycerides, the chemical form of fat found in foods and in your body, are not something you want in excess amounts. Intense research over the past 40 years has confirmed that elevated blood levels of triglycerides puts you at an increased risk of heart disease.

Not only does fructose consumption lead to insulin resistance but it also decreases leptin signaling to your central nervous system. Leptin is responsible for controlling your appetite and fat storage, as well as telling your liver what to do with its stored glucose. This interference can lead to over-eating since your brain does not receive the signal from your stomach that you are full until much later.

Soft drinks are a big contributing factor to obesity in our country. An independent study published in the British medical journal The Lancet found that 12-year-olds who drank soft drinks regularly were more likely to be overweight than those who didn’t. In fact, for each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened soft drink consumed during the nearly two-year study, the risk of obesity jumped by 60%! That is why there is such a big push to get the soft drink vending machines out of schools. If you are allowing your children to consume these beverages regularly you are really jeopardizing your child’s health.

As mentioned earlier, soda clearly elevates your insulin levels, and elevated insulin levels are the foundation of most chronic disease. Not only does drinking just one soda per day increase your risk of diabetes by 85%, it also increases your risk of:

* Heart disease
* Cancer
* Arthritis
* Osteoporosis
* Gout
* Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Eliminating soft drinks is one of the most crucial factors to address many of the health problems you or your children suffer. Because normalizing your insulin levels is the best step you can take to improve your health and lower your risk of disease and long-term chronic health conditions.

Substitute soda with pure water, tea, or if you must drink a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water with some lime or lemon juice.

While you are at it. Look at all the other processed foods you consume and make sure under ingredients it doesn’t list high fructose corn syrup. You would be surprised at how many items contain this ingredient. Including yogurt, breakfast bars and cereals, crackers, etc. Get rid of this garbage! Read my blog Processed foods and your health, to learn more about why these items are bad for you too.

Andrea King is a certified San Diego fitness trainer offering health and wellness solutions to her clients through holistic methods. Andrea helps her clients find a true healthy lifestyle for themselves through participating in her San Diego weight loss programs.