Calories - The Basics

Before I leave you to delve into this blog I’d like add that I am not here to tell you or condone calorie counting, as it can become very destructive and turn into a obsession rather than listening to your body! I am providing you with a brief understanding on what a calorie is and how tracking your intake can make a impact on your health, both positively and negatively.

To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. In theory, this sounds simple. However learning and understanding how to manage your intake of food can prove to be a tricky task! As we are constantly bombarded with information whether it be from friends, TV, magazines or social networks about calories it can makes it hard to know what’s right and what’s wrong!

Firstly, what is a calorie?
A calorie is a measure of energy. In science, it's defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. We use calories that we eat and drink for essential functions such as breathing and thinking, as well as day-to-day activities such as walking, talking and eating! Excess intake of calories causes what you eat to be stored as fat therefore consistently eating more than you burn will cause weight gain overtime.

The United States government states that the average man needs 2,700 kcal per day and the average woman needs 2,200 kcal per day.

Keep in mind not everybody needs the same number of calories each day! People have different metabolisms that burn energy at different rates, and some people have more active lifestyles than others.

The recommended intake of calories per day depends on several factors, including:
• overall general health
• physical activity demands
• sex
• weight
• height
• body shape

Your body needs calories to survive! Without energy the cells within your body would begin to die, the function of your heart and lungs would stop and your organs would not be able to carry out the basic processes needed for living!

Now, not all calories are equal! The number of calories in food tell us how much potential energy the contain but not only calories that are important, the substance from which the calories is taken from is vital! These so called “empty” calories are those that provide energy but very little nutritional value. The elements of food that provide empty calories contain next to no dietary fiber, amino acids, antioxidants, minerals or vitamins! Empty calories can be made up of solid fats and added sugars. Solid fats are either naturally found in foods or can be added when foods are processed. Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added then food or beverages are processed!

• Cakes, cookies, pastries, and donuts (contain both solid fat and added sugars)
• Sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks (contain added sugars)
• Cheese (contains solid fat)
• Pizza (contains solid fat)
• Ice cream (contains both solid fat and added sugars)
• Sausages, hot dogs, bacon, and ribs (contain solid fat)

The foods and beverages above are the main sources of empty calories but many can be found in no solid fat or added sugar products such as low-fat yogurt, no fat cheese or sugar free soft drink.

Choosing unsweetened applesauce or extra lean ground beef, can help keep your intake of added sugars and solid fats low but remember a small amount of empty calories is okay and won’t kill you! It is important to limit empty calories to the amount that fits your calorie and nutrient needs.

The main thing I would like you to take away from this blog is to ensure your diet is filled with whole, nutrient dense foods which will help you limit your intake of empty calorie foods!

Ditch counting calories and ....
• Opt for nutrient-dense options that our great-grandparents would recognise as food
• Go for a wide variety of in-season produce and ingredients
• Cook, which really is the key to it all
• Cut out processed foods
• Focus on regaining our natural appetite and cutting the cravings

My Toning & Sculpting class at UFC gym, 11am Saturdays!

My Toning & Sculpting classes at the UFC Gym my focuses is to get the heart rate up and burn those calories for fat loss and then focus on the parts that us ladies need to work on the most, such as the butt, tummy and thighs. In this class we work hard to get that nice toned, sculpted shape. If you are in Vegas, come join the classes. All you need is yourself, a towel and water!

Bitter Sweet

Refined Sugar has become a buzz word within the health industry. So what actually is refined sugar. Refined Sugar is essentially sugar that has been processed to a level where it is depleted of its naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. The results leave a pure, refined carbohydrate which equates to nothing but easy calories with no nutritional value. As well as harmful effects on the metabolism it can also contribute to all sorts of diseases!

Sugar can be disguised as the following:

* High-fructose corn syrup
* Honey
* Invert sugar
* Lactose
* Maltose
* Malt syrup
* Molasses
* Raw sugar
* Sucrose
* Syrup

* Agave nectar
* Brown sugar
* Cane crystals
* Cane sugar
* Corn sweetener
* Corn syrup
* Crystalline fructose
* Dextrose
* Fructose
* Fruit juice concentrates
* Glucose

Because nutritional labels are required by law to list their most prominent ingredients first. By putting two or three different types of sugar in the food (and calling them each a different name), they can spread out the sugar across three ingredients and have it show up much further down the list!

Hence, READ THE LABELS OF FOODS THAT YOU CONSUME! 

Excess amounts of refined sugar may affect your body in the following ways:

Liver

The effects of eating too much sugar can be likened to the effects of alcohol on your body. Excessive amounts can overload the limited space in your liver therefore causing it to expand and have to work harder! When your liver reaches it full capacity the sugar is converted into fatty acids and deposited on your thighs, stomach and butt!

Weight Gain

Yes this is the obvious effect but there is more to it! Fructose which the main sugar found in high fructose corn syrup aka HFCS (which is the primary sweetener in pretty much all fast food) tricks your metabolism by turning off your body's appetite-control system. It fails to stimulate insulin, which in turn fails to suppress "the hunger hormone," which then fails to stimulate leptin or "the satiety hormone." This causes you to eat more sugar and develop insulin resistance.

Addictive

Sugar fuels every cell in the brain and as your brain sees sugar as a reward this will make you keep wanting more of it. Therefore, if you eat a lot of sugar often you are reinforcing the reward hence making it tougher to break the habit. Yes, eating refined sugar will give you the fastest serotonin boost, this is very short-lived as you will be crashing after an hour or so!

Next question you are probably thinking is Fruit has sugar! So is fruit bad for you? Yes fruit does contain sugar but whole fresh fruit also is packed with fiber and many other nutrients, vitamins and minerals which help slow down the release of sugar into your system which does not cause damage to your liver. Our bodies are designed to metabolize the amount of fructose derived from whole natural foods such as fruit, not HFCS that is essentially made in a lab. Fruits such as Kiwifruits, blueberries, raspberries, grapefruits & pears are good options to stick with!

The majority of the health issues that I have mentioned can occur over time and come about as a result of excessive sugar consumption. The occasional treat is ok! Food is fuel, so it is important that we are aware of what we are putting in our bodies and the effects it can have.

My Spring into Summer 7 Day Meal Plan will help eliminate refined sugar from your diet and will kick start you into finding your bikini  body!

Resistance Training

Tell me this. Why is it that the one type of training that is proven to considerable burn more calories, tone and strengthen your body and make you look hot?!

The fear of “bulking up” has been keeping many women out of the weights room! When in actual fact, us girls should be embracing dumbbells and body weight training.

Resistance Training is another name for exercising your muscles using an opposing force i.e. dumb bells or resistance bands. The benefits that coincide with resistance training will surprise you! Lifting weights improve your bone density, joint mobility and body composition, not to mention that daily tasks such as lugging groceries, carrying kids around and climbing stairs become easier! And the benefits don’t end there!! Physical strength creates and enhances mental strength meaning that each time you finish a weight training session you are going to feel like you could take on the world!!

To help kick start your love of resistance training, here is quick workout to work that BOOTY!

BOOTY BLASTER

1 Minute Kneeling Leg Lifts (right)
30 Seconds Kneeling Leg Lift Pulses (right)
1 Minute Kneeling Leg Lifts (left)
30 Seconds Kneeling Leg Lift Pulses (left)
1 Minute Squats
30 Seconds Static Squat Hold
30 Seconds Squat Jumps

Repeat 3 times and feel that BURRRNNN!

Let’s work together to quash this stigma about weight training. Feminine strength is all about being strong on the inside as well as being strong on the outside. Trainers and professionals everywhere should be spreading the news about the myriad of benefits that resistance training has to offer so that all women are keeping healthy, happy, safe and strong.