Avoiding the Freshman 15

The scariest thing for someone going into college is gaining weight. It's the myth that everyone is scared to death of. Of course, I was scared of it and made sure that it didn't happen to me. I ended up becoming even healthier than I was back home, which gives me the opportunity to give you guys tips to keep the weight off.

• Walk to class! This is especially true if you go to a big school! The shuttle may be easier, but the walking will give you extra calories burned!
• Keep healthy snacks in your room! Instead of buying ramen, candy, oreos, and the like, buy almonds, walnuts, fruits, and instant oatmeal. By making it a task to go get unhealthy food, you are less like to eat unhealthy!
• Limit the alcohol! Remember, as a freshman you are technically underaged. But of course, college is about freedom and independence and many frats obviously don't check IDs, so drinking is going to become a lifestyle for some people. Unfortunately, it packs on the calories. If you are going to drink, try to limit to the equivalent of 3 beers (1.5 solo cups) ONCE a week (pick Thursday, Friday, OR Saturday).
• Mix n Match in the dining hall! Buffet style food can be your best friend or your worse nightmare. For most freshman, it's your worse nightmare. Forget the pizza and burger bar, go straight for the lean protein and veggies. For lunch, I love making a salad at the salad bar with spinach, mushrooms, cucumbers, chicken/tofu/beans, and oil and vinegar for dressing! For dinner, I love steamed/roasted vegetables and some type of lean protein (chicken or turkey or tempeh!).
• Reusable water bottles! Whether you get a nalgene or a camelbak, you need water with you at all times! Not only is it important to keep you hydrated, but it can keep off the feeling of hunger during class so you don't go for the vending machines. Try to drink about half of your weight in ounces! (Example: 140 lbs / 2 = 70 ounces of water per day)

In the next few days, I'll post a grocery list and some breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas as well!

Are You Exercising Enough?

I see so many people ask this to fitness experts in every form possible. Now, there isn't a wrong amount or a right amount, but here is what you should know to tailor your exercise regimen so that you feel you are exercising enough.

• Every bit of exercise helps!

Even if it's just 10 minutes, any type of physical activity helps.

•  More is always better.

If you can put in 20 minutes one day instead of 10, then please do so! You'll feel better about yourself, and your helping your body feel great!

Moving just a little bit can cause some serious health boosts and help prevent many diseases, so if you can't commit to 2 hours a day for 6 days of the week, don't worry about it!

Get out there and move!

Dieting: 8 Hormones You Should Be Aware Of

When people think of the word diet, they think of losing weight. That weight can come from anywhere: fat, muscles, or water. Whenever people say that want to lose a little bit of weight, I always get discouraged because to be able to keep off the weight, you have to lose the pounds in a way that will speed up your metabolism. By creating a faster metabolism, you are ensuring that you keep that weight off and continue to live healthily. In order to create a faster metabolism, you must lose fat when you lose weight. Not water weight. DEFINITELY NOT muscles. 

Why do you want to lose fat? By losing fat, you are not only creating a faster metabolism, but you are also creating the lean, sculpted, and toned look everyone wants. By losing water weight, you are just asking to regain the weight even faster than you lost it. And by losing muscle, you get the "skinny fat" look. And who wants that?

Your metabolism is linked to the hormones in your body. More of a certain hormone can slow or speed up your metabolism causing fat gain or fat loss. There are 8 different hormones everyone should be aware of when choosing their food choices, so that we are always trying to speed up our metabolism.

1. Adrenaline. We all know what adrenaline is. It's the hormone that gives you that heart-pumping, anxious yet excited, nervous feel before something big happens. Adrenaline signals the body to start burning fuel, and if testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) are triggered, that fuel can be fat. But, if insulin and leptin are triggered or high in content, adrenaline signals the body to start burning sugar (we don't want that).
2. Cortisol. You have probably heard of cortisol. It's the hormone that can make you gain weight, and all other sorts of things. And for good reason. In the presence of high insulin and low testosterone and HGH, cortisol will signal your body to store fat and burn muscle (yikes!). BUT, if cortisol is released with high amounts of testosteron and HGH, it will block muscle burning and enhance fat burning.
3. Ghrelin. This is the hormone that makes the gurgling noise when you're hungry. It tells your body on a moment to moment basis how hungry it is. When there is a lot of ghrelin, your stomach is growling and you're hungry. If there is a low level of ghrelin, you feel full and satisfied. By eating protein and fiber, you can keep those ghrelin levels down!
4. Leptin. This is another hormone that tells your body if you are hungry by gauging your energy levels on a day to day basis. If you become leptin resistant, you will keep eating as if you are starving (hence how some people become morbidly obese). So, you want to keep those leptin levels steady so that your body knows when to stop eating and start burning.
5. Glucagon. This is the Jekyll to insulin's Hyde. It makes you burn fat! It works in the liver to help regulate sugar and fat usage. How do you get more glucagon? Protein stimulates glucagon, so eat more of it! This is why a lot of fitness/nutrition experts say to eat protein with every meal!
6. Insulin. Oh, the Hyde to Glucagon's Jekyll. Insulin helps you store fat (sad day). With a high level of insulin, any extra calories in the body is immediately stored as fat. This is why the Glycemic Index became so important. Foods with high GI spike your insulin levels, making your body store it as fat. Foods with lower GI keep your insulin levels steady, so no fat storing occurs.
7. (& 8)Testosterone and HGH. These two are the building and burning hormones. They assist with cortisol and adrenaline to burn fat instead of store it.

Now that you know the hormones you need to keep in check, here is a summary of what to remember:

To BURN FAT, keep your glucagon and HGH levels high while maintaining low levels of cortisol, leptin, and insulin.

How do you do this? 

Up protein, eat foods lower on the glycemic index, and LISTEN TO YOUR BODY so you know when you are full, satisfied, and hungry!

Should You Go Organic?

A tip from me to you <3

Self-Esteem: BOOSTED. Positive Self-Talk Time!

Did you know that the way you think about yourself can have a HUGE effect on your physical appearance? Well, researchers have showed that thinking of yourself as fat can lead to obesity later in life, especially if you are just average. And trust me, it happened to me once. I thought I was fat (when really I was perfectly average) and ended up gaining 10 pounds! (Don't worry, I lost it QUICKLY).

The perception of being fat is a psychosocial stress factor that is associated with gaining weight in the waist area. This can cause people to start skipping meals because for some reason people think that is the best way to lose weight. Hate it break it to you, but it is NOT. That is just a way to slow down your metabolism so that when you don't skip a meal, you gain even more weight.

To start thinking about yourself positively so that weight gain does not occur, I have developed a few steps here. These are going to be your positive affirmations that you must chant to yourself everyday.

1. Think of the way you want to look like/feel like.
2. Start by writing down "I am." These are two very powerful words in our brain because they trigger so many responses.
3. Write out what you want to look like/feel like as if you already look/feel that way. For example, "I am at an acceptable weight."
4. Next, add in an adverb with a positive connotation (or just a positive word). So, now the sentence is "I am happily at an acceptable weight."

BOOM. Write out this/these affirmation(s) (however many you want) on some flashcards or on a piece of paper and keep them somewhere you always will see them. You can keep them at your dresser, kitchen table, night stand, wherever! Make sure you read them to yourself every morning when you wake up. I also recommend reading them to yourself before you go to sleep!

The more content you are with yourself, the more likely you will reach you goals, so go positive self-talk yourself into success! (how much more cheesy could I get with that?)

Carbohydrates: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

Carbohydrates get a bad mark in weight loss. Since it is the primary source of energy for the body, a lot of people think that low-carb/no-carb diets are how you can trick your body into taking the fat storage as its primary source of energy.

Yes, there is some truth to that. But also, there is no reason to resort to low-carb because your body does need carbohydrates to function. So, let's go through the basics of carbohydrates.

*NOTE: If your doctor/dietitian has told you otherwise, please use their opinion over mine. This is for healthy adults, so those who may have had surgery or other health problems may not be able to follow this.

Who is carbohydrates for? Everyone. Just like protein, we need it to survive.

What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are an organic compound (meaning they only contain Carbon, Oxygen, and Hydrogen) in the form Cm(H2O)n. The simplest form of a carb is called a monosaccharide. Two monosaccharides are called disaccharides. These are what we usually hear about: lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc. 

Where do we get carbohydrates from? We get carbs from 4 different foods: starches, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Beans, fruits, and vegetables are always your good carbs (beans also have protein). Starches are where we see the separation of "good" carbs (complex carbohydrates) and "bad" carbs (simple carbohydrates). Your simple carbs are the white bread, pasta, refined sugar, and processed foods. Complex carbs are quinoa (also a complete protein), sweet potatoes, etc. 

When do we need to eat carbohydrates? Honestly, you can eat carbs with every meal. People will say no fruits after 3 pm. Others will say to cut out starches entirely. I agree that fruit after 3 pm is a bad idea because it will start to ferment in your stomach because it has to wait to be digested after your big lunch/dinner. Starches though are great as long as you eat the complex version (whole wheat) and in moderation.

Why do we need to eat carbohydrates? It is true that carbs aren't an essential nutrient for humans (meaning that carbs can by synthesized by the body). The body can get most, if not all, its energy from proteins and fats. Unfortunately, your brain cannot burn fat for energy and uses glucose as its energy source. Glucose is a disaccharide which is a carbohydrate. Therefore, for proper brain function, you need to provide your body with carbohydrates.

How much carbs do we need? 45-65% of your diet should be carbohydrate based. That doesn't mean you have to eat that many starches. Again, fruits and vegetables are also considered carbohydrates so incorporate those into your diet.

Protein: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How much?

The three food categories that make up our diet have been through a lot of turmoil. It is almost impossible to set exactly when to eat carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, let alone how much we should be eating. From the Paleo Diet, Dukan Diet, and Atkins, we see protein a lot. Everyone says that a high protein and low carb diet is what everyone should be eating.

In reality, only 10-35% of your daily caloric intake should be protein. That is when you are eating a balanced diet to maintain your weight. What if you are trying to lose weight? What if you are trying to build muscle? Diets become very complicated very fast. Here are the basics of what you need to know about protein in order to eat a balanced diet.

*NOTE: If your doctor/dietitian has told you otherwise, please use their opinion over mine. This is for healthy adults, so those who may have had surgery or other health problems may not be able to follow this.

Who is protein for? Protein is for everyone. We need it to survive.

What is protein? Proteins are a biochemical compound made up of polypeptides that are folded up into globular forms. A single polypeptide is made from a chain of amino acids that kind of act as DNA links: the order they are in determine what kind of protein that polypeptide will form into when it interacts with other polypeptides.

Where do we get protein from? Protein comes from meat, poultry, egg whites, beans, and quinoa. Other things like vegetables and nuts also have a bit of protein, but it isn't a complete protein.

When do we need to eat protein? The thing about protein is that you can eat it at every meal. When trying to maintain weight, protein can be eaten with any meal as long as it is only 10-35% of your daily caloric intake. When losing weight, protein is essential because it takes the body more energy (AKA calories) to digest it. Therefore, protein should be present in every meal and snack.

Why do we need protein? Your body needs proteins so that it can build new cells, maintain tissues, and make new proteins needed for specific basic bodily functions. For example, hemoglobin is a protein your red blood cells need so that your body can carry oxygen throughout itself.

How much protein do we need? Again, the recommendation is 10-35% of your daily caloric intake. If you are losing weight, one gram of protein per pound you weigh is more than enough to keep you going. Make sure you do not go over that amount because there is such a thing as too much protein.