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Tips to Make Time to Workout

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I specialize in working with busy individuals. Most of my San Diego personal training clients are entrepreneurs, high ranking executives, professional working moms, all very busy individuals. And all of them come to me with the same problem; I don’t have time to exercise. They let everything else in their life take precedence over exercise and eating right that before they know it they have gained weight, feel lethargic, and have trouble sleeping at night. They wake up one morning and realize that they put their health on the back burner and let relationships, work, and other obligations out weight their dedication to their health.

It is my goal within my San Diego weight loss programs to help my clients learn how to make time for exercise. Because let’s face it, at the end of the day, all you have is your health, and everything that you stress over and put as a high priority really doesn’t matter if you are in poor health. I understand you’re busy; however, I promise that no matter how busy you are, someone even busier than you are is working out right now. If you look closer, you’ll discover that you do have the time to work out—and you deserve to do that for yourself. So without further ado here is a list I compiled of ways to make time for exercise.

1) Wake up Earlier. Sleep is important, and I am not asking you to jeopardize that. But could you make it so you go to bed 30 minutes earlier the night before? That way you still get the quality zzzzs you need but still have time to workout before your day starts. This way you check it off first thing and won’t have the possibility of work, family, or social occasions coming up and keeping you from your best intentions to workout in the evening.

2) Cut down on your daily media time. Over the course of the next few days, observe how much time you spend checking emails, surfing the net, playing on Facebook, playing words with friends on your blackberry, or watching TV. I am sure you could condense some of that time and put it towards exercising for 15-20 minutes, because every bit counts.

3) Actively Watch TV. We all watch TV. But why not take the time during your favorite shows to stretch, do some core exercises, push ups, or jumping jacks. No reason you can’t plug in a little exercise while watching Modern Family.

4) Try an active commute. If you live close enough to work, consider biking to work a few times a week. You would be surprised how many extra calories you burn a day, plus you will be helping the environment!

5) Make it part of your daily routine. Brushing our teeth every morning takes time, but we do it, because we know it is important for our teeth’s health and has become part of our daily routine. In fact, it has become so routine that we don’t even think about it. Include some type of exercise as a daily routine, like taking the dog on a walk, doing 15 minutes of yoga, etc. Once you make it a habit you will always make time for it.

6) Mix socializing with activity. How many times do you go out to the movies, sporting, events, or restaurants with friends and families as a way of spending time together and socializing? What if you changed those activities into something that will get your heart pumping? What if you went for a hike instead, or played some tag football, or tried something new like paddle boarding or wall climbing?

7) Find an activity you love. Think of your favorite pastime or hobby. Do you ever struggle to make time for those activities? It’s easier to put off and skip out on things we don’t enjoy doing. So find some physical activity that you do enjoy, so that it will be easier for you to put the time aside.

8) Every Minute Counts. I had a San Diego personal training client of mine who kept a kettlebell in her kitchen. And every time she walked by it she had to do a swing. Imagine how much that added up to over a course of a week. I had another client who would run 3 sets of stairs after every hour of work at the computer. It didn’t take much time out of their schedule but added up to a substantial amount of exercise through the course of weeks, and months. Just remember you don’t have to make time for an hour worth of exercise all at once.

9) Schedule it as an appointment. This is a big one. You wouldn’t dare miss a work meeting or a dentist appointment would you? Treat your exercise appointment with the same respect. Do not schedule anything else during that time.  If you need to be held accountable consider finding a workout buddy or hiring a personal trainer. My clients know that if they miss an appointment with me, they miss a session. So it’s in their best interest to make it. The only excuse they can use is they are sick, everything else doesn’t count.

10) Say no. If you’ve gone through this entire list of tips and don’t think a single one will work in your life, then it’s time to look at your priorities and responsibilities. Do you really have to bake cookies for that fundraiser? Babysit for your sister? Take on that extra project at work? Attend that wedding shower of your second cousin? Remember that there’s nothing wrong in saying no. Yes, we all have obligations to others, but don’t forget about the obligation you have to take care of your body and your health!

San Diego fitness trainer and holistic coach, Andrea King, specializes in working with busy individuals, and helps teach her clients how to make time for exercise and healthy eating. If you struggle with making time for exercise and nutritious eating in your life give her a call at 858-877-0787.

Metabolic Typing Diet, What Is It?

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As a holistic certified San Diego fitness trainer I have a firm believe that not all bodies are created equal. As with the outside of our bodies differing slightly from one person to the next so does the inside of our bodies. As such, we cannot all thrive of the same type of diet.

A very brilliant man by the name of Weston Price conducted research back in the 1930’s looking at the health of primitive people. In particular he studied the Eskimos who consume a diet high in fat and protein with very little veggies, fruits, and grains. What he discovered is that when these Eskimos adapted the standard diet of the American diet 60% carbohydrates, 15% fat, and 25% protein their health declined significantly. He also discovered similar trends with other tribes from various climates and cultures around the globe. This is because our bodies thrive off of different proportions of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. When we follow what works for our unique body we feel full of energy, satisfied, and happy. When we don’t various problems can occur: anxiety, lethargy, frequent hunger, abdominal discomfort, bloating, etc.

I was exposed to the Metabolic Typing diet only a little over a year ago, and seen not only how it has improved my quality of life but also my clients who are able to stick to it. A perfect example of this and why I chose to write about this topic today is because I ate for dinner something I have not had in over a year now, pasta. Now being a protein type, I know that in order for me to feel satisfied and well after a meal I need to make sure that meal is predominately made up of protein, some fat, and then some veggies/fruit. Now when I ordered dinner I was under the impression that it was a chicken stew with veggies. However, when it arrived it was mostly pasta with some chicken and veggies. I had it delivered to my home so I had no choice but to eat it. And how I paid. I only ate a 1/3 of the plate but within 30 minutes I felt the sugar rush come on. I felt like I had just drank an energy drink or something and I was literally bouncing off the walls that I decied to take a walk to try to burn it off. Then 1.5 hours later I start to feel extreme stomach discomfort. And finally 2.5 hours later I crash and burn and I am ready for bed.

However, when I eat the right blend of carbs, protein, and fat, I feel energized, satiated up to fours, and experience mental clarity and stamina. When I eat the right way, I don’t fuss over calories, I just eat healthy choices with the right make up of macronutritients. Same holds true for my clients on my San Diego weight loss programs, when they follow their metabolic type. They feel satisfied, energized, and most importantly they lose weight! Have you tried a diet that your friend had success with only to either not see a change, or if you do, an increase in weight? That’s because one diet may work better for one person than another. And the only way to really figure that out is to experiement and notice how your body feels after meals.

I work with my clients on this in conjunction with their training program with me. Because if you aren’t fueling your body with the right make up of food, it doesn’t really matter how hard you exercise, your progress will not be that fast. If you are interested in learning more about metabolic typing feel free to send me an email. I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Andrea King has been bringing her clients of San Diego weight loss programs success for several years now. If you would like to learn more about how metabolic typing and her San Diego personal training programs can help you please contact her at 858-877-0787.

Break Your Sugar Addiction & Stop Sugar Cravings

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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.

Health Tips For Women

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Being a female San Diego fitness trainer I work with a lot of female clients. I would say females make up about 80% of my client base. That being said, women have the hardest time losing weight, and getting fit on their own. Most often times it relates back to the woman’s basic instinct to put everything before herself, including family, significant others, career, friends, etc. Women have a hard time putting aside time for themselves to exercise, cook healthy meals, and grocery shop. So many times as females we are eager to please and cater to others demands that often times we let others dictate what we eat, when we eat, when we relax, and when we/if we get to exercise. It’s just as important to put your foot down, stand up for your needs, ask for support, and start making positive changes in your life. Here are some simple tricks I ask of my female clients when they begin to start working with me. Some you may have heard of before, and others maybe not, but they are all crucial to taking the first step to a healthier lifestyle for yourself!

1. Take time for yourself. This is what I like to call ‘Me Time”. Everyone needs a little break in which they spend time with just themselves doing whatever makes them happy.

2. Spend time and money on your health and de-stressing. Massages, chiropractic visits, doctor appointments, exercise classes, working with a personal trainer.

3. Always Eat Breakfast! 60% of those whom skip breakfast are overweight. And good reason cause it slows down your metabolism and causes you to overeat later in the day. Read my post Why Breakfast is The Most Important Meal

4. Avoid Processed Pre-Made Foods. High in calories, salt, fat, sugar. They hold little nutritional value and may harbor chemicals and preservatives that are very harmful to the body. Avoid aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils. Read more Processed Foods and Your Health

5. Eat Out Only Once Per Week. Not only will you be saving money but you will be able to monitor your calorie consumption.

6. Limit Alcohol Consumption. Break the habit of having a glass every night after work. Limit to only 1-2 per week for special occasions. Read Alcohol is Just Empty Calories

7. Drink 1/2 Your Body Weight in Oz. of Water. It’ll help you decrease on the consumption of caloric beverages, help you feel energized, and prevent dehydration.

8. Participate in Physical Activity 3-4 times per week. Many women train with me 3 times a week for the accountability and best results.

9. Get 6-8 hours of sleep and go to bed by 10pm. This will allow your body to recover and rebuild most effectively.

I hope this tips have helped clear up questions and hopefully have inspired you to put your foot down and start putting yourself and your health first!

Andrea King is a female San Diego personal trainer working with her clients to help them achieve a healthy balance in their lives. Her effective San Diego weight loss programs have helped countless others achieve weight loss and significant improvements in their health.

A Simple Way To Lose Belly Fat And Shed Pounds

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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.

Stress, And How it Impacts Your Body

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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.

Soda is Bad For You

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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.

Processed Foods and Your Health

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As a San Diego personal trainer one of the biggest components of my job and what really affects the success of my San Diego weight loss programs is the nutritional component. Many people make the wrong assumption that if they just workout they can eat whatever they want. Unfortunately, that really is just not the case for so many reasons. A lot of my clients that start with me at the beginning think of me as their metabolism. They go out and drink and eat out at restaurants during the weekend, and come back Monday weighing heavier than they did Friday.

What many of us don’t realize is that eating healthy isn’t some crazy science. It’s actually pretty simple when you think about it. It goes back to the basics. Eating your foods in whole form. When you go to the grocery store and pick out your favorite box of cereal, frozen pizza, or granola bars and looked at the ingredients list. Do you ever find it odd that you have no idea what about half the items are on that list? Why would you put something in your body that you can’t even pronounce? About 90% of the money spent by Americans in grocery stores goes towards processed foods.

Let’s look at processed foods and their impact on various chronic diseases….

Diabetes

As far as our hormones and metabolism are concerned, there’s no difference between a bowl of unsweetened corn flakes and a bowl of table sugar. Starch is 100-percent glucose [table sugar is half glucose, half fructose] and our bodies can digest it into sugar instantly.

We are not adapted to handle fast-acting carbohydrates. Glucose is the gold standard of energy metabolism. The brain is exquisitely dependent on having a continuous supply of glucose: too low a glucose level poses an immediate threat to survival. But too high a level causes damage to tissues, as with diabetes. Processed foods have the ability to raise insulin levels very high when digested, and therefore should be avoided especially if you are battling with diabetes.

Heart Disease

Many processed foods contain trans fatty acids, a dangerous type of fat. According to the American Heart Association, “TFAs tend to raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol … These changes may increase the risk of heart disease.”

Further, most processed foods are extremely high in salt, another blow to the heart. One-half cup of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup, for instance, has 37 percent of the daily-recommended 2400 g  of sodium.

Processed foods carry a lot of sodium and should be avoided not only for simple health reasons, but it also will lead you to look very bloated, and prevent you from looking lean.

Cancer

A seven-year study of close to 200,000 people by the University of Hawaii found that people who ate the most processed meats (hot dogs, sausage) had a 67 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer than those who ate little or no meat products.

A Canadian study of over 400 men aged 50 to 80 found similar results. Men whose eating habits fell into the “processed” pattern (processed meats, red meat, organ meats, refined grains, vegetable oils and soft drinks) had a significantly higher risk of prostate cancer than men in the other groups. Men who ate the most processed foods had a 2.5-fold increased prostate cancer risk.

Yet another study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Mile Markers, and Prevention found that refined carbohydrates like white flour, sugar and high fructose corn syrup is also linked to cancer. The study of more than 1,800 women in Mexico found that those who got 57 percent or more of their total energy intake from refined carbohydrates had a 220 percent higher risk of breast cancer than women who ate more balanced diets.

So there you have it. It is clear that processed foods do not provide the body with any real benefits. In fact, these three chronic diseases were not nearly as wide-spread until after processed foods became more popular in the US.

I understand that convenience is a big factor in why people purchase processed foods. That’s what Tupperware and sandwich bags are for. You can easily transport fruit, raw veggies, hard boiled eggs and cooked cold chicken. It’s all about preparation. I usually take two days a week to cook a large amount of food and then I put it in Tupperware and re-heat when I am hungry. If you are really stuck on carrying around bars, I recommend Lara bars. They usually have 5 or less ingredients, and you can actually pronounce them. Finally, I have included a recipe for making really delicious granola bars at home.

Granola Bar Recipe

178 calories, 6g of protein, 11g of fat, 16g carb, 50mg sodium.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw oatmeal
  • 2 cups granola or trail mix
  • 1/2 cup ground walnuts
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 2 cups natural unsalted nut butter (chunky type)

Directions:

  1. Oil a 9×11 baking sheet.
  2. Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.
  3. Add the wet ingredients and form into a firm paste. You may need to add more peanut butter or honey if the mixture is too dry.
  4. Press the mixture into the oiled container.
  5. Cover the pressed mixture with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
  6. Cut into 36 bars and serve.
  7. Store extras in an airtight container or wrap individually in plastic and store in the refrigerator.

Click the link learn more about my San Diego personal training programs and how I can help you on get on the road to a healthier lifestyle.

Why You Are Not Losing Weight

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As a San Diego fitness trainer, I have many people come to me frustrated about not being able to successfully lose weight. They try diets, exercise programs, and still fail to see any real results. If weight loss was so simple the nation wouldn’t have such high rates of obesity, right? However, all the clients whom go through my 90 Day Body Transformation San Diego weight loss program see results and lose anywhere from 20-35 lbs.

So what is it that I do that is so unique, and effective that I can deliver the results they are looking for? Finding the bad habits. There isn’t one cookie cutter approach to weight loss. If there was, I would be a millionaire laying on the beach in Aca Poco. There are a handful of factors that could be contributing to their failure to lose weight, not eating the right foods, not eating frequently enough, not exercising the right way, neglecting to strength train correctly, etc. This is where I step in. I ask the right questions, identify possible problems and we get to work. My clients are held accountable from that day forward to adhere to certain rules I set for them. And like clock work the pounds start to drop week after week.

So if you have been trying to lose weight the past couple months and have failed to see results maybe it’s time to come and talk with a professional. Think of it this way, if you were trying to unclog a toilet and everything you knew to try failed to work, you would call a professional right? A plumber who has the tools and expertise to figure out why it’s clogged and knows how to make that problem disappear. Why should your body be any different? If you have tried countless times and failed to see significant weight loss results than maybe it’s time for you to call in a professional to determine what is exactly the problem.

I offer a free consultation to anyone wanting to learn about how my San Diego weight loss program can transform their body in 90 days.

Always Be Prepared – Just Like The Boy Scouts

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Today I want to talk about being prepared. The boy scouts motto is “always be prepared.” So their training includes having, and knowing how to get through obstacles and situations they may encounter in the wilderness. So how does this apply to you? It is important to always plan ahead when it comes to meals and your nutrition. As a San Diego fitness trainer one of the biggest obstacles my clients face is making time to eat nutritious foods. From bringing snacks with them, to having food readily available to eat when they get home from work. The problem is so many of my clients would get caught up in their day and not take time to eat. So what ends up happening is they binge on the bad foods from the vending machine at work, to the cookies at home.

The obstacle that many face is eating the right foods at the right time and being prepared with nutritious snacks if time sneaks by. It is important to fuel the body every few hours. It keeps the metabolism furnace burning, the energy constant, and prevents you from craving sugar from a fall in blood sugar levels.

How many times have you come home from work, starving and end up munching on cookies while you make  dinner? It’s your body telling you I need food! Chances are the last time you ate was at noon and it was a salad….that was over 5 hours ago, of course you are hungry! During the day is when your metabolism is at its highest and needs calories to give you energy. So don’t skimp on it. Make sure to eat a sufficient breakfast, lunch and mid-afternoon snack. That will help you stay satiated, energized, focused, and most importantly, keep your hand out of the cookie jar.

When my clients get on my San Diego weight loss program we work on being prepared. Scheduling in times to eat and making sure the fridge, pantry, car and desk are all stocked with nutritious snacks.

Here is a list of good snacks to have on hand:

Protein Bars, raisins, nuts, dried fruit, trail mix, protein shakes, tuna, apples, carrots, hard boiled eggs and crackers to name a few.

Andrea King is a certified San Diego fitness trainer that specializes in weight loss. Andrea helps her clients learn how to time their meals, and how to structure each meal to provide the most energy, satiety, and low calories possible.