But there’s some controversy about grilling — is it TRULY healthy?

Is there truth to the thought that barbecuing and grilling can be unhealthy?

Well, yes and no.

We grill regularly — most days of the week from spring – fall.

Not just for the flavor, but it’s a healthy way to cook from a fat and calorie perspective too.  You don’t have to add oil, butter, or other ingredients like you do if cooking indoors.

And there’s little to no cleanup, which might be one of the best reasons of all!

But there has been some talk and controversy — do barbecuing or grilling cause cancer?

Here’s the deal.

Barbecuing at higher temperatures can produce a couple cancer causing compounds.  We’re not saying if barbecue on occasion you’re going to get cancer.  But stick with me.

The two compounds that can be created by barbecuing are long words that have acronyms — heterocyclic amines (HA’s) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s.)

The first one, HA, is created when meat is overcooked or charboiled (burned).  And it’s been shown to cause cancer in animals. 

Then there’s the other — PAH — that comes from the smoke off a barbecue, like when fat drips from the meat onto the hot grill and smokes.  The cancer causing compound, PAH, then can be absorbed back into the food.

Cancer experts suggest that occasional grilled food is safe, but not excessive intake.  The other thing to consider is how you cook your foods on the grill, considering options to minimize any potential dangers of barbecuing or grilling.

Here are 5 Tips to Make your Grilling/Barbecuing Safer (but just as tasty!)

1. Grill at lower temperatures to reduce the likelihood of charring meat.  On a charcoal grill, wait until the flame dies on the charcoals.  On a
2. Trim the visible fat off meats before cooking to reduce drippings
3. Try grilling veggies and fruit – using these as the bulk of your meal vs. meats.  Using skewers is a great way to do this.  Less charring, more nutrients is a true win win!
4. Marinate meats.  Some have suggested marinades with vinegar, in particular, may "protect" the meat in a way and produce less carcinogens. 
5. Clean your grill grates regularly – these removes any charring between uses.

___________________________________

Last week we spent some time in California.

A little work in the Santa Cruz area and then ALL play in Sonoma.  Some wine tastings, olive oil tastings, beautiful weather and great for a little R & R.

While we were in Santa Cruz, I was giving a talk on omega-3 fats and healthy fats in general.  We were at the Nordic Naturals HQ (the #1 omega-3 fish oil company) and at the end of the presentation, I was asked about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Last week we talked about the potential health benefits of coconut water.  Now, we’re moving on to coconut oil.

Coconut oil has traditionally gotten a very bad wrap because it is mostly saturated fat.  And it’s been shown through research that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease.  Put those two sentences together … and in the most simplistic terms, it means too much coconut oil can cause heart disease.

But then some research started to emerge, looking more closely at the type of saturated fat that is in coconut oil (primarily lauric acid, for other nerds like us).  And proponents started to point at the longevity of some populations in tropical areas who have been eating coconut oil for centuries as evidence that it should be part of the diet.  Others, not surprisingly, also started to suggest coconut oil has some magical "cure all" health properties … of course there’s always two sides to every story. 

We’ll let the research do the talking instead of what you’ll find with a simple google search.

We’ll save you the complicated biochemistry, but just know that the different types of saturated fats seem to make a difference in terms of their health properties.  This hasn’t given governing bodies the "go ahead" however to start recommending coconut oil.

Many still suggest it’s saturated, so it’s therefore "bad."  

From our point of view and scouring over the research, though, we like coconut oil.  But here’s the most important point of this entire email …

…we like it as a replacement for less healthy, processed saturated and trans fats.  We’re not suggesting you buy tubs of coconut oil and eat it by the spoonful.  It’s not about "adding" coconut oil to a junky diet.  It’s about replacing.  That’s the key.

And when we’re talking coconut oil, it’s the unprocessed, extra virgin coconut oil we’d suggest.  Processed or partially hydrogenated coconut oil is just as bad for you as other processed fats (or any sugar, for that matter, but today we’re focusing solely on fat).

So the general recommendations still stand ring true — keep saturated fat to under 10% of your overall fat calories.  But then within that recommendation, focus on the saturated fats that aren’t processed, which is exactly where unprocessed, extra virgin coconut oil falls into play. 

Yes, it can all be very confusing.

Here are 3 take away points from ‘Coconut Oil — A Healthy Saturated Fat.’

1. Stick to unprocessed, extra virgin coconut oil.
2. REPLACE less healthy processed and trans fats with unprocessed, extra virgin coconut oil.
3. Coconut oil is not a magical cure all like some suggest.  It’s a healthier saturated fat.  That’s it.

 Please click the ‘like’ button to share this with your friends on Facebook

It’s not just how much we eat that matters.

But even WHERE we eat matters! 

A recent report came out showing that around 43% of total calories are from eating out!  That’s nearly half of all our calories being eaten outside of the home.

Sad.  Scary.  And it’s a quick fire way to gain some serious weight!

We first wrote about the report that came out last year showing restaurant food labels are "wrong" in the sense that the calorie values aren’t quite correct … the labels don’t meet the actual values (sounds almost like Dietary Supplements!).  

Now, let’s make it VERY clear that we definitely do not believe restaurants are the "cause" of the obesity epidemic, even if some of their more popular meals are packed with more calories than an adult should eat in an entire day (Cheesecake Factory, anyone?). 

It all boils down to personal responsibility, regardless of the outrageous calorie, fat, sugar and sodium counts at popular sit downs.  Eating out at restaurants should be kept to a minimum anyhow — but of course there will be times when it’s inevitable.

That being said, it’s estimated that on average, Americans get around 43% of total calories from restaurants!  Crazy.

Anyhow, recently many restaurants started sharing their nutrition information…

…on their websites, at the restaurant itself, and sometimes even on the menu.

In fact, a recent law went into effect in New York City that all chain restaurants must include the nutrition info front and center for customers to see.  I know I’ve done a double take when traveling to NY — some of those numbers can really shock you!

But what if they were ALL WRONG?  Can we trust them?

What if the companies we were putting our trust in to give us at least a little help were lying?

On average, restaurant foods contained 18% more calories than stated, with some providing over twice as many calories than reported!

***********************
TAKE HOME POINTS
***********************

1. Eat out less often.  We know those who eat out more often weigh more.  Even when you make the better choices on the menu, it’s still not the same as eating at home! 
2. Make Eating out a special event.  Go to more expensive restaurants less frequently vs. less expensive restaurants more frequently.  Even if Applebees, Chilis, or similar restaurants are less expensive, when visiting places like this almost half the days of the month (according to the previously mentioned study)…you’ll be spending more anyhow!

Stick to those few nutrition basics and others belly fat fighting strategies we’ve discussed — you’ll be guaranteed to reach your physical goals!

For more information on permanently losing belly fat, check out how your thoughts can help you lose weight .

We’ve talked about organic vs. conventional foods in previous blog posts. 

Basically the "Dirty Dozen" list are the 12 foods that have been found to be highest in pesticides when a random sample is taken from a the grocery store shelves.  In other words, since these are highest in pesticides, it’s suggested that if you’re picking and choosing which foods should be organic, focus on these 12 first. 

This shouldn’t come as a surprise with the recent headlines suggesting the pesticides in foods, namely many berries, like blueberries, are linked to ADD in children. 

That being said, here is the updated Dirty Dozen list of foods from the Environmental Working Group.  Again, these are the 12 foods you should go organic with if you’re picking and choosing.  As an easy rule of thumb, notice all of those are ones you’d eat the skin/leaf. 

As a general rule of thumb, if you peel it (banana, avocado, melons, etc) there’s less concern over pesticides since you’re not eating the part that would be sprayed. 

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines – imported
7. Grapes – imported
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries – domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

Maybe even a MORE important message, though, even more than focusing on those 12 higher pesticide foods … is that conventionally grown fruit and veggies is STILL better than none. 

Next, if you ARE picking and choosing organic or not, focus on these 12 to spend the extra money.

Do you choose organic?  Let us know!


Please click the ‘like’ button below to share this important post with your friends and family on FB!

So if it’s not food dyes, is it pesticides that should be banned?  Are pesticides an issue?  Check out this study from the Journal, Pediatrics.

In a nutshell the study measured pesticide content in the urine of over 1,000 8-15 year olds.  Over10% of the participants had symptoms of ADHD … and, those with the highest concentration of the pesticide were more likely to have ADHD.

First, and as always, correlation doesn’t mean causation — in other words this was a correlation study, not one where we can directly see a cause and effect response.  However they did do a great job controlling for many other factors.

The first media report I saw about this focused on frozen fruit and vegetables — it said "you should not eat these anymore."  

And then some others started trickling out and they loosened up their recommendations a bit.

So what’s our take on it?

First, this was just one study — looking at just one snapshot of time in the adolescents.  However, keep in mind that others have shown other effects on the brain from this particular common pesticide.  And the doses of this pesticide were at "normal" consumption levels in adolescents, so not some abnormal amount given to determine the effect.

So more studies are clearly needed.

But with an almost 2 year old daughter ourselves, hearing "more studies are needed" when we’re talking about the health of children isn’t a great answer, even though we still do want to see them.

This study is clearly not definitive and is not the "final answer" on this situation.

There is likely a lot we don’t know about food additives, dyes, chemicals, and pesticides.  And that hammers home the point of focusing on foods that have less ingredients when feeding yourself and your family.

It also brings up the point again about buying organic foods.

BOTTOM LINE

From what we know about this point in time, there are a few things we suggest you can do:

• If you garden yourself, avoid using pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals.  
• Also avoid using fertilizers and pesticides on your lawns, if you have kids who play in them, or have gardens where these can leach into the soil.
• When you do buy "soft" fruits that you eat the skin, like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and peaches, for example, buy organic.  Yes, these might cost more, but it appears to be worthwhile down the road.
• Try to eat local foods when they are in season

In our opinion, the unknown is not worth it for our health and safety.  Yes, the pesticide companies and some governing bodies say these are all safe — but the less of anything "foreign" we can put in our bodies, the better. 

But stress is that often overlooked piece that can ultimately make or break your success. Let’s figure out how to put a stop to this!

You see, there’s this powerful hormone in our body called cortisol – it’s known as “the stress hormone.” It’s a chemical our bodies release when we’re coping with different stressors. It creates a fight-or-flight response, which can ultimately signal our bodies to hang onto our fat stores just in case they’re needed for the ‘battle’ or famine ahead.

Despite the progression of our society (famine is hardly a worry for most), our bodies’ core responses haven’t changed much. And that is why ongoing stress is a major contributor to that ring of fat around the middle commonly called the "muffin top” or “spare tire.”

We work late hours. Maybe you lost a job. Kids are driving you crazy. The list of stressors in our lives could be endless.

This isn’t a bad thing, but it’s important to gain balance in our lives. Our culture is one that thrives on a "more is more" philosophy – we wear our ‘busyness’ and our consumption like a badge, always eager to add one more activity or responsibility to our already-overloaded plate.

Here are a few ways to lessen that load, lower your cortisol levels and lose that muffin top or spare tire once and for all!

1. "Yes" is a four-letter word. Well, not really, but it might as well be. If you tend to say yes to everything that’s asked of you, chances are you’re exhausted, burned out and less-than-pleasant for the people who mean the most to you. So say it with me: NO. It will be the best word you’ve ever used in 2010
2. Take time to breathe. As simple as it sounds, breath is life. There’s a reason why yoga is so popular – it forces people to slow down and truly breathe, which then helps you reconnect with your inner balance. When your stress level is zooming upwards, force yourself to take deep breaths and get centered again. You’ll calm your heart rate and get body and brain-boosting oxygen flowing.
3. Prioritize, and then cut yourself a break. Be nice to yourself! You’re the only self you’ve got. If your to-do list is too long, look at it and ask yourself honestly what has to be done RIGHT NOW. Then accomplish those things, and leave the rest to another day.
4. Make a new list. Many of us keep lengthy to-do lists to keep us on track. Add a new twist to your list: at the end of each day, list your accomplishments. Seeing how much you got done over the course of the day will boost your self-esteem and make you feel readier to tackle tomorrow’s tasks.
   • Get your workout in? Check.
   • Bills paid? Check.

   Provided healthy meals, met deadlines, didn’t forget anyone’s soccer practice or homework? Check, check and check.

Don’t let stress rule your life. Take control and be the best you NOW!

So anyhow, me and the anchor were talking about some smart nutrition decisions people can make to help them lose weight faster.

And she asked about some particular foods — wondering specifically what parts of the Turkish Diet are the best?  While I could have named many — fish, fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, olives and olive oil — for example, one food that I noticed Turks eat much more of is beans, the "magical" fruit.  So while I did talk about some of those other foods above, I surprised her by saying how beans can help with weight loss.

Beans are high up on the list for one of the greatest foods of all time…

Gram for gram, it would be harder to find a more nutrient dense food for the same cost.

Outside of fruits and vegetables (both carbs), beans are a winner in the carb category too (and, technically, they are a fruit anyhow) – super high in fiber, yet they offer a good amount of protein and other nutrients too.

In fact, a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2003 showed that black beans had antioxidants levels equivalent even to some fruits!  The levels of the particular antioxidant, anthocyanin, which gives beans and dark fruits their color, were 10 times as high in black beans compared to oranges – and were equivalent to grapes, apples, and cranberries!

Now all beans are fantastic (pinto, garbanzo, kidney, cannellini, etc), but this particular antioxidant was particularly high in black beans.

Antioxidants fight something called free radicals; too many free radicals and low levels of antioxidants have been associated with heart disease and other diseases.

Aside from antioxidants, we know fiber is fantastic for heart health, but beans also provide folate and magnesium, which both may be responsible for some of their heart health benefits too.

Check this out – in one study, researchers followed more than 16,000 middle-aged men from around the world for 25 years.

One of their findings – the higher the consumption of beans, the lower the risk of death from heart disease.  And not just a little lower – there was an 82% reduction in risk!

Another study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine followed nearly 10,000 Americans for 19 years … people eating the most fiber, which they found to be 21 grams/day compared to those who ate the least (5 grams/day) had 11% less heart disease.  The authors attributed this finding to the high fiber in the diet.

This wasn’t just isolated to bean consumption, but since they provide around 10 grams per ½ cup, they’re surely an easy option.

And keep in mind even the "highest" intake of 21 grams/day is less than the recommended intake, which is upwards of 25g+ per day.

So how do you include more beans?

• Add them to a salad
• Use them in place of red meat in dishes like chili, quesadillas, or burritos
• Add them to a wrap with mixed veggies (add avocado for an even better nutrient punch)
• Add them to eggs with mixed veggies
• Mix them with canned salmon and some balsamic vinaigrette (a personal favorite) 
• Find a black bean soup recipe or black bean burger recipe online for ideas.   

Aim to include 1/2 cup of beans at least 4 times per week.

Now I didn’t share all that sciency data on Sky Turk TV (after all, I had a translator speaking in my ear so I had to speak in the most simple, yet effective way possible. 

Omega 3 fats come from fish and fish oil. 

ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DEATHS can be prevented from simply eating more fish and taking a quality fish oil product.

But here’s the question — with 100′s of products on the market — what does "quality" mean?

And that’s where a Styrofoam cup comes in.  That’s not a typo — we’re going to reveal today and insider secret — how a Styrofoam cup can determine the quality of your omega 3 supplement!   

Find out if your fish oil is the *evil* ethyl ester with a simple Styrofoam cup!

Here’s the secret to find out because the label won’t always tell you!

Other key factors with buying a high quality fish oil (the Styrofoam cup test is just the first step in making sure you have a decent omega 3 product).  Here are 3 others:

1. High concentration of EPA and DHA which you can see on the label (aim for at least 500 mg per serving)
2. Molecularly distilled to remove any and all impurities
3. Fresh, clean tasting to ensure the fish oil isn’t rancid.

Are you 33% closer to the goals you set for 2011? 

Although January is typically thought of as the "weight loss month" with all the fat loss goals everyone sets for the New Year, surveys suggest March is actually a BIGGER month for dieting and weight loss attempts.  Interesting.

Is it that warm weather signals "bathing suit" season is around the corner?

Regardless of the reasons of why fat loss is a top priority in March, today we’re sharing what we call the "Diet Cheat Sheet."

These are 7 Super Simple Steps are our "Diet Cheat Sheet" and you should keep these handy when trying to lose weight, use nutrition as medicine, and get healthy.  Print these and keep them visible so you can be sure you’re working on it daily … heck, even if you’re not trying to lose weight for bathing suit season … if you simply want to improve your nutrition, these perfect little nutrition nuggets will keep you on track.

1. Plan your meals for the week.  We do this by sitting down with a few of our favorite magazines, picking out some recipes, and going from there.  It helps more than you can imagine and that 15 minutes of planning will save you a TON of time during the week. 
2. Pack your food at night for the following day.  This goes with planning ahead, but doing it the night before saves you from rushing around the morning of work and forgetting everything while trying to get you and the rest of your family out the door on time.
3. Prep your veggies when you get home from the store.  Sound crazy?  It will take you 22 minutes (don’t believe me?  Watch me prep our veggies for the week here) … and when they’re prepped, you’ll eat them because no one feels like going through the prepping process during the day.  You want quick and easy. 
4. Don’t buy snack food — keep it out of your house.  If it’s not there, you’re less likely to eat it.  We could expand on that, but it’s pretty straightforward — and don’t tell us "it’s for the kids" because more often than not, you’re eating it.
5. Have a bowl of fresh fruit visible at all times.  Food that’s visible will be eaten.  And those who eat more fruit weigh less and have less disease. 
6. Eat breakfast daily.  You’ve certainly heard this one before, but it bears repeating.  Eat breakfast and you’ll lose weight faster, have lower rates of heart disease, and have more energy. 
7. Include a veggie and/or fruit with every single meal.  The more you eat of both of those, the faster you’ll get results — if that means faster fat loss, fantastic. 

Please Click the "Like" Button Below to Share this with your friends!

Regardless of the timing, though, guilt free drinking is always of interest.

It was funny.  The other day I’m talking to a woman — Theresa — who swears she’s been doing everything to lose belly fat.  She’s cut out added sugars and refined carbs.  She’s replaced her daily soda habit with water and swapped out chips for raw nuts and fruit at snack time.  She’s traded in her normal slow cardio routine for higher intensity training too. 

On the surface, those few things would have seemed to help Theresa lose belly fat.

But she wasn’t losing fat at all.  In fact, she said she’d plateaued for 8 weeks now.

And then I started to dig a little deeper.  The culprit?  The "weekend benders" she said she had, where she would have 3-4 drinks on Friday and Sat, sometimes even starting on Thursday. 

So, first of all, let’s get one thing straight — alcohol is never the best option in the world when looking for fat loss. 

Of course alcohol itself has calories, but outside of that fact alone, when you drink, you’ll eat more.  In fact one study showed that after just 1 drink at lunch time, people ate 15% more.  And that’s just with 1 drink!

SO add the alcohol calories PLUS the added calories from the additional food…and you’ve got a recipe for fat loss disaster!

Are we saying never drink alcohol again when trying to lose belly fat?

Not NEVER…but certainly the less you can drink, the better your fat loss results.

If you want a simple fat loss solution, start with eliminating alcohol …

For some people, cutting out alcohol is the fastest way to lose belly fat. 

Think that’s impossible and there’s no way it will work with your lifestyle?

Limit to 1 night during the week, not both … and then limit your drinks to 1 for women, 2 for men.  The fast fat loss results will speak for themselves!