Flat-Belly Plan

Hi everyone,

I wanted to take a minute to comment on my perspective on a Flat Belly Plan prior to the airing of Dr. Oz's show on this topic.

Importantly, where each of us deposits our fat stores is very much gene-dependent & is at least in part controlled by our hormone levels (i.e. men tend to deposit in the beer belly vs. women in the hips).

The concept of targeting fat loss to a specific is a challenging one.  Just ask anyone who's tried to accomplish this feat before!

However, there is evidence that including certain foods into your nutrition plan will help to clear out some of the omental (around the organ) fat preferentially, possibly by activating fat clearing enzymes in the liver that act to remove some of the fat.  This is very beneficial because of this omental fat is the one that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancers (to name a few).

Obviously, there are different theories out there, but here's my perspective on the evidence at this time.

Dietitian Dan T's Flat-Belly Plan

1.  Initiate general fat loss in your body.

• Create a 20-30% calorie deficit, more than this can actually stop fat loss - see my video - on this topic
• Increase in intense exercise daily (both cardio & resistance based over the week) - see Trainer C video channel - Chizle Fitness YouTube Channel 

2.  Cut out most if not all pro-inflammatory foods

Many foods have been implicated in increasing the body’s inflammatory response, often because the body perceives them to be pathogens.  Our gut cells evolved long before the onset of agriculture, so many of the products of agriculture tend to elicit an inflammatory response in many people.

• Bagels
• Breads, rolls, baked goods
• Candy, Cake, Cookies, Crackers
• Cereals (except old fashioned oatmeal)
• Cornstarch
• Corn bread & muffins
• Corn syrup
• Croissants, Doughnuts
• Egg rolls
• Fast food
• French Fries
• Fruit juices
• Fried foods
• Flour
• Granola
• Hard cheese (except for feta and grating cheeses, such as Romano and Parmesan)
• Honey
• Hot dogs
• Ice cream, frozen yogurt
• Jams, preserves
• Margarine
• Molasses
• Muffins
• Noodles
• Pancakes, Pastry
• Pie, Waffles
• Pita bread
• Pizza
• Pasta
• Popcorn
• Potatoes
• Pudding
• Relish
• Rice
• Sherbet
• Shortening
• Snack foods (i.e. potato chips, pretzels, corn chips, rice cake, etc.)
• Soda, Sugar
• Tacos, Tortillas

General rule is that the more highly processed a food is (i.e. refined carbohydrates, saturated fats), the more it will increase inflammation via cytokine release, so limit your exposure to processed foods.

Additionally, the fat from sick animals (conventionally farmed) is linked to a host of inflammatory conditions and other health challenges.  So limit your exposure to fat content from conventionally farmed animals.

Omega-6 fats are also pro-inflammatory.  Rich sources include corn, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed and soybean oils.  These are essential fats, but the optimal ratio between anti-inflammatory (omega-3 oils) and these pro-inflammatory omega-6 oils is 1 part (omega-3):4 parts (omega-6).  In North America, unless we are intentionally choosing more omega-3 fats, we tend to consume closer to 1 part (omega-3):10-20 parts (omega-6).  This obviously imbalances the body’s inflammatory pathways to favor pro-inflammation processes.  Over time, this can lead to diseases whose etiologies are likely due to inflammatory pathways (mentioned above).  It could also aggravate said conditions (worsening symptoms).

3. Consume anti-inflammatory foods

On the contrary, there are many foods that have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body.  Many of these food items are those that gut cells and the body would recognize, because they were present during the bulk of our genome adaptation (i.e. hunter-gatherer span).

Aside from specific identified inflammation reducing foods, it is important to choose foods that provide energy and essential nutrients and do NOT increase inflammation.  These follow:

Carbohydrate sources:  Vegetables and Fruits mostly unprocessed; Quinoa, Wild rice and Old fashioned oatmeal (Scottish large chunks).  These are the optimal choices.  Next, if you consider whole grain products, there will be some inflammation, but less compared with highly processed foods (listed above).

Omega-3 fat rich foods including oily fish (Wild caught Salmon, Herring, Sardines, Arctic Char, Anchovies, Mackerel, Lake Trout are among the best).  Meat and Eggs from exercised (truly free range or run animals) and fed their natural diet (i.e. cows = grass) also have more favorable fatty acid profiles compared to conventionally farmed ones that tend to be not exercised and sick.

Monounsaturated fats are also greatly anti-inflammatory and a great source for fat energy.  Among the richest sources of these are olives, avocados, most nuts and seeds and their unrefined oils.  Tip: the cheapest, extra-virgin version of olives and avocados are the whole fruits themselves, not the oils.  You also get fiber with the healthy unrefined oils when consuming the whole olives and avocados.

• Kelp
• Tumeric
• Wild caught salmon
• Shitake mushrooms
• Green Tea
• Papaya
• Blueberry
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Broccoli
• Sweet Potato

 The optimal targets for fat intake are as follows:

A)           Trans fats – None – check the label and be sure it states truly zero.  Any increases risk of heart disease, so avoid.

B)            Saturated fats – limit to < 25 g / day.  Eliminate those from conventional animal products because often toxins are stored here and sick animals would have higher levels of bad fats.  Whenever possible try to choose exercised, naturally fed animals and even certified organic if you can.

C)            Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats.  Choose somewhere between 1:4 or 1:1 ratio between these respectively.  Decide where you will fall in that range based on your inflammation levels.  If you have more inflammation in your body then target closer to 1:1 ratio vs. 1:4.

D)           Monounsaturated fats – these will be the primary focus of your fat intake after you know that you’ve eliminated trans fats, are limiting your saturated and are getting your appropriate target for omega 3 and omega 6 fats.  Most people require between 50 and 100 g of fat/day, depending on your calorie target and what percentage of your energy needs your fat will comprise.  So these will make up the difference in your fat intake goal.

Sample Anti-inflammatory Meal.

Here is an example of an anti-inflammatory meal.  You might have to adjust the portions in order to support your weight management goal.

 3-4 oz Wild caught salmon – lemon, garlic & pepper seasoned + grilled (seared, and then cooked in tinfoil)

2 cups Steamed Broccoli + Spinach

2 Tbsp Olive oil + Balsamic vinegar dressing

½ cup steamed mushrooms + onions in 1 Tbsp Olive oil.

4. Cope Effectively with Stress.

We're starting to better understand that emotional stress is intimately connected to our physiological (& psychological) health.

There is mounting evidence that when under stress, the cells of the immune system are not able to respond to hormonal control & therefore inflammatory levels are reached that promote disease.

Therefore, being able to not allow stress to reach a level that causes this effect is key to preventing risk of inflammatory-induced diseases.

Intense exercise, Yoga, Meditation, Martial arts incorporating focus & zen philosophy, support groups & therapy have all been shown to be great stress management tools.

Do these now.  You can start by trying out some free online exercise session with Trainer C over at Chizle Fitness .

5. Get Adequate Sleep.

More and more studies have shown lately that sleep is inversely associated with inflammation.  For example, people who slept 6 hours or less per night, has higher levels of inflammatory markers fibrinogen, IL-6 and C-reactive protein.

It's critical to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night as this has been associated with lower inflammation & lower disease risk in general.  Furthermore, this sleep should be uninterrupted as much as possible.  Try to sleep in absolute dark, have a wind down ritual that doesn't involve a computer, sleep in a cool room & wake up as gently as possible.

Remember that it's a holistic approach is needed here.  If any of these components are off, then your inflammation will likely be higher & your belly fat will be "resistant" to being used.

Go and give your best!  Try it for 3 months & see what these lifestyle changes can do for you!


Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to start learning the truth about nutrition at home for free!
Dietitian Dan T's Chizle Fuel Channel

Until next time!

Dietitian Dan T

Citations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation

http://www.oprah.com/health/Dr-Perricones-List-of-Pro-Inflammatory-Foods#ixzz24krYuVsH

http://www.livestrong.com/article/332010-list-of-pro-inflammatory-foods/#ixzz24ksABi7V

http://theconsciouslife.com/top-10-anti-inflammatory-foods.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120402162546.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101114161939.htm

Brand New Fat Burners...

Hi everyone,

As Dr. Oz start his week dedicated to weight loss I wanted to touch on some key fat burning food items.

1) Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

There are various types of CLAs found mostly in the meat and dairy products derived from ruminants, especially when they are fed grass! The conjugated refers to their double bonds being separated by a single bond between them.
Animal studies have revealed possible roles in: hindering growth of cancer cells, increase belly firmness via fat reduction.
Human studies have revealed role in fat loss specifically decreases in fat mass & increases in lean body mass.  This would lead to an increase in metabolic rate, due to lean body mass burning significantly more calories vs. fat mass.  Some studies have had nil findings with respect to fat loss. Also, other ingredients used concomitantly might have skewed some positive findings that then disappeared once appropriately controlled for.

 Potential side effects of CLA supplements that have been found in research include:
Aggravation of insulin resistance at least initially.
High levels of oxidative stress, greater than that of smokers.
Redistribution of essential fatty acids including a reduction of DHA in the heart tissue which could remove protective effects of DHA on cardiac tissue.

Obviously, these risks come from supplement use.  No such observations have been made from consuming dietary sources of this compound.

Therefore, incorporate rich sources of CLA into your diet regularly for optimal fat burning benefits.

Dietary sources:
Meat & dairy products from grass-fed ruminants (i.e. cows) are 300-500% higher in CLA vs. grain fed ruminants.
Eggs from free run (exercised) chickens that eat their natural diet (grasses & bugs) or supplemented with omega 3 are both good sources of CLA.

2)  Capsiacin

This is the active component of plants belonging to the genus Capsicum, one of the most recognizable would be the chili peppers.

This compound is an irritant to mammals (including us) producing a burning sensation in tissues it comes in contact with.

There are 6 known forms of Capsaicinoids the most common of which is Capsaicin.

They have been used for years to give "heat" (piquancy) to the flavor of food.
It has been used topically for numbing pain and personally I've used it in soups along with onion & garlic when I have a sore throat to soothe that!

In addition to the clear cut pain numbing effects of this compound, it might have benefits to fat burning.

Although, studies have shown no direct correlation between weight loss and capsaicin, but there was an inverse correlation between intake of capsaicin and weight regain (i.e. more capsaicin, less weight regain).

Capsaicin has been shown to shift substrate oxidation from carbohydrate to fat oxidation, similar to what a low carbohydrate diet would do after the two week adaptation period.  This results in a decrease in appetite and subsequent decrease in food intake.Additionally, there is an increase in thermogenesis, increase in body temperature ("heat"), post consupmtion this has not been associated with weight loss. Increases in satiety also result from oral & gastrointestinal exposure to capsaicin.  It has more recently been suggested that ingestion of capsaicinoids increases the level of brown adipose tissue (great for fat burning) through increases in energy expenditure and oxidation.

Therefore, incorporate as much capsaicinoids into your diet regularly for optimal fat burning benefits.

Dietary sources:
Spicy peppers (Cayenne, Habanero, Jalapeno, etc...) - fresh or the spices created from these.
Red Bell Peppers
Cumin
Tumeric

I hope you find this information useful.  Please comment with any questions or topics you would like to hear more about.

Also, be sure to check out my YouTube video on fat burning foods for more ideas.

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel & start learning the truth about nutrition for health & fat burning at home for free!

Real foods that help you burn fat

Now go out & optimize your health & fat burning!

Dietitian Dan T

The Best all natural appetite suppressants

Hi Everyone,

Let's face it when we are working on changing our nutrition to decrease our calorie intake and limit our exposure to processed food, we can use some help overcoming cravings & the natural increase in appetite that some people feel in response to a lowering in calorie intake.

Remember, the first thing is to never drop your calories more than 20-30% of your needs.  Whichever end you can handle, stay there.  Otherwise, you're setting yourself up for failure.

The Best all natural appetite suppressants

1) Pure Water - drinking 1-2 cups 15-20 minutes before each meal can help hydrate the digestive system and also decrease the appetite going into a meal.

2) Low carb vegetables especially leafy greens - These are extremely low in calories, but are very high in micro nutrients & fiber.  As a result they are the most nutrient dense food.  These do not have to be counted (carbohydrate or calorie wise) but obviously contribute to your 10 fists of fruits & vegetables daily.




3) Soluble fiber - this can be either in the form of a fiber supplement (Benefiber, etc...) or a specific supplement like PGX (soluble-fiber like). Guar gum, Xanthan gum or Pectin could all work individually or combined together (and mixed with liquid).  These will essentially swell up in the stomach and hold the food in the antrum (lower part of the stomach) longer before emptying. This ensure that your satiety (fullness felling) lasts longer.  Again, doing this 15-20 minutes before a meal can significantly reduce your appetite at meal times.

4) Fresh apples or pears - these fruits contain a high amount of soluble fiber (pectin) and water.  So eat one of these 15-20 minutes before a meal and combine with 1) to see maximal results.  Remember to count the carb and calorie content of this choice.







5) Broth, - this combines number 1) (water) with the flavor of chicken or beef and some of the nutritional content if made from scratch that help decrease appetite.  Choose chicken or beef broth that is lower in sodium (if store bough it will still be relatively high).

6) Green tea or lemon in hot water - these provide an astrigent/sour flavor which override the taste buds and effectively shut down our perception for sweet and salty for a period of time following consumption.  These are great strategies not only to use at meal times but also for times when you might be struck with cravings for sweet or salty foods (i.e. junk foods), for example in the evening.


 I hope you find these strategies useful!  Try them and see what they do for you!

Follow me on Twitter and friend me on Facebook for more useful tips & motivation.

www.twitter.com/dietitiandant

www.facebook.com/dietitiandant

Also, subscribe to my YouTube channel for more cutting edge nutrition information delivered to your home for free!

https://www.youtube.com/chizlefuel

Have a great day!

Dietitian Dan T

Limit your Exposure to Food Processing for a Longer & Leaner Life

Limit your Exposure to Food Processing for a Longer & Leaner Life.

Food processing includes any additives or technique that extends shelf life, therefore increasing profit margins for food companies.  Unfortunately, not much research is done into the long term effects on human health of these techniques.  Examples of the worst offenders include: sugar, refined flour and Trans fatty acids, which have all been implicated in several long term health challenges. Therefore, to optimize our health we must do our best to limit our exposure to them.

Food processing techniques are so widely used now that it is next to impossible to avoid them!  Many of these put us at risk for long term heath complications including overweight/obesity, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, depression, cognitive decline, etc…)

Most of our genes have been theorized to have evolved during the hunter-gatherer time frame. Therefore, let’s structure our diet as we did back then. Let’s look at a simplified breakdown.

1)      Vegetables & Fruits

-          One consistent finding over the years has been that people who eat adequate vegetables & fruits per day live longer and healthier than those who don’t.

-          Aim for 10 (of your) fists of vegetables & fruits daily!!! Remember if you are attempting to lose fat, then be sure that about 6-8 of those fists are low carb vegetables and the other 2-4 are fruits and/or cooked starchy vegetables.

-          As Canadians we have a few choices for the best quality vegetables and fruits.

o   1) Fresh vegetables and fruits - You can enjoy locally grown fresh produce, so TAKE ADVANTAGE.  You can even join a local CSA program (http://csafarms.ca/index.html).

o   2) Frozen vegetables and fruits – a good second option, most of the nutrition is still present.

2)      Meats, Poultry, Fish and Eggs

-          The best choices are grass fed meats and free range poultry and eggs as these provide good levels of omega 3 fats, which are essential and are anti-inflammatory in nature.

-          A good second choice is to choose the leanest cuts of regular farmed/mass-produced meats and poultry that you can.  Also omega 3 eggs are a good second option to free range eggs.

-          Wild caught fish and seafood are the best options.

3)      Nuts & Seeds

-          Use raw nuts & seeds whenever possible.

-          If you experience digestive upset with raw nuts, soak in water for 1-3 hours before eating.

-          If you are attempting to lose weight, limit your portions of nuts & seeds as these can easily lead to high calorie intakes.

-          Grinding nuts & seeds yourself can create very tasty & healthy nut butters that are excellent for spreading or dipping.

4)      Grain products

-          Technically, all grain products are processed.  Therefore, if you can’t live without these, then be sure to choose the least processed forms of grains that you can.

-          Choose “whole grain” whenever possible (legally only “whole grain” in the ingredients list means anything).

-          If you are getting your 10 fists of vegetables & fruits then you don’t need grain products, despite what you might read/hear.

5)      Dairy products

-          We don’t really need these products either, if we are getting enough quality animal proteins, oils & dark green vegetables.

-          If you consume dairy, choose certified organic or <2% products.

6)      Water

-          Drink 2 cups before each meal & in between.

-          Remove chlorine from water before drinking – using a filter system (e.g. Brita) is usually good enough.

7)      Supplements

-          The only two supplements that we most likely need are:

• A) Vitamin D – if we don’t get access to adequate sunlight.
•  Ideally we get 10-15 minutes of unprotected (no sunscreen) sun exposure a few times per week.
•  Discuss supplementation with your health care provider (often doses of 2000 IU are used).

•  B) Omega 3 (DHA + EPA) – on days when we don’t consume high omega 3 fish or other animal products.
• Usually 1-4 g per day of DHA+EPA total are prescribed to optimize liver metabolism.

8)      Physical Activity

-          Daily activity and consistency is key.  There’s no better time to start than right now!

-          Once to twice per week – lift heavy things!

-          Once per week – move really fast!

-          The rest of the time move slower but move & very often!!!

Refresher on SMART goal setting.

I realized that I never re-posted this session on SMART goal setting, so here it is!  This is absolutely critical in order to set yourself up for success, whatever your goals are.

Do NOT sell yourself short! You can achieve what you set out to achieve, just be sure to create the right road map (i.e. behaviors to reach the goal).  I will cover this in another blog (again) later.

Be sure to subscribe to our complete at home fitness & nutrition program.

https://www.youtube.com/chizlefuel = My nutrition channel.

https://www.youtube.com/chizlefitness = Trainer C’s at home fitness revolution!

Subscribe today & check back daily for the WOD & the nutrition tip/concept of the day!

We are here to help you succeed!

Sincerely,

Dan Tisi aka Dietitian Dan T

SMART GOAL SETTING

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope you all had a great holiday!  My wife and I are still eagerly awaiting the birth of our child.  Any day now!

In the spirit of the New Year, please enjoy my segment on how to set SMART goals.  Adopting this effective strategy should help to optimize your chances of successfully setting and reaching a goal rather than the business as usual New Year’s Resolutions, as you will see.  ENJOY!

Every New Years we do it...  Take a look at our lives and decided to change… something! January has the highest number of people starting lifestyle change plans, etc… However, it also has the highest percentage of these individuals who drop out, or quit!  Therefore, we examine how to set goals in a way that maximizes our chances of following through! 

SMART Acronym:

1)     Specific – Must answer the six “W” questions:

a.      Who – is involved?

b.     What – do I want to accomplish?

c.     Where – Identify a location.

d.     When – Establish a time frame.

e.      Which – Identify requirements and constraints.

f.       Why – Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

Example: SMART Goal regarding health = Do cardio training for 45 minutes 3 days / wk and resistance training for 45 minutes 3 days/wk at XYZ fitness club VS. Get in shape.

2)     Measurable – Concrete criteria for measuring progress towards the attainment of each goal you set & regularly scheduled progress checks.

3)     Attainable – You begin to figure out ways to achieve your goals.  Develop attitudes, abilities and the skills to reach them.  This “development” occurs only when you see goal achievement as possible for you.  Stair steps/Stage wise – over time what was once inconceivable to you becomes well within your achievement.

4)     Realistic – A goal must represent an objective toward which you are both WILLING and ABLE to work.  TEST of Realistic = DO you BELIEVE that the goal is attainable?

5)     Timely – A goal should be grounded with a time frame.  This increases your sense of urgency and can help you tap more of your resources to achieve the goal.

Other tips for Lifestyle Change Goals: 

A) Include adhering to your lifestyle habits as an outcome (i.e. I will consume 8 servings of fruits and vegetables per day; or 5 vegetables and 3 fruits per day; or I will do 3 cardio and 3 resistance training workouts this week (for 30 – 45 min each)).

B) Research your desired outcomes and be sure to discuss them with a health professional who can help you set a realistic target and timeframe, as well as help you overcome obstacles and use effective, proven strategies. 

C) Share your goals with peers who can support you and hold you accountable to your standards.

References:

1) Adapted from: Psycho-education.  2006.  Dr. I. Patelis-Siotis, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.

2) Wikipedia entry on SMART/ER - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria.