McKinley Grapevine

Here is a quiz I would encourage all of you to take but especially those of you who are on a quest to drop some lbs!  I am well aware of the way my metabolism works but I wanted to take the quiz just to see how accurate they were.  They were SPOT ON!  Want to know YOUR metabolism type?  Take the quiz 🙂

http://www.doctoroz.com/quiz/quiz-what-your-metabolism-type

It’s true!  Eating fat will actually help you burn body fat BUT…it does matter what type of fat you consume.  The following are the types of fat you want to eat in order to burn fat:

Medium-chain triglycerides (a saturated fat that is REALLY good for you)
~ Coconut oil – healthy saturated fat, won’t raise cholesterol and has a thermogenic effect which can increase your fat burning potential
~ Palm Kernel Oil – cholesterol free and rich in antioxidants

Conjugated Linoleic Acid:
~ Dairy Products
~ Sunflower oil
~ CLA is also available in pill form

Monounsaturated Fats:
~ Nuts and seeds such as: almonds, pistachios and walnuts
~ Avacados
~ Egg yolks
~ Olive oil

So, how much fat should you consume?  Some say no more than 15-20% of your diet should be fat and others think 30% is healthiest.  Personally, I think anywhere between 25-35% is a healthy range as long as your consuming HEALTHY fats.  Two months ago I actually increased my fat intake.  I went from 25% up to 40% and lost 6lbs of body fat!  I also increased my protein by 10%, ate more fruits and veggies and less bread and pasta.

Email me if you would like more info about what your diet would look like if you were to increase your fat intake :).  Have a great evening!

There are so many great benefits that come from exercise but my personal favorite is the endorphin rush!  It’s a natural high that can’t be beat.   Endorphins are produced by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus most commonly during strenuous exercise.  Aside from the sense of euphoria you feel, endorphins also help relieve pain, boost your immune system and slow down the aging process.

Click the link below to learn about some of the psychological benefits you can experience and then go workout so you can get your daily dose of endorphins!!!!

http://kcossaboon.hubpages.com/hub/ExerciseandTheEndorphinRush

We all know how it feels to be hungry, but do you know the difference between a physical hungry feeling vs. an emotional hungry feeling?  Find out what the differences are and how to figure out whether the hunger feelings you are having is a physical or an emotional one by reading the short article below.

http://cortherapy.com/emotional-hunger-versus-physical-hungerwhats-difference/

If you do struggle with emotional eating, here are some ways you can beat those cravings:

1. Set yourself up for success!
~ Keep the junk food out of your home.  If you’re so determined to consume junk food to fill a void you would at least have the time it would take you to drive to the store to really think about whether or not eating that piece of cake of bag of chips was going to be worth it.
~ It can be difficult if you have kids, HOWEVER they shouldn’t be eating junk food on a daily basis either so for their sake it shouldn’t be in the house.  If your going to have a treat night, buy enough for 1 serving each and THAT’s IT!  No need for left overs 🙂

2. Figure out the reason for your craving:
~ Keep a food journal to identify your eating patterns and pay attention to the time of day when you’re really craving carbs or sugars.  Next, ask yourself why?  Are you really hungry or just bored?  Are you frustrated, stressed out and really want a salty or sugary getaway which will only feel good for the moment?  Sometimes if you understand the cause of your craving and realize it’s not because you are physically hungry, you will seek other ways to find relief from that emotion.

3. Identify things that satisfy you but don’t involve food:
~ For some it could be going for a walk, run, or bike ride.  Others will benefit from reading, playing an instrument, painting or participating in something artistic.  Figure out what you enjoy best and do that activity the next time you feel an emotional hunger craving.

4. Celebrate you success:
~ Keep track of every time you were able to resist a food craving because of your emotional state.  With every success you are proving to yourself you don’t need junk food to fill any void in your life.

When someone deals with emotional hunger cravings and gives into them they are inviting what could be a nasty cycle.  Most of the time you won’t feel relieved or better about your situation after you eat a bag of cookies.  Most of the time you will feel guilty which will make you feel worse.  This can make your emotional situation harder to deal with, which will then lead you to eat more junk because you feel you’ve already failed and you see no point in trying to fix the habit.  This does not have to be the case for you even if you are an emotional eater.  Every craving you don’t give in to will make a difference 🙂  Please email me with any questions 🙂

Do you have any goals set for yourself?  Whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain or the desire to be more toned.  Maybe you want to train for a marathon, iron man or tough mudder event.  Are you prepared to take your goal seriously?  Take the quiz below to find out.  Take the necessary steps to make the commitment to yourself to reach your goal 🙂

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/assessment_questions.asp?quizid=52