Leveraging Food For Muscle Gain/Fat Loss

When looking to add muscle or lose fat, it goes without saying that you should be diligent about the foods you consume. However, there are certain foods that you can leverage to add or lose weight. Let’s cover putting on weight.

When looking to add muscle mass to your frame, it is customary to utilize a caloric surplus. In other words, you want to be eating more calories than you burn (both through your basal metabolic rate and activity). This surplus creates an environment for your body to have readily available resources to deploy protein synthesis and tissue repair (assuming you are exercising and lifting weights to break down muscle so you can grow). One should shoot for roughly 300 calories above their maintenance calories per day to create the surplus. The problem most people run into is they end up eating A LOT of extra food to get to that 300 calories (especially if you aren’t eating a micronutrient deprived processed foods diet…in which case…it’s really easy to overeat). If you are eating a clean diet, you may want to leverage nuts and nut butters to get into a surplus. Typically, 2 tablespoons of nut butter or 9 hazel nuts equals 180 calories. As you can see it would pretty easy to add a little nut butter to your breakfast, or a snack after dinner to consume the extra calories, rather than eating 10oz. of chicken breast.

When looking to lose bodyfat, you want to utilize a caloric deficit. Typically, after a maintenance phase, we would remove 300 calories from your diet to create the deficit. That may not seem like a lot, and that’s the point, you are slowly coaxing your body to burn off excess fat in order to keep up with the bodies “set point.” The “set point” is the calories needed to remain the same weight. If your metabolism is set to 3,000 calories, and you bring your caloric intake down to 2,700 calories, you body will have to burn it’s own fat in order to make up the caloric need. This gives you the potential to lose bodyfat. Because you are used to eating a certain volume of food, you can utilize vegetables to make up the difference. For instance, say you wanted to cut 100 calories from your breakfast and you typically eat two pieces of toast. Instead of the toast, you can have a cup of roasted mushrooms, which really don’t have an appreciable amount of calories. I would included any green leafy vegetables in this category as well as the breakdown of the fiber actually keeps these foods at zero or even negative calories.

This is a complex topic with many nuances, and I will try to unpack them as best as I can in upcoming posts. If you are anxious to learn more or get started with your own nutrition plan, I’m here to help! Click the link below to get started today and let’s put on some muscle, or lose the fat today!

More than just dieting...

Wondering why you can’t nick those habits around poor eating? In my experience as a nutrition coach, you can’t change your diet without changing who you are first. Behavioral changes that impact your identity must be practiced. In a recent study in the European Society of Cardiology, '“People living with obesity who attended a non-judgmental and personalized lifestyle modification program improved their cardiovascular and mental health during just 10 weeks… Participants lost weight and achieved benefits in anxiety and depression and physical measurements including blood pressure.”

The study goes on to say, “We focus on changing behaviors and improving people's relationship with food…Many participants have tried diets with strict rules and have fears about foods they can't eat. Our program has no diet or meal plan, and no foods are excluded. Each person sets their own goals, which are reviewed weekly, and our approach is non-judgmental, which builds rapport and gains trust."

It’s great to see science validating approaches that Floch Fitness have been working with for years!

If you are ready to take a habit based approach toward body composition changes, I’m here to help! Click the link below to get started today!

3 Ways to Boost Your Testosterone...Naturally

As we age, keeping testosterone levels in healthy ranges is linked to better overall health. Unfortunately, life stressors, poor diet, and bad sleep tends to cause testosterone levels to drop. Aside from addressing these variables, there are supplements and dietary changes that we can make to better optimize testosterone levels (without hormone replacement).

1. Zinc: Zinc It is involved in various actions of cellular metabolism. It supports healthy growth and regulates more than 100 enzymes. It is highly related to our reproductive health system and assists in DNA synthesis. Zinc can be considered as a testosterone booster, which slows down the aromatase enzyme, decreasing the conversion of testosterone into androgen. Although dietary zinc is mostly found in animal products, zinc rich foods include some grains and nuts.

2. Vitamin D: Vitamin D is actually a hormone! In a 2011 randomized controlled study, researchers found men who were given a daily high-dose vitamin D supplement significantly increased their total testosterone from 10.7 nmol/L to 13.4 nmol/L, whereas there were hardly any changes in testosterone concentrations in the group given a placebo. These findings suggest that men deficient in vitamin D who take a proper vitamin D supplement may fix low levels of low testosterone.

3. Fats: Studies show increases in saturated and monounsaturated fats lead to increased testosterone. Saturated fats are found in foods like eggs, red meat, palm and coconut oils, and dairy products. These fats are typically hard at room temperature, and only have single bonds between carbon atoms. Monounsaturated fats are found in foods such as olive oil and avocados, are typically liquid at room temperature, and contain one double carbon bond with the rest being single bonds.

Looking to implement some of these changes but need accountability and support? I’m here to help! Click the link below to get started.

Eat Healthy and Exercise...For Your Kids!

If you needed anymore reason to consider your health, a recent study from UC Riverside found, “exercise and a healthy diet in childhood leads to adults with bigger brains and lower levels of anxiety, according to new research.”

The study goes on to talk about how leptin levels are negatively affected by decreasing exercise and switching to high fat and sugar diets. You may be asking, what is leptin? Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells that signal the hypothalamus (brain) helps control body weight by increasing energy expenditure and signaling that less food is required. According to the study, early-life exercise increased adult leptin levels as well as fat mass in adult mice, regardless of the diet they ate.

Do yourself (and your kids a favor) and eat better and move every day!

Need to make a change in your diet and exercise? I’m here to help! Click the link below to get started today!

What Do You Know About Fat?

There is continued confusion around dietary fat, and for good reason. As we continue to research and learn (while debunking old science), hypotheses around fat are misconstrued and improperly used to fuel individual agendas. The old adage, “Fat Makes You Fat,” is only part of the story and has been debunked time and time again. There is just more to the story of fat than that. However, we do know that fats are essential to our health. Let’s do a deep dive into dietary fat and how all fats aren’t created equal.

There are three major types of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated (for the purposes of this article I will not speak about trans fats as they are shown to have deleterious affects to health and are prohibited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). The differences between fats have to do with their chemical structure, but you don’t have to understand that part to know what to eat (if you want to get into it, there’s an explanation in the Guide). Here’s the short version:

• Saturated fat: These fats are most often solid at room temperature. Foods like butter, palm and coconut oils, cheese, and red meat have high amounts of saturated fat. The jury is still out on whether or not saturated fats have a net positive or net negative affect on the body. I am in the camp of a net neutral.

• Monounsaturated fat: It is one of the healthy fats, along with polyunsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, but start to harden when chilled.

• Polyunsaturated fat: include omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These are essential fatty acids that the body needs for brain function and cell growth. Our bodies do not make essential fatty acids, so you can only get them from food.

Here is a brief list of what foods you can find each fat in:

Now that we have a little more information on fat, how about some recommendations? The amount and types of fat you should be taking in vary from person to person. However, as a general rule, you should be taking in mostly polyunsaturated fats in the form of Omega-3s (not omega-6s), some saturated, and some monounsaturated fats. Minimum fat intake would be 0.3g per pound each day to maintain healthy hormone balance and bodily functions (170lb. person would be taking in 51g/day). However, for most people they will be eating more than the minimum to have a more balanced diet. For individuals looking for changes in body composition, fat is usually the macronutrient manipulated as it will not interfere with blood sugar balance. There is a lot more to unpack here, but this is a good start to educating (and re-educating) yourself about fat!

Looking to get summer body ready? I’m here to help! Click the link below to set up a free assessment today!

Do You Eat Too Fast?

Pop quiz: Where does digestion start?

….

Answer: Your mouth!

I know some of you may not have gotten the right answer here, but it’s true. The physical act of digesting food starts in your mouth, not in the stomach. This is perhaps one of the most critical reasons why you need to chew your food an appropriate amount of times. In a study published in the journal Physiology and Human Behavior, effective chewing supported:

• Reduced self-reported hunger.

• Increased gut hormone release.

• Promotion of satiety by influencing appetite, intake and hormone release.

If you’d like to experience these benefits, here are 5 tips for better food hygiene:

1. Chew Your Food – Don’t just chew enough to swallow. Your saliva plays a huge role in breaking down food. Take your time when eating. Start by chewing at least 30 times before swallowing.

2. No Liquids – Avoid drinking liquids 15 minutes before or after any meal. Allow your stomach the space and time needed to absorb the nutrients digested from your meal. Don’t use liquids as a replacement for your salivary glands.

3. Sit Down – Sitting down can help relax you and aid good digestion.

4. Take Ten Deep Breaths – Taking a moment before eating will help put your body in the right state for good digestion.

5. Smell Your Food – The simple act of smelling your food will switch your salivary glands on and get your stomach ready for the meal you are about to enjoy.

Need some extra motivation and accountability when it comes to changing your diet? I’m here to help! Click the link below to set up a free assessment today!

How To Eat More Vegetables...

When trying to lean out vegetables are your friend. They are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and can help fill you up when you are hungry. The push back I get from most clients is that they hate eating vegetables. Like really hate them. My usual response, “Which vegetables have you tried?” and “How do you cook them?” Honestly, a majority of the nutrition clients I work with have already made up their minds that they hate vegetables before they have even given them a real chance.

When giving my 6 month old vegetables for the first time, I didn’t give him a bunch of raw broccoli and say, “Have at it kid!” That would have been a disaster. My fiancé started by mixing the veggies with different sweeter fruits and formula so the veggies weren’t so overpowering. As he got more used to eating veggies, we slowly increased the amount of vegetables the meal consisted of. In the picture above, Elliot is scarfing down a mashup of peas, corn, carrots, pumpkin, and formula. You don’t have to do the same thing, but with a little effort, you can find a few ways of preparing vegetables so that you can learn to love them and reap the benefits they possess.

Here are 3 ways to make vegetables taste great:

1. Roasting-Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in vegetables. I have found this is the easiest way to get your kids (and your husband) to eat them. Cut everything into uniform pieces, toss in your cooking fat of choice, and roast at 400° until veggies are soft and slightly browned. Our favorites are Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, carrots, and zucchini. Why is this a hack?

2. Season Your Veggies-Let’s face it, plain veggies are meh. Stock up on a few awesome spice blends, or make your own. Toss your veggies in spices before roasting, or sprinkle some on just before serving. A little garlic salt or nutmeg go a long way!

3. Cheese It Up-Sprinkle some parmesans on your veggies. As long as you don’t drown your broccoli, the sprinkle will help A LOT in the flavor department.

Need more help getting vegetables into your diet? I’m here to help! Click the link below to book a free assessment today!

How the Paleo Diet Changed My Life...

There I was sitting in an ER with an IV in my arm writhing in pain.  I didn’t realize it then, but that trip to the hospital was a tipping point in my life.  Let’s take a look back and see how a gallbladder attack forced me to take a good hard look at the food I was putting in my body.

I had just finished up a training session at The New York Sports Club, swimming roughly a mile of intervals and running 40+ minutes on the treadmill.  I was 9 months in Ironman training and I was just hammering myself with two-a-day workouts four days per week.  I rushed home to get some food in my stomach, and an hour after downing an entire entrée of whole wheat linguini, the area just below my sternum started to ache.  I knew this wasn’t a stomach issue because of the location of the pain.  An hour went by and the ache turned into a stabbing pain.  An hour later and the pain did not let up.  I knew something was up so I drove over to the ER to get checked out.  An ultrasound and physical examination later, the ER doctor told me I was having a gallbladder attack.  He recommended that I see a gastroenterologist for a follow up.  The attack subsided later in the evening, but I booked the appointment anyway.

I followed up with the gastroenterologist and she ran tests on my liver, stomach, and blood lipids but didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.  It was recommended that I reduce the fat in my diet drastically, as the gallbladder is key in fat breakdown as it releases bile into the small intestine.  I scratched my head.  “I really don’t eat a ton of fat,”  I said to the doc.  “In fact I eat mostly whole grains. I am a triathlete,” I followed up.  She didn’t give me much else but said if the symptoms persisted, she would recommend me to a surgeon to have my gallbladder removed.  I did some research and found that approximately 20 million people in the United States have gallstones. Of these people, there are approximately 300,000 cholecystectomies performed annually.  These numbers made me think this wasn’t such a big deal, but I wasn’t in love with the idea of getting surgery.  Thankfully, my instincts were correct.

As luck would have it, my good friend at the time, Max El-Hag (Training Think Tank), recommended I read Paleo Diet for Athletes by Dr. Loren Cordain and try out a Paleo Diet.  The idea behind the Paleo Diet was that the traditional western foods I was eating contained tons of anti-nutrients and gut harming proteins that were reeking havoc on my digestion.  This systemic inflammation was causing my gallbladder issues and potentially killing my performance.  I trusted Max and gave a strict 30 day Paleo Diet a try.  Once I took wheat, legumes, and dairy out of my diet and replaced them with sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and other paleo friendly products, my gut issues disappeared (and I haven’t had them ever since).  That next April, I took 13th place out of hundreds of participants at the Nautica South Beach Olympic Distance Triathlon, winning my age group as well!  Not only was I feeling better, but my performance was great too! 

Needless to say, changing my diet was a big step, but I felt forced to.  I couldn’t live with the way I was feeling anymore.  Luckily, I had guidance and someone to give me “permission” to make the change.  That’s why I am so passionate about nutrition, and why I have helped thousands of clients over the past decade change their diets too!  If you are dealing with gut issues, chronic fatigue, or stubborn weight loss, it’s time to book a free assessment today.  The best version of you is waiting.