John Hall Studios

The Amazing Kernel

2011-12-15T05:21:00.000-08:00

According to research completed in March 2001 by Dr. K. Phillips of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the sunflower kernel is rich in a number of nutrients that have been shown to protect against cardiovascular and other diseases and to act as antioxidants and anti-carcinogens. When considered in aggregate, this amazing kernel packs a powerful nutritional punch. Sunflower kernels contain high levels of vitamin E, betaine, phenolic acids, and choline. In addition, the kernel is a good source of arginine and lignans. Each of these compounds, while perhaps unfamiliar to the layperson, has been studied by the scientific community and shown to offer a variety of health benefits. Vitamin E (Tocopherols): May protect against cardiovascular disease. Betaine: May protect against cardiovascular disease. Phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid): Antioxidant and anti-carcinogen. Choline: Plays a role in memory and cognitive function. Arginine: Potential heart benefits. Lignans: May protect against heart disease and some cancers; lowers LDL cholesterol and triglyceride.

Sunflower seeds offer an easy way to add some crunch, taste, and nutrition to a variety of foods. Toss them over your salad, mix them in with popcorn, serve them a la carte, or even add them to your fresh baked, whole grain breads and muffins. To Your Health, J

8 Tips for Avoiding the Holiday Pounds

2011-11-30T09:15:00.001-08:00

Wrong. According to a study by researchers at Sweden's Linköping University, those 4 weeks of celebrating can actually lead to long-term weight gain. Essentially, the researchers took a group of healthy young people, increased their caloric intake by 70 percent, and lowered their exercise levels. They also had a control group whose diets weren't altered. At 4 weeks, the participants in the test group had gained an average of 14 pounds. After 6 months, and no longer on an increased-calorie diet, only a third of these participants had returned to their original weight. After 1 year, the test group members were each still an average of 3.3 pounds heavier. After 2 and a half years, the "gluttonous" group continued to gain, while the control group still maintained a stable weight. Now, most of us don't increase our calories that drastically for 30 days straight. Sure, there's Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving leftovers, Hanukkah, the work Christmas party, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day, not to mention the extra sweets, cocktails, and (ahem) fruitcake. But according to the New England Journal of Medicine, the actual average weight gain over the holidays is only 1 pound. (They obviously didn't poll my family or friends.) So what's the big deal? The problem is, a year later, the vast majority of people have not removed that pound. Continue this pattern over 30 or 40 holiday seasons and the problem becomes—quite literally—huge. So how are we supposed to get through the holidays without gaining weight? Here are eight effective ways to get yourself ready to beat the holiday bulge. 1) Buy clothes that fit right now. This first tip might be a bit pricy, but it's a great motivational aid in staving off weight gain. A new addition to your wardrobe in a size that shows off your summer body can be all you need to prevent those extra pounds from creeping on. Imagine that beautiful holiday dress or great pair of pants, then imagine being unable to zip them up thanks to sugar cookies. Yeah, no one wants that. So before you begin the festivities, go buy yourself something perfect to wear to your parties and hang it someplace visible, so it serves as a constant reminder. Perhaps on the TV where you play your P90X®, INSANITY®, or TurboFire® videos, or in front of that treadmill that might be starting to collect a little dust in the corner, or on your refrigerator door . . . that way, if it doesn't fit quite the same way the next time you try to slip into it, you know it's time to get back to work. 2) Write it down. We try to write down everything we eat, right? We spend countless hours each month staring at a food diary, adding up our calories, and seeing if we got the correct balance of macronutrients. And then the holidays happen, and our little book ends up in the bottom drawer. It's almost like we're hoping that if we didn't write it down, it didn't happen. Unfortunately, the scale doesn't fit in that bottom drawer. The truth is, if we would write down the not-so-perfect meals and treats, we could find a way to compensate for them, at least a bit. For example, you have a peppermint brownie in the break room at work, which you know is carbohydrates and fat. Eat one less portion of carbohydrate and one less portion of fat for your dinner. It's not ideal, but it'll help. Or perhaps you couldn't resist Mom's homemade scones for breakfast. You could plan on an extra 20 or 30 minutes of your workout tonight. The point is, if we write it down, and do the math, we can lessen the damage. It isn't a good long-term plan, but to help compensate for a few slip-ups, it can help. 3) Keep exercising. Most fitness trainers will tell you the slowest point of their year is between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Sure, their clients schedule workouts with the best of intentions, but then they cancel them for parties and gift shopping. It's hard to remain balanced when you have a million things to do and gifts to buy. Yet the greatest gift you can give yourself is to stay focused on your fitness

goals and get your workout in. Shopping getting in the way? Do it online and save some time. Parties getting in the way? Just show up later. Who cares if everyone else is a couple of cocktails ahead of you? You'll be healthier, and you won't have to worry about the embarrassing YouTube® videos in the morning. Just stay consistent, even if it's inconvenient. You'll be much less likely to look like Santa (both belly-wise and red-nose-wise) at the end of the month. 4) Eat before parties. Most holiday parties don't focus on low-fat, low-calorie refreshments, so unless you're organizing the event, the best damage control is to show up with a full tummy. Make sure you eat your meals and snacks throughout the day, and try to eat a healthy meal before attending any party. If you're going straight from work, prepare a healthy and filling snack to eat on the way. You'll be a lot less likely to swim in mayonnaise dips and pigs in blankets if you're full. 5) Get junk out of the house. The majority of people don't get into their car at midnight, drive to the store, buy the ingredients for cookies, bake them, and then stay up to eat them. But if those homemade cookies that Linda in accounting made for you are already on your kitchen counter, you better believe you'll find a way to justify it. Frankly, at 12:30 AM, after a rotten day, for most of us there's nothing like a few cookies to drown our sorrows. The secret is to get the garbage out of the house. Send it to work with your significant other, donate it to a bake sale, re-gift it to your 100-pound friend with the perfect metabolism, or just dump it in the trash. Linda will never know. If you have holiday dinner leftovers, box them up for your guests individually and send them home with them. If your family still sends you that Pepperidge Farm® cookie assortment, invite a bunch of people over for a pre-party party and serve 'em up before the drinks. Try not to be wasteful, but get the less-than-healthy temptations out of your reach. 6) Offer to prepare healthy fare. This suggestion won't be well received by those of us who'd rather spend Thanksgiving sitting around watching football than toiling in the kitchen, but if you do the cooking, you have the control. Your family could have a tasty and satisfying meal without ingesting thousands of calories and fat grams. The way the turkey is prepared, the type of stuffing, how vegetables are made,

whether the cranberries are real, and countless other things can make or break the healthiness of a meal. There are tons of cookbooks out there, plus recipes in this and past newsletters, that can help you out. Yes, it does require a bit of work. But you're part of the Beachbody community. You can do anything! 7) Choose wisely and proportionally. Something occurs during a holiday meal. It's like a Las Vegas buffet—we feel like we have to eat some of everything. We feel almost like those foods will never exist again, and this is our last meal on the planet. This year, why not try to eat only your favorites, as in two or three items, and keep the portions to the size of your palm? If you're still hungry, try to fill up on veggies (preferably ones that aren't drowned in butter or cream-of-mushroom soup). If you want dessert, lean toward a small slice of pumpkin pie (220 calories) as opposed to pecan (a heftier 543), leaving out the hydrogenated nondairy whipped topping if possible. If you're going to have an alcoholic beverage, go with a flute of champagne (100 calories) as opposed to that rum-laced eggnog (with more than four times more calories, at 420). Just a few wise choices will save you a ton of calories, and probably a significant amount of heartburn as well. 8) Don't beat yourself up. Quite possibly the worst thing you can do is beat yourself up over a bit of holiday indulgence. Yes, it does stink to backslide after working your tail off. But sometimes it doesn't stink as much as dealing with your mother when you turn down her brisket and potato pancakes. Sometimes, we don't have time to go to work, buy a Christmas tree, decorate it with our kids, make dinner, oversee homework, tuck kids in bed, and spend an hour doing our Beachbody workout of choice. We can only do our very best. Mentally beating yourself up will only make you feel worse, which never helped anyone get back to their fitness program. So if you happen to gain that 1 extra pound this holiday season, be part of the rare group who actually follows through with their New Year's resolution and manages to shed it again. A week of hard work and a slight calorie deficit should do the trick. Resolutions don't come easier than that! A wise person once said, "The toughest part of a diet isn't watching what you eat. It's watching what other people eat." That really is the crux of the problem with dining out in public. When you're surrounded by people who are consuming the equivalent of their body weight in fat grams, it's really tough to stick to that chicken breast and steamed veggies. But if you have a game plan, you're more likely to walk out with both a satisfied tummy and a satisfied mind. So spend a few minutes on researching, on eating, and on exercising beforehand, and be strong when you get there. The effort will be worth it, and you might even be an inspiration to your dining partner. What greater reward is there than that? Oh, yeah—a six-pack.

Virgin Coconut Oil

2011-11-17T18:41:00.001-08:00

Virgin Coconut Oil is an extremely versatile and wonderfully delicious tasting oil. Good quality coconut oil is one of the most stable cooking oils, plus it's highly resistant to rancidity. There are many ways to incorporate coconut oil into your diet. It could be used anywhere you currently use any of the "seed" oils (soybean, corn, canola, safflower, sesame seed, sunflower seed); used as a butter for spreads, over popcorn, or for baking; used in soups or 'smoothies'; eaten right off the spoon; eaten as a "candy" or "white chocolate" when refrigerated or frozen; put in coffee or tea; mixed with peanut butter; etc. Good quality coconut oil is also mild on the skin, and used in many areas around the world to both nourish and protect the skin and hair from, among other things, the harsh effect of the sun. Coconut oil has natural anti-oxidants and acts as an anti-oxidant itself. Also, coconut oil is rich in medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which have natural anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Coconut oil contains Monolaurin, which is the same anti-microbial agent found in human mother's milk. Plus, Caprylic and Capric acids (medium chains), which are relatively and uniquely high in coconut oil, diminish the nutritional requirements for essential fatty acids (EFAs). Our coconut oil is made using a process called the Fresh Centrifuge Process. Fresh-Centrifuge Process is the emerging process benchmark for VCO extraction from fresh coconut meat that prevents contamination, alteration and deterioration of the oil, and retaining its freshness. The VCO produced is practically the same as it exists in fresh coconut meat - fresh smell and taste, no fermentation acid contamination, no peroxide contamination, no aflatoxin, no diminution of the heat-sensitive vitamin E, un-altered fatty acid profile, and high laurin content. It is a wholistic process that starts at coconut growing where and natural farm productivity improvement methods are implemented, and age of coconut fruits are monitored to get the optimum age for harvest (Note: underage and overage nuts contain lesser laurin oil). It employs an innovative process of extracting the oil at fresh conditions using purely physical method of centrifugation or high-speed spinning, thru a specifically-fitted high-speed low-turbulence centrifuge, without use of heating, fermentation and freezing methods of extractions. The final oil is packed in bottles and containers that undergo 100% preventive sanitation and disinfection, and sealed with slight vacuum to maintain freshness throughout shelf life. To Your Health, John

ADDANASSTOMY

2011-05-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

Ijust read a blog from one the worlds best streghth and condtioning Mike Boyle and thought I would share it with you. Enjoy the humor and truthfulness.

I’ve got a newsflash that will change the world of
fitness and training forever.

I discovered an essential new operation that be
life-changing. The operation is called an addanasstomy.

Luckily you can perform this operation on yourself with
out the aid of a doctor. In an addanasstomy we take the
average gluteless bench press addicted trainee and we
begin an intensive program of squats and lunges to attempt
to add increase the size of the glutes maximus. Hence the
name. ADD AN ASS TO ME or in this case really to you.

It’s funny, in fitness we always seem to be trying to lose
something. Most of the time it seems to be around the waist.

The truth is that most people need to lose a little in front
and gain a little in the back. Don’t always think about taking
away, think about adding a little, but only in back. The way
most people look these days glutes belong on a milk carton.

I can see it now. Wanted lost glutes. Last seen just before
freshman year of college. The glutes began to disappear the
day you sat down for good and decided never to exercise again.

It was only a matter of time.

It’s so wonderfully rare to see a man or a woman who fills
out their pants properly. Don’t get me wrong, I see lots of
improperly filled pants. You know what I mean. In these days
of thongs and low cut jeans, it is even worse. I think you can
visualize the young girl with the adipose overflowing the top
of the jeans. Had enough yet? This same young girl is always
pulling up her low cut jeans because she has no glutes to
hold them up. For men the beer belly or the plumbers crack
are almost cliché. Both at least an indirect result of no glutes.

The truth is that gl utes are essential to survival.

Low back pain expert Stuart McGill, author of Low Back Disorders,
describes the loss of glute strength and size as gluteal amnesia
( his term, not mine) and goes on to implicate lack of strength
in the glutes for the debilitating back pain that afflicts so many.

The cure for gluteal amnesia is an addanasstomy.

The truth is we sit too much, we take too many elevators, we
skip too many stairs. The result.

Loss of glute function and the relative disappearance of the
bodies most vital muscle. Then to top it off we go to the gym
and do what? Of course, we work on our upper body. No wonder
everyone’s back hurts.

The cure. Squats, lunges, one leg squats, split squats. Hip
extension exercises and bridging exercises.

The good part is that the disease is cureable and that you
can perform the operation on yourself.

Regards,

Mike Boyle

To Your Health,

John Hall

Organic Is Better!

2011-04-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows organic is better. You cannot argue that fresh, pesticide free, preservative free, hormone free, and just plain healthy food is better than the junk people are ingesting at their local fast food joints. The only argument one may have against purchasing it more than they do is that not all retailers carry it. That problem can be solved by buying organic food online.

With the advent of the internet came mobile everything – you can have a car washing service come to your door, or even purchase a car to be delivered! You can have a doctor come to your home. You can make an appointment with a hair stylist for you, or even for your dog, to come to your house and make you all pretty. You can also have your groceries sent directly to you, fresh, organic, and ready to become a delicious meal – snacks and beverages too! Organic food online is the solution to the crowded local supermarket that doesn’t have much of what you need anyway.

If you want to take your natural health and beauty a step further, try salon quality personal care products that go beyond the “green” movement and are completely toxin free. You hear people use the old adage that “you are what you eat”, but putting stuff on yourself can be just as harmful as putting it inside of your body. Chemicals are used to change your hair color, not give it the nutrients and cleanliness it needs to be healthy and vibrant. This is not a band wagon to join, this is an entire lifestyle undertaking that will help aid in prevention and being proactive instead of prescriptions and being reactive.

If you are new to this and have been ingesting fatty and unhealthy foods for a while, you may want to research detox diets for weight loss and jump start your new outlook on eating and drinking. What you put in to your body is not just for your satisfaction, but is supposed to re-charge your entire system and keep you healthy from the inside out. Drinking water, getting plenty of sunshine, and eating organic and healthy foods is the best way to keep your immune system, muscles, skin, eyes, and all of your other organs and functions healthy for as long as physically possible.

A secret of the medical community is that they don’t care about prevention. They don’t care that you eat right or keep the right amount of nutrients and vitamins in you. They don’t want you healthy because they don’t get paid unless you are sick. Pharmaceutical corporations are banking on the fact that you will not take care of yourself and need their drugs to help alleviate the symptoms, but surely not find a cure – they don’t want you healthy because then you won’t use their products.

To Your Health,

John Hall

Healthy Snacks For Kids

2011-03-05T05:06:00.000-08:00

These days it is so easy to hand our kids a pre-packaged convenience item to munch while we race to get to the next meeting or practice that we are already 10 minutes late for. Parents, we are not doing our kids, or ourselves, any favors by letting them suck down sugary drinks and nutritionally void snacks in the backseat of our cars. Taking just a little time, when we have the time, to prepare healthy snacks for kids will have them feeling and performing better throughout the day’s long schedule.

Good quality cheese sticks are just as easy to reach for as those neon colored "fruit" snacks. Delicious and full of protein, your kid will be satisfied and energized until dinner. Peanut butter is another high protein, kid friendly snack. Spread atop a rice cake or used as a dip for apple slices, peanut butter can be a versatile and tasty mini-meal-on-the-go. Choose a sugar free, natural peanut butter to alleviate any worries about unnecessary additives.

Mix up a batch of “sneaky” muffins to have ready during the week. Throwing a few extra fruits or veggies into a batter for banana or zucchini bread will make a nutritional difference, but nobody but you will be the wiser. Whole grain cereals are also a great, convenient choice. In a pinch, fill up a ziploc bag with dry cereal for munching on in the car. At home, try mixing it with yogurt and fruit to create an easy parfait. Tubes of yogurt can also be frozen into healthy snacks for kids and used to replace those syrupy popsicles and chemical laden ice-cream treats.

Hummus may not sound like a kid-friendly food, but it is a fun and excellent dip for chips (try making your own sweet potato chips with olive oil and sea salt) or veggie sticks. Hummus is also a great source of vitamins and iron and can serve as a sandwich spread in place of mayonnaise.

Include your children while making new snacks. Let them use their imaginations and get creative! If things get messy in the kitchen, don't worry! Kids can have as much fun cleaning up as they have cooking. Kids are more likely to try a new food when they are proud of preparing it with you. Equipped with healthy snacks for kids, we are better prepared to lead our children towards healthy habits for life.

To Your Health,

John Hall

Research Continues To Show Fat Fighting Potential With Whey Protein

2011-03-02T05:35:00.000-08:00

New research is showing that supplementation with whey protein may improve your blood lipid profiles and reduce your levels of liver fat by 20%.

A study published in the journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that four weeks of supplementation with whey protein may significantly reduce the markers of fatty liver disease in obese women. This is accomplished by reducing the amount of fat inside liver cells. It also showed that key markers of blood lipid profiles which measure risk for heart disease were also improved.

Fatty liver disease is more frequent in obese patients and is also the hepatic component of metabolic syndrome. It is associated with health issues such as insulin resistance, poor glucose tolerance and high levels of blood lipids.

Other studies similar to this have indicated that higher whey protein intakes may have beneficial effects for fatty liver disease.

Bortolotti and colleagues wanted to test this hypothesis so they studied the effects of 4 weeks of supplementation with 60 grams per day of whey protein in obese non-diabetic females. They consumed 3 shakes per day with 20 grams of whey protein each time.

All the obese participants had BMIs between 20.9 and 52.4 and fat concentrations in their liver was between 1.9 and 20.5 percent of liver volume.

After four weeks of whey protein supplementation the participants liver fat concentrations decreased by 21 percent and their fasting plasma triglyceride levels decreased by 15 percent. Their total cholesterol concentration also decreased by over 7 percent.

According to this study it was concluded that whey protein supplementation improved the markers of fatty liver disease and plasma lipid profiles in obese non-diabetic patients.

To Your Health,

John Hall

PS to purchase the best whey protein go to

Carrots Raise Nutritional Benefits

2011-03-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

All our lives we've been told to eat our carrots, they help improve your eyesight. Maybe you've wondered - what exactly is it about the carrot that is good for my eyes? That would be the beta-carotene. In addition to giving the carrot its name and orange color, it also converts to vitamin A in the body which helps improve vision. The vitamin A forms a purple pigment called rhodopsin the eye needs to see in dim light. Rhodopsin production is spurred by vitamin A, raising the effectiveness of the light-sensitive area of the retina.

But that's not all that carrots can do for you. The beta-carotene in carrots is an antioxidant combating the free radicals that contribute to conditions like cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration. Medical studies conducted in Texas and Chicago indicates that men with the high levels of beta-carotene and vitamin C had a 37% lower risk of cancer than the men with lower levels. Carrots also contain another antioxidant called alpha-carotene. A study conducted in Bethesda , MD concluded that men who consume high amounts of alpha carotene have a lower incidence of lung cancer.

Cooking carrots actually raises the nutritional benefits. The fiber in carrots can trap the beta carotene, making it difficult for your body to extract. By cooking them slightly, you free the beta-carotene, from the fiber, which allows your body to absorb it better. Eating only a half-cup serving per day will give you more than the recommended dosage of beta-carotene. Remember, when you buy carrots raw at the store, you should cut off the leafy tops before storing for maximum vitamin retention. Getting your carrot-a-day is easy, considering the vegetable's versatility and “blendability”. Carrots can subtlety enhance but don't overwhelm. Here are a few ways to put more carrot power on your table.

Cook grated carrots with beans, split peas, lentils, rice, or pastas. Carrots are great in stuffing. Try them roasted - split large carrots lengthways and brush with a little olive oil then put on a roasting tray in a 400 degree (F) oven for about 45 minutes until tender and browned. Try roasted carrots, potato, sweet potato and pumpkin served with steamed green vegetables and a nice sauce.

Toss grated carrot with potatoes for hash browns. (Toss in grated zucchini and minced onion, too.)

Add to sauces, white or red. Grated carrots give body and impart subtle flavor, and they fit any tomato or creamy soup, sauce, or casserole.

Mix finely-ground carrots into peanut butter for a new kind of healthy crunch. (If you want to make a really GOOD Peanut Butter & carrot sandwich, add a few slices of banana.)

Hot & Cold Salads: Sauté onions, green peppers, and grated or finely sliced carrots. Remove from heat and pour your preferred salad vinegar over hot veggies. (It will hiss and steam.) While hot, add to chilled salad greens. Toss and serve.

Herb and Vegetable Bread or Biscuits: To your regular dough, add finely grated carrots; minced onion (dried flakes or fresh green); parsley; garlic powder; sprinkle of basil and pinch of oregano or sage. Top it all off with some dried or pesto tomatoes and a few hearty shakes of parmesan cheese.

To Your Health,

John Hall

The Amazing Kernel

2011-02-25T13:44:00.000-08:00

According to research completed in March 2001 by Dr. K. Phillips of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the sunflower kernel is rich in a number of nutrients that have been shown to protect against cardiovascular and other diseases and to act as antioxidants and anti-carcinogens. When considered in aggregate, this amazing kernel packs a powerful nutritional punch. Sunflower kernels contain high levels of vitamin E, betaine, phenolic acids, and choline. In addition, the kernel is a good source of arginine and lignans. Each of these compounds, while perhaps unfamiliar to the layperson, has been studied by the scientific community and shown to offer a variety of health benefits.
Vitamin E (Tocopherols): May protect against cardiovascular disease.
Betaine: May protect against cardiovascular disease.
Phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid): Antioxidant and anti-carcinogen.
Choline: Plays a role in memory and cognitive function.
Arginine: Potential heart benefits.
Lignans: May protect against heart disease and some cancers; lowers LDL cholesterol and triglyceride.
Sunflower seeds offer an easy way to add some crunch, taste, and nutrition to a variety of foods. Toss them over your salad, mix them in with popcorn, serve them a la carte, or even add them to your fresh baked, whole grain breads and muffins.

To Your Health,

John Hall

Weight Gain vs Cancer Risk

2011-02-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

Research from the UK shows that maintaining a healthy weight may decrease a person’s risk of developing up to a dozen different types of cancer by very significant margins. The study’s lead author is Dr. Andrew Renehan, senior lecturer at the School of Cancer Studies at the University of Manchester. The findings were published in the February, 2008, issue of the prestigious UK medical journal, The Lancet.

The researchers analyzed data from 141 previous studies with information on over 280,000 people who were followed for up to 15 years. This approach expanded the research to more types of cancers and more diverse populations than researchers had ever looked at before. Researchers have long suspected a link between weight gain and certain cancers, including colon and breast cancers. But the new study suggests it could also increase the risk for cancer of the esophagus, thyroid, kidney, uterus and gall bladder, among others.

The study results show that in men, an average weight gain of 33 pounds increased the risk of esophageal cancer by 52%, thyroid cancer by 33%, and colon and kidney cancers each by 24%. In women, a weight gain of 29 pounds increased the risk of cancer in the uterus and gall bladder by nearly 60%, esophagus by 51% and kidney by 34%.

“This study provides a lot of circumstantial evidence about the dangers of obesity,” said Dr. David Robbins, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, who was not involved in the study. “It also highlights the cancer crisis we face as obesity rates increase worldwide.”

“One of the hypotheses is that the presence of excess fat cells could affect the levels of hormones in your body,” Renehan said. “At a cellular level, that may favor the development of tumors in humans.”

“The simple message is that, if you manage to keep a healthy body weight, you will have a lower risk of developing cancer,” said Ed Yong, of Cancer Research United Kingdom.

If you would like to lose weight once and for all – the first step is understanding the true cause of an overweight condition - and the many myths about weight loss that are so prevalent today. For more info you can contact John Hall: John@johnhallstudios.com or call 312.421.6640

To Your Health,

John Hall

Quinoa - The Mother Grain

2011-02-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

Quinoa, though not technically a cereal grain like wheat or oats, has been cultivated and eaten as a cereal for thousands of years by South Americans. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is the tiny seed of the Chenopodium Quinoa, a leafy plant that is a distant relative of spinach and beets.

Quinoa was called the "mother grain" by the Incas (chisiya mama). Now, as people in the rest of the world learn more about Quinoa, they're discovering that its ancient nickname was well deserved - Quinoa is indeed a nutritional powerhouse.

Quinoa's protein content, about 16 percent, is higher than that of any other grain. Wheat also has a high protein content, about 14 percent, but the protein in wheat and most other grains is lacking in the amino acid lysine, which Quinoa has in abundance. In fact, the amino acid composition in Quinoa is almost perfect. The World Health Organization has judged the protein in Quinoa to be as complete as that in milk. In addition, Quinoa contains more iron than most grains, and is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, folate, and many B vitamins. Eating a serving of whole grains, such as Quinoa, at least 6 times each week is an especially good idea for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease.

A 3-year prospective study of 229 postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease, published in the July 2005 issue of the American Heart Journal, shows that those eating at least 6 servings of whole grains each week experienced slowed progression of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that narrows the vessels through which blood flows and lss progression in stenosis, the narrowing of the diameter of arterial passageways.

To Your Health,

John Hall

Yams & Heart Disease

2011-02-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

Yams are a good source of both potassium and vitamin B6, two nutrients that your body needs every day. Vitamin B6 helps your body break down a substance called homocysteine , which can cause damage to blood vessel walls. High intakes of vitamin B6 have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Potassium is a mineral that helps to control blood pressure. In the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study, one study group ate servings of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy food in place of snacks and sweets. This approach offered more potassium, magnesium and calcium. After eight weeks, this group lowered their blood pressure by an average of 5.5 points (systolic) over 3.0 points (diastolic). Yams also contain a storage protein called D ioscorin .

Preliminary research suggests that Dioscorin can help your body to achieve increased kidney blood flow thereby reducing blood pressure.

In addition, Yams' complex carbohydrates and fiber deliver the goods gradually, slowing the rate at which their sugars are released and absorbed into the bloodstream. Because they're rich in fiber, yams fill you up without filling out your hips and waistline. Yams are also a good source of manganese, a trace mineral that helps with carbohydrate metabolism and is a cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses.

To Your Health,

John Hall

How to PREVENT Weight Gain During the Holidays:

2010-12-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

This will be some of the most simple advice you ever get about holidays weight gain. Don't skip your workouts.How's that for rocket science! ;-)But look, this is the time of year where most people fall apart.They get busy as all get out with parties and shopping.And I want you to enjoy yourself and have fun. I really do.However, I don't want you to be one of the many that can't fit into their sweat pants - never mind skinny jeans - when January rolls around.NOW is the time to crank up your workouts so you can enjoy those parties guilt free. My partners over at Prograde Nutrition have two awesome resources for you to thelp you out.And don't worry, they're totally free.The first will be released in a couple days. They're recording a Holiday Survival Guide webinar that is going to reveal ten simple strategies to help you get through the holidays unscathed. But still allow you to feast on your favorite foos. The second thing is going to turbo charge those workouts I was just talking about. They've made available to all of my readers a killer 39 page report titled, "What to NEVER Eat After You Workout."Trust me, you don't want to waste your workouts by fueling it improperly afterwards. This report is easy to read and it'll teach you all the basics. Just the stuff you need to know. Nothing else. Be sure to grab your free copy of it today by clicking the link below: http://johnhallstudios.getprograde.com/what-to-never-eat-after-you-workout.html Ok, that's it for now. Enjoy the "What to NEVER Eat After You Workout" report. I'll be back in a couple days with the Holiday Survival Guide webinar!

To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

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5 Quick And Easy Kitchen Rules For Good Nutrition

2010-12-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

1. Season To Taste: Just because a recipe lists out the amount of certain spices and seasonings doesn't mean you have to abide by that. Your mouth is going to tell you what you like best. So experiment a little and season to your taste.

2. Utilize the advice of others: Have you ever talked to your butcher or produce manager at your grocery store. If you haven't you should be. They know about the best cuts of meat, the freshest meats that have just arrived or the freshest produce. Particularly the butchers can also tell you how best to prepare a certain cut of meat or fish. Utilize their expertise to enhance your dinner plate.

3. Create your own recipes: Recipes or ingredients aren't set in stone. If you have some extra mushrooms in the fridge or a red bell pepper throw it into a recipe you think it would fit into. Don't let good food go to waste. If you don't like a recipe that has chicken in it and you think it would taste good with beef then switch it out. You will be amazed at how many new recipes you can come up with by adding or swapping out various ingredients. Expand your options and start experimenting a little and you just might come up with something amazing!

4. Shop for the best: Be picky with the quality of fruit and vegetables you buy. Inspect them and don't be afraid to ask the produce manager for the freshest product. A fresh piece of fruit or quality vegetable can make all the difference in the taste of a meal or dish.

Same goes for meat or fish. Grass fed meat costs more, but you get a much healthier piece of meat richer in Omega 3 fats. If healthier food leads to a healthier body then why wouldn't you spend a few extra dollars on higher quality food.

5. Utilize your local farms: Since we are on the topic of quality generally if you buy from local farms you will get fresher produce or meat and it is likely to taste better also. Not to mention if you buy organic or buy right after it comes out of the field you get a food with more nutrients in it.

If you implement these 5 Kitchen Rules To Eating Right your food will taste better and you body will thank you.

To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

PS. click here for a special offer http://www.johnhallstudios.getprograde.com/store.php?page=45

Why Butter is Better

2010-12-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

* Vitamins ...

Butter is a rich source of easily absorbed vitamin A, needed for a wide range of functions, from maintaining good vision to keeping the endocrine system in top shape.

Butter also contains all the other fat-soluble vitamins (D, E and K2), which are often lacking in the modern industrial diet.
* Minerals ...

Butter is rich in important trace minerals, including manganese, chromium, zinc, copper and selenium (a powerful antioxidant). Butter provides more selenium per gram than wheat germ or herring. Butter is also an excellent source of iodine.
* Fatty Acids ...

Butter provides appreciable amounts of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which support immune function, boost metabolism and have anti-microbial properties; that is, they fight against pathogenic microorganisms in the intestinal tract.

Butter also provides the perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Arachidonic acid in butter is important for brain function, skin health and prostaglandin balance.
* Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) ...

When butter comes from cows eating green grass, it contains high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound that gives excellent protection against cancer and also helps your body build muscle rather than store fat.
* Glycospingolipids ...

These are a special category of fatty acids that protect against gastrointestinal infections, especially in the very young and the elderly. Children given reduced-fat milks have higher rates of diarrhea than those who drink whole milk.
* Cholesterol ...

Despite all of the misinformation you may have heard, cholesterol is needed to maintain intestinal health and for brain and nervous system development in the young.
* Wulzen Factor ...

A hormone-like substance that prevents arthritis and joint stiffness, ensuring that calcium in your body is put into your bones rather than your joints and other tissues. The Wulzen factor is present only in raw butter and cream; it is destroyed by pasteurization.

To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

WWW.JohnHallStudios.com
WWW.JohnHallStudios.getprograde.com
John@JohnHallStudios.com

Raisins!

2010-11-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

Raisins rank among the top antioxidant foods, according to USDA government tests. Early findings suggest that eating plenty of fruits high in antioxidants, such as raisins may help slow the processes associated with aging in both body and brain.

Andrew J. Dannenberg, M.D. a cancer researcher at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University reports that the antioxidant catechin, found in raisins and some other fruits and vegetables, in the diet of mice genetically predisposed to intestinal tumors reduced the number of tumors by at least 70 percent compared to the control group. This type of study adds to the body of evidence which shows that components of fruits and vegetables have the potential to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, colorectal adenomas and other gastrointestinal tumors.

Carl L. Keen, Ph.D. from the University of California Davis reports that a significant amount of raisins eaten daily for 4 weeks increased the plasma antioxidant capacity. This in turn decreased the level of circulating oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) also known as the “bad cholesterol”. These data clearly show raisins are an important part of 5-a-day diet and that benefits of eating raisins are similar to benefits seen when eating other fruits and vegetables with these plant antioxidants.

Christine D. Wu, M.S., Ph.D. of the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry has found that raisins contain compounds including oleanolic acid that inhibit in vitro growth of Streptococcus.mutans, the bacteria in the mouth responsible for tooth decay. Oleanic acid and other compounds in raisins also inhibit organisms associated with periodontal disease, including Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Oleanolic acid is most effective in suppressing in vitro plaque formation by Streptococcus mutans. Prevention of plaque building up on the tooth surface is critical both for preventing tooth decay and promoting healthy gums.

Mary Ellen Camire, Ph.D. of the University of Maine reports that dietary fiber and other components may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer by binding bile acids and causing their elimination from the body. Camire’s study confirms that eating fibrous foods, such as raisins, stimulates the body to replace the bile acids that have been eliminated by making them from its own cholesterol, thus potentially lowering serum cholesterol and the risk of coronary heart disease. Furthermore, bile acids that are bound by fibers such as those in raisins will not be metabolized to a more toxic form and this may potentially reduce cancer risk.

Gene A. Spiller, Ph.D. of the Sphera Foundation and Health Research Studies Center - Los Altos, CA reports feeding of raisins along with peanuts to 10-12 year old children prior to a soccer game resulted in lower increases in blood glucose and insulin than a snack of a white bagel and jam. This is important because it means a more steady fuel supply to the exercising muscle of the young players. Lower insulin levels are advantageous because high levels of circulating insulin can promote the laying down of fat and may lead to insulin resistance, a concern among US children today, where rates of obesity and type 2 Diabetes are increasing.

To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

8 Tips for Avoiding the Holiday Pounds

2010-11-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year. The leaves turn majestic hues of red and gold. The air becomes fresh and crisp. We can finally put an extra blanket on the bed and cuddle up with a cup of hot tea. Yes, it's fall. We just spent eight months killing ourselves to get into that bathing suit, but now we've replaced it with a worn pair of jeans and a much more relaxed attitude towards food. After all, it's the holiday season, and no one'll notice a few extra pounds under layers of clothes. A little extra weight just gives us a New Year's resolution to focus on, right?

Woman's Feet on Scale

Wrong. According to a recent study by researchers at Sweden's Linköping University, those four weeks of celebrating can actually lead to long-term weight gain.

Essentially, the researchers took a group of healthy young people, increased their caloric intake by 70 percent, and lowered their exercise levels. They also had a control group whose diets weren't altered. At four weeks, the participants in the test group had gained an average of 14 pounds. After six months, and no longer on an increased-calorie diet, only a third of these participants had returned to their original weight. After one year, the test group members were each still an average of 3.3 pounds heavier. After 2.5 years, the "gluttonous" group continued to gain, while the control group still maintained a stable weight.

Now, most of us don't increase our calories that drastically for 30 days straight. Sure, there's Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving leftovers, Hanukkah, the work Christmas party, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day, not to mention the extra sweets, cocktails, and (ahem) fruitcake. But according to the New England Journal of Medicine, the actual average weight gain over the holidays is only one pound. (They obviously didn't poll my family or friends.) So what's the big deal? The problem is, a year later, the vast majority of people have not removed that pound. Continue this pattern over 30 or 40 holiday seasons and the problem becomes—quite literally—huge.

So how are we supposed to get through the holidays without causing weight gain? Here are eight effective ways to get yourself ready to beat the holiday bulge.

1. Woman Shopping: Buy clothes that fit right now. This first tip might be a bit pricy, but it's a great motivational aid in staving off weight gain. A new addition to your wardrobe in a size that shows off your summer body can be all you need to prevent those extra pounds from creeping on. Imagine that beautiful holiday dress or great pair of pants, then imagine being unable to zip them up thanks to sugar cookies. Yeah, no one wants that. So before you begin the festivities, go buy yourself something perfect to wear to your parties and hang it someplace visible, so it serves as a constant reminder. Perhaps on the TV , or in front of that treadmill that might be starting to collect a little dust in the corner, or on your refrigerator door . . . that way, if it doesn't fit quite the same way the next time you try to slip into it, you know it's time to get back to work.
2. Write it down: We try to write down everything we eat, right? We spend countless hours each month staring at a food diary, adding up our calories, and seeing if we got the correct balance of macronutrients. And then the holidays happen, and our little book ends up in the bottom drawer. It's almost like we're hoping that if we didn't write it down, it didn't happen. Unfortunately, the scale doesn't fit in that bottom drawer. The truth is, if we would write down the not-so-perfect meals and treats, we could find a way to compensate for them, at least a bit. For example, you have a peppermint brownie in the break room at work, which you know is carbohydrates and fat. Eat one less portion of carbohydrate and one less portion of fat for your dinner. It's not ideal, but it'll help. Or perhaps you couldn't resist Mom's homemade scones for breakfast. You could plan on an extra 20 or 30 minutes of your workout tonight. The point is, if we write it down, and do the math, we can lessen the damage. It isn't a good long-term plan, but to help compensate for a few slip-ups, it can help.
3. Man on Treadmill Keep exercising. Most fitness trainers will tell you the slowest point of their year is between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Sure, their clients schedule workouts with the best of intentions, but then they cancel them for parties and gift shopping. It's hard to remain balanced when you have a million things to do and gifts to buy. Yet the greatest gift you can give yourself is to stay focused on your fitness goals and get your workout in. Shopping getting in the way? Do it online and save some time. Parties getting in the way? Just show up later. Who cares if everyone else is a couple of cocktails ahead of you? You'll be healthier, and you won't have to worry about the embarrassing YouTube® videos in the morning. Just stay consistent, even if it's inconvenient. You'll be much less likely to look like Santa (both belly-wise and red-nose-wise) at the end of the month.
4. Eat before parties: Most holiday parties don't focus on low-fat, low-calorie refreshments, so unless you're organizing the event, the best damage control is to show up with a full tummy. Make sure you eat your meals and snacks throughout the day, and try to eat a healthy meal before attending any party. If you're going straight from work, prepare a healthy and filling snack to eat on the way. You'll be a lot less likely to swim in mayonnaise dips and pigs in blankets if you're full.
5. Potato Chips, Pretzels, and Nuts. Get junk out of the house. The majority of people don't get into their car at midnight, drive to the store, buy the ingredients for cookies, bake them, and then stay up to eat them. But if those homemade cookies that Linda in accounting made for you are already on your kitchen counter, you better believe you'll find a way to justify it. Frankly, at 12:30 a.m., after a rotten day, for most of us there's nothing like a few cookies to drown our sorrows. The secret is to get the garbage out of the house. Send it to work with your significant other, donate it to a bake sale, re-gift it to your 100-pound friend with the perfect metabolism, or just dump it in the trash. Linda will never know. If you have holiday dinner leftovers, box them up for your guests individually and send them home with them. If your family still sends you that Pepperidge Farm® cookie assortment, invite a bunch of people over for a pre-party party and serve 'em up before the drinks. Try not to be wasteful, but get the less-than-healthy temptations out of your reach.
6. Offer to prepare healthy fare. This suggestion won't be well received by those of us who'd rather spend Thanksgiving sitting around watching football than toiling in the kitchen, but if you do the cooking, you have the control. Your family could have a tasty and satisfying meal without ingesting thousands of calories and fat grams. The way the turkey is prepared, the type of stuffing, how vegetables are made, whether the cranberries are real, and countless other things can make or break the healthiness of a meal. There are tons of cookbooks out there. Yes, it does require a bit of work, but at some point you have to learn to put yourself first.
7. Buffet: Choose wisely and proportionally. Something occurs during a holiday meal. It's like a Las Vegas buffet—we feel like we have to eat some of everything. We feel almost like those foods will never exist again, and this is our last meal on the planet. This year, why not try to eat only your favorites, as in two or three items, and keep the portions to the size of your palm? If you're still hungry, try to fill up on veggies (preferably ones that aren't drowned in butter or cream-of-mushroom soup). If you want dessert, lean toward a small slice of pumpkin pie (220 calories) as opposed to pecan (a heftier 543), leaving out the hydrogenated nondairy whipped topping if possible. If you're going to have an alcoholic beverage, go with a flute of champagne (100 calories) as opposed to that rum-laced eggnog (with more than four times more calories, at 420). Just a few wise choices will save you a ton of calories, and probably a significant amount of heartburn as well.
8. Don't beat yourself up: Quite possibly the worst thing you can do is beat yourself up over a bit of holiday indulgence. Yes, it does stink to backslide after working your tail off. But sometimes it doesn't stink as much as dealing with your mother when you turn down her brisket and potato pancakes. Sometimes, we don't have time to go to work, buy a Christmas tree, decorate it with our kids, make dinner, oversee homework, tuck kids in bed, and spend an half hour doing a workout video. We can only do our very best. Mentally beating yourself up will only make you feel worse, which never helped anyone get back to their fitness program. So if you happen to gain that one extra pound this holiday season, be part of the rare group who actually follows through with their New Year's resolution and manages to shed it again. A week of hard work and a slight calorie deficit should do the trick. Resolutions don't come easier than that!

A wise person once said, "The toughest part of a diet isn't watching what you eat. It's watching what other people eat." That really is the crux of the problem with dining out in public. When you're surrounded by people who are consuming the equivalent of their body weight in fat grams, it's really tough to stick to that chicken breast and steamed veggies. But if you have a game plan, you're more likely to walk out with both a satisfied tummy and a satisfied mind. So spend a few minutes on researching, on eating, and on exercising beforehand, and be strong when you get there. The effort will be worth it, and you might even be an inspiration to your dining partner. What greater reward is there than that? Oh, yeah—a six-pack.

To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

New Research Shows DHA May Improve Stroke Recovery

2010-11-18T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hopefully very few of you reading this have ever had a stroke, but you probably have a family member or friend who has. This article is to shed some light on what research is looking at in regards to improving the recovery of a stroke patient and minimizing the damage caused because of a stroke.

In the Translational Stroke Research Journal published online there is a study titled Docosahexaenoic Acid Therapy of Experimental Ischemic Stroke. Now don't get overwhelmed by the title.

Essentially what they were measuring is recovery progress and damage minimized by supplementing DHA (essential fatty acid) after a stroke. What they found was that there was a neuroprotective effect if DHA was given within 5 hours following an ischemic stroke.

Ischemic strokes are caused by a blockage of blood to the brain because of some type of clot or plaque buildup in the arteries. Why this study is so important is because the area surrounding the the blockage can become irreversibly damaged within a few hours if the blood flow is still blocked.

Director of Neuroscience Center of Excellence Dr. Bazan from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center induced strokes in rat by blocking the middle cerebral artery for two hours. Some of that rats were to receive DHA intravenously at set hours after the stroke was induced. Other rats were to receive saline intravenously.

Behavioral tests were conducted during the blockage and at 1, 2, 3 and 7 days following the procedure as well as examination of the brain.

A second experiment administered DHA at the 3 hour mark after the blockage occurred and they assessed the brain using MRI at day 1, 3 and day 7. There was also a third experiment conducted where after the DHA was provided at the 3 hour mark their brains were examined for the presence of neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), which is a substance that has DHA as a precursor and also has anti inflammatory effects.

In the first experiment they found a reduction in neurologic deficits for those that received the DHA instead of saline and this was found to be true even at the 5 hour mark after the onset of stroke symptoms.

Those treated with DHA had total reduced infarct volume by 40% when given 3 hours after a stroke, 66% when given 4 hours later and 59% when given after 5 hours. The group treated with DHA and examined via MRI had smaller infarcts, which were actually not distinguishable from normal tissues by the 7th day. The third experiment showed that there was an increase in NPD1 synthesis in the area surrounding the tissue damage in the DHA treated group like they had hoped.

These findings are significant because they help identify a possible treatment for strokes and also help narrow down the time window when treatment needs to be administered for the greatest success. Understanding the impact of omega 3 essential fatty acids on strokes are just the beginning to unraveling and getting closer to finding a solution for strokes and other neurodegenerative diseases.

According to Dr. Bazaan we are in an unprecedented time in regards to making progress with strokes. Strokes kill over 150,000 Americans each year and most of the damage occurs within the first 24 hours following a stroke. There have been randomized clinical studies showing that patients who consume high omega 3 fat inttakes experience a decreased incidence of stroke. 2,4

Omega 3 intake may also slow down the rate of atherosclerosis which can lead to higher a stroke rate.3 The American Stroke Association even recommends that individuals consider taking a supplement that contains omega 3 fatty acids since most do not consume enough through their diet.

This type of research is what is going to shape our future health and help many of us from ever suffering from these neurodegenerative diseases.

If you are want to get a head start on protecting yourself go here:
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To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

References:

1. Ludmila Belayev, Larissa Khoutorova, Kristal D. Atkins, Tiffany N. Eady, Song Hong, Yan Lu, Andre Obenaus and Nicolas G. Bazan. Docosahexaenoic Acid Therapy of Experimental Ischemic Stroke. Translational Stroke Research. Published Online Nov 4th 2010.

2. He K, Rimm EB, et al. Fish consumption and risk of stroke in men. JAMA. 2002 Dec 25;288(24):3130–6

3. Kris-Etherton PM, Harris WS, et al. Fish consumption, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular diseases. Circulation. 2002 Nov 19;106(21):2747–57.

4. Jeerakathil TJ, Wolf PA. Prevention of strokes. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2001 Jul;3(4):321–7.

Health Benefits of Corn

2010-11-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

Corn is a wonderful whole grain food that is a good source of vitamin B1, Vitamin B5, folate, fiber, vitamin C, Phosphorous, Manganese and a nutrient called beta-cryptoxanthin.

In addition to preventing birth defects, Folate can also help to lower your risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. It has been estimated that consumption of 100% of the daily value of folate would, by itself, reduce the number of heart attacks suffered by Americans each year by 10%. Folate-rich diets are also associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.

Consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid found in high amounts in corn, may significantly lower one's risk of developing lung cancer. A study published in the September, 2003 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reviewed dietary and lifestyle data collected from over 63,000 adults in Shanghai, China, who were followed for 8 years. Those eating the most crytpoxanthin-rich foods showed a 27% reduction in lung cancer risk. When current smokers were evaluated, those who were also in the group consuming the most cryptoxanthin-rich foods were found to have a 37% lower risk of lung cancer compared to smokers who ate the least of these health-protective foods.

Corn is also a good source of Thiamin which is a nutrient essential to good brain cell health and mental function. The brain uses Thiamin to make a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine which is essential for good memory. In addition, maintaining healthy acetylcholine levels may help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Research reported at the 2004 American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) International Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer, by Rui Hai Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues at Cornell University shows that whole grains, such as corn, contain many powerful phytonutrients whose activity has gone unrecognized because common research methods have overlooked them. Dr. Liu’s team measured the antioxidant activity of various foods, assigning each a rating based on a formula. Broccoli measured 80, Spinach 81, Apples 98, Bananas 65, but Corn topped them all measuring a whopping 181.

To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

Scientists unlock how trans fats harm arteries

2010-11-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

I thought this article to be quite interesting, even though I did not do the write up, there's a lot of knowledge to be shared. Enjoy!

By Nathan Gray, 03-Nov-2010

Related topics: Science & Nutrition, Fats & oils

The method by which dietary trans fats cause hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) may have been identified by a new study on mice fed a high trans fat diet.

The research paper, published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, suggests that high levels of trans fats cause atherosclerosis by reducing the responsiveness of a key protein that controls growth and differentiation in cells. The protein, known as transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, plays an important role in immunity and the development of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

The findings of the study reinforce recent moves by industry to move away from the use of trans fats after studies linked the predominantly man-made fat with a range of health problems.

“Our demonstration that suppression of TGF-beta responsiveness (in aortic endothelium and possibly in other tissues) caused by dietary trans fats is likely to have important implications in other trans fat-related diseases and disorders,” stated the researchers, led by Dr. Chun-Lin Chen from Saint Louis University School of Medicine, in the U.S.

“For example, it has been postulated that trans fats are carcinogenic and also contribute to autoimmune disease. These phenomena might be due to suppression of cellular TGF-beta responsiveness by dietary trans fats – since TGF-beta is a well-known tumour suppressor and immuno-suppressor,” they added.

Trans fat risk

Though trace amounts of trans fats are found naturally, in dairy and meats, the vast majority are formed during the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oil (PHVO) that converts the oil into semi-solids for a variety of food applications.

Trans fats are attractive for the food industry due to their extended shelf life and flavour stability, and have displaced natural solid fats and liquid oils in many areas of food processing.

But scientific reports that trans fatty acids raise serum levels of LDL-cholesterol, reduce levels of HDL-cholesterol, can promote inflammation can cause endothelial dysfunction, and influence other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), has led to a well-publicized bans in New York City restaurants, and other cities, like Chicago.

In the food industry this has been mirrored by an increase the in pressure on food manufacturers to reduce or remove trans fatty acids from their products and reformulate.

The food industry as a whole has expressed its commitment to removing trans fatty acids from its products, but such reformulation is not straightforward and presents challenges.

Despite the well accepted link between trans fats and heart health, the St Louis-based scientists claim that the mechanisms by which trans fats cause atherosclerosis and other diseases remain unclear.

Chen and colleagues stated that there is “accumulating evidence” to indicate that transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in the circulation protects against atherosclerosis. They stated that previous studies have found that suppressed TGF-beta responsiveness in the walls (endothelium) of the aortic blood vessel plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis in animals.

The researchers fed mice a high-trans fat (Western) diet or a control diet of standard rodent chow and tested the effects dietary trans fat intake on TGF-beta after 16 or 24 weeks.

Mechanisms

The researchers observed that normal mice fed a high trans fat diet for 24 weeks exhibited atherosclerotic lesions and suppressed TGF-beta responsiveness in the aortic endothelium.

High trans fat mice also showed increased integration of cholesterol into tissue plasma membranes.

The authors reported a 24-week trans fat diet increased the expression of VCAM-1 – a marker of early lesions of atherosclerosis – four-fold compared to mice fed the control diet, corresponding to significant atherosclerotic lesions found in mice fed the trans fat diet.

However, the authors also reported that when mice were switched from the high trans fat diet to control diets at 16 weeks, markers of atherosclerosis, including TGF-beta responsiveness and VCAM-1 expression began to return to normal levels.

Suppressed responses

Dr. Chen and colleagues indicated that their results suggest that dietary trans fats cause atherosclerosis, at least in part, by suppressing TGF-beta responsiveness.

“This effect is presumably mediated by the increased deposition of cholesterol into cellular plasma membranes in vascular tissue, as in hypercholesterolemia,” they added.

To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

Belly Fat and Metabolic Syndrome

2010-11-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

Belly Fat and Metabolic Syndrome:
http://johnhallstudios.getprograde.com/metabolic-syndrome.html

Tomatoes Are Souper!!

2010-11-12T22:07:00.000-08:00

Tomatoes Are Souper!
Scientists are suggesting that tomato lovers may be more likely to reduce the risk of serious disease. Lycopene, an anti oxidant which gives tomatoes their lovely rich red color, helps remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules and have been implicated in cancer and other serious diseases.

Professor Michael Avirim of the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel who is testing lycopene in clinical trials says, ' In its natural form, lycopene is an excellent anti oxidant that helps to prevent formation of oxidized LDL, the 'bad' cholesterol in blood, which contributes to the build up of plaque that narrows, stiffens and constricts arteries and can lead to heart attacks. When this natural extract was added to cancer cell cultures, the lycopene inhibited their growth. Lycopene is the most potent nutritional antioxidant found to date.

Another study compared men who had had a heart attack with the same number of healthy men and found that those with high levels of lycopene appeared to reduce their risk of heart diseases by 50%. The study’s coordinator, Lenore Kohlmeier, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the university of North Carolina, said, 'Based on our findings, and other research, lycopene can be an excellent antioxidant, we recommend that people eat tomato based cooked foods.'

Several recent studies have shown that a diet rich in tomatoes and tomato products is strongly linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers. In a six year study of 48,000 male professionals, Dr Edward Giovannucci and colleagues at Harvard Medical School found that consuming tomatoes and tomato based products between five to seven serving a week was associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer of 21% to 34%.

Another study published in the International Journal of Cancer said that lycopene appears to protect against cancer of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum. Researchers at the University of Illinois report that women with the highest lycopene levels had a five fold lower risk of developing precancerous signs of cervical cancer than women with lowest lycopene levels.

The human body does not produce lycopene alone and therefore relies on a consumption of tomatoes and tomato based products for this anti oxidant. Nutritionists and other health professionals have long advocated the cancer preventative benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables. .

Lycopene: Just The Facts

Research by Dr. Joseph Levy and colleagues from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel, may have identified the unique mechanism through which lycopene protects against cancer which is by activating cancer-preventive phase II enzymes.

Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts red color to tomatoes.

Lycopene is a proven anti-oxidant that may lower the risk of certain diseases including cancer and heart disease.

In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin. Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids.

Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of lycopene-containing vegetables is inversely associated with the incidence of certain types of cancer. For example, habitual intake of tomato products has been found to decrease the risk of cancer of the digestive tract among Italians.

In one six-year study by Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, the diets of more than 47,000 men were studied. Of 46 fruits and vegetables evaluated, only the tomato products (which contain large quantities of lycopene) showed a measurable relationship to reduce prostate cancer risk. As consumption of tomato products increased, levels of lycopene in the blood increased, and the risk for prostate cancer decreased. The study also showed that the heat processing of tomatoes and tomato products increases Lycopene bioavailability.

Ongoing research suggests that lycopene can reduce the risk of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix and skin.

To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

Breakthrough study shows personalised nutrition future for probiotics

2010-11-12T05:42:00.000-08:00

I am a firm believer in the ingestion of probiotics and thought this was a great little article!! Enjoy.

To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

By Stephen Daniells, 15-Sep-2010

Related topics: Probiotics, Research, Probiotics and prebiotics, Gut health

Probiotic bacteria may affect gene activity and the cellular reactions they control in the human intestine, a study has revealed for the first time.

Consumption of a dairy drink containing three strains of probiotic bacteria was associated with changes in the activity of hundreds of genes, with the changes resembling the effects of certain medicines in the human body, including medicines that positively influence the immune system and those for lowering blood pressure.

Researchers from NIZO Food Research, Maastricht University, UMC St Radboud and Wageningen UR – within the framework of TI Food and Nutrition – report their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

“Probiotics cause a local reaction in the mucosa of the small intestines,” said Prof Michiel Kleerebezem of NIZO food research. “These effects are similar to the effects of components that the pharmaceutical industry applies to medicines, but less strong.”

The researchers used dairy drinks containing the commercial probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus Lafti-L10 (DSM), L. casei CRL-431 (Chr. Hansen), and L. rhamnosus GG (Valio) and compared this with a placebo drink. Seven healthy volunteers participated in the study.

Six hours after consumption of these drinks, the researchers took biopsies from the upper part of the small intestine (duodenum) and genetically analysed. The researchers observed “hundreds of differentially expressed genes that participate in (the regulation of) basal mucosal pathways, some with clinical relevance.

“This shows that investigating the effect of specific bacterial strains in cross-over trials using human volunteers may yield clinically relevant results,” they added.

“The results from this study may also contribute to the identification of the bacterial molecules that are involved in co-regulating human mucosal function. We consider that probiotics research might eventually deliver therapeutic interventions that correct mild deviations from normal intestinal metabolism and may contribute to maintenance of intestinal health under conditions of mild stress, such as physical exercise.

The Best Way To Beat Cellulite

2010-11-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

Cottage cheese Orange Peel Rice Pudding

Even though this sounds like it, I’m not talking about food here. These are just some of the names given to an undesirable skin condition known as cellulite that plagues the backsides and tummies of women all over the world.

Sure, some men are affected by it, but for the most part, women’s biggest fear about wearing a bikini in the summer is the dimply appearance of her butt and thighs or mid-section. And, women don’t even have to be considered “chubby” or “fat” to have cellulite in the most awkward of places. Even our beloved, so-called perfectly thin actresses have cellulite that they work incredibly hard to hide.

But why is it that women are mostly stricken with mattress-like backsides and how do we prevent it or minimize its appearance?

What is cellulite?

Cellulite consists of several alterations in your skins normal structure, coupled with circulation issues (fatty areas of cellulite tend to have low blood flow and are cold to the touch), and changes with the fat cells themselves.

If you have cellulite, there isn’t much you can do to abolish it, but you can definitely reduce it’s appearance.

Even Babies Have Cellulite

My first realization about cellulite came when I noticed my 7-month old daughter had a cottage cheese-like appearance to her cute little butt cheeks when they were slightly squished.

At first I was upset – why does she have cellulite? How is this possible? But then I realized my own battles with cellulite were partially out of my control. Females, by virtue of our hormonal environment and body structure are stricken with cellulite from the very beginning.

Normal, healthy, fatty tissue development (growth of new fat cells, not fat cell size) begins in the womb and continues until a child is 18 months old. It then picks up again during puberty. In today’s society, with all the junk food and excessive calories, some children are in a constant state of fat cell growth and potentially new fat cells.

Fatty tissue near the skin consists of two layers separated by a facial layer. The more external layer is called the areolar layer, which is formed by globular and large fat cells (adipocytes) arranged vertically; here the blood vessels feeding the fat cells are numerous and fragile. The deeper layer is called the lamellar layer and the cells are fusiform, smaller and arranged horizontally; the vessels here are larger. The second layer increases in thickness when a person gains weight, mainly due to the increase in fat cell volume which presses against the outer, areolar layer, making it more pronounced.

In women, the outer areolar layer is thicker and the skin covering it is usually thinner which is the case right from birth (and explains my daughters dimply butt cheeks). As a woman ages and gains more body fat from an increase in the inner lamellar layer, it makes the fat cells in the areolar layer more visible.

Female hormones can be evil

When women start to hit puberty, the battle with thigh cellulite commences. The femoral region of a woman (the back of the upper thigh) is very responsive to her very unique hormonal profile.

Estrogen increases the response of thigh fat cells to anti-lipolytic alpha receptors (preventing fat breakdown and loss) and stimulates an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL) that stimulates fat growth. This can occur in the gluteal region and abdomen as well, but is usually localized to the back of the legs.

Prolactin (the breast-feeding hormone) is another hormone that makes cellulite more visible because it increases water retention in the fatty tissue, which makes each cell look larger and more lumpy.

So, most women are going to have some issues with cellulite, just because they are women.

Insulin make cellulite more visible

One of the greatest influences on cellulite appearance is the blood glucose-regulating hormone insulin. Whenever you eat carbohydrate, your body releases insulin to manage the influx of glucose (from carbs) into your bloodstream. In an ideal world, your muscle cells recognize this insulin and invite the glucose into muscle cells to be used for energy or stored for later use (as glycogen).

However, in the case of most sedentary people, insulin sends the carbs to fat cells to be turned into fatty acids and stored as triglycerides (called lipogenesis). This makes fat cells in the lamellar layer bigger, causing fat cells in the areolar layer to be squished out and more visible.

Unless a person is a constant exerciser or exercises incredibly hard every day, high carb diets will cause your body to produce more fat. Insulin also stops your body from using fat as fuel and can cause your body to store more water, pushing cellulite out for the world to see.

Change your lifestyle, smooth out cellulite

Of all the things under our control with respect to cellulite, there are two major things we can change to minimize its appearance. With cellulite, you either have it, or you don’t (lucky girl!), but if you have it, you can make it look less pronounced despite never really being able to get rid of it.

First and foremost – get off your butt! Consistent physical activity (no, not armchair football) decreases your body’s insulin levels naturally and makes your muscle cells more receptive to burning up carbs and fats for energy.

Daily exercise also increases muscle mass, which helps decrease body fat. It increases circulation in your lower extremities, providing more blood to thigh fat cells and enabling them to be used as a energy source. Finally, it improves rigidity of your tendons and muscles, making fatty areas seem smaller and less pronounced.

You’ve got to think: all that sitting on your behind, day in and day out, does not do much for improving blood flow to your thighs or making your butt look any smaller. So, get up and move as much as you can -- every day. Even consider investing in a stand-up desk, so your butt can get a break.

Second - eliminate simple carbs, sodium, alcohol and manufactured fats from your diet.

You now know carbs are the major promoters of insulin, but not all carbs are bad and timing is important. High-fiber carbs from non-starchy vegetables (like greens and colorful veggies) produce the lease amount of insulin and some starchy veggies (like sweet potato, squash and peas) produce a bit more insulin, but their high fiber content is important. Fiber helps keep your body regular (along with adequate water intake) which improves blood flow in your lower limbs.

Simple carbs, like those used in Prograde Workout, and even fruit carbs are used best by your body after exercise, and sometimes before. At this time, your muscles are primed to use that insulin for repair and re-growth instead of for fat storage.

High sodium, processed foods, like those microwave lunches, have to be packed with sodium to prevent spoilage. This sodium causes water retention and makes cellulite look worse than it is. On the same note, watch out for sodium in canned foods (soups, fish) and focus on fresh, non-processed items as often as possible. Sauces, like soy sauce and teriyaki are also a no-no as they can be both high in sodium and simple carbs.

Alcohol is also an issue – this chemical acts just like insulin, causing your body to store fat and create fat and preventing it from using it for energy. Light beer is not going to help you cause at all. Just limit or stay away from alcohol all the time and your fat cells will be smaller and you’ll be happier.

Manufactured fats, such as those found in most boxed and packaged foods are incredibly problematic. First, the poor quality of these fats, which can be trans fats or just excessive polyunsaturated fats, loved to be stored by the body. They also increase inflammation, which leads to water retention and decreased fat breakdown. Finally, they’re often associated with high simple carb foods (cake anyone?)

The best diet to reduce the appearance of cellulite is one that contains high quality, whole-food proteins that are not laced with preservatives, sodium, and sugar (foods like organic beef and chicken, organic eggs and purified whey proteins), plenty of colorful vegetables and fruits to provide fiber, antioxidants and potassium to balance sodium, and plentiful whole food fats, especially those high in unsaturated fats like avocados, egg yolks, fish, fish oil and krill oils, and olives and olive oil.

Don’t believe the hype- just do what Mother Nature told you to do

Everyday you’re going to be bombarded with some product, or some new fancy diet that proclaims to be the terminator of all cellulite, but don’t buy into those claims.

Fighting the dimply look of cellulite isn’t really that hard – you just need to eat real food, food that Mother Nature gave us, and exercise or move your body every day.

Or, pick the right parents and ask for thick skin. But, If it was that easy, the world wouldn’t be so interesting.

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To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT

By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD

Beets Beat Hypertension

2010-11-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease. It is a condition in which blood pressure in the blood vessels becomes elevated. When the heart beats, it pumps blood through the arteries. Blood pressure is the force of blood that is pushing against the walls of your arteries. If your blood pressure is too high, the heart works harder to pump blood, which could lead to organ damage and several other complications such as heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. Hypertension occurs when the pressure inside the blood vessels is too high. When your heart pumps, it sends blood out through the arteries. The force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries causes pressure. Every time your heart beats, it forces more blood into the arteries, causing the pressure to rise. Between beats, when the heart is resting, the pressure lowers. Blood pressure is measured by health professionals by inflating a cuff with air around the upper arm and then listening to the blood flow as the cuff deflates. A normal blood pressure reading is below 120 mm Hg Systolic and 80 mm Hg Diastolic, which is written as 120/80. A high blood pressure is a reading of 140/90 or higher. Recent research published online in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that drinking beet juice can lower high blood pressure. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London found that blood pressure was lower within a 24 hour period in people who took nitrate tablets, and those who drank beet juice. The nitrate content found within the beetroot juice had been found to be the main underlying cause of its blood pressure lowering ability. The study’s author Amrita Ahluwalia stated that they were able to demonstrate that the nitrate found in beetroot juice was the cause of its beneficial effects upon cardiovascular health by increasing the levels of the gas nitric oxide in the circulation. Ahluwalia said, “We showed that beetroot and nitrate capsules are equally effective in lowering blood pressure indicating that it is the nitrate content of beetroot juice that underlies its potential to reduce blood pressure. We also found that only a small amount of juice is needed – just 250 ml - to have this effect, and that the higher the blood pressure at the start of the study the greater the decrease caused by the nitrate."

To Your Health,

John Hall NSCA-CPT