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| USDA Organic label |
9/7/2007 |
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Single-Ingredient Foods
On foods like fruits and vegetables, look for a small sticker version of the USDA Organic label or check the signage in your produce section for this seal.
The word "organic" and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese, and other single-ingredient foods.
Multi-Ingredient Foods
Foods such as beverages, snacks, and other processed foods use the following classification system to indicate their use of organic ingredients.
100% OrganicFoods bearing this label are made with 100% organic ingredients* and may display the USDA Organic seal.
OrganicThese products contain at least 9599% organic ingredients (by weight). The remaining ingredients are not available organically but have been approved by the NOP. These products may display the USDA Organic seal.
Made With Organic IngredientsFood packaging that reads Made With Organic Ingredients must contain 7094% organic ingredients. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal; instead, they may list up to three ingredients on the front of the packaging.
OtherProducts with less than 70% organic ingredients may only list organic ingredients on the information panel of the packaging. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal.
Keep in mind that even if a producer is certified organic, the use of the USDA Organic label is voluntary. At the same time, not everyone goes through the rigorous process of becoming certified, especially smaller farming operations. When shopping at a farmers market, for example, dont hesitate to ask the vendors how your food was grown.
*Salt and water are not included.
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| Grocery Shopping Tours |
8/27/2007 |
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Healthy cooking and eating involves smart shopping. Tour the supermarket with a Fadi and learn how to interpret food label nutritional information to make healthy decisions about the maze of products available. Tours are interactive and allow ample time to browse and discuss a variety of products.
Source : Fadi Malouf
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| Reading Food Labels Update! |
3/8/2007 |
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DESCRIPTOR DEFINITIONS (Terms) FOR THE MOST COMMON CLAIMS
Terms are per serving unless otherwise indicated.
FREE: Acceptable synonyms or substitutions are; No, Without, Zero.
Sugar = less than 5 calories per serving
Sodium = less than 5 milligrams per serving
Total Fat = less than 0.5 grams per serving
Cholesterol = less than 2 milligrams per servings
LOW: Acceptable synonyms or substitutions are; Few, Little.
Calories = 40 per serving
Sugar = not yet defined by the FDA
Sodium = less than 140 milligrams per serving
Total Fat = 3 grams or less
Saturated Fat = 1 gram or less
Cholesterol = less than 20 milligrams
VERY LOW SODIUM:
Calories = not yet defined by the FDA
Sugar = not yet defined by the FDA
Sodium = less than 35 milligrams per serving
Fat = not yet defined by the FDA
Cholesterol = not yet defined by the FDA
In addition to these claims of " free and low" the additional product claim-terms of " high and good source" are permitted.
HIGH IN: Acceptable synonyms or substitutions are; Excellent source of.
For a particular nutrient it means it provides at least 20 percent or more of the daily value per serving.
GOOD SOURCE OF: Acceptable synonyms or substitutions are; Contains provides.
For a particular nutrient it means it provides at between 10 to 19 percent or more of the daily value per serving.
There are some additional terms established for meat, seafood, poultry and/or products that contain them.
LEAN:
Fat = less than 10 grams
Saturated Fat = less than 4 grams
Cholesterol = less than 95 milligrams per serving and/or 100 edible grams
EXTRA LEAN:
Fat = less than 5 grams
Saturated Fat = less than 2 grams
Cholesterol = less than 95 milligrams per serving and/or 100 edible grams
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The FDA has also defined some other terms which allow one food to be compared to another, requiring the manufacturers to be careful that they indicate what the "base reference" food is. Be careful to understand that these following 4 terms are RELATIVE terms, and the product package label will have to state the percentage of reduction or increase and the reference food. The aim of this regulation is to eliminate general label claims that are of course misleading.
REDUCED: This can only be used with food that has been “nutritionally altered". This term cannot be used with a product that already meets the standards for a "LOW” classification.
Nutrient = 25 percent less than the reference product
Calories = 25 percent fewer than the reference product
LESS, FEWER: The same except this claim can be used with food that HAS NOT BEEN altered. This allows the manufacturer to compare food items of different sources, such as bread and cake. or chicken and beef.
Nutrient = 25 percent less than the reference product
Calories = 25 percent fewer than the reference product
MORE: Like "LESS" can be used with either altered or non altered foods. Acceptable synonyms or substitutions are; Added, Fortified or Enriched.
Nutrient = 10 percent more than the reference product
Calories = 10 percent greater than the reference product
LIGHT: One of the most restricted terms by the FDA but has 3 common uses.
Usage ONE
Calories = product has been altered to contain 1/3 fewer than the reference product......
......OR......
......Fat = product has been altered to contain 50 percent less than the reference product.
If the food derives at least 50 percent of it's calories from fat the reduction must be half the fat.
Usage TWO
Sodium = product has been altered to contain 50 percent less than the reference product.
"LIGHT in Sodium" is permitted for a low-calorie or low-fat food that has a 50 percent or more sodium reduction.
Usage THREE
"LIGHT" can be used to describe the texture, color, smell and other similar physical properties, but the label should explain in detail.
Here are some other helpful terms that fall outside of the above categories.
HEALTHY: Acceptable synonyms or substitutions are; Low in fat and saturated fat.
This is currently a proposed regulation only.
Fat = low in
Saturated Fat = low in
Sodium = no more than 480 milligrams per serving
Cholesterol = no more than 60 milligrams per serving
FRESH:
Has not been frozen, heated and contains no preservatives. "Fresh frozen" is acceptable for fruits and vegetables.
Close
Source : By Fadi Malouf
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| You Must Understand Fat in Order to Work it to your Benefit! |
3/8/2007 |
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The title of "energy storehouse" belongs to fat. Despite our cultural obsession to avoid fat, it provides most of the fuel for low-intensity and prolonged exercise. Fat is broken down into its constituent molecules, called fatty acids, which go to the muscles and the liver. Fat is an incredibly efficient way to store energy. It’s light, it doesn’t store much water (unlike glycogen; one the reasons low carbs diet are popular), and its every molecule has a high energy capacity. Many neural and hormonal signals regulate the breakdown of fat to convert it to energy. Of course many people would like to take a "fat-burning" drug that would simply dissolve fat. However, fat burning is a complex biochemical process, and there is no such drug-no matter what people claim.
Source : By Fadi Malouf
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| It's BULKUP TIME!! |
3/8/2007 |
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If you want to increase bulk or muscle mass, there are three real requirements for muscle gain in order of importance:
-Genetic potential, how big are your parents?
-A good strength program
-A high energy diet
There is no magic food or protein powder that will provide a short cut to the results you want. If you are not getting enough energy your body will be unable to lay down extra muscle, making use of the training.
I am going to show you how to maximize your muscular gains with minimal fat gain. Start by increasing your total energy intake, which will help to provide extra carbohydrate to fuel your training, and plenty of protein and other nutrients to build on the result.
Depending on your metabolism you should take your weight and multiply it by 15-20 and that will give you your calorie goal for the day. So for instance, since I weigh about 250lbs my goal caloric intake for the day should be about 5000 calories.
Macronutrient Breakdown
Here is the breakdown of macronutrient intake when bulking:
-PROTEIN, A lot of people drastically reduce their protein intake when bulking and it is true you do need less protein during bulking than you do when cutting. However, if you are training intensely you still need a lot more than most people. I would recommend at least 1g per pound of bodyweight.
-CARBOHYDRATES, Carbs are protein sparing and they give you energy to fuel your workouts, so you need a lot of them. Carbohydrates also increase your glycogen stores in your muscle cells. High muscle glycogen levels are associated with increased protein synthesis and anabolism. Carbs also stimulate a greater insulin response than any other macronutrient. An insulin spike after your workout has been clinically shown to increase your protein synthesis and recovery. Sugars elicit the greatest insulin response so consuming sugar after you workout can have a very anabolic effect. However this does not mean that you should eat sugar all day. I'm sure you’re asking yourself "why not, if sugar stimulates insulin and insulin is anabolic, why not try to stimulate insulin release all the time?" First of all hormones don't work that way. If you continually bombard your body with sugar it will react by decreasing its insulin sensitivity. Over a long period of time this can lead to type II late onset diabetes. (Obviously not good). Also, insulin is very anabolic but it is also the most fattening hormone in the body when it is over-secreted. The reason you can get away with a large insulin spike after your workout is because your body needs most of the calories you are giving it for muscle repair and glycogen storage. Because of this your body will most likely not store those calories as fat. During the rest of the day however you should try to stick with complex carbohydrates. I recommend consuming at least 2.5g-3.5g of carbs per pound of body weight.
-FATS, Fats are involved in hormone production and also have a protein sparing effect. About .3g-.4g per pound of bodyweight good fats are about all you need in the off season. I know a lot of guys that consume massive amounts of fat when bulking. My question is why? Your body can't do anything with the extra fat. If you are having trouble putting on weight take those extra calories and add them into your protein count for the day. If you are still having trouble making gains add more carbohydrates. They are both more usable by the body than fats and are more adept at helping the muscle building process. Only as a last resort would I add in extra fat.
Bulking Tips
Now here are some bulking tips to help put on the mass and keep the fat from piling on.
Your breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, besides your post workout meal. I normally eat 50-60g protein at breakfast, 90-100g carbs, and about 12g fat.
Post workout is definitely the most important meal of the day. After your workout you have two goals: refuel and rebuild. You need to refuel your glycogen stores and rebuild the damaged muscle tissue. I usually drink 50g whey isolate protein (fast acting protein) with 120g simple carbs. I take this meal in liquid form because it is easier for the body to absorb. Then an hour later I eat 50-60 protein, 85g complex carbs, 8g fat with 2 glasses of milk.
Before bed is also very important. You will be going 8 hours without protein so you will want a slow digesting protein, I usually drink low carb casein protein shake because it is a slow digesting protein. The carbs in the shake will spare the protein while you sleep.
Don't go more than 3 hours without protein. You want to keep a positive nitrogen balance and eating every 3 hours ensures this. This is where the dedication part comes in to play. I always brought protein shakes to everywhere I go so I could get my protein fix. I also bring weight gainer shakes sports to prevent calorie deficit. If you play football, basketball, valley ball, soccer or any kind of sport that requires you to burn a lot of calories you'll need to make sure you account for these burnt calories in your daily totals.
Eat 6-8 meals. This gives your body a steady stream of nutrients and it also tricks your body so it stores less fat.
Get 8 hours of sleep. Drink at least a gallon of water per day. For every 10 grams of glycogen , the body must store almost 30 grams of water, so when your cells are hydrated, your protein synthesis increases.
Contradictorily drinking alcohol will decreases your protein synthesis, because alcohol dehydrates your cells. So if you're going to have a couple of drinks at least take water with you and sip on that as well.
Finally, I know eating more food can be a difficult task, whether it is lack of time or too much food bulk that troubles you the most. My advice is to Be organized. Have some dedication to your eating, plan exactly what and how much you should be eating and suck it up!
Train hard but be smarter!
Source : By Fadi Malouf
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| Should you keep track of calories? |
3/8/2007 |
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Keeping track of every single calorie you eat can become a hassle. Some people like doing it, while others despise the idea of logging calories. I am going to give you some of the positives and negatives with logging calories and give you alternative ways of keeping track of how much you eat.
There are numerous benefits of logging calories. there are times when every calorie needs to be tracked in order to look a certain way. You also have the ability to control how much you eat by a number rather than just relying on senses. A good calorie counter software gives you the ability to punch in what you eat and will give you the macro nutrients automatically.
Counting calories can seem more like a job if you don't have the patience to do so. You also have more important responsibilities to take care of and worrying about every little carrot you eat can become a bore. You also could get discourage easily if you eat more than what you had planned.
This could cause a total relapse in your program and give you the excuse to give up. These are the most common reasons people don`t track calories.
If you don`t like keeping track of calories then don't. You have to determine if you have the ability to control your portions, and if you cannot do so, then you better start keeping track. A good diet would consist of six to eight meals while alternating carb sources from complex to fibrous at each meal. Of course you need protein at each meal, and your post workout carb source will consist of either simple or complex, depending on preference.
I don;t log calories all the time because I can control what I eat without gaining much fat. I only keep track while getting ready for a contest or if I feel the need to look my best for a particular social outing. Life`s hard enough without the added stress of keeping track of calories so I avoid the idea as much as possible. You`re going to have to be the one who decides whether you should keep track or not. I hope you make the best choice.
Source : By Zach Bashore
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| Seven Reasons why a low Carbohydrate Diet is wrong |
3/8/2007 |
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Charles Remington explains the health problems you may experience with a low carbohydrate diet.
Obesity is reaching epidemic levels in America and is now the second leading cause of preventable deaths. The medical community used to see it as simply the result of poor eating habits or a lack of will power but now they are beginning to define obesity as a disease that poses a dire threat to our public health. Low carbohydrate diets have become popular as the solution in our battle to lose weight. Unfortunately the human body is equipped to use carbohydrate as its primary source of fuel. Sadly the latest low carbohydrate fad diets are not the fuel the human body was designed to run on. Low carbohydrate diets can cause several health concerns over time. Here are my top seven.
1. Poor exercise performance and recovery
Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for your muscles and brain. Eating a low carbohydrate diet prevents proper maintenance of muscle and liver glycogen (storage form of carbohydrate and water), decreasing muscle performance and increasing muscle fatigue. ATP is the main source of energy for all muscle contraction. When a muscle is used, a chemical reaction breaks down ATP to produce energy. There is only enough ATP stored in the muscle for a few contractions. More ATP is needed. There are three enzyme systems that can create more ATP. The three sources of ATP for muscle contraction are carbohydrates, fatty acids and amino acid proteins. Carbohydrates metabolize efficiently and are therefore used first. If carbohydrates are not available, your muscles metabolize fatty acids and amino acids as secondary sources of ATP. These secondary sources are not efficient, which consequently cause your strength and endurance to drop drastically. It needs to be customized to your amount of muscle and exercise schedule. It provides 50% of your calories from high fiber, low glycaemia (turn into blood sugar slowly) carbohydrates which are metabolized into muscle energy best. This will lead to increases in strength and muscle endurance.
2. Gout
Gout is a form of arthritis that occurs when excessive uric acid levels, start to crystallize in joints, leading to pain and inflammation. Uric acid is a waste product in the liver's metabolism of protein. Excessive amounts of protein may lead to an inability of elimination of uric acid. I would recommend you should not exceed 1 to 1.25 grams of protein per lean pound of body weight.
3. Kidney stones
Kidney stones are hard masses that form in the kidneys when uric acid or calcium oxalate crystallizes and over time form stones. Insoluble fiber found only in carbohydrates reduces the absorption of calcium, which cause urinary calcium levels to drop resulting in prevention of kidney stone's formation. I would recommend the consumption of 30 or more grams of fiber daily. This is not attainable on low carbohydrate diets.
4. Constipation and poor intestinal health
To maintain good intestinal health our bodies require thirty or more grams of fiber daily. Fiber is divided into two types soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber is vital in formation of stools and decreases the time process of waste elimination. Low carbohydrate diets are too low in insoluble fiber and increase risk of constipation. Poor transit time of waste material increases risk of certain colon cancers. Insoluble fibers prevent the build up of mucus on intestinal walls which lead to poor absorption of nutrients into the body. Low carbohydrate diets are inadequate to maintain good intestinal wall health. I would recommend you use whole grains, oats, beans, fruits and vegetable which are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber. This lowers the risk for constipation, irritable bowel, diverticulitis, crohn's disease, hemorrhoids and colon cancers.
5. Rise in cholesterol levels and an increased risk of heart disease
The risk of heart disease increases on low carbohydrate, low fiber diets. These diets promote excessive amounts of animal protein, cholesterol and saturated fat. Exuberant amounts of protein increase homocysteine, which is a bi product of the amino acid methionine. Many experts believe that high homocysteine levels have many toxic effects which lead to increase risk of heart disease and hardening of arteries. Low carbohydrate, low fiber diets reduce the absorption and elimination of digestive bile in the intestines. Digestive bile is produced in the liver from cholesterol. A decrease in digestive bile production raises blood serum cholesterol levels which increases the risk of heart disease. Unlike low carbohydrate diets I would promote a nutritional balance providing 30% protein, 50% high fiber carbohydrates and 20% fat.
6. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is the reduction of bone density, due to the loss of calcium over long periods of time. Several dietary factors increase the risk of osteoporosis. When dietary protein reaches excessive levels, so does the loss of calcium in the urine. Most studies show that a life - long high protein diet results in an increase of osteoporosis. Poor intestinal health due to low fiber diets cause inadequate absorption of calcium in intestines contributing to poor bone formation. This would suggest that all low carbohydrate diets cannot become a life long lifestyle of eating. This is only one of many reasons why low carbohydrate diets provide poor Long Term Weight Control. Interestingly, a diet too low in protein can also increase risk of osteoporosis. There is no one size fits all when managing our weight so it has to be customized to the individual providing the right balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat.
7. Loss of muscle and reduction of metabolism
Any diet that applies the restriction of calories less than the body's daily requirements over long periods of time will result in the loss of lean muscle tissue and a decrease in the metabolism. All low carbohydrate diets are focused solely on weight loss. The loss of fat comes at a high cost, which is the loss of lean muscle. The loss of muscle reduces the resting metabolic rate, which is the major cause for rebound weight gain. Research shows 95% of all dieters' will regain that weight back. We do not fail at diets - diets fail us! The secret is not to try to lose fat every day as this will result in losing muscle and reducing metabolism.
Final thoughts
Long term success in managing weight starts with the right approach. If you are overweight, the real problem is that you have too much body fat for how much muscle you possess. A body composition solution is needed, not just a weight loss diet. Your goal should be to lose fat without losing muscle or sacrificing your health in the process. To maintain your results your eating habits must develop life long character. Low carbohydrate diets provide initial weight loss, but at the high cost of losing muscle and reducing metabolism. They are inadequate sources of fuel to support exercise activity, which is vital in maintaining good health. The risks to your health long term make low carbohydrate diet's poor solutions for life long weight management.
Article Reference
This article, written by Charles Remington, appeared in Issue 14 of the Successful Coaching Newsletter.
Source : By Charles Remington
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| Don’t Forget to Hydrate |
3/8/2007 |
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As summer approaches and the temperature rises, more and more people become susceptible to dehydration and heat-related illnesses. It is important to be aware of various precautions before venturing outside during any season, especially spring and summer. Heat-related illnesses such as heat strokes and heat exhaustion are most common in children, athletes, outdoor workers and the elderly, although anyone who spends time outdoors is at risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 318 Americans die annually due to these illnesses.
The general rule of thumb is to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, but for those who find drinking that amount to be nearly impossible, the Wellness Education Department in the LSU Student Health Center offers a few techniques. They suggest sipping water through a straw, drinking water with all of your meals, carrying water to class or with you all day, adding some sort of flavor to the water such as a lemon or lime and drinking water often when exercising.
Besides water and other sports drinks, fluids can be replenished by simply eating healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables that replace lost nutrients.
Source : By Trudy Dunson
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