Philadelphia Personal Trainer Super Foods

POMEGRANATE: A Precious RUBY of a Superfood
Originally from the Middle East, primarily the Iran region and Asia, today the Pomegranate is mainly grown in India, Africa and the United States. There is evidence that Pomegranates have been in usage since the 4th millennium BC. The history is vast, from the Persians and the Greeks to the Romans and the Egyptians. Given the beauty and richness of this fruit, it has been asked, “Could this have been the forbidden apple that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden?”

Pomegranates have been used for medicinal, religious, cosmetic and culinary purposes. It has only been a few years since we have come to know this awesome fruit as a Superfood. The Pomegranate has been called the Carthaginian apple, the Chinese apple and the Granada fruit. The Pomegranate tree can live for up to 200 years and the bigger the Pomegranate the sweeter it is.

The Pomegranate travels and stores well: it can stay firm and without spoilage for an entire month. It needs to be kept in a cool dry storage area. This is why sailors and early settlers were able to spread this bountiful fruit to parts of the world. It came to the Americas after Cortez traveled to Mexico. Missionaries first cultivated the Pomegranate tree in California and it has been found in the United States since the 1700s. The Chinese believe the Pomegranate has the symbolism for longevity, immortality and abundance.

As the fruit continues to grow in popularity, more varieties are being cultivated. The fruit is spherical with a calyx on the bottom. There are approximately 800 seeds, called arils, surrounded by the juicy red purplish pulp in a Pomegranate. The skin of the Pomegranate is reddish amber and has a leathery appearance.

Most people do not like to purchase the whole fruit due to the difficult nature of extracting the seeds. I have an easy solution to this problem. Cut the Pomegranate in half through the middle, not top to bottom. Place the Pomegranate in your palm cut side down. Now beat the back of the Pomegranate with a wooden spoon. Strike it with force and the scrumptious seeds will just fall out into your palm, through your fingers into the bowl you will place beneath your hand. This will capture all the juices and the fruit and it will take less than a minute to complete. Then wash your hands so as not to stain. This works every time and you will extract every morsel. This is much better for you than purchasing extracted seeds in a container at the market…fresher, thus more nutritious! Also more economical.

The nutritional values for the Pomegranate are many. The most significant is the antioxidant power it possesses. Pomegranates have 2-3 times the antioxidants of green tea or red wine. The polyphenols and phytochemicals loaded in this fruit have an anti-inflammatory effect which can affect the cardiovascular system. As little as ¼ cup of juice per day may improve the fight against atherosclerosis. Pomegranates contain Vitamin B6, Vitamin C and potassium.

Pomegranates can be used in salads, dressings, desserts and added as a garnish to meats. Sprinkle in yogurts, add to your shakes, or just eat them as is.

Courtesy of the IFPA.

Weight Loss Basics

Weight-loss or more accurately fat-loss is now a critical medical and health problem as much as a vanity problem. Anyone who is overweight or obese is at substantially greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome, diabetes and numerous other chronic disorders. Everyone should be aware that the lifestyle choices we make are a far greater indication of the likelihood of developing almost all chronic disorders than chronological aging.

Three or more of the following health problems could be signs of metabolic syndrome and are more than adequate reasons for seeing your doctor:

Waist size greater than 35” for women or 40” for men (31.5” or 36” for those of Asian descent).
Triglyceride levels of 150 or higher.
HDL Cholesterol of less than 50 in women and 40 in men.
Blood Pressure of 130/85 or higher (some doctors warn that BP above 120/80 consistently should be watched).
Most of the evidenced-based medicine for the treatment, care and prevention of both metabolic syndrome and weight loss are the same and some of the simplest, easiest and quickest fixes for these problems are as follows:

Don’t skip meals – Especially…Breakfast! While obesity is the leading cause of metabolic syndrome, even slightly overweight can lead to metabolic syndrome. Research suggests that breakfast helped women lose 40 pounds in 8 months.
Exercise for a minimum 30mins daily! The ACSM recommendation for 30mins daily is adequate to prevent disease, but the IOM recommendation of 60mins daily is far superior to reverse disease and lose weight. Both aerobic and weight training is effective, though the combination of both is best.
Cut Out Soda! Soda is wasted calories, 150 calories in a typical 12oz soda, 300 calories in the now popular 24oz bottles. One of these per day could mean a fat gain of nearly 1 pound/week. Even the no-calorie diet sodas still leech calcium from bones leading to osteoporosis.
Snack on Sunflower seeds or other magnesium rich foods such as spinach, brown rice, wheat germ, black-eyed peas, lima beans and kidney beans. Diets high in magnesium can cut your risk of metabolic syndrome 31% by reducing triglycerides and blood sugar problems. 200 mcg. chromium and 400 mg of folic acid decrease risk up to 35% for similar reasons.
Snack on Hummus! Hummus is made of Chickpeas that are full of cholesterol lowering fiber and has been shown to lower LDL as well as total cholesterol, Tahini: made from sesame seeds which is the richest food source of unique nutrients called phytosterols, known to reduce cholesterol, Cumin: an outstanding seasoning that delivers iron, the essential mineral necessary to transport oxygen to the cells, all cells, including heart cells (Oxygen is essential so the body can live, as well as burn fat as energy in the body. Lack of iron leads to anemia which presents as low energy levels), Garlic: a powerful anti-oxidant highly effective at preventing free radical damage leading to many chronic disorders) and Lemon Juice. Use fresh vegetables such as celery or carrot sticks or whole grain Pita bread to complete this highly nutritious snack.
According to recent research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the key to healthy weight loss is pairing carbs with foods that prevent the release of insulin that will cause fat storage. This enables many of your clients to still eat some of their favorite foods.

Examples:
2 links of bacon or sausage combined with 2 waffles.
4oz of sliced turkey, 2 slices of bread, a sandwich-sized slice of tomato, lettuce and onion.
3oz of steak and 3 cups of mixed veggie stir-fry.
Fat formation always results from either:
Avoiding carbs completely (leading to Ketosis) and usually occurs when you skip breakfast or other meals. This causes blood sugar to dip too low or
Consuming too many simple carbs at one sitting causing the release of insulin and rapid fat storage. Binge eating sends blood sugar too high!
The goal should be to keep blood sugar within a narrow range called the Fat-Burning Mode. This is easily achieved by planning on eating smaller meals and snacks every 2-3 hours, limiting the intake of simple carbs, combining a protein source with carbs at every meal and increasing fiber in foods by consuming veggies, beans and whole grains.

An example of meal timing could look like:

7am Wake Up
8am Breakfast
10am Snack
12am Lunch
2pm Snack
4pm Snack
6pm Dinner
8pm Snack
10pm Sleep

The best news for your clients is that the snacks can be anything they like such as simple carbs: chips, cookies or cakes as long as the snacks are kept between 100-200 calories. This ensures that you will not set off an insulin response that is sufficient to trigger fat storage. You would be correct that a healthy snack is preferable from a nutrition point of view, but simple carbs work better at keeping in the Fat-Burning Mode. Psychologically, your clients are more likely to adhere to this diet plan since they will not feel “the deprivation” felt in other diets that eliminate favorite foods. Even a glass of wine is allowed as a simple carb!

Weight Loss Basics

Weight-loss or more accurately fat-loss is now a critical medical and health problem as much as a vanity problem. Anyone who is overweight or obese is at substantially greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome, diabetes and numerous other chronic disorders. Everyone should be aware that the lifestyle choices we make are a far greater indication of the likelihood of developing almost all chronic disorders than chronological aging.

Three or more of the following health problems could be signs of metabolic syndrome and are more than adequate reasons for seeing your doctor:

Waist size greater than 35” for women or 40” for men (31.5” or 36” for those of Asian descent).
Triglyceride levels of 150 or higher.
HDL Cholesterol of less than 50 in women and 40 in men.
Blood Pressure of 130/85 or higher (some doctors warn that BP above 120/80 consistently should be watched).
Most of the evidenced-based medicine for the treatment, care and prevention of both metabolic syndrome and weight loss are the same and some of the simplest, easiest and quickest fixes for these problems are as follows:

Don’t skip meals – Especially…Breakfast! While obesity is the leading cause of metabolic syndrome, even slightly overweight can lead to metabolic syndrome. Research suggests that breakfast helped women lose 40 pounds in 8 months.
Exercise for a minimum 30mins daily! The ACSM recommendation for 30mins daily is adequate to prevent disease, but the IOM recommendation of 60mins daily is far superior to reverse disease and lose weight. Both aerobic and weight training is effective, though the combination of both is best.
Cut Out Soda! Soda is wasted calories, 150 calories in a typical 12oz soda, 300 calories in the now popular 24oz bottles. One of these per day could mean a fat gain of nearly 1 pound/week. Even the no-calorie diet sodas still leech calcium from bones leading to osteoporosis.
Snack on Sunflower seeds or other magnesium rich foods such as spinach, brown rice, wheat germ, black-eyed peas, lima beans and kidney beans. Diets high in magnesium can cut your risk of metabolic syndrome 31% by reducing triglycerides and blood sugar problems. 200 mcg. chromium and 400 mg of folic acid decrease risk up to 35% for similar reasons.
Snack on Hummus! Hummus is made of Chickpeas that are full of cholesterol lowering fiber and has been shown to lower LDL as well as total cholesterol, Tahini: made from sesame seeds which is the richest food source of unique nutrients called phytosterols, known to reduce cholesterol, Cumin: an outstanding seasoning that delivers iron, the essential mineral necessary to transport oxygen to the cells, all cells, including heart cells (Oxygen is essential so the body can live, as well as burn fat as energy in the body. Lack of iron leads to anemia which presents as low energy levels), Garlic: a powerful anti-oxidant highly effective at preventing free radical damage leading to many chronic disorders) and Lemon Juice. Use fresh vegetables such as celery or carrot sticks or whole grain Pita bread to complete this highly nutritious snack.
According to recent research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the key to healthy weight loss is pairing carbs with foods that prevent the release of insulin that will cause fat storage. This enables many of your clients to still eat some of their favorite foods.

Examples:
2 links of bacon or sausage combined with 2 waffles.
4oz of sliced turkey, 2 slices of bread, a sandwich-sized slice of tomato, lettuce and onion.
3oz of steak and 3 cups of mixed veggie stir-fry.
Fat formation always results from either:
Avoiding carbs completely (leading to Ketosis) and usually occurs when you skip breakfast or other meals. This causes blood sugar to dip too low or
Consuming too many simple carbs at one sitting causing the release of insulin and rapid fat storage. Binge eating sends blood sugar too high!
The goal should be to keep blood sugar within a narrow range called the Fat-Burning Mode. This is easily achieved by planning on eating smaller meals and snacks every 2-3 hours, limiting the intake of simple carbs, combining a protein source with carbs at every meal and increasing fiber in foods by consuming veggies, beans and whole grains.

An example of meal timing could look like:

7am Wake Up
8am Breakfast
10am Snack
12am Lunch
2pm Snack
4pm Snack
6pm Dinner
8pm Snack
10pm Sleep

The best news for your clients is that the snacks can be anything they like such as simple carbs: chips, cookies or cakes as long as the snacks are kept between 100-200 calories. This ensures that you will not set off an insulin response that is sufficient to trigger fat storage. You would be correct that a healthy snack is preferable from a nutrition point of view, but simple carbs work better at keeping in the Fat-Burning Mode. Psychologically, your clients are more likely to adhere to this diet plan since they will not feel “the deprivation” felt in other diets that eliminate favorite foods. Even a glass of wine is allowed as a simple carb!

Lose the Fat all year around! See how!

Lose Weight All Year Long - Want to effortlessly drop 30 lbs in one year? Millions of people drink an average of 2 regular soft drinks a day, which is a total of 300 calories. When you add these extra 300 calories up over a year, they result in over 30lbs of weight gain! Say no to soft drinks, and say goodbye to your unwanted pounds!