Top 5 Fat-Burning Foods

By Team eLifestyle Fitness and Lifestyle Expert Robb Armstrong

In last week’s Fit Tip we told you how consuming the right amounts of protein could accelerate the time it takes to reach your fitness goals.

This week we serve up our top five fat-burning foods that, in conjunction with regular exercise, will supply your body with exceptional fat-burning potential to shed the pounds.

What are the best?

Quite simply, foods that are high in protein and fiber are the best kinds of food to eat if you want to rev up your fat-burning potential.

Top-5 Fat-Burning Foods

1. Eggs

More precisely, egg whites. They are very high in protein but won’t put you over the recommended daily amount of cholesterol contained in a couple of eggs with yolks. Eggs contain the vitamin B12, a great supplement for breaking down fat cells.

2. Low Fat Dairy Products

According to an article in Obesity Research, women who ate low-fat dairy products such as nonfat yogurt and low-fat milk three to four times per day lost 70 percent more fat than low-dairy dieters.

3. Oatmeal

Gaining popularity in recent years, naturally prepared oatmeal (unsweetened and unflavored) definitely has some great nutritional qualities. It’s loaded with soluble fiber, which helps reduce blood cholesterol by flushing the bad digestive acids out of your system, and is also beneficial in fighting colon cancer and heart disease.

4. Olive Oil

Rich in monounsaturated fat (good fat), a type of fat researchers have found to provide outstanding health benefits, olive oil is so good that it helps you burn fat while keeping your “bad” cholesterol intake down.

5. Whole Grains

Your body needs carbohydrates. If you go without them completely your body will start to crave them, so it’s best to include the right kinds. That means one’s that haven’t been processed and contain the fiber and minerals your body needs.

Bonus Tip: It takes more energy to digest protein than it does to digest fat. Therefore, the more protein you eat, the more calories your body burns!

UP NEXT… Surprise sizzling summer recipe. Get it here!

Note: Check back every week for more helpful health and fitness tips from eLifestyle's Fit Tips by Robb!

How Much Protein Do We Need?

By Team eLifestyle Fitness and Lifestyle Expert Robb Armstrong

In last week’s Fit Tip we gave you some simple rules to follow to help ensure you’re counting your calories correctly.

This week we share some insight on how consuming the right amounts of protein can accelerate your fitness progress.

What is protein?

Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the human body, making up about 16 percent of our total body weight. Our muscle, hair, skin, and connective tissue are mainly made up of protein.

In fact, protein plays a major role in all of the cells and most of the fluids in our bodies. Even our DNA are at least partially made up of protein.

Do I need more protein if I exercise?

Studies show that people engaging in endurance exercise (such as long distance running) or medium to high intensity resistance exercise (such as fitness training or body building) can benefit from additional protein in their diets.

This is due to the greater demand of muscle repair and maintenance brought on by a greater degree of use by the individual.

The Numbers

Research suggests 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for endurance exercisers and 1.7 to 1.8 grams per kg per day for medium to heavy strength training.

So just how much protein do we need?

Our protein needs depend on our age, size, and activity level. Professional nutritionists and fitness consultants use a standard method to estimate our minimum daily protein requirement where body weight is multiplied in kilograms by .8, or weight in pounds by .37.

Your end number is the number of grams of protein that should be the daily minimum. Therefore, a person weighing 150 lbs. should eat 55 grams of protein per day.

What happens if we don’t eat enough protein?

Unlike fat and glucose, our body has little capacity to store protein. If we were to stop eating protein, our body would start to break down muscle for its needs within a day or so.

So keep your protein intake in check and you’ll greatly enhance the rate in which you meet your weight loss and muscle building goals!

UP NEXT… Top 5 fat-burning foods. We serve them up next week!

Note: Check back every week for more helpful health and fitness tips from eLifestyle's Fit Tips by Robb!

Nutrition That Counts – Counting Calories The Right Way

By Team eLifestyle Fitness and Lifestyle Expert Robb Armstrong

In last week’s Fit Tip we discussed how to differentiate between good and bad muscle soreness post-exercise.

In this week’s Fit Tip we offer some simple rules to follow to help determine if the make-up of total calories in the food you eat is comprised of the right kinds of calories that will provide optimal nutrition.

It really doesn’t take a lot of effort to read the labels of what we eat. Where the real challenge lies is in understanding what makes up the total calories we consume from any given food choice.

Even for savvy health-conscious consumers it’s a common mistake to look at food labels and make a purchase based on the lowest total calories for that product type alone, and not what nutritional value is contained within.

4 Simple Rules to Counting Calories The Right Way

1. Look at the content of protein, carbs and fat

2. Look at sugar and sodium sources

3. Look at additives and preservatives

4. Do not go by the government’s Daily Recommended Value (DRV) as it is based on the average sedentary adult, and therefore won't end up being much help.

We Are What We Eat

The power of T.V commercial marketing can be very persuasive, so it’s extremely important to understand that 100 calories from a piece of chocolate, for example, is not the same as 100 calories from a piece lean protein, such as chicken.

Remember, the key to healthy living is that you MUST base your nutritional intake on what actual nutrition your food can provide for you!

UP NEXT… How much protein is enough? Find out next week!

Note: Check back every week for more helpful health and fitness tips from eLifestyle's Fit Tips by Robb!