Tag: weight loss

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Green Tea for Cancer? See What Nutritional Science Says…

green-tea-for-cancer-mental-health

Green Tea for Cancer? See what Nutritional Science says…

The leading cause of death in America is heart disease, followed by cancer. Cancer affects roughly 1 in 3 Americans in their lifetime. Chances have it, you or someone you know has suffered or is suffering from this horrible disease. It is terrifying for those to have to go through treatment or see their family go through it. While diet and tea is not an alternative to cancer treatment, there are many natural ways to reduce cancer risk and fight off cancer cells through nutrition! Cancer cells silence tumor-suppressing genes, which can effect someone with good genetics. Green tea has been shown to reactivate these genes by simply being dripped on certain cancer cells (1). Over 1.7 MILLION Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year, and more than a third of those people are expected to die from cancer (2). Every opportunity you get to prevent cancer is another chance to extend your life. It’s amazing that something as simple as a tea plant may have the power to suppress cancer.

Three Ways to Enjoy Green Tea:

Matcha Green Tea
The Whole Food Version of Green Tea

Green Tea:
The Extracts of Green Tea Leaves

Green Tea Capsules:
Take a green tea pill with water and breakfast

Other Green Tea Benefits

Not only can you use green tea topically for benefits, but many studies show benefits on oral consumption of green tea as well!  While water is very important for hydration and my top choice, the next best drink out there is green tea! Why? Because it contains powerful antioxidants that have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, the second leading cause of death in America (3). Green tea also activates the “alpha” brain waves which triggers the relaxation feeling people get from meditating (4). With all the stress we have to deal with on a daily basis, this is a great way to wind down – especially if you are dealing with the stress of cancer!

There are known side effects to green tea, since it contains caffeine. Ease into it with half a cup or one cup then gradually build up to more cups per day to avoid getting dehydrated or headaches. Try all the little things, and incorporate green tea into your daily routine! Regular intake of green tea can slow cancer growth, and the more cups of tea per day is associated with delayed onset of cancer (by up to 7 years for women and up to 3 years for men) in patients who do have cancer (5).

Following a plant-based diet for weight loss can be enhanced with a daily dose or two of green tea. Stay healthy and fit too with these green tea benefits.

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Sources:

  1. Greger, Dr. Michael. “How Not to Die.” p10 of Introduction. Copyright 2015. e-ISBN 9781250066121.
  2.  National Cancer Institute. “Cancer Statistics.” Updated April 27, 2018. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics Accessed 8/27/18.
  3. “Consumption of green tea causes rapid increase in plasma antioxidant power in humans.” I. F. Benzie, Y. T. Szeto, J. J. Strain, B. Tomlinson. Nutr Cancer. 1999; 34(1): 83-87. doi: 10.1207/S15327914NC340112. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10453446.  Accessed 8/27/18.
  4. Effects of green and black tea consumption on brain wave activities in healthy volunteers as measured by a simplified Electroencephalogram (EEG): A feasibility study. Edward J. Okello, Awatf M. Abadi, Saad A. Abadi. Nutr Neurosci. 2016 Jun; 19(5): 196–205. Published online 2015 Feb 25. doi: 10.1179/1476830515Y.0000000008. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25714035.   Accessed 8/27/18.
  5. Greger, Dr Michael. “Can Green Tea Help Prevent Cancer?” Nutritionfacts.org. volume 35. Published March 3rd, 2017. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-green-tea-help-prevent-cancer/. Accessed 8/22/18.

Kelly Athletics | Author: Kelly Gibson | Holistic Nutritionist | Holistic Nutrition and Fitness | Herbal Remedies | Nutritionist Chandler AZ | Nutritionist Tempe AZ | Nutritionist Phoenix AZ | Nutritionist Arizona | Vegan Nutritionist | Plant Based Nutritionist | Plant-Based Nutritionist | Vegan Supplements | Plant-Based Supplements | Green Tea Supplements | High-Quality Green Tea | Natural Remedies

*Disclaimer: This blog is not to be taken as medical advice. Please see a physician or health practitioner prior to making any changes to your diet, medication, or treatment plan. View our Terms.

Green Tea for Cancer | Kelly Gibson | Holistic Nutritionist | Nutritionist Chandler AZ | Holistic Nutritionist in Chandler
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Why the Keto Diet Isn’t So Great

Why the Keto Diet isn’t So Great

An inside look at the ketogenic diet

Recap: In the previous article we discussed some benefits and downsides of the keto diet. We left off with an unanswered question about how people could possibly be reporting fatigue, demotivation, and moodiness on the diet when ketosis is supposed to provide people a newfound level of energy.

Analysis: Sugar withdrawal by itself can cause these symptoms, but only for a short time like within the first week of giving up sugar. Even if you exclude processed sugar by going keto (a good thing), a diet without carbs is a diet without fiber (a bad thing).  In order to have regular digestion and a healthy blood cholesterol level, we need fiber! A low-fiber diet can cause constipation and gastrointestinal pains at the very least (1). A psyllium husk supplement could help you regulate, but did you know that by using supplements in place of whole food ingredients you can worsen your health (2)? If carbs aren’t the only thing lacking on a ketogenic diet, what is?  You might be thinking you have plenty of healthy options because the keto diet includes nuts, seeds, avocado, and a variety of vegetables. Unfortunately, only a moderate amount of those can be eaten, because they, too, contain carbohydrates.

strawberry-limited-fruit-intake-keto-diet

Say goodbye to having big bowls of fresh fruit on the keto diet.

Deficiencies: Nutritional deficiencies are known to impair the ability AND desire to exercise, as well as causing emotional distress and mental difficulties (Clark 477). A minimal amount of fruit and vegetables is allowed in a keto diet, and (aside from soy and peanuts) there are no legumes, starches, or any grains allowed at all. A diet that emphasizes reducing fruit and vegetable intake can severely lack phytonutrients (such as carotenoids and flavonoids) thus increasing risk of disease (4). Vitamin A is limited in animal-based foods, while Vitamin C is practically non-existent.

Prevention: If you want to safely prevent a deficiency on a keto diet, you will have to carefully plan how to get your vitamins with superfood ingredients that carry a lot of weight for such a small amount of food.

vitamin-b12-vitamin-c-b-complex-a-d-e-k

Vitamins Can't Replace Food

To ensure that you get enough vitamin A and C you could eat a cup of raw kale every single day, but you may struggle to get it in when you are limited to only 5-10% of your overall calories from carbs. Vitamin C deficiency can cause Scurvy – a dangerous condition that can harm your teeth, metabolism, immune system, and iron absorption. Early signs of anemia could also affect energy, emotions, and mental health.

 

potatoes-nearly-5g-fiber-per-potato

Potatoes, excluded from the keto diet, have 5g of fiber.

Satiety: High-fat diets in general are strongly associated with obesity, likely because it is so easy to overeat fats (Clark 456). So even though ketones can boost weight loss, a calorie deficit is necessary for burning fat.  Be prepared to portion tiny meals to stay within your calorie budget on a keto diet. If your stomach is only partially full (since high-fat foods lack water density), your hormones might not signal to your brain that you are satiated. It is well-established that fibrous foods low in fat are more likely to trigger satiety, while foods high in fat are more likely to cause overeating (4). Ironically, overeating fats doesn’t seem to increase the sensation of satiety either (4).

Summary: This is just a few examples of pitfalls that come with the keto diet – how will you keep going when the very foods you are eating for weight loss is draining you of energy? Taking a multivitamin is an option, but studies show it is not safe to replace your fruits and vegetables with a supplement (5). In other words, a supplement should be taken in addition to a healthy well-rounded diet. Limiting produce is dangerous for your health because plants contain the very nutrients that keep us healthy and fight disease! Don’t get me wrong – ketosis by itself is an awesome benefit of the keto diet, but is there a safer way to go keto? Continue on to the next article to find out!

Resources:

  1. “Implications of Fiber Inadequacy in the Ketogenic Diet: A Case Study.” Wendy J. Dahl, PhD, RD, Elaine J. Niebergall, RD, and Russell J. Owen, BS. ICAN: Infant, Child, & Adolescent Nutrition. Vol 3, Issue 5, pp. 288 – 290. First Published September 13, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941406411422253. Accessed Jul 18 2018.
  2. Johnston, C. S. (2012). Vitamin C. In Present Knowledge in Nutrition: Tenth Edition (pp. 248-260). Wiley-Blackwell. DOI: 10.1002/9781119946045.ch16. https://asu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/vitamin-c. Accessed Jul 18 2018.
  3. Clark, Michael A et al. “NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training”. Fourth Edition, Textbook Published in 2012. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a Wolters Kluwer business.
  4. “Phytochemicals.” Linus Paulis Institute: Oregon State University. Micronutrient Information Center: Dietary Factors. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals. Accessed Jul 17 2018.
  5. Chambers, Lucy et al. “Optimising Foods for Satiety.” Elsevier: Trends in Food Science and Technology. Vol 41, Issue 2, pp. 149-160. Published February 2015. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224414002386. Accessed Jul 19 2018.

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Setting Weight Loss Goals for the Year

Setting Weight Loss Goals for the Year:

1.  Create a plan: Start with small achievable goals when setting weight loss goals. Maybe by the time you hit your goal, you will decide that you want to keep pushing for better results. Make a daily goal of cutting back on 480 calories per day, which is much more logical yet still challenging. Saying “I am going to tone up this year and eat better” is a great goal, yet vague and missing the how and when. Without having a fitness program, nutrition plan, or schedule in place for yourself, you are more likely to quit or slack off. Give yourself a numeric goal, with a start date, target date of completion, and a written game plan for how you will accomplish your goals. Here is a solid plan: “My resolution is to lose 10 pounds of fat from Jan 1st until March 1st. Then I want to maintain my weight and keep it off by Dec 31st. I will do this by exercising with my Personal Trainer approximately 3 hours per week, adding one serving of fruit to every meal, and keeping a daily food log.”  Setting weight loss goals for New Year’s Resolution is typical; but you can create goals any time.

3. Know your current fitness level. Set up a fitness evaluation with a Personal Trainer before starting a workout program; many trainers offer this service for free. Commit to a weekly weigh-in, biweekly circumference & body fat measurements, and monthly reassessments to test your fitness levels. Keep a written record of all your measurements so you can see where you are making improvements and what you need to still work on to keep you motivated. Every month, make adjustments to your goals, in case you are ahead or behind your current goal. Set reminders on your calendar, notes on your refrigerator, or alarms on your phone to remember when to work out or log your food.

4. Go at your own pace. If you have been sedentary for several months, don’t push yourself to the max on your first day working out. Ease into it by doing a light workout your first day, see how you feel the next day, and work your way up to more intense workouts. If that means 5 minutes of jogging and 5 minutes of weight lifting on your first day, that’s okay! You will get stronger and build endurance as you make exercise a habit. If you set your goals too high, you will give up more quickly. You will lose your motivation if you are too sore to workout the next day and decide to take extra rest days. You are also at a higher risk for injury if you over train in the beginning.

5. Avoid yo-yo dieting and start making lifestyle changes. Yes, a lifestyle change is something that you can commit to doing for a lifetime! Exercising 3 hours per week is a healthy lifestyle change. Eating 100% whole grains instead of enriched processed grains can be a lifestyle change. Restricting yourself by eating less than 800 calories a day is not a healthy lifestyle change, and will lead to relapse. Reward yourself for doing good, without using junk food as the reward. Put money in a jar every time you complete a workout or have a good day with your diet, and save up for a vacation or tickets to a concert.

6. Last but not least, don’t get discouraged and give up if you make a mistake. Give yourself one day a week to have a break from your diet and exercise. If you relax and have junk food only once a week, you are still doing the right thing 85% of the time! Missing a day does NOT mean that you failed or need to play “catch up” by exercising twice as long the next day. Instead, pick up where you left off next time and learn from your mistakes.

Time to get to your goal setting for weight loss results!! Points to Remember:

  1. Create a specific plan
  2. Be realistic (1-2 pounds per week)
  3. Track your progress
  4. Go at your own pace
  5. Make lifestyle changes
  6. Stick to it!!!! Long-term weight loss takes time. You can’t lose 20 pounds and expect it to stay off without effort. It can take just as much time to gain it as lose it.

Don’t let holiday or birthday celebrations ruin it for you.  Example: Six weeks of hard work from New Year’s until Valentine’s Day, then let one day of chocolates ruins your diet?  Why make a resolution that ends before the year does? If improving your physical fitness is your goal this year, set a target weight or fitness goal that you can reach in a viable time frame and make the commitment to maintaining it throughout the entire year! Who knows, maybe by the time you hit your goal, you will decide that you want to keep pushing for better results.

Need Help with Setting Weight Loss Goals? Contact Me for More Info:

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