Diet vs. Exercise – You Can’t Out Train a Bad Diet

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Ronald McDonald

A lot of people believe that their exercise  will somehow make up for the way they eat. They use the excuse that they can eat whatever they want because their exercise offsets the excess calories taken in. This way of thinking is typically a set up to fail.  Most people do not end up with a six pack and really low percentage of body fat eating whatever they want whenever they want. The body just doesn’t work that way.  Often a person does not realize the amount of calories they consume and they also think they burn a lot more calories than they actually do. The majority of people have no clue how many are in the foods that they eat, but justify them with spending 30 minutes jogging or in the gym. The bottom line is that healthy eating and adequate exercise are the way to good health and a tone body.

In the same 3 minutes it takes to consume 800-1000 calories of food a person only burns approximately 40-45 calories in high impact cardio exercise.  It takes a lot more effort to burn 800 calories than it does to eat 800 calories. Yes, we all know that it takes less time to eat then exercise but the comparison helps us realize that one donut can defeat the results of an hour of aerobics.  Is it worth it? The excess calories rarely get burned off. In diet vs. exercise you can never out train a bad diet. The bad diet will win every time.  For someone who desires to be lean it takes eating the right amount of proper foods and an effective exercise routine. Receiving the maximum results from exercise will not happen without eating the right foods.  They go hand in hand.  Most of us are not Olympic Athletes who train up to 10 hours per day. They are an exception.

bad diet   Diet Recipes for Success

  • Eat 4-6 small meals per day
  • Snack on bananas, non fat yogurt, nuts and seeds 
  • Cut down on portion size – a fist full is enough
  • Choose lean proteins – tuna, salmon, egg whites, lean beef, turkey breast, ground turkey
  • Increase water drinking and stick to non caffeinated beverages – an average person adds an extra 500-800 calories per day drinking soda
  • Choose healthy fats – extra virgin olive oil
  • Eat high fiber carbs – corn tortillas, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread
  • Cut back on alcohol intake
  • Don’t think you have to clean your plate 
  • Track daily calories – it surprises a lot of people how many calories they actually consume.

The general population that is serious about exercising spends approximately 6-8 hours working out per week. This most likely will not cover the amount of calories taken in for a person who eats whatever they want whenever they want.  A great exercise workout program works if it does not have to go against an unhealthy diet. This is why you can’t out-train a bad diet.  It is so important to know what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat. A lifestyle of eating healthy is the way to utilize working out to the fullest. When a person says they can eat what they want because they exercise the body has news for them. The exercise will not offset their excess of calories. Running on a treadmill is great but it will not burn the excess calories of eating half a pizza. In general, people underestimate the actual amount of calories they eat and drink and over estimate the amount of calories they burn during a workout. Unless a person lives a healthy eating lifestyle combined with a regular exercise routine the body will not be able to burn the excess.  It takes both.

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Stevia: Good or Bad?

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 Sugar is one of the most dangerous ingredients on the market. It’s addictive, added to almost every processed food, and will make you overweight, depressed and sick if you eat too much. In fact, Americans eat close to 130 pounds of the stuff per person per year (4 times more than the recommended daily allowance), likely because it is so addictive. That’s why it’s exciting to know there are alternative sweeteners made in nature, like “stevia,” that don’t wreak havoc on your health – or do they? That’s what I went on a quest to find out. Here’s what happened…

What Is Stevia?

For those of you that are hearing about stevia for the first time, it is a plant that is typically grown in South America, and while it’s extract is 200 times sweeter than sugar, it does not raise blood insulin levels. That’s what makes it so popular. However in 1991 the FDA refused to approve this substance for use due to pressure from makers of artificial sweeteners like Sweet n’ Low and Equal (a one billion dollar industry). But in 2008, the FDA approved the use of rebaudioside compounds that were derived from the stevia plant by Coca-Cola (Cargill) and PepsiCo – hmmm doesn’t that sound suspicious? Not until a major food company got involved did stevia become legal, and only after it had been highly processed using a patentable chemical-laden process…so processed that Truvia (Coca-Cola’s branded product) goes through about 40 steps to process the extract from the leaf, relying on chemicals like acetone, methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, and isopropanol. Some of these chemicals are known carcinogens (substances that cause cancer), and none of those ingredients sound like real food, do they?

Stevia plant

 

The whole leaf stevia that you can grow in your backyard (and has been used for centuries in countries like Brazil and Paraguay) remains a non-approved food additive by the FDA. However, rebaudioside A (the stevia extract) that was approved by the FDA has not been used for centuries and long term human health impacts have not been studied and are still unknown. The sweetener/sugar industry wields powerful influence over what is ultimately approved at the FDA, and this is just another example where they are influencing decisions that don’t make sense. How can a chemically derived extract be deemed safe in processed food and a plant from mother nature not?

What Kind Of  Stevia To Avoid

Truvia1

The 40-step patented process used to make Truvia should make you want to steer clear of this stevia product alone, but there are two other concerning ingredients added (not only to Truvia but other stevia products as well). First, erythritol is a naturally occurring sugar that is sometimes found in fruit, but food manufacturers don’t actually use the natural stuff. Instead they start with genetically engineered corn and then go through a complex fermentation process to come up with chemically pure erythritol. Check out the manufacturing process below:

E-Manu-process

“Natural flavors” is another ingredient added to powdered and liquid stevia products, likely due to the fact that once the stevia leaf is processed it can develop a metallic taste. Manufactured natural flavor is contributing to what David Kessler (former head of the FDA) calls a “food carnival” in your mouth. This makes it difficult to stop eating or drinking because the flavors they have synthesized will trick your mind into wanting more and more. When companies use manufactured flavor, they are literally “hijacking” your taste buds one-by-one; that’s why I recommend putting products that contain “natural flavors” back on the shelf.

SteviaIntheRaw1

PureVia1

“Stevia in the Raw” sounds pure and natural, but when you look at the ingredients the first thing on the label is “dextrose” – so it’s certainly not just stevia in the raw. And Pepsi Co’s “Pure Via,” also pictured above, isn’t exactly pure either with this ingredient being first on the label, too. Dextrose is a sweetener that’s also derived from genetically engineered corn and has a long complicated manufacturing process, just like erythritol.

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 Even certified organic stevia can have sneaky ingredients added, like this one above which has more organic agave inulin than the stevia extract itself. Agave inulin is a highly processed fiber derivative from the blue agave plant. Also on the ingredient list is an item you are probably familiar with from those little packets sometimes found in boxed goods – silica (pictured). It is added to improve the flow of powdery substances and is the same ingredient that helps strengthen concrete and creates glass bottles and windowpanes. It may cause irritation of the digestive tract (if eaten) and irritation of the respiratory tract (if accidentally inhaled). While it is non-toxic and probably won’t kill you in small quantities, it’s definitely not a real food ingredient I would cook with or that I want to be putting in my body.

 

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Dr. Fuhrman’s GOMBS Diet AKA The Anti-Disease Diet

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The other night Britton and I stumbled upon a program on PBS presented by someone named Dr. Fuhrman. I had never heard of him, but his presentation was simple and compelling. With just five foods eaten nearly every day, he said you could prevent nearly every chronic disease, including especially cancer! He said that each of these five foods alone were powerhouses, but together in a single day or week, they had synergistic qualities that made them work even more amazingly to make you the best YOU!

For these foods he used the mnemonic device of GOMBS, like combs with a ‘g’ to help you remember them each time you make or eat a meal (also seen as G-BOMBS).

G- Greens. Raw leafy greens are awesome, low cal foods. At only about 100 calories PER POUND, they are one of those light foods that you can really have “all-you-can-eat”. They are full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and fiber and the all-important folate. Greens also include veggies in the cruciferous family like bok choy, broccoli, cabbage and kale. These work in the body to reduce inflammation, reduce oxidation, remove carcinogens (cancer-causers), and kill cancer cells. Pretty awesome!

Garden-Goods
Homegrown romaine lettuce, garlic, a RADISH! and strawberries from my garden in the summertime

O-Onions. When I heard this one I cringed because I have never liked onions my whole life. However, I learned that this is the “Allium” or “onion-family” and includes garlic which I adore. In fact I substitute garlic in almost anything that calls for onions, especially things like salsas and guacamole, but also in any sauteed dish. Anyway, eat what you love in this family whether it is yellow, white, red or green onions, leeks, shallots or my fave of garlic. These also benefit the cardiovascular system and immune systems because of their pungent, characteristic organosulfur compounds which like chemical reactions from the cruciferous veggies help to rid the body of cancer cells and carcinogens, increase antioxidants and is considered to be an ”anti-diabetic” which helps to reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes, metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance.

Mushroom topped chicken
Mushroom topped chicken breast dinner- Yum! A good example of using the Plate Method!

M-Mushrooms. This is another food that I detested as a kid, but have actually now come to enjoy. During the program, Dr. Fuhrman said that eating as little as one small mushroom a day could help prevent various cancers. Mushrooms work in a variety of ways: they are anti-inflammatories, stimulate the immune system, prevent DNA damage, slow cancer cell growth, cause programmed cancer cell death, and inhibit angiogenesis. Mix and match your mushrooms as each one may have a different helpful effect. Here are some of the helpful edible varieties: White, cremini, portobello, oyster, shiitake, maitake, and reishi mushrooms. I enjoy them in omelets, on sandwiches or grilled up as a side dish. Sometimes I will eat a portobello in place of a hamburger when we BBQ!
Taco-Night
Taco and bean burrito night!

B- Beans and Berries. Let’s start with Beans: There is a lot going on with beans. They contain soluble fiber which helps moderate cholesterol levels and stabilize blood sugar levels. They are also considered anti-diabetic as well as a weight-loss aid because of its high fiber as well as protein content. Some studies suggest that eating beans, lentils or peas at least twice a week can drop the risk of colon cancer by 50%! Legumes also can help prevent a wide variety of other cancers as well. We love to eat bean burritos filled with lettuce, tomatoes and peppars for a quick-prep dinner or snack on hummus.

Strawberry-in-garden1
A beautiful strawberry in my garden

Berries: These include blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and my favorite: strawberries! We have a large strawberry patch and just love picking our own fresh berries. These are naturally sweet but remarkably low in sugar. Chock full of antioxidants and flavonoids they are both cardio-protective and anti-cancer as well as helpful in reducing blood pressure, anti-diabetic as well as a cognitive rejuvenator and protector including improving memory. So remember to add them to salads, cereals, or simply eat them as a snack.

Small-Seed-pod
A flax seed pod from our yard

S-Seeds and Nuts: Nuts and seeds are full of healthy, helpful fats and a wide variety of micronutrients that are difficult to find in nearly any other foods. Many, many studies have shown the cardiovascular benefits of nuts and they are also beneficial in weight loss and maintenance as well as diabetes prevention. Seeds often have higher protein content than nuts and some trace, but essential nutrients. When eaten in conjunction with other GOMBS, the healthy fats help to digest and absorb the other vitamins in the vegetables.Each nut and seed is unique in their benefits, but all are great in general. For example: flax seeds that we grow and harvest at our house, is super high in Omega-3s along with chia and hemp seeds and sesame seeds have a huge amount of calcium. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are great snacks and high in protein and minerals. Nut choices could include the omega-3 packed walnut or the lower fat almond.  Even peanuts fit in this GOMBS diet in either the bean or nut category.  

While Kelly and I usually hesitate to jump on the bandwagon of any new fad diet, I would have to say that this GOMBS diet is a winner!

 

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Orange – King Of Fruits

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Orange contains the most antioxidants of all fruits, stimulates the digestion, lowers the cholesterol and protects against cardiovascular disease – orange is the real king of fruits.

“Citrus aurantium” or orange, is a citrus, and we simply can not say a bad word for this fruit. People often know to eat whenever they are sick, but it is even more useful if it is used daily. Orange is not recommended for people with gastritis, and other stomach problems because the acids can irritate.

Interestingly, among the orange is useful the fruit and bark, and whenever you make orange juice never remove the bark. In the world people eat the oranges with bark, while in Afghanistan, for example, the table was unthinkable without orange. This just confirms that the power of orange is known to people since long ago.

orange-king-of-fruits-600x400

Oranges are full of vitamins and minerals. From all vitamins oranges contain the most vitamin C, B, A and E, and from minerals it contains a lot of calcium, but also magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. It contains many trace-elements and sugars, which makes the oranges a good source of energy for your body. Thanks to the really high level of vitamin C, it has a significant contribution to reducing the anemia, improve the healing of wound, and the elimination of free radicals from your body. Scientists are recommending the orange as indispensable to all, but especially for smokers.

However, the orange must be used fresh. Any thermal processing of the orange, means destruction of most of its medical usefulness. According to some research, regular intake of orange, reduces the risk for heart attack and stroke by 19%, this is due to its power to reduce cholesterol levels and improve the work of the entire cardiovascular system. Orange is one of the largest reservoirs of antioxidants from all other fruits, contributes to the detoxification of the body and reducing the risk of cancerous tissue changes.

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