Using your Brain to help you Lose Weight

I recently read this article in Bottom Line magazine and found it to be very interesting.  The article talks about how a lot of people are struggling to lose weight.  Often times, they lose weight, but they end up gaining it back.  All of these diets and calorie counting isn't working for them.  This article talks about using your Brain, your most powerful organ, to help you lose weight.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Strategy one: Look at your feelings

 

When you wish to eat, ask yourself whether you really are hungry.  Pay attention to your stomach.  Is it full or empty?  Ask yourself, Do I really need food right now?

 

People often eat for reasons that have nothign to do with hunger.  We eat when we're upset, frustrated, bored, etc.  The act of eating is a disctraction from uncomfortable feelings and a coping mechanism that makes the feelings less intense. 

 

Studies have shown that mood strongly affects food choices.  One study published in American Demographics found that people gravitate towrad ice cream and cookies when they're sad...potato chips when they're bored... and pizza or steak when they're happy.

 

My advice: Before you eat anything, seriously ask yourself why you want it.  If you haven't eaten for several hours, you're probably just hungry.  But if you're craving a snack even though you ate recently, you're probably dealing with emotional hunger.  Ask yourself, "How am I feeling aobut the world today?"..."What's my mood?"..."What do I really need at this particular moment?"..."Does my stomach feel empty?"

 

When you eat only when you're hungry and you don't use food for an emotional fix, you've achieved homeostasis, a type of mind-body balance in which you desire only what you need. 

 

Imagine a single cell floating in a petri dish.  It doesn't think about food.  It takes in nutrients when it needs them and stops when it has had enough.  It is in a perfect state of homeostais. 

 

You can achieve the same harmony by being self-aware, or mindful.

 

What do do: Suppose that you came home from work and already are anticipating the taste of chocolate.  Don't go straight to the pantry.  Instead, run through the mindful list.  If you determine that you are experiencing only emotional hunger, take three very deep breaths and smile.  This simple exercise can make the craving go away.  It also works if you've already started eating and don't want to overeat.

If you wish to read the rest of the article, obtain a copy of Bottom Line Magazine Volume 34 Issue 15, or comment below and I will send you the rest of the article.

Push Up Pro Review

Push Up Pro Review: The Ultimate Upper Body Workout?

You may have seen this commercial on TV.  The Push Up Pro, which has been around for a few years now, claims to be the ultimate upper body workout, at the affordable price of $19.99.  This revolutionary piece of equipment was designed by Jack Zatorski, who in 2003 set the world record for push ups.  Let's take a look at his commercial, which is right below this sentence.

Here are some of the things that were said in this video:

"Strengthen and tone, sculpt and define.  Now, there's a new way to get fit quick."

"It's the new way to sculpt and tone the chest, shoulders, arms, and even abs."

"It's the ultimate upper body workout."

"Guaranteed results within 10 days or your money back."

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They all seem like promising statements.  But, you can say that for any of these commercials on TV.

I decided to buy a set of Push Up Pro grips myself and see what all the hype was about.  Was I really going to get guaranteed results within 10 days, or was nothing going to change?  Let's find out.

The Grips: The box contained 2 Push Up Pro grips, one for each hand.  They are light, and simplistic.  Upon placing them on the ground, the handles are very easy to rotate.  The handles have some "rubber-like" material on them so your hands won't slide off.  Since the grips are small, they can be stored in a gym bag or backpack.

The Initial Workout: I wanted to do a practice set and see how many push ups I could do with the Push Up Pro while rotating the handles.  Normally, I can do around 30 regular push ups.  With the Push Up Pro, I could only do 15.  I definitely felt it in my arms and chest.

Surprisingly, rotating the handles added a lot of difficulty to a normal push up.  This is because when you rotate the handles, it forces your body to use more muscles in order to support the weight of your body.  This adds difficulty and variety to a normal push up workout.

10 Days Later: Throughout the 10 days, I tried different things with the Push Up Pro.  I did normal push ups, rotating grip push ups, push ups with my feet on a chair, close grip push ups, and more.  In the beginning, I couldn't do many repetitions, and had to take a few minutes break after every set.

However, toward the end, I was gaining more endurance and was able to do more repetitions.  My max amount of push ups in one set at the end of the 10 days was 20, which was a 25% increase!

Verdict:  I do think Push Up Pro is worth the $20 investment, but only if you plan on using it and not having it sit there collecting dust.  I think the Push Up Pro is most beneficial for people who are just starting to get into an exercise routine.  Here's my reasoning: In my opinion, the best upper body workout are pull ups.  They work all the muscles in the upper body, with the most strain on the triceps, shoulders, and back.

However, not everyone can do pull ups.  For these people, I recommend the Push Up Pro.  Even if you can't do normal push ups, you can start by doing wall push ups, like stated in the video.  As you progress and get stronger, you can move to doing push ups with your knees on the floor, and eventually, regular push ups.

Final thoughts: I feel like if you buy the Push Up Pro, make an exercise goal, and stick to that goal, you will see results.  It may take more than 10 days, but eventually you will see results.  My friend suggested that I write a review on this because he was pondering whether or not to "invest on this", so I obliged.  This was my first official review on my blog, and hopefully it provided you with some new information and insight.  Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this review, and as always, if you have any questions or feedback, comment below.

-Eric Char-

The Best Food To Treat Insomnia

Have you been having trouble sleeping lately?  Try eating some tart cherries or drinking some tart cherry juice.

Tart Cherries are among the richest food sources of melatonin, which is a hormone that helps promote sleep.  The body's production of melatonin declines with age, which is part of the reason why older adults often have trouble sleeping.

A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that small doses of melatonin (0.3 mg) helped insomniacs sleep better.  One cup of tart-cherry juice of 1/8 cup dried tart cherries contains roughly 0.3 mg of melatonin.  

The recommendation is to eat tart cherries or drink one cup of juice about an hour before bedtime.  This is so that the melatonin from the tart cherries can be absorbed by the body.

Note: Sweet cherries also contain melatonin, but not as much as tart cherries.

Source: Bottom Line Magazine, Volume 34 Number 11

Which is Healthier, Fresh Salsa or Jarred Salsa? (Plus other comparisons!)

Cinco De Mayo may have just passed, but people eat things like salsa, tortillas, and tortilla chips every day.  Here is a quick crash course in some Cinco de Mayo nutrition and which is healthier for you.  Some of the answers may surprise you.

Fresh Salsa vs Jarred Salsa

Fresher isn't always better: Tomatoes are one of the best sources of the antioxidant lycopene, but your body absorbs more of it when the tomatoes have been heated.  Jarred salsa is typically cooked before it's packaged, so it offers more of the nutrient than the fresh version.

Winner: Jarred Salsa

Corn Tortillas vs Flour Tortillas

Flour tortillas have 3X the calories and 5X the fat of corn tortillas.  Switching to whole-wheat flour tortillas boosts your fiber intake, but the calories and fat are still there.

Winner: Corn Tortillas

Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips vs Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Blue corn chips are often labeled as all natural, so people assume they're the better choice.  But the FDA doesn't regulate the use of that term.  In fact, the two varieties have the same number of calories and grams of fat.  And because most of the sodium is added, the health factor depends more on the brand than on the color.

Winner: It's a Draw

Red Sangria vs White Sangria

Red wine is loaded with resveratrol, a compound in the skin of grapes that is thought to be good for t heart.  White wine has none of this, plus many white sangria recipes call for fruit juice and sweet liquors, so they typically end up with higher sugar counts.

Winner: Red sangria

Source: Food Network Magazine May 2013 

Three Healthy Chocolate Cereals

Who doesn't love chocolate?  If I could, I would eat it every day.  For those of us that eat breakfast, cereal is a popular option.  One of the more popular cereals, especially among kids, is chocolate cereals.  Chocolate cereals have been synonymous with being sugary and unhealthy.  But, that is not always the case.  Here are 3 healthy chocolate cereals that you can eat or feed to your children without feeling guilty:

1. Kellogg's Special K Chocolaty Strawberry Cereal ($4.99/box): This Kellogg's cereal delivers crispy flakes, dried strawberries, and rich cocoa pieces, packing in more iron and vitamin C per serving than most kids' cereals. 

2. Fiber One 80 Calories Chocolate Cereal ($4.29/box): This cereal contains fewer calories per serving than many popular cereals and packs 3X more fiber and 8X more calcium.  The crunchy chocolate nuggets make a sweet snack on their own, too. 

3. Cascadian Farm Organic Chocolate O's ($4.99/box): This organic cereal contains 8 grams of whole grain per serving, 7 vitamins and minerals, and 3 grams of fiber per serving (3/4 cup).  Did I mention, each serving is a modest 100 calories?  I have personally tried these Chocolate O's and have found them to be a great and tasty cereal snack.