Avocado - One Fruit That's Hard to Beat!

"The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good."

- Genesis 1:12

Avocados are almost too good to be true. They taste great and they're good for you. Yes, they're high in fat, but it's the good kind of fat (unsaturated), which raises your HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers your LDL (bad cholesterol) - Just like olive oil or fish oil caps.

Avocados also help your body absorb more fat-soluble nutrients - such as cancer-fighting beta-carotene and lycopene and eyesight-saving lutein - from other foods you eat along with them.

Avocados are one of the healthiest fruits you'll ever eat - in moderation. A few slices or half an avocado each day is good, but a tub of guacomole is way too much!

So reach for the avocado and add it to your salads, sandwiches, eggs, toast (it's great as a butter) or on the side with some of your other meals and reap the benefits of this wonderful fruit provided by God.

Weight Issues Can Affect Performance in Children!

"Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it." - Proverbs 22:6

A study published in the July issue of the journal Obesity found that overweight kids are at-risk for a host of health complications, including elevated cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure. They may also perform poorly in school.

When grade-point averages were compared among 566 middle school students in a Philadelphia suburb, overweight sutdents came in at about half a grade point lower than normal-weight kids.

The study also found that overweight students had lower reading comprehensive scores on a nationally standardized test, ranking in the 66th percentile while normal-weight kids ranked in the 75th percentile.

Heavier kids were also five times more likely to have six or more detentions than their normal-weight peers, had more school absences and lower physical fitness test scores and were less inclined to participate on athletic teams - 37 percent compared to 75 percent of normal-weight students.

This is one of many studies that show how obesity is affecting today's youth. Something needs to be done about this - and soon. I hope to help make a difference once I earn my youth fitness specialist certification through the International Youth Conditioning Association (IYCA).

I will use the information I've learned with the IYCA to help reverse the effects of obesity and other weight-related diseases with our youth while having fun!

Low-Carb and Mediterranean Diets are Both Winners for Fat Loss!

"You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth..."
- Psalm 104:14

In one of the longest and largest studies comparing dueling weight-loss techniques, a low-carb diet and a Mediterranean-style regimen helped people lose more weight than a traditional low-fat diet.

The low-carb diet also helped improve cholesterol more than the other two. All three approaches (the low-carb diet, a low-fat diet and a Mediterranean diet) achieved weight loss and improved cholesterol, but the low-carb diet and Mediterranean diet were the clear winners.

Average weight loss for the low-carb group was 10.3 pounds. Those in the Mediterranean diet lost 10 pounds and those on the low-fat diet dropped 6.5 pounds. The low-carb group had the most improvement in several cholesterol measures, including the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (the "good" cholesterol).

Most of the participants were men and all men and women in the study got roughly equal amounts of exercise (but it did not state what type or how much exercise).

As for how the diets were broken down, the low-fat diet restricted calories and focused on low-fat grains, vegetables and fruits with no more than 30 percent of calories from fat.

The Mediterranean diet had similar calorie, fat and cholesterol restrictions, with an emphasis on poultry, fish, olive oil and nuts.

The low-carb diet set limits for carbohydrates, but none for calories or fat. Dieters were encouraged to choose vegetarian sources of fat and protein (and not a lot of butter, eggs and cream).

Once again, low-carb diets prove to be healthier and more effective for fat loss. However, I should clarify that a low-carb diet doesn't mean you no longer eat vegetables and fruits. In fact, a low-carb diet should include as many fibrous vegetables as possible along with low-calorie, low-sugar and low-carb fruits such as berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries), apples and oranges.

A lower carb diet is easy to follow if you remember the following tips:

• Eat protein with every meal from lean meats (organic beef, chicken, fish, bison, venison, etc.), eggs (whole eggs, preferably organic) dairy (organic milk, yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese), raw nuts and protein powders
• Eat plenty of vegetables with each meal - the greener and more colorful the better (broccoli, spinach, green beans, asparagus, peas, zucchini, brussel sprouts, green peppers, lima beans, squash, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, etc.)
• Eat plenty of healthy fats from olive oil, raw nuts and seeds, avocados, natural peanut butter as well as fats from lean meats, whole eggs, dairy products, etc.
• Limit starchy carbohydrates such as grains (bread and corn), potatoes, rice, pasta and sugar.

In fact, Mike Roussell recommends following the six pillars of nutrition:

1. Eat five or six times a day.
2. Limit your consumption of sugars and processed foods
3. Eat fruits and vegetables throughout the day.
4. Drink more water and cut out calorie-containing beverages (beer, soda, juice, etc.)
5. Focus on consuming lean proteins throughout the day.
6. Save starch-containing foods (in small quantities) until after a workout or for breakfast.

If you follow the tips above and consume a lower carb diet, you will be able to lose fat and improve your health. Adding exercise to your nutritional program in the form of resistance training and high-intensity interval training will increase the benefits to your health and body composition.

Eat Your Eggs!

All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. I have placed them in your power. I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables. - Genesis 9:2-3

Today's post is a guest blog from John Berardi. I completely agree with John about this topic. I'm sure you'll find it eye opening.

Last week, a study suggesting that eating more than 7 eggs per week can lead to premature death. Uh, oh. I eat about 21 whole eggs a week (3 per day) - So do I (Nate).

So I guess I should be dead already. But instead of getting worried, I'm chuckling. Laughing at the absurdity of it all. You see, this idea, the idea that natural foods like eggs, lean meats, soybeans, whole grain cereals, etc. can inherently be bad for us, is so absurd that the only thing an intelligent person can do is chuckle.

First of all, the "egg study" is flawed and virtually meaningless. Second of all, the media has it all wrong about the "goodness" or "badness" of specific foods. You see, very, very few foods either qualify as good or bad (except when referring to high fructose corn syrup and trans fats).

Instead, it's our own physiological environment that sets the stage for how the food reacts within our bodies. Control the environment and the food part becomes ridiculously simple. If you've ever been confused by the seemingly contradictory nutrition information out there, you've got to check out this week's article.

Good vs. Bad Foods: Eggs!

It's time to put the good food vs. bad food debate to bed once and for all.

Until next time,

JB