Tag Archives: nutrition

How has it been almost 2 years…

Posted on by
Reply

Since I last posted? A lot has happened since April 2023. The world seems to be returning to a more normal point, although there are plenty who disagree. In late 2022 I decided to go back to school to earn my PhD. Between school and working full time, I haven’t had much time for anything else these days. I did start a facebook group for those who have Veds who wants to take back their health. I also opened myself up to fitness clients and took on 2 this year. I’d like to get back into blogging and hoping this post creates the spark to do so. Let me know in the comments what you’d like to see/read. Want more diet info? Workout tips? General life guidance!! Let me know!

https://www.youtube.com/@michellelucena5564

Good Food vs Bad Food

Posted on by
1

With all the internet information out there and tiktok influencers, is there really such a thing as good food versus bad food?

ABSOLUTELY

I am an advocate AGAINST the if it fits your macros trend. These folks tend to believe that calories in versus calories out is all there is about weightloss. They will let you believe that as long as you hit protein goals and eat within a set number of carbs and fats, you’ll be the picture of health. the problem is, most people see this as an opportunity to eat cake, ice cream, sugar, candies and chips as long as it fits those numbers. What these fitness influencers fail to tell you is what that food is doing to the INSIDE of your body.

the junk food on the right in the photo above is made with sugar, seed oils and all sorts of additives and addictive food ingredients. there’s a reason why these companies want you coming back for more. Ever wonder why you can’t eat one serving of chips or cookies? they are filled with addictive additives that keep you grabbing for the next chip. Read the link below on an article for seed oils and the harm they cause

https://www.zeroacre.com/blog/are-seed-oils-toxic

When grocery shopping, stick to the outer aisles. the inner aisles contain all the cheap processed foods. instead stick to the produce, dairy and meat sections on the outskirts of the store. Do not be afraid of steak, chicken and wild caught fish. In our house we rotate steak, chicken thighs, fish and ground game meat. We buy all organic vegetables to reduce pesticides entering our body. Drink filtered water, not tap. I could go on but don’t want to make anyone reading this bored. if you’d like assistance with your diet and workouts, feel free to send me a message on instagram and i’d be happy to put together a plan for you.

Next week we will talk about intermittent fasting, why its beneficial and if keto truly works or if its just another fad diet. Thank for reading!

Alcohol, chocolate, water OH MY!

Posted on by
5

Here’s a little bit of information if you are wondering if you can still incorporate chocolate into your diet:

Fitness Facts: CHOCOLATE:
🔹Excessive consumption of Chocolate can definitely be counter productive to a healthy lifestyle, but when added to a diet in small amounts it can provide benefits to both health & fitness!
🔹Most of the benefits from chocolate come from it’s primary ingredient cocoa, so the more cocoa in the chocolate the more benficial it can be. Out of the main 3 types of chocolate (dark, milk, & white), dark chocolate contains the most cocoa.
🔹Chocolate contains notable amounts of Potassium, Iron, & Magnesium, which help with muscle function and preventing cramps.
🔹Chocolate contains the flavonoid Epicatechin, which binds to muscle receptors and may help them resist fatigue.
🔹Chocolate increases blood flow to the heart as well as to the brain, so it can help improve cognitive function and muscle memory.
🔹Chocolate can decrease levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL), as well as decrease blood sugar levels.
🔹Eating a small amount of chocolate 2-3x/week can help lower blood pressure, as well as help prevent Type 2 Diabetes, blood clots, stroke, and arteriosclerosis.
🔹Dark chocolate contains caffeine! A 1.5 ounce bar contains about 27 mg.
🔹To add healthy doses of chocolate into your diet, you can add chocolate chips to trail mix, or add a few scoops of cocoa to your protein or meal replacement shakes to increase the flavor and health value!

Additionally here is some information pertaining to alcohol consumption while dieting:
Fitness Facts: ALCOHOL:
🔹Excess amounts of alcohol can definitely be hazardous to the health & well being of the consumer, but in moderate amounts alcohol can be beneficial!
🔹Moderation with alcohol is defined as no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. One drink can be a beer, 6 fl oz of wine, or shot of liquor.
🔹Moderate drinkers tend to live longer than people who don’t drink at all or those who drink in excess.
🔹Low amounts of alcohol can increase levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and lower levels of bad cholesterol (LDL).
🔹Alcohol acts as a blood thinner, like aspirin. So when consumed in moderation, it can reduce the likelihood of developing blood clots or coronary heart disease.
🔹If your goal is to gain muscle, don’t drink alcohol immediately pre or post-workout since it causes a drop in testosterone levels while increasing cortisol, a hormone that destroys muscle.
🔹When it comes to alcohol & weight loss, moderate drinking should be cut back to no more than 1-3 drinks/week. Not only does alcohol contain calories (7 calories per gram- that’s more than protein or carbs), but because it takes longer to metabolize in the body than other substances it can slow the metabolism down.
🔹The best way to minimize caloric intake in alcoholic drinks is to either drink the liquor straight, or use a low calorie mixer such as tonic, club soda or watered down fruit juice.
🔹To minimize the damaging effects alcohol can have on your body, drink 1 glass of water for every drink you drank. Especially if you drank close to bedtime! The digestive process slows down when you sleep so diluting the alcohol will ease it’s absorption. And of course this will also make for a less intense hangover 😉

Lastly I will expand on the subject of water consumption:
1st topic of many Fitness Facts to come: WATER:
🔹The human body is 50-65% water. Men contain more water than women.
🔹 Drinking a full glass of water before a meal has been proven to increase weight loss.
🔹 Warm water makes you feel full.
🔹 Ice water boosts your metabolism & immune system.
🔹 Cold water stimulates your brain to release mood-boosting endorphins.
🔹 Dehydration is one of the leading causes of headaches, cramps, lack of energy, constipation, and high blood pressure.
🔹 If you’re thirsty, you’re probably already mildy dehydrated. Don’t wait to be thirsty to drink water- drink it throughout the day.
🔹 Divide your weight (in pounds) in half= that’s at least how many fluid ounces of water you should drink a day.
Example: If you weigh 150lbs, 150/2= 75 fl oz (about 4.5 average bottles of water)
🔹 When consuming protein powders to build mass, you need to increase your water intake.
🔹 Excess protein puts extra stress on the kidneys and liver, and water helps the filtration process.