The Truth About Carbohydrates

It’s true. A carbohydrate-rich diet can inflate appetite and girth. Low-carb diets do promote short-term weight loss, but are accompanied by some severe dangers. So what should you do? The truth is, you can have your carbs and eat them too—you just have to know how to choose them.

The Truth about Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are the body's ideal fuel for most functions. They supply the body with the energy needed for the muscles, brain and central nervous system. In fact, the human brain depends exclusively on carbohydrates for its energy.
• Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, beans, dairy products, foods made from grain products, and sweeteners such as sugar, honey, molasses, and corn syrup.
• The body converts digestible (non-fiber) carbohydrates into glucose, which our cells use as fuel. Some carbs (simple) break down quickly into glucose while others (complex) are slowly broken down and enter the bloodstream more gradually.
• During digestion, all carbohydrates are broken down into glucose before they can enter the bloodstream where insulin helps the glucose enter the body’s cells. Some glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles for future use, like fueling a workout. If there is extra glucose, the body will store it as fat.

All carbohydrates are not created equal.
There are basically three types of carbohydrates:

1. Simple carbohydrates are composed of 1 or 2 sugar units that are broken down and digested quickly.
   
   Recent research has shown that certain simple carbohydrate foods can cause extreme surges in blood sugar levels, which also increases insulin release. This can elevate appetite and the risk of excess fat storage.
   
   
2. Complex carbohydrates (also referred to as starch) are made up of many sugar units and are found in both natural (brown rice) and refined (white bread) form. They are structurally more complex and take longer to be broken down and digested.
   
   Complex carbohydrate foods have been shown to enter the blood stream gradually and trigger only a moderate rise in insulin levels, which stabilizes appetite and results in fewer carbohydrates that are stored as fat. Unrefined or ‘whole grain’ carbohydrates found in products like brown rice, whole wheat pasta and bran cereals are digested slowly. They contain vitamins, minerals and fiber which promote health. Fiber and nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits and beans which are carbohydrates also have many important functions for the body and are important for good health.
   
   
3. Indigestible carbohydrates are also called fiber. The body is unable to breakdown fiber into small enough units for absorption. It is therefore not an energy source for the body but does promote health in many other ways.

Simple carbs, complex carbs, and fiber are found in many foods. Some provide important nutrients that promote health while others simply provide calories that promote girth.

• Sugar, syrup, candy, honey, jams, jelly, molasses, and soft drinks contain simple carbohydrates and little if any nutrients.
• Fruits contain primarily simple carbohydrate but also valuable vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.
• Vegetables contain varying amounts of simple and complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.
• Legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and soybeans contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein.
• Milk products contain simple carbohydrates along with protein, calcium and other nutrients.
• Grain products contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein. The amounts vary depending on the type of grain used and the amount of processing. Selecting whole grain options whenever possible is recommended.

What You Should Know About Low-Carbohydrate Diets
Following an extremely low-carbohydrate diet is disastrous, dangerous, and above all—boring! Carbohydrates are NOT the enemy. Including the appropriate amounts and types of carbohydrate-rich foods in your diet is essential for long-term health and weight loss/maintenance.

The Body’s Immediate Reaction to Very Low Carbohydrate Diets
When there is a severe deficit of carbohydrates, the body has several immediate reactions:

• With no glucose available for energy, the body starts using protein from food for energy. Therefore this protein is no longer available for more important functions, such as making new cells, tissues, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies and the regulation of fluid balance.
• When carbohydrates are lacking, the body cannot burn fat in the correct way. Normally carbs combine with fat fragments to be used as energy. When carbs are not available, there is an incomplete breakdown of fat that produces a by-product called ketones. These ketones accumulate in the blood and in the urine causing ketosis, which is an abnormal state. Ketosis does cause a decrease in appetite because it's one of the body's protection mechanisms. It's an advantage to someone in a famine (which the body thinks it's experiencing) to lack an appetite because the search for food would be a waste of time and additional energy.
• Due to the lack of energy and the accumulation of ketones, low-carb diets are often accompanied by nausea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, bad breath, and dehydration.
• Because of dehydration and a lack of fiber, constipation can result.
• Exercise and fitness performance is reduced on a low-carb diet. Do not be surprised if your energy level is so low that you cannot make it through your normal workout routine.

The Long-Term Effects of Low Carbohydrate Diets
When you severely restrict carbohydrates, your consumption of protein and fat increases, which has several long-term effects:

• The risk of many cancers increases when fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, and beans are eliminated from the diet.
• Protein foods are also high in purines, which are broken down into uric acid. Elevated levels of uric acid in the blood may lead to needle-like uric acid crystals in joints, causing gout.
• Kidney stones are more likely to form on high protein, ketosis-producing diets.
• Over time, high protein diets can cause a loss of calcium and lead to osteoporosis.
• The risk of heart disease is greatly increased on a low-carb diet that is high in protein, cholesterol, fat, and saturated fat. A temporary reduction in cholesterol levels may be experienced, but this is common with any weight loss.

The Million Dollar Question
How do you include carbohydrates in you diet in a safe, effective, and controlled way? The “Please KISS Me” (Please Keep It So Simple for Me) plan for carbohydrate control is a wonderful tool that only contains 3 simple rules:

RULE 1: Include the following in your diet:

• Fruits: 2-4 servings daily
• Vegetables: 3-5 servings daily
• Whole grain breads, muffins, bagels, rolls, pasta, noodles, crackers, cereal, and brown rice: 6-11 servings daily
• Legumes, beans and peas: 1-2 servings daily
• Low-fat and non-fat dairy products: 3 servings daily

RULE 2: Limit the following to less than 2 servings daily:

• Fruit Juice
• Refined and processed white flour products (bread, muffins, bagels, rolls, pasta, noodles, crackers, cereal)
• White rice
• French fries
• Fried vegetables

RULE 3: Eliminate the following from your diet or eat only on occasion:

• Sugary desserts, cookies, cakes, pies, candies
• Doughnuts and pastries
• Chips, cola and carbonated beverages
• Sugar, honey, syrup, jam, jelly, molasses

That’s it! A simple, effective carbohydrate-controlling plan that, when combined with your SparkDiet, allows you to reap the countless benefits of complex carbohydrates and fiber while enhancing your health and maintaining a healthy weight. The long term result will be a healthy you!

Your Metabolism: Do You Understand It?

How many people do you know that carry a little bit extra around their waist and then say to you: "It can't be helped, I have a slow metabolism."

Probably a few, if not many, have said this to me and they obviously just do not understand their metabolism. Though metabolism does play a big part in weight gain, if you are gaining weight year after year, it may be time to try and better understand yours.

First of all, the term metabolism refers to the rate that your body burns calories. The more active you are the more calories your body will burn, so if you take in (eat) more calories than you burn in a day you will gain weight and vice versa. If you eat less than you burn then you will lose weight.

Your metabolism is partly genetic, but it is also very much affected by how you choose to live your life. Your metabolism will tend to slow down with age but it can be increased by choosing a healthy diet and participating in a regular exercise program.

Lifting weights is the best exercise because as your muscles become larger and stronger they will burn more calories even while you sleep.

Women tend to have lower metabolic rates, meaning that they need fewer calories than men to maintain the same body weight.

If you are attempting to lose weight and increase your metabolism avoid "Metabolism Booster" products and crash dieting. While studies have shown only a negligible metabolism increase from these booster products, they have been known to cause diarrhea, increased heart rate, perspiration, and nervousness.

Crash dieting will actually slow your metabolism down and cause you to gain weight faster once you stop dieting. This is because your body destroys hard-earned calorie burning muscle tissue and holds onto its non-calorie burning fat reserves because it believes you are starving to death. Not to mention you will experience less energy and your thought processes will be more sluggish.

The best approach is to exercise and focus on a healthy diet. Here are some tips that work:

A. Never skip breakfast, it is much more important than dinner since you will use this energy throughout your daily activities.

B. Eat smaller meals every 2 ½ to 3 ½ hrs. This will cause your digestive system to work more often resulting in more calories burned and a steadier supply of nutrients to the body.

C. Plan your meals ahead. You will be less likely to make poor food choices if you have a plan.

D. Increase your whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables in your diet. They are low in calories and very filling.

E. MOVE!! Swim, dance, hike, bike, workout, walk with someone... just start exercising!

If you are looking for the magic get thin and fit pill, trust me, you will not find it. All you will end up finding is a bunch of hype and marketing gimmicks that really do not work. But, a steady, determined approach to increase your metabolism through diet and exercise will.

Wishing you success in all your health and fitness goals.

Derek Beech is a Natural Competitive Bodybuilder and the owner and writer of the Elite Fitness Health and Bodybuilding Equipment Newsletter.

Speedy Summer Shape-Up

Summer doesn't arrive until June 21, but it's not too late to start to get in shape! If you know what you're doing, you can make major changes in three weeks. How so?

The key is to do the right amount of exercise and to include enough variety to keep your muscles "surprised" so they won't get used to the workout. When you do this, your body will be forced to work harder, burning more fat and making the muscles tone faster.

Also, you do different exercise combinations each day. You do upper body on one day and lower the next, and keep repeating that way. Because you are using different exercise combinations your body stays on the alert and works harder.

What about abs? You do them six days a week, but with different exercises and different combinations! What happens when you work this way? Wow. You quadruple your progress over what you would get doing the same old upper body one day, lower body and abs the next. It's the shock value. Here's a sample plan and two sample exercises to get you started.

Day 1: An interval aerobics workout emphasizing hips, butt, thighs and abs.

Day 2. A fat-burning workout for upper body with weights, and a different abs workout.

Day 3. A bathing suit workout with different moves, and a different abs workout.

Day 4. A fat-burning workout for lower body, and a different abs workout.

Day 5. Back to the interval workout of day one, but a different abs workout.

Day 6. Back to the bathing suit workout of day 3, but a different abs workout.

Day 7. OFF -- then repeat this weekly schedule two more times.

What will happen? You should be down at least a size, probably two, and everything will be lifted and more toned. Here are two sample exercises to get you started.

Inner Thigh Workout
Start position: Lie on the floor with your back flat and your knees bent, heels together and thighs apart.

Movement: Flex your inner thighs as you straighten your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor. Repeat the movement for 15 repetitions. Without resting, move to the next exercises.

Floor Triceps Tightener
Start position: Lie on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight up and palms facing your body.

Movement: Slowly lower the dumbbells by bending your elbows until they are fully bent, and keeping them close to your head. Return to start position, flexing your triceps muscles as you go. Repeat the movement for 12 repetitions.

Without resting do this series two more times.

For the full routine to shape up for summer fast, go to www.joycevedral.com and see my Speedy Summer Shape-Up in 3 Weeks package deal.

Fat-Burning Exercises: Fast 'n Effective!

Fat-blasting workout

1. Longer duration/moderate intensity (week 1 and 2) -- This cardio method is based on keeping an elevated heart rate but not working so hard you’re short of breath. I recommend 40-45 minutes (beginners can begin with 20 minutes) of power walking or light jogging. This can be performed three to five days per week depending on your level of experience. I also recommend maintaining a heart rate of approximately 70 to 75 percent.

2. Interval Training (weeks 3 and 4) -- This workout can be performed three to four days per week. Interval training is best described as incorporating higher intensity exercise with lower intensity ones. This method helps stimulate and speed the metabolism. Intervals can be applied to any form of cardiovascular exercise and, although it's been a widely used technique for training competitive athletes since the 1950s, the concept grew into mainstream fitness in the 1990s.

The beauty of interval training is that you don’t have to work out for long periods.

The following is a protocol for interval training using the treadmill as an example:

Warm-up for 5 minutes at light speed level

On the 6th minute, increase to 4.0 mph (light jog)

On the 7th minute, increase to 5.0 mph

On the 8th minute, increase to 7.5-8.0 mph (this should be an all-out sprint)

For the next 2 minutes (minutes 9 and 10), return to 3.0 mph

Repeat each of those phases two additional times, but increase the level of intensity 1 mile per hour on each phase.

Cool down for 5 minutes at 3.0 mph.

In this example, you are to perform three cycles of higher intensity training. If you’re at a more advanced fitness level, then you’ll need to adjust the speeds accordingly to make sure the intensity is somewhat demanding at the higher levels.

The mind functions best when it sees the goal in sight and that’s part of the beauty of this brief four-week program. It’s not like I’m asking you to perform a 6- to 12-month program. This program will stimulate your metabolism and you’ll continue to burn calories the day after your workout.

Most people are obsessed with how many calories are burned during a workout, but one of the keys to losing fat is making sure your body continues to burn lots of calories 24 to 48 hours after the workout.

Beginners should reduce each workout by one day, decrease time by 5 minutes and perform at a level of intensity that is comfortable (approximately 55 to 60 percent of target heart rate). I also encourage you to invest in a heart-rate monitor to accurately gauge your individual target heart rate.

Twenty-eight days is not a long time. Focus on your nutrition and my workout protocol and you’ll reap big rewards. Please check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

POWER ABS

Build strong abs in six weeks with this radical program that attacks the belly of the beast



Story by: Jim Stoppani, PhD
Art/Images by: Michael Darter
The Power Abs Program's focus is to not only streamline your waist by getting rid of the flab but also etch in deep abdominal muscle - so whenever you take off your shirt, your six-pack will be clearly visible. The keys to such a look is a low-fat diet (that, you knew) and training your abs with weights - which you may not have known. And here's more:

Powerlifters and strongmen have great abs. Sure, they're buried under layers of bodyfat, but deep under that flab are an incredibly developed rectus abdominis, external obliques, and the deeper internal obliques and transverse abdominis. Those guys need to have super-strong and well-developed ab muscles to lift the massive amounts of resistance required by their sports.

Like a powerlifter, you want strong abs. Without a well-developed midsection, you would bend like a twig when doing everyday tasks like lifting a toddler or carrying groceries. And a stronger midsection means more strength on all your other exercises, since that's your core. Unlike a powerlifter, however, you want a chiseled six-pack. But ripped, powerful abs seems like an oxymoron, right? Not with the Power Abs Program.

Unlike most trainees, powerlifters don't do endless reps of crunches. Quite the contrary: They perform weighted ab exercises and manipulate their reps and sets to work on strength and endurance. When you want to build bigger bi's or develop a chiseled chest, you cycle exercises, weight and reps. For some reason, though, you probably train abs differently, mindlessly crunching your way to nowhere. But make no mistake - the abs respond like any other muscle group. They require variety in exercises, reps, rest periods and use of weights. That last part is how the Power Abs Program differs from most conventional midsection philosophies.

Each two-week phase of the six-week program has one core, one oblique, and one upper- and lower-ab exercise to attack your midsection from every angle. With this plan in hand, you'll develop abs worthy of both a powerlifter and a bodybuilder.

Phase 1 (Weeks 1-2)
Train with heavy weight and low reps to build up your abs and make them stronger. Contrary to popular belief, training with high reps isn't the best way to increase ab mass or strength. The abs are like other muscle fibers in the body - to make them bigger, use heavier resistance with a low-to-moderate rep range.

Exercise Sets/Reps or Time Rest
Weighted Plank 2/30 sec. 2 min.
One-Arm Deadlift 2/6 reps (each side) 2 min.
Medicine-Ball Hip Thrust 2/8-10 reps 2 min.
Dumbbell Crunch 2/6-8 reps 2 min.
Phase 2 (Weeks 3-4)
This phase emphasizes circuits with no rest between sets to start building endurance and intensity as well as add some variety to your routine. During this phase, perform the exercises in a nonstop circuit. Do two circuits the first week and three the second (this is also known as a giant set). Perform this workout three times a week at the end of any routine, resting at least one day between ab workouts.
Exercise Sets/Reps Rest
Exercise-Ball Rollout 2-3/10-15 none
on Incline
Dragon Flag 2-3/8-12 none
Standing Cable Crunch 2-3/10-12 none
Decline Russian Twist 2-3/8-10 (each side) none
Phase 3 (Weeks 5-6)
Perform supersets that hit all abdominal muscles for complete development of strength, stamina and mass. Supersets keep intensity high while you focus on each of these three aspects of muscular recruitment.

Do not rest between exercises within a superset, but rest one minute between supersets. Perform two of each superset during Week 5 and three of each superset in Week 6. Do this workout three times a week at the end of any routine, resting at least one day between ab workouts.

Core Superset
Exercise Sets/Reps or Time Rest
Weighted Plank 2/30 sec. none
-superset with-
Woodchop 2/15 reps (each side) 1 min.


Strength Superset
Exercise Sets/Reps Rest
Standing Cable Crunch 2/6-8 none
-superset with-
Cable Reverse Crunch 2/6-8 1 min.
Endurance Superset
Exercise Sets/Reps Rest
Medicine-Ball Crunch/Throw 2/20-30 none
-superset with-
Standing Cable Oblique Crunch 2/20-30 (each side) 1 min.
Power Abs Exercises Core
Exercise-Ball Rollout on Incline
>> Kneel on an incline ab board or a decline bench and rest your forearms on the top of an exercise ball. Roll the ball forward as far as possible, hold for 1-2 counts, then return to the start position.

Weighted Plank
>> Lie facedown on the floor with your body straight and forearms resting on the floor. Have someone place a 25-45-pound plate on your lower back. Slowly press your body up off the floor onto your forearms and toes. Keep your abs pulled in tight and your back flat while holding this position.

Woodchop
>> Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width, knees slightly bent, holding a dumbbell in both hands above your right shoulder. Slowly lower the weight across your body until it's outside your left knee. Reverse direction to return to the start.

Upper Abs
Standing Cable Crunch
>> Attach a rope handle to a high-pulley cable. Stand facing away from the weight stack, your feet spaced shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Split the rope handles and hold one over each collarbone. Curl your torso down to bring your elbows toward your knees. Hold this position for a count, then slowly return to the start.

Dumbbell Crunch
>> Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and your feet and lower back flat on the floor. Grasp the ends of a dumbbell in both hands with your arms extended overhead. Contract your abs to lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor while keeping your arms straight. Hold this position for a count before slowly lowering to the start.

Medicine-Ball Crunch/Throw
>> Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and your feet and lower back flat on the floor. Hold a medicine ball overhead with your arms extended. Contract your abs to curl up explosively, bringing your shoulders and upper back as high off the floor as you can, then throw the medicine ball to a training partner standing near your feet as you reach the top position. Stay up until your partner throws the ball back to you. Resist the ball's momentum with your abs as you slowly return to the start.

Lower Abs
Medicine-Ball Hip Thrust
>> Lie faceup on the floor with your hands extended at your sides, then lift your feet so your legs are roughly parallel to the floor. Hold a medicine ball between your feet as shown. Use your abs to raise your hips and glutes straight up off the floor to push your feet toward the ceiling. Hold this position for a count before lowering your glutes back to the floor. This exercise can also be performed using a dumbbell by placing the top inner plate against your shoes and squeezing the handle with your feet.

Dragon Flag
>> Due to this move's difficulty, perform it only if you're already proficient at it. Lie faceup on a bench and grasp its sides near your head. Bring your knees toward your chest while pulling on the bench. Extend your body straight up so only your shoulders and upper back are in contact and your back and legs are perpendicular to the floor. Pull your abs in tight as you lower your legs to the bench over a count of 10.

Cable Reverse Crunch
>> Lie faceup on the floor with your feet pointed toward a low-pulley cable with ankle straps attached to it. Wrap the straps around your ankles. LIft your feet to bend your knees and hips to 90-degree angles, keeping your arms flat on the floor at your sides for balance. Curl your knees toward your chest. Hold this position for a count, then slowly return to the start.

Obliques
Decline Russian Twist
>> Sit on a decline bench and position your body in a half sit-up (your lower back shouldn't touch the bench). Using both hands, hold a dumbbell straight above you. With your arms locked in that position, rotate your torso to the right until your right arm is about parallel to the floor. Pause for a moment, then return to the start. Repeat on your left side. Alternating from right to left is one complete rep.

One-Arm Deadlift
>> Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a heavy dumbbell next to your right foot. Squat down and grasp the weight in your right hand. Stand up, keeping your back straight as you lift the dumbbell to your hip, leaning slightly to the left at the top. Lower slowly and repeat.

Standing Cable Oblique Crunch
>> Stand with your right side facing a high-pulley cable with a D-handle attached to it. Grasp the handle with your right hand using an underhand grip, keeping your elbow tucked tightly at your side. Contract your obliques to pull your torso down to the right side until your elbow touches the top of your hip. Pause for a count in this position before slowly returning to the start. Complete all reps for one side, then repeat on the other side.

Kim's Model Workout!

Summer Beach Body- Dieting & Training (Shapefit.com)

Everyone wants to have a beach body but after holidays and extra pounds, tons of time off and lazy cold winter nights, the last thing on your mind is getting back on track with a diet and training plan. Wish we could all just wiggle our nose and ‘bam’ your in your beach body!

Most of us are looking in the mirror thinking, ‘its spring, summer is around the corner, and look at those fat rolls!’ Well don’t be depressed and stop wasting time, get into the gym ASAP and start with some simple cardio for Pete sake!!

I am talking to you, directly to you reading this now, and you know who you are, you know you have been off for too long now and YOU know its time to get back at it. Start back slow or if you have been working out but not hard enough to see results, change up your plan.

Maybe you have always wanted to join kickboxing or get some tennis lessons, so this is the perfect time! Make a goal out of it and then work toward accomplishing this goal.

Even if you were previously fit but took a month off, start back with compound exercises and moderate weight before you get back to your regular lifting. Be rude to your body and you will hurt so use sense when getting back into working out. This is not so much an issue if you did not take time off. In this case a change to your program will revitalize you and get you excited again plus cause some shock which means results.

Another point I want you to think about is if you do not get in there now when it’s rainy or still cool out, you will not want to go in when it’s nice out. Of course you can train outdoors for summer but you do not want to be held back because you feel self conscious about your body. Ironically enough, many people are afraid to work out in public because they feel so out of shape so they do nothing!!! Don’t be one of them. Get your workouts done, at home or in gym and make some effort so that preparing for summer is a smooth transition from where you sit now.

Because you got to sew your diet oats during the past few holidays you also want to think lean, thing clean and eat whole foods. Start to think about the wonderful spring and summer food choices such as berries and summer greens. The tenderness of spring greens and sweetness of seasonal fruits can make you look forward to your meals making your proteins and snacks a tasty treat in itself.

Here is a wonderful post workout shake idea you can use to help you look forward to your workout and feel as if you earned it!!

• a scoop of high protein powder with low carb and fat
  
• 2 tables spoons of oatbran
  
• 8-10 oz water
  
• ¼ cup fresh or frozen fruit of choice (such as banana, papaya, mango, berries)
  
• 1 tbs of flax or Udos oil
  
• ¼ cup of non sweetened OJ

Now blend it all up in a blender or bullet and enjoy! If you prefer not to use the flax or Udos then skip it and when drinking your smoothie, eat a handful of raw, plain almonds.

Now work hard and get ready to enjoy some sunny warm weather!