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Why Cleanse Diets Are Difficult to Follow

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Over the course of the past 10 years working as a San Diego personal trainer in within the health and wellness industry I have witnessed multiple trends come and go. There was the Atkins no-carb craze, the Mediterranean diet, the Paleo diet, and now more recently, there have been hundreds of cleanse diets coming out. These cleanse diets last anywhere from 3 up to 21 days, and promise significant fat loss, improved sleep, energy levels, and a renewed sense of well-being for those who commit to them religiously for that time period. Afterwards, the dieter is assumed to be cleansed and detoxed from all their bad eating and lifestyle habits leading up to the miraculous cleanse.

What troubles me about these cleanses, is most often they have a hidden agenda behind them. They want you to take their supplements or meal replacement in lieu of the other foods you normally eat. They ask that you follow a very strict, often times difficult eating regimen for a certain time period. Often times the forbidden foods, have no real known negative impact on the bodies systems, so it makes you scratch your head and question, why can’t I have tomatoes, or beans, or strawberries?

Instead of throwing money at these supplement companies in hopes of dropping those last 10lbs before summer rolls around I challenge you to follow this 8 week plan.  Below, I have included a simplified, easy to implement, clean eating regimen you can follow for the next 8 weeks for optimal energy levels and fat loss.

Sounds much better than chocking down chalky tasting meal replacement shakes, and staying away from social events because you can only eat celery sticks, broccoli, and almonds doesn’t it?

Week 1 – eat breakfast within one hour of waking in the morning
Week 2 – eat 5 to six small meals a day
Week 3 – remove all gluten grains and reduce to one-two servings of starchy carbs per day
Week 4 – include fresh veggies or fruits at every meal
Week 5 – include animal/fish sourced proteins at each meal 3 x per day
Week 6 – remove all processed foods and artificial sweeteners
Week 7 – swap to organic raw milk products, sheep or goats milk or remove dairy completely
Week 8 – reduce/remove alcohol and reduce/remove caffeine

If you are seeking personal training San Diego programs that can help you to lose weight and get in phenomenal shape than reach out to Andrea King at 858-877-0787 for guidance on health eating and effective exercise for life.

Alcohol’s Impact on Weight Loss

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It is my experience, that one of THE hardest items for my San Diego personal training clients to sacrifice is their drinking. Consuming alcohol in our society is a way to bond with others, relax after a long day, or just let loose. I have clients that will completely clean up their eating, exercise several times a week, but struggle to reduce their alcohol consumption. It is for this very reason that I created Sober October, to help my clients see that they can drop the booze for a month and survive.
So how does alcohol consumption affect weight loss exactly?
Empty Calories
Alcohol in general, is fairly high in calories. In one bottle of wine, there are anywhere from 500-1000 calories, depending on the type of wine. If you are somebody who enjoys a bottle of wine with dinner, the amount of calories you consume in the wine is equivalent to a very large piece of cheesecake. Most people wouldn’t dream of eating cheesecake every day, or even several times per week. But many don’t think twice about polishing off a bottle of wine with dinner a few nights a week. Over the course of a month if you consume ½ bottle of wine 3 x week you are adding an additional 3,000-6,000 empty calories! That’s one pound of fat a month!
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is a phytoestrogen, meaning it releases the powerful hormone estrogen into your bloodstream. When your body has an overabundance of estrogen it initiates fat-storing in the body. This can affect your ability to maintain balance with the fat burning hormone (human growth hormone) created from exercise and estrogen (fat storing hormone). Maintaining this balance between fat-burning and fat-storing hormones is a crucial factor in losing weight.

Acetate
When you drink alcohol, it’s broken down into acetate (basically vinegar), which the body will burn before any other calorie you’ve consumed or stored, including fat or even sugar. So when you consume food along with your alcohol, your body will not be able to break down the food until it has completely broken down the alcohol. Because the body perceives alcohol as a poison and because it cannot store the energy from alcohol, its first priority is to eliminate it, while digesting and processing the food becomes secondary. That means your meal gets stored and synthesized as fat while the alcohol gets burned off.
Lowers Blood Sugar
Alcohol is metabolized in your body as sugar. When you consume alcohol, your blood sugar will spike quickly. Shortly thereafter blood sugar levels will plummet which leads to feelings of hunger, even if you recently ate. Many people will often consume large amounts of food, then, while they are drinking as a means of curbing the blood sugar spike. Add this to the calories from the alcohol, and you’ll quickly see how bad alcohol is for weight loss.
Restless Sleep
Consuming alcohol just before bed has been shown to affect a restful night’s sleep. While you are sleeping your body begins to break down and repair. It is one of the best opportunities for the human growth hormone do to its job of metabolizing fat. However, if you are consuming alcohol before bed this will impair your body’s ability to repair your muscles, metabolize fat and most often times you will make up the next morning feeling drained. This can affect your performance during your workout the next day!

Andrea King is a certified San Diego personal trainer helping her clients reach their full potential by making smart food and exercise choices. Andrea helps her clients achieve weight loss success through her personal training services.

5 Simple Ways to Achieve a Healthy Weight This Year

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January is a month filled with resolutions, hope, and desires for change. One of the most popular resolutions is to become healthier and lose weight. What most of us fail to look at, is how much weight do we actually need to lose to be a healthy weight? How do we learn to not be fixated on a number but more importantly appreciate the way we look and feel?
It is my hope to inspire you to look past a number and start to look at becoming healthy first and foremost. When you start to view nutrition and exercise as a way to make yourself feel better, all of the outside motivations will follow. I have compiled a list of the 5 Simple Ways to Achieve a Healthy Weight to help you jump start a healthier approach to weight loss.
1) Eat Whole Foods. A whole food is a food that has not been chemically engineered or altered. In other words, it did not go through a manufacturing plant to get to you. Consumers get into trouble with food when they consistently eat items that are laced with additives and preservatives. When we stick to foods such as grains, animal proteins, vegetables, fruits, and legumes, we become much healthier individuals and we lose weight much easier. Obsessing over calories, fat, and protein content is not going to make or break your weight loss success. Focusing on eating real food is going to have a bigger impact on your overall health and weight loss.
2) Exercise 5-6 Times a Week. Get Moving. Our bodies were intended to be active for hours throughout the day. As the country began to see a decrease in manual labor, and an increase in reliance on machinery we saw an increase in obesity. Now we have to force exercise, since our current lifestyle and jobs do not. 30-60 minutes of exercise almost every day will help you achieve a healthy weight. There is no need to spend hours on the cardio equipment. Instead, go for a hike outside, take a group strength training class, or join a sports league. Find ways to incorporate activity into your everyday routine.
3) Get Plenty of Rest Every Night. Sleep is one of the most neglected activities among individuals, yet, is one of the most crucial players in the battle against sickness and obesity. Sleeping is your body’s only opportunity to rest and recover from your day’s physical and mental activities. Lack of sleep can affect your mental capacity and energy throughout the day. Many times, your sugar and carb cravings are a direct result from a lack of a good night’s sleep. If you find that you are getting sick frequently or having a hard time seeing progression with your workout programs it could be a direct result of not going to bed early enough. Aim to sleep 7-9 hours a night ideally getting to bed by 10pm every night.
4) Reduce Stress in Your Life. 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 loss 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 negative effects on your body’s ability to build muscle and shed body fat, especially in the abdominal area.
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. Learn to make time for yourself every week to do what you enjoy. Exercising, meditation, positive reading, yoga, can all help reduce levels of stress.
5) Drink the Right Fluids. Dehydration can often times be confused with being hungry. Many of us fail to recognize what vital role water consumption plays in our bodies overall health. Our body needs a minimum of .5 oz per pound of body weight in order to function properly. In fact, when we fail to get the minimum water intake and instead drink dehydrating beverages such as alcohol, tea, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages we are putting ourselves at risk for many side effects. Fatigue, headaches, constipation, light-headed, and hunger, are signs of dehydration. Reach for water 90% of the time. Keep in mind the beverages you choose to consume, their calories, ingredients, and overall impact on your body.
I hope you find these 5 simple strategies helpful and easy to incorporate into your routine. When you keep it simple you will find it much easier to become healthier, feel more energized, sleep better, and be able to shed the excess body fat. When you follow trends, fad diets, and expect quick results you will fail. Keep it simple, follow the 5 tips I have provided and make 2013 the year you become healthier and happier with the way you look!

Andrea King is a certified San Diego fitness coach and has been able to help her San Diego weight loss clients succeed in achieving their own healthy weight by making lifestyle changes that aid in quick weight loss and overall fitness success!

Benefits of Telephone Based Nutrition Coaching

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According to John Hopkins Medicine successful weight loss is literally just a phone call away. A successful clinical trial following participants in a telephone based weight loss coaching program revealed significant weight loss that was maintained for 2 years plus. As a nutritionist in San Diego, this is wonderful news in support of my current San Diego nutrition coaching programs that are all telephone based.

The study, compared two behavioral intervention programs, one delivered through face to face coaching sessions and the other delivered remotely over the phone. What they discovered is the participants in the telephone based coaching trial achieved and sustained clinically significant weight loss over a period of 2 years. 40% of the obese patients enrolled in the program lost 5% of their body weight, an amount associated with health benefits such as lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and lowered risk of type II diabetes.

What they discovered is the trial group that participated in the in-person nutrition coaching program did not have as significant weight loss results primarily because of the challenge of making it to the weekly scheduled sessions. The patients would start off strong but then stop attending the in-person sessions. The telephone coaching, on the other hand, can be done from anywhere so participants had an easier time sticking to their scheduled weekly phone calls.

If you have been struggling to lose weight on your own and have a hectic and busy schedule, telephone based nutrition coaching is an excellent option. I offer San Diego nutrition coaching programs over the phone on a weekly and bi-weekly basis. The benefits of enrolling in this program is you get personalized advice and support on eating catered to your lifestyle, weaknesses, strengths, and goals. I offer a free one hour consultation for anyone looking for guidance and support with their eating habits, and looking to change their body and ultimately their life. Call me at 858-877-0787 to get scheduled for your free consultation today! You can also sign up here.

Strength Training Benefits Mental Health

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When we think about the benefits of strength training most often times we focus strictly on the physical benefits, lowered risk of heart disease, better insulin sensitivity, increased metabolic rate, improved body composition and posture. Many times we forget to look at the mental benefits from strength training. More recently research has turned towards discovering what positive impacts strength training has on participant’s mental health. You will find that there are many common mental ailments that can be relieved by incorporating a solid strength training program into your weekly routine.

Anxiety

15% of the US population is reported to experience anxiety symptoms lasting anywhere from 15-30 days a month. It is normal to experience feelings of anxiety centered around upcoming challenges such as interviews, presentations, tests, etc. Those symptoms should subside after the event is over however, those with chronic anxiety will start to experience sleep deprivation, mental distress, and bodily pain. From seven research studies researchers have been able to conclude that resistance training have had an impact with subduing anxiety symptoms.

Chronic Fatigue

25% of the US population suffers from symptoms of chronic fatigue. 94% of the 70 randomized research studies on exercise and fatigue show that a regular strength training program has a greater impact on chronic fatigue symptoms than drug or cognitive behavioral interventions.

Self-esteem

A personality characteristic that is tied in with self-worth, self-respect, and self-integrity, increased self-esteem is a direct benefit of resistance training. Research discovered that resistance training not only improved self-esteem among healthy adults, but also among populations with cancer, depression, or undergoing cardiac rehabilitation.

Sleep

We spend about 30% of our lives sleeping. Consistent sleep deprivation (6 hours or less a night) has been associated with cognitive impairment, mental illness, hypertension, obesity, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and a diminished quality of life. Physically active individuals have much better sleep patterns. Interestingly, depressed individuals found a 30% improvement in sleep quality following 8 weeks of consistent strength training.

In summary, it is crucial a healthy lifestyle to incorporate proper nutrition habits, cardiovascular exercise, flexibility and strength training exercises. All of these elements together help the body and mind thrive. It isn’t until you are able to get these four factors in sync that you can experience true health. If you have some but not all these components down, feel free to contact me. I would be more than happy to discuss how you can incorporate them into your life!

Certified San Diego fitness trainer Andrea King touches all four areas with every one of her San Diego personal training clients. No matter what their fitness level is or their goals, she helps them discover true balance within their own program.

The Real Truth About Canola Oil Nutrition

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Since the early 1990’s canola oil has been touted as a healthy oil option for high temperature cooking. It has been revered for it’s low fat, low calorie capabilities, and its high source of omega-3s compared to its saturated fat counterparts like butter, lard, and coconut oil. Extracted from the rape seed this oil, has become the new substitute for cooking with corn or soybean oils. After much research, scientists are finding dangerous side effects resulting from consumption of this oil. For example, Canadian researchers found that piglets fed milk replacement containing canola oil showed signs of vitamin E deficiency, even though the milk replacement contained adequate amounts of vitamin E. Piglets fed soybean oil-based milk replacement, fortified with the same amount of vitamin E, did not show an increased requirement for vitamin E.

Vitamin E protects cell membranes against free radical damage and is vital to a healthy cardiovascular system. This same group also discovered that piglets fed canola oil suffered from a decrease in platelet count and an increase in platelet size. So bleeding time was longer in piglets fed both canola oil. Furthermore, it seems to also retard growth, which is why the FDA does not allow the use of canola oil in infant formula.

If that’s not enough to scare you, lets review the processing of canola oils in factories. Canola oil goes through the process of caustic refining, bleaching and degumming – all of which involve very high temperatures(responsible for destroying the integrity of the molecules) or chemicals of questionable safety. And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures through this process, it then must be deodorized. This deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty acids. So in essence what this oil is praised for doesn’t actually exist.

In fact, the University of Florida at Gainesville found trans fatty acid levels as high as 4.6 per cent in commercial liquid oil. The average consumer is naive to the presence of trans fatty acids in canola oil because they are not listed on the label.

Canola oil has been praised and compared to having health benefits of olive oil another monounsaturated fat praised for its omega-3 possessing qualities. However, recent studies are starting to discover that there is a association between higher monounsaturated fat consumption and an increased risk of breast cancer.

Even the dogma that monounsaturated fatty acids are good for the heart is at risk. According to a 1998 report, mice fed a diet containing monounsaturated fats were more likely to develop atherosclerosis than mice fed a diet containing saturated fat. In fact, the mice fed monounsaturated fats were even more prone to heart disease than those fed polyunsaturated fatty acids.

In summary, when it comes to cooking, the best options for high temperature cooking are saturated fats such as coconut oil, lard or butter, for lower temperature cooking olive oil is fine every once in awhile. Keep away from canola oil, as it is very evident that its so-called health benefits are hardly factual. You will find that many times what is praised in the media as being a healthy choice most often times is backed up by financial stacks in agriculture bottom lines.

Andrea King is a La Jolla personal trainer and also offers San Diego nutrition coaching programs. She takes a holistic appraoch to her coaching and looks to reveal the truth behind misconceptions in main stream media.

The Most Effective Fat Loss Solution Available

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As a La Jolla personal trainer I have heard it all. Everyone is looking for that remedy to losing weight and quickly. After years of working in the field, and doing years of countless research and experimenting I have come across a break through solution to quick and effective fat loss. Before my big reveal, let me add that I plan to market and package my solution to the world very soon. It will be available for a nominal fee, require no assembly, and can be accomplished anywhere and anytime.

I am gonna call it “eat right, get up and move.” That’s right, get moving, stop filling your body with garbage and do what nature intended us to. It’s just that basic. No flashy diet plan, no counting calories, no fat loss pill, or exercise gadget. Just eat whole foods, and get moving.

The next time I hear someone complain about having to exercise a few times a week or eat a vegetable I am gonna scream. It’s not that hard folks. You gotta step up to the plate and take some responsibility for your actions. You are ultimately the one whom is gonna make yourself go for a run, or skip eating that slice of chocolate cake. No one else is gonna do it for you. We gotta stop believing that there is some quick fix, magic solution to weight loss. People keep making excuses, and keep waiting for that path of least resistance to come. Well, I have got some bad news for you, that isn’t going to happen. Change feels uncomfortable and if you haven’t exercised in awhile it isn’t going to be the most pleasurable experience. But I guarantee if you continue to move and eat right you will lose weight and it will get easier.

I’m so tired of excuses. I can see why other coaches and trainers get “burnt out”; they are surrounded by “Negative Nancy” and “Grumpy Gus” all day. There is far too much negativity that plagues our thoughts. Knowing that your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, and your actions become your habits, you too can make exercise a habit. People need an awakening that turns an “oh, that would be nice” event into a “that must and will happen” event. It’s the “ah-ha” moment in time when you stop thinking and start doing. It’s when you stop sitting, and eating, and drinking…and start making a difference in your life.

Excuses are the nails that build a house of failure. Being a La Jolla personal trainer for years and training all types of clients with very different back grounds the one consistency is that everyone is busy. I haven’t met one person that said they have too much time on their hands. As far as I am concerned that excuse is not valid. We all have a huge laundry list of tasks to accomplish in a day, and we aren’t going to get through it all, but we can get through most of it. However, we can make sure to hit the important ones first, it’s called prioritizing.

Ask yourself this, can you really not carve out 30 minutes into your day a few times a week? How about 3 or 4 hours out of the 168 that are available in a week? I’m here to say that you can do it, if you want to. You need to make your health a priority in your life, it’s just that simple. Because at the end of the day, after everything is said and done you only have yourself, and so you better treat it right by exercising and eating well.  Try turning off the PlayStation, computer, or TV and going for a walk for 30 minutes. There will be a re-run of the latest “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” on later if it’s that important to you.

I tell my San Diego personal training clients there are four main factors in achieving their fitness-related goals:

  1. Strength Training – 2-4 times per week (depending on goals)
  2. Cardiovascular Training – Run, bike, hike, sprint, swim, etc. multiple times per week
  3. Healthy Nutritional Habits – You can’t out-train a bad diet!!!
  4. Positive Mindset – You must get your mind right. If you train the mind, the body will follow. We need to eliminate the excuses and the negativity.

Now that I have said all of this, I will admit I have those days where I don’t feel like exercising, and there are other things I would rather do. However, I know that once I start moving that I will feel a 100% better after my workout, without fail. So we need to get rid of those self critical, negative thoughts and just push ourselves to do what is best for our health and ultimately our lives.

And if you still are struggling to make fitness a priority, then come see me. I will help coach you into making it a seamless part of your everyday routine.

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.