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McMaster University researchers in Canada report they found that women who drank two large glasses of milk after weight-lifting exercises gained more muscle and lost more fat than women who drank sugar-based energy drinks.

The finding is published in the June issue of Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise.

“Resistance training is not a typical choice of exercise for women, but the health benefits of resistance training are enormous,” Stuart M. Phillips, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, said in a news release. “It boosts strength, bone, muscular and metabolic health in a way that other types of exercise cannot.”

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There are great benefits to eating peaches.  They contain a decent amount of Vitamin C and Vitamin A.  For their size, they have as much potassium as a banana (approximately 330 mg for one large peach).  Peaches are also an excellent source of non-soluable fiber, approximately 3 grams per peach.

One of my favorite things to do is eat peaches with greek yogurt and honey.  Absolutely delicious and serves as a great desert.  

provided by:

Kelly Huggins

Peach Nutrition Data

Read more: HealthyChild.org

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Here is the article from ABC News

First of all, let me begin by saying that you need carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are your primary source of energy. Without carbohydrates, your body will begin to do some crazy things in order for you to get your energy requirements. Here’s a closer look at carbs:

Carbs are fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. Would you argue that fruits and vegetables are bad for you? How about whole grains like oatmeal, and nuts like almonds? These are whole foods that have fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. They are good for you! You should at least eat fruit 2 times per day and vegetables 3 times per a day (the more the better). You should eat whole grains at least 3 times per day.

Avoid Processed Carbohydrates. The problem with carbohydrates is what we do to them. They are stripped of their fiber, stripped of their nutrients, we add food color, sugar, sometimes fat, sodium, and all kinds of crazy stuff and put them in a box, bottle, plastic wrapper, etc. In other words, we turn them in to junk food. As a result of processing, the glycemic index also goes up.

What is the Glycemic Index? The glycemic index is basically a value system based on a scale of 0-100. Carbs that are high GI break down much faster than those that are low GI. Thus, eating high GI carbs (close to 100) like a bag of pretzels (and most junk food) can raise blood sugar faster (aka “the sugar spike”), which in turn can cause a sudden rush of insulin overcompensation (an “insulin rush”). As a result, your blood sugar then dips. This is when you begin to feel groggy and crappy, thus leading you to pick up your favorite high GI snack to make you feel normal.

Carbohydrates power your brain and your muscle. You need carbs to fuel the brain. It’s the only source of fuel the brain uses. The only exception is a byproduct of fat called ketone bodies (this is the premise behind Atkins through a process called ketosis). Your body only uses ketone bodies as a last resort and is inefficient. It’s kind of like trying to use alcohol to fuel your car instead of gasoline. It works, but it’s really hard on the engine. Ketone bodies are hard on the brain.

Carbohydrates are Protein Sparing. Without ingesting carbs, your body will breakdown muscle protein if you do not get enough carbs. Why? You need glucose to fuel the muscle and other tissues. With exception to the brain, muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in the body. When you lose muscle, you decrease your metabolism. In other words, you hold on to body fat better. (Other things begin to transpire, such as hormonal shifts also occur. These shifts also decrease your metabolism.)

The Thermic Effect of Food. You actually utilize a certain amount of calories in digestion alone. Foods that require more energy require more caloric expenditure. Carbs that are high in fiber are the ones that have the greatest thermic effect. Usually, carbs that are low GI have the greatest thermic effect. Once again, these are real foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts.

So, there you have it. Carbohydrates are good for you. One of the errors of the low carb myth coincides with just about every diet. That is, they do not include exercise as a part of the equation and they are quick weight loss gimmicks. This is flawed and misleading. Instead of going on a diet, get active and change your lifestyle. Quick fixes never work for the long term and usually make your situation worse.

Written by Kelly Huggins
Exercise Science, B.S.
FTNorthBuckhead.com

“Now that I am exercising, I can eat anything I want” – This hits the top of my list, as it is the one that I most often I encounter with most clients. If your goal is to lose weight, you can’t just eat anyway or anything you want. At first I believe most people realize this, however, once they have lost a little weight they go back to their old habits and the fat becomes stagnant. This leads to frustration. (Some people flat out refuse to make a change and still get frustrated). You have to remember that there are a whole lot of calories in a pound of fat (3,500 calories to be exact). So, even when you are exercising and you burn 2,500 calories in a day (combined with exercise), and you eat 3,000 calories, that fat weight is not going to go. The worse part though, is that most of those calories are coming from empty calories like alcoholic beverages, late night snacks, and ice cream. To have any long-term success, you are going to have to learn how to eat supportively. Sure, every now and again, you should be able to eat a piece of pie or have a hamburger. You just can’t do it everyday, but very sparingly.

“I haven’t lost any weight, so I guess it isn’t working. I might as well give up!” – Ask anyone who has been working out (using synergy) for more than a year, they will tell you that weight doesn’t magically disappear. They will also tell you that it will go in spurts. The good news is, when you lose weight the right way it stays off. When it comes to losing weight through diets, you will gain the weight back (with interest). There are a couple of things you have to remember. One is you have to remember how long it took you to gain the weight. It took longer than a couple of weeks to gain; it will take more than two weeks to lose it. Besides, the weight loss on these diets is primarily water loss and muscle loss, not fat. Second is weight is nothing more than gravity pulling an object toward Earth. It is not a true measurement of your body composition. You can have positive changes in you body composition, your flexibility, your health, energy, etc. So, don’t just throw it all away because of what the scale says.

Here’s a thought for you. Investing into a mutual fund is not something that you can get rich quick off of. Over time, it builds and grows. It may even lose some money. But in the end, you have got that $250K+ you were waiting for. Weight loss is not much different. True, safe, effective FAT loss and maintenance occurs not in the course of one week, or one month. In a year’s time you will see a dramatic difference. Yet, it never stops. You must always continue to invest in yourself, just like a mutual fund. The good new is, it doesn’t take 20 years to lose weight like most interest bearing accounts or properties. The point is, it takes time.

Written by Kelly Huggins
Exer. Sci., B.S.

It’s true, avocados have plenty of fat, which is why you should eat them sparingly.  However, they are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (in alpha linoleic form) which is an essential nutrient (a nutrient your body requires).  These Omega-3’s help fight against cardiovascular disease and are usually most abundant in fish.  This makes avacodos great for vegans, sense it’s one of the view plant based foods full of Omega-3’s.

Another abundant nutrient in avocado is vitamin K.  It is a fat soluable vitamin that your body needs for blood clotting.  Considering the flesh of the avocado is quite soft, you may be surprised that there is 10 grams of fibers in a cup.  Seventy-five percent of the fiber is soluable fiber which is great for cardiovascular health.

Other nutrients in avocados is potassium (more so than bananas), vitamin C, vitamin E, and folate. 

If you eat a lot of avocados, then you may be get too much fat. However, if you eat them sparingly, the health benefits will outweight the risks.  Avocados are great to eat in slices as a side dish with just about any meal.  Of course, you can’t forget about guacomole (guacamole recipe).

Improve your Nutrition – Learn about Nutrition Together!

written by
Kelly Huggins
Exercise Science, B.S.
Fitness and Nutrition Coach
Fitness Together North Buckhead
Men’s Health Examiner writer