Category Archives: Food

High protein diet

Lower cholesterol diet

Cholesterol, Food

Step one – cut down on SIS (Salt, Industrialized Foods, Sugar)

Salt: Lowering your salt intake will not directly lower cholesterol, but it can help in keeping your blood pressure in check, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Industrialized Foods: Similarly, industrialized, processed foods, from white-flour muffins to potato chips, and highly sugared foods and drinks are not necessarily cholesterol-raisers. But they can damage our arteries in a myriad of other ways, such as raising triglyceride fats, blood glucose, and inflammatory levels, not to mention packing on the pounds.

Sugar: Many people don’t realize that having type 2 diabetes, the all-too-common result of our highly processed American diet and sedentary lifestyle, dramatically increases the risk of a heart attack. What’s more, the chance of dying from heart disease for people with diabetes is two to four times higher compared to those who do not have diabetes.

Step 2: Minimize foods that raise blood cholesterol.

Reduce or remove

Saturated-fat-rich foods such as butter, tropical oils like coconut oil, fatty meats, and dairy foods like cheese, cream, and whole/low-fat milk

  • Organ meats
  • Processed meats such as hot dogs, bacon, and bologna
  • Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (also known as trans fats)
  • Cholesterol-rich foods like egg yolks (Egg yolks are not OK, irrespective of “research”)

Step 3: Increase cholesterol reducing foods

Foods proven to lower blood cholesterol are whole foods that are naturally rich in fiber, especially soluble fiber.

  • Beans (also known as legumes) such as lentils, peas, kidney beans, lima beans, black beans, red beans, pinto beans, and so on
  • Yams (Sweet Potatoes)
  • Oats
  • Barley
  • Berries
  • Brussels Sprouts

Eat Fruits, Vegetables, Beans and Whole Grains

Prepare your meals on weekends, and freeze them in portions (in Tupperware) for the week. Each meal should be about the size of your fist. Your can mix and match your fish, chicken or beef. Ideally keep meals and healthy snacks small and eat about 5 or 6 times during the day to keep your metabolism going.

If you are not sure of what to eat, visiting a dietician to draw up an eating plan for you is ideal. The dietician will take your weight and life-style into consideration when drawing up the plan. Not everyone has an hour each night to prepare healthy meals.

Negative calorie foods that burns fat

Fat burning, Food,

Do negative calorie foods exists?

The theory: You will burn more energy digesting these foods than you can get from the calories in that food

These foods are usually plant-derived foods that are high in water content and rich in fiber: grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, except for fatty fruits like avocados and olives.

This is a myth,  you cannot eat food to lose weight

It seems like a great weight loss miracle, but unfortunately it does not work like this.

Celery is top of the list as an example as it has 10 Calories, of which most of the Celery is water and fibre and it is a great snack to eat to suppress hunger pains instead of a Chocolate bar loaded with sugars – at 280 Calories.

It has been shown that to digest the Celery, you only need 2 Calories. This means that the body burns or stores the balance of 8 Calories.

Ok, since you do not burn more fat by eating these foods, what use are they?

You will not shed the calories from the cake you just ate by eating these foods, but you can replace that cake with these instead!

  1. These foods are much healthier than junk foods!
  2. They contain a good proportion of water and fibre, reduces cravings, and keeping you fuller for longer! This means you will eat less during the day, and when consuming these foods, your calorie intake will be drastically reduced.

Vegetables that burn fat

Vegetables on the negative calorie food list are: Asparagus, Bean sprouts, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chicory/Radicchio, Cucumbers, Endives, Green beans, Jicama, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Radishes, Spinach, Squash, Tomatoes, Turnips, Zucchini.

Fruits that burn fat

Fruits on the negative calorie food list are: Apples, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Cranberries, Grapefruits, Honeydew, Lemons/Limes, Mangoes, Oranges, Papaya, Peaches, Pineapple, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tangerines, Watermelon.

Herbs and spices that burn fat

The spices and fresh or dried herbs on the negative calorie food list are: Anise, Cayenne, Chili peppers, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander/Cilantro, Cumin, Dill, Fennel seeds, Flax seeds, Garden cress, Garlic, Ginger, Parsley, Onion, Mustard seeds, Watercress.

High protein diet

Proteins – whey, milk, egg, soy and blended

Food, Gym supplements,

There are a number of different protein supplements on the market, and there is a variety of proteins from food.

Protein is one of the three major, or macro, nutrients. The other two being carbohydrates (carbs) and fats.

Proteins are comprised of nitrogen-containing groups called amino acids.

There are about 20 different types of amino acids commonly found in foods. All of them are important for building and maintaining muscle, but 8 are vital. These are what’s known as the Essential Amino Acids (EAAs).

The EAAs cannot be synthesized in any of your tissues, so they must be obtained through high protein foods.

  • Lean meats,
  • fish
  • poultry
  • eggs
  • milk
  • cheese
  • soybeans

Powdered whey, casein, egg, and soy proteins offer the same amino acids as whole food sources in more concentrated doses – with lower levels of calories, fat, carbs, cholesterol, and other non-protein ingredients.

Whey Proteins – fast acting

Whey proteins are quickly and easily digested ( “fast-acting” ), they are loaded with essential amino acids (EAAs) – including the three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), and they contain subcomponents (microfractions) that appear to provide benefits above and beyond amino acids and elemental nitrogen. Whey is one of two major dairy proteins and accounts for about 20% of the protein in milk.

Casein Proteins – slow release

Comprising 80% of the protein in milk, casein is the dominant dairy protein. Often referred to as a “slower-acting” or “time-released” protein, because they are digested and absorbed much more slowly than whey or soy proteins. Casein proteins are especially useful when taken at bedtime and during other prolonged periods without eating.

Milk Proteins – 20% whey / 80% casein

Milk protein is dried milk with most of the fat and carbohydrate removed. Like the original milk, powdered milk proteins are about 20% whey protein and 80% casein protein, so utilization is somewhere in between the two.

Egg Proteins

Eggs are the “gold standard” for protein quality, with loads of essential amino acids (EAAs) and some of the highest scores in all measures of protein quality. Eggs are a great alternative to whey, casein, and whole milk proteins for those with milk allergies or  lactose intolerance.

Soy Proteins

If you are a vegetarian, don’t consume eggs are diary, then soy proteins contain all of the required amino acids in sufficient amounts to support muscle growth and development.

Blended Proteins

If you can only afford one type of protein, this is probably the type that you should go with. Combining faster-, intermediate-, and slower-protein sources in one convenient place, blended proteins give you more sustained protein digestion than single-source proteins like whey, casein, egg, or soy.

High protein diet

Fat and unhealthy foods to avoid

Food,

The following list is foods that may seem healthy, are easily available or are just everyday foods that we tend to look over

Sugary soda drink

This is quite an obvious one, however, it forms part of many people’s diet. Soda drinks provides a lot of high fructose corn syrup with no nutritional value.  A list of what these sodas do for you:

  • Obesity – the sugar makes you fat, clear and simple.
  • Dissolves tooth enable – gives you really bad teeth to the point that smiling will become a Hill-Billy event.
  • Kidney issues
  • high blood pressure
  • heart disease
  • diabetes
  • reproductive issues
  • osteoporosis
  • asthma

Fruit juice

Fruit juice is just as bad a sodas, it has high concentration of sugars.  It also has most of the fibre stripped out. Have you ever noticed how much more flavour a bottle of fruit juice tastes compared to a freshly squeezed orange?  That is because the manufacturers add artificial flavours and smells to the final product!

Many of the things that make a real fruit healthy has been removed during the processing. You may get some vitamins, and anti-oxidants, but putting a priest in a prison does not turn it into a church.

Take a look at the breakdown for a 350 ml portion of Coca Cola and apple juice:

  • Coca Cola: 140 calories and 40 grams of sugar (10 teaspoons).
  • Apple juice: 165 calories and 39 grams of sugar (9.8 teaspoons).

Margarine

The advertising is so fantastic on margarine. It seems healthier and less fatty, with so many varieties such as light variety, ones that contains seed oils and others being omega-3 enriched. However, margarine actually is full of trans fats, coating your arteries and increasing your cholesterol levels.Rather stick with real butter, in moderation of course.

Sandwich meats and hot dogs

Healthy pieces of chicken and ham slices? I thought so, but they are so flavorful and so rich for such thin slices. Yes, they are in fact lower quality cuts of meat are full of nitrites, chemical flavorings, dyes, and a lot of sodium.

Hot dogs – chicken, pork, lamb or beef, it does not matter, they are processed low quality meats and they are just as bad as the sandwich slices.

Processed cheese

Processed cheese wrapped in plastic, ready to be put on sandwiches / buns is not real cheese. It is unhealthy processed artificially flavoured products.

Rather use real cheese, Low fat Mozzarella being the best option if you need to use a cheese.

Fast food salad

Those chicken strips and salad dressing pack more calories than a burger and fries.

Fast food

French fries, fish, burgers, chicken, beef, fried or flame grilled – fast foods are all bad!

Artificial sweeteners

Linked to neurological problems, cancer and even diabetes and a tendency to make people crave food more and overeat.

Unfortunately, there is not much choice when it comes to sweetening things up.

Rather use brown sugar, honey or natural maple syrup.

Drink water with ice and lemon juice.

Cut the sugar dosage and get use to drinking beverages more naturally, such as coffee with 1 teaspoon of sugar and milk, or just plain tea and milk.

You can try clear green tea with mint or lemon (green tea is available in those specific flavours from Lipton and other manufacturers).

Microwave popcorn

Popcorn is a great alternative to snacks, but microwave popcorn is bad as the imitation butter flavor is PFOA, which has been linked to certain cancers and infertility.

Rather buy an air-popper and use real butter.

Low fat yogurt

Low fat yogurt may be sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners. Rather eat plain yogurt or low fat Greek yogurt. If you prefer to sweeten it up, add your own fruits and honey.

Multi-grain or multi-seed bread

Unless the multi-grain / multi-seed bread is whole wheat bread or rye bread, then you will be buying white bread with seeds and grain in it. This is pointless as white bread lacks nutrients and is made from enriched flour.

High protein diet

Eat to grow muscle – food with high protein content

Food, Gym supplements, Suppliments

To grow muscle, you need to increase protein intake, as this is the building blocks of muscles

Supplements are an essential if you are a serious athlete or are serious about getting muscular body. Supplementation is not a meal replacement, it is meant to supplement your existing diet.

These food contain high levels of protein and should form of all athlete’s diets:

#1: Fish (Tuna, Salmon, Halibut)

Protein in 100g 3oz Fillet (85g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
26g 22g 1g protein per 4.5 calories

Other fish high in protein per fillet(3oz or 85g): Tuna (22g), Salmon (22g), Halibut (22g), Snapper (22g), Perch(21g), Flounder and Sole (21g), Cod (20g), Tilapia (17g).

Tip: Tuna can be mixed with low fat mayo, raisins, apple slices and mixed nuts (not peanuts)

#2: Lean Chicken (Chicken Breast)

Protein in 100g 3oz serving (85g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
18.3g 16g 1g protein per 4.6 calories

More Chicken and Turkey: Chicken Leg – Drumsticks (60g) provides 16g protein. Chicken Thigh (37g) provides 9g protein. 3oz serving of Turkey Breast (85grams) provides 26g protein.

Tip: Steam or grill your chicken breast, steaming does not dry the meat

#3: Cheese (Non-fat Mozzarella)

Protein in 100g 1oz Slice (28g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
32g 9g 1g protein per 4.7 calories

Other cheese high in protein per ounce(28g): Low-fat Cottage Cheese (5g), Low-fat Swiss Cheese (8g), Low-fat Cheddar (6g), Parmesan (10g), Romano (9g). *Low or Non Fat Mozzarella and Cottage Cheese provide the most protein per calorie, full fat cheeses typically only provide 1g protein per 20 calories, and are less optimal sources of protein

#4: Lean Beef and Veal (Low Fat)

Protein in 100g 3oz Slice (85g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
36g 31g 1g protein per 5.3 calories

T-Bone Steak 3oz (28g) provides 19g of protein, 1 Piece of Beef Jerky (20g) provides 7g of protein.

Tip: High end retail stores offers a lean option of 20% fat and an ultra-lean option with 10% fat.

#5: Pork Loin (Chops)

Protein in 100g 1 Chop (137g,~5oz) Protein to Calorie Ratio
30g 41g 1g protein per 5.4 calories

Sirloin Roast 3oz (28g) provides 23g of protein, Ham 3oz (28g) provides 18g of protein, 1 slice of bacon (8g) provides 3g of protein.

#6: Tofu

Protein in 100g 3oz Slice (85g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
7g 6g 1g protein per 7.4 calories

1 cup (252g) of firm tofu provides 20g protein. 1 cup of soft tofu (248g) provides 16g protein. 1 cup of tempeh (166g) provides 31g protein.

#7: Yogurt, Milk, and Soymilk

Protein in 100g 1 cup (245g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
6g 14g 1g protein per 9.8 calories

1 cup skim milk (245g) provides 8g protein, 1 cup soymilk (243g) provides 8g protein.

Tip: Look for zero-fat or low fat yogurt that is unsweetened (such as plain or Greek-style).
Skip the milk if you are on a protein supplement because milk contains high levels of sugar (lactose).

#8: Beans (Mature Soy Beans)

Protein in 100g 1 cup (172g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
17g 29g 1g protein per 10.4 calories

Other beans high in protein per cup cooked: Kidney Beans (17g), White Beans (17g), Lima Beans (15g), Fava Beans (14g), Black Beans (15g), Mung Beans (14g).

#9: Eggs (Especially Egg Whites)

Protein in 100g 1 Large Egg (50g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
13g 6g 1g protein per 12 calories

1 Egg White (33g) provides 4g protein, 1g protein to 4.4 calories. 1 cup of scrambled eggs (220g) provides 22g protein.

Tip:  Skip the egg yellow, boil or steam the eggs. Shops sell  egg steamers that are very convenient to use.

#10: Nuts and Seeds (Pumpkin, Squash, and Watermelon Seeds)

Protein in 100g 1 Ounce (28g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
33g 9g 1g protein per 15.8 calories

Other nuts and seeds high in protein (grams protein per ounce (28g)): Peanuts (7g), Almonds (6g), Pistachios (6g), Sunflower Seeds (6g), Flaxseed (5g), Mixed Nuts (4g).

Did you know: Peanuts are not nuts but are edible seeds enclosed in pods, such as peas and  beans. They belong to the single plant family, Leguminosae.  Unlike nuts, which are grown on trees, peanuts grow underground.