Carbohydrates made Simple

Eat Well Train Hard, and Live with Passion

Carbohydrates have been misrepresented and given a bad name because of popular fad diets and health professional who aren’t willing to do their due diligence to know the facts about this fundamental macro-nutrient. I want to shed some light on the subject without getting too scientific. Carbohydrates provide the body with fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function, and they are an important part of a healthy diet. But some kinds of carbohydrates are far better than others.

What Are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of foods—bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms. The most common and abundant forms are sugars, fibers, and starches.

The basic building block of every carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, a simple union of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Starches and fibers are essentially chains of sugar molecules. Some contain hundreds of sugars. Some chains are straight, others branch wildly.

Carbohydrates were once grouped into two main categories. Simple carbohydrates included sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar (sucrose). Complex carbohydrates included everything made of three or more linked sugars. Complex carbohydrates were thought to be the healthiest to eat, while simple carbohydrates weren’t so great. It turns out that the picture is more complicated than that.

The digestive system handles all carbohydrates in much the same way—it breaks them down (or tries to break them down) into single sugar molecules, since only these are small enough to cross into the bloodstream. It also converts most digestible carbohydrates into glucose (also known as blood sugar), because cells are designed to use this as a universal energy source.

Now that we know what they are and what they do in our bodies, let’s talk about good carbs vs. bad carbs.

Bad Carbs List: Aka Simple Sugars- BAD with a Capital (B) These Carbs Increase Belly Fat

The most important simple carbohydrates to limit in your diet include:

• Soda
• Candy
• Artificial syrups
• Sugar
• White rice, white bread, and white pasta
• Potatoes (which are technically a complex carb, but act more like simple carbs in the body)
• Pastries and desserts

Good Carbs List: Aka Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are considered “good” because of the longer series of sugars that make them up and take the body more time to break down. They generally have a lower glycemic load, which means that you will get lower amounts of sugars released at a more consistent rate — instead of peaks and valleys —to keep you going throughout the day.

Picking complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates is a matter of making some simple substitutions when it comes to your meals. Having brown rice instead of white rice, having whole-wheat pasta instead of plain white pasta are better choices if reducing your belly fat is your goal. You may have heard of the term glycemic index which refers to the effect a specific food has on a person’s blood sugar.  Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI. If release fat from your belly is your goal then pick food that have a low GI number. Here my list of five Complex Carbs you should have in your diet.

• Sweet Potatoes
• Brown Rice
• Banana
• Chick Peas
• Lentils

My Favorite 5 Fat Burning Carbs

1. 1. Oatmeal (Steel Cut Oats)
2. 2. Kale
3. 3. Black Beans
4. 4. Blackberries
5. 5. Sweet Potatoes

Bonus: Cinnamon and Chili Pepper add spice and kick to your fat burning food selections.

When picking your carbohydrates always select them according to what your activity level is going to be for the day. For example eating a bowl of grapes at 10pm isn’t the best idea because most people will be going to bed shortly after eating the grapes. Having grapes with a protein source for a mid morning snack on a workout day is a much better fat blasting decision. I hope this short article serves you, and please feel free to email me with your question and comments.

As always Eat Well, Train Hard, and Live with Passion.

Coach Rahz Slaughter, MPT

Creator of the 28 Day Belly Fat Diet Guide

Free Download @ www.28daybellyfatdiet.com

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Is Sugar making you Look OLD?

Guest Post from the Dynamic Kettle-Bell Diva, Coach Annamaria

NOT ONLY DOES SUGAR CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN BUT SKIN DAMAGE (aging skin/wrinkles) AS WELL!!!

At about age 35-40 not only does our body begin to change but so does our skin. SUGAR is one of our biggest culprits. Foods with high glycemic indexes, such as white bread, pasta and potatoes not only cause weight gain but aging, sagging, wrinkled skin. Not only does it attach to places that are unwanted to our body but now to the skin/face by attaching to the collagen and elastin and damaging it.
So, how do we correct this? Is it too late? NO, it’s never too late when it comes to our body and or skin. First step is to LOWER your sugar intake and limit the added sugars. Focus on good carbohydrates.

The Second step is to REBUILD–Collagen and elastin fibers in your skin can be restored. Third step is to take your MULTI VITAMIN. Vitamin B, C and E in particular are known to be collagen boosters.
Of note, topical skin care products that contain antioxidants–Vitamin A, C and E also support the collagen and elastin of your skin. Excellent food sources include red grapes, dark green veggies such as broccoli, spinach and kale along with acai berries and pomegranates.

Oh and don’t forget, even if you are younger, good habits will have you a step ahead.
So ladies, BACK OFF the SUGAR, be COMMITTED and Say HELLO to a HEALTHIER BODY with YOUNGER LOOKING SKIN!!

Coach AM

The KettleBell Diva

P.S No time to come to the MetaBurn Studio Check out my Girl Holly’s DVD + you can pick up a Interval Timer and you’re set.

Don’t forget to Post any comments or questions.

Have a great week, Eat Well, Train Hard, and Live with Passion!

If you’re really interested in understanding Sugar and what it does to the body check this video out.  http://youtu.be/dBnniua6-oM

Best (and worst) Nuts For Weight Loss

Oyster Bay Fitness Trainer Reveals Healthy Belly Fat Fighting Secret

Are Nuts healthy? Can they help fight melt belly fat? The answer to both those question is a Big Hell Yes my friends. Nuts are great and they should be in your daily diet plan every daily. Nuts have many benefits including many I have listened below, not to mention they help melt off the belly fat.

If you search for diets or diet books on the internet, you come up with many different books or diet plans that guarantee losing weight fast.  Some of these diet plans are healthy, while some of them are not so healthy.  The best way to lose weight, and keep it off, is to watch what you eat and exercise.

A healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables, plenty of fiber, plenty of essential vitamins and minerals, and high-quality lean proteins will help trim your waistline.   Having a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner are great ways to maintain adequate calories for weight loss.  However, sometimes you get hungry mid-morning or mid-afternoon and you have trouble finding the right snack to eat.

Nuts are a great food to snack on.  They are full of fiber, healthy fats like mono and polyunsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats.   Nuts are also full of high-quality proteins and provide a great pick-me-up during those hungry times during the day.  A handful of nuts can be great for satisfying your hunger and helping you to lose weight.

Here is a list of the best (and worst) nuts for helping you lose weight fast!

1) Almonds

Nutrient Breakdown (1 ounce)

Calories: 164
Total Fat:  14 grams
Saturated Fat: 1.1 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 9.1 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 3.5 grams
Fiber: 3.3 grams
Protein: 6 grams

Almonds are a little powerhouse of nutrition.   With heart healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats, almonds have been recommended to help reduce total cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol.   Almonds are low in carbohydrates, but high in fiber.  Almonds also have high levels of Vitamin E, which is great for the eyes and possibly the skin.   Almonds also have phytosterols found in the skin, which have been shown helpful in reducing cholesterol and protecting the heart.

2) Cashews

Nutrient Breakdown (1 ounce)

Calories: 163
Total Fat:  13 grams
Saturated Fat: 2.6 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 7.7 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 2.2 grams
Fiber: 0.9 grams
Protein: 4 grams

Cashews are a great nut for helping battle both Diabetes and Heart Disease.  Cashews do have a higher fat content than most nuts, but the fat found in cashews can be considered a healthy fat.   Higher levels of mono and polyunsaturated fats make this a perfect snack for heart patients or people looking to watch their dietary fat intake.   Cashews have adequate levels of magnesium and copper, which are minerals needed to maintain proper functioning.

3) Peanuts

Nutrient Breakdown (1 ounce)

Calories: 166
Total Fat: 14 grams
Saturated Fat: 2.0 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 7.0 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 4.4 grams
Fiber: 11.7 grams
Protein: 7 grams

Not only are peanuts loaded with fat-fighting fiber, but they are abundant in plenty of vitamins and minerals that have been shown to fight some diseases, including cardiovascular disease and some cancers.  Peanuts have niacin, Co-enzyme Q10, plenty of antioxidants, and Resveratrol, which has been linked to reduction in cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

4) Walnuts

Nutrient Breakdown (1 ounce)

Calories: 185
Total Fat: 18 grams
Saturated Fat: 1.7 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 2.5 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 13.4 grams
Fiber: 1.9 grams
Protein: 4 grams

Walnuts are a great source of heart healthy fats, with high levels of polyunsaturated fats, which has been linked to lower cardiovascular risk factors.   Considered by some to be the best nut for better heart health, walnuts have been shown to decrease damage from free radicals to certain cells.  The reason for this: walnuts are chock full of antioxidants, which have been shown to reduce damage caused by oxidative stress.

5) Pecans

Nutrient Breakdown (1 ounce)

Calories: 196
Total Fat: 20 grams
Saturated Fat: 1.8 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 11.6 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 6.1 grams
Fiber: 10.4 grams
Protein: 3 grams

At 10.4 grams of fiber, you are getting roughly 10% of your daily intake in 1 ounce of pecans.  So if the fiber content blew your mind, wait for this:  Pecans have an immense amount of the heart healthy fats that can help lower LDL cholesterol, and raise our good HDL cholesterol.  Under 200 calories, pecans provide a healthy supply of Vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and other trace minerals that our body needs for optimal functioning.

6) Macadamia Nuts

Nutrient breakdown (1 ounce)

Calories: 203
Total Fat: 22 grams
Saturated Fat: 3.4 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 16.8 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.4 grams
Fiber: 2.3 grams
Protein: 2 grams

Macadamia nuts, like other tree nuts, have been shown beneficial in helping to reduce total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and are recommended in a heart healthy diet.  Having a high amount of mon-unsaturated fats, these nuts can be an alternative to other nuts for helping reduce cardiovascular risk factors.

7) Pistachios

Nutrient breakdown (1 ounce)

Calories: 161
Total Fat: 13 grams
Saturated Fat: 1.6 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 6.8 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 3.9 grams
Fiber: 2.9 grams
Protein: 6 grams

Try to limit this nut:

1) Coconuts

Nutrient breakdown (1 cup shredded)

Calories: 283
Total Fat:  27 grams
Saturated Fat: 23.8 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 1.1 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.3 grams
Fiber: 7.2 grams
Protein: 3 grams

Coconuts are very high in calories and saturated fats, and low in the good mono and polyunsaturated fats.  Even though there are high levels of fiber, coconuts are a food that should be consumed in moderation if you want to lose weight.  The total amount of calories and fat grams, especially saturated fat, can be a concern for people who are looking to lose weight and lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Accidental Discovery that will help you Lose 8-15 in 28 Days

ATTENTION —-> Locust Valley, Glen Cove, Sea Cliff, Oyster Bay Residents

A couple of days ago I sent out a email to my list telling them all about the new accidental discovery I made with a few of my personal training clients (who I used as test subjects)

…that’s code for “Guinea Pigs”

The BIG discovery I made could get me in major trouble with a lot of gyms, trainers, and supplement companies who want your money, but aren’t interested in getting you results.

Since sending that email out on Monday I’ve gotten a boatload of responses from people who want to be in the first ever “beta test group” called Flat Belly Bootcamp to validate my fat burning discovery.

Actually, I was a bit overwhelmed with how many people replied back so quickly and asked to be in my beta test group.

So I’ve finalized the program and here’s how it’s going to work.

I’m calling it Flat Belly Bootcamp

The entire program length is customized to your end goal result you want to achieve. We will work with you until you hit your goal and we refuse to let you fail.

- I’m going to provide you with a done for you meal plan crafted by Mr. Nutrition (you’ll meet him one day) to help you increase your metabolism and burn fat. (This is NOT a diet, it’s a meal plan optimized for fat loss where all you have to do is read it, and eat it).

-Along with that you will have a supplement checklist (all natural supplements none of those funky ones that have side effects) to complement your meal plans and workouts to accelerate the fat loss

-You’ll need to workout with me 3x per week in a group setting during Flat Belly Bootcamp.

- The workouts will be challenging, even hard at times but never impossible. And you’ll always have motivation and accountability from me and the rest of the group.

-Here’s the best part…even though we’re going to work on burning fat, flattening the belly, and defining those abs, we’re not going to do any of that long boring cardio (imagine that, having a sexy mid section without doing long boring cardio).

- You can expect to drop between 8-15 lbs a month and see a dramatic change in your body in just 28 days.

- The program starts this coming Monday.

Now, typically my clients pay between $280-$900 a month to get personal training from me.

But since this is going to be the first time (beta group) that I try out this program on “non clients,” I’m going to only charge you $21 for the first 21 days of your training and meal plans.

There’s no catch with the price. I want you to experience this formula I discovered with zero risk so you are confident it will work for you. After 21 days if you love it, and I know you will, we will roll you into the full blown Flat Belly Bootcamp at our extremely low rate of $157 a month.

But there’s one small challenge….

I can only take on 22 people for the beta test group because I want to be sure I can give individual participant plenty of attention (not like those other bootcamps that just put you in herds of 30-40 people at a time)… I believe in keeping the program small and giving you a TON of close attention.

To lock in one of the 22 spots for yourself just give me a call at 516-203-4534 to get into this amazing “beta test” program.

Committed to your fat loss results,

Eat Well, Train Hard, and Live with Passion!
Rahz Slaughter, MPT

516-203-453

P.S. So you know there is truth behind this experiment, we trained one of the Miss Long Island Pageant participants Elaina Estrada in this program and she went on to take 3rd runner up. Mind you there were 357 women who applied and she made it to the final 4 women for the title of Miss Long Island.

BEFORE AFTER

P.P.S This is for new clients only. This allows us to test the new science of fat loss

If you’re serious about losing weight and you’re tired of the B.S Programs that promise the world and don’t deliver, It’s Time you tried Flat Belly Bootcamp at a extreme discount b/c after this beta it will never be this low ever again. Call Now to secure your spot Only taking 22 21 20 more participates. 516-203-4534 or email support@b2finc.com right Now!

P.P.P.S

Don’t be rude and read this blog post and not leave a comment or question. ———>Below Leave a Comment Thank You

Locust Valley Fat Loss Expert Reveals Top Vitamins for Women

Personal Trainer| Locust Valley Personal Trainer| Glen Cove Personal Trainer

Hey Coach Rahz here with a quick post about vitamins and why women should be taking them daily to aid in their fat loss goals.

I get asked often what vitamins should I be taking, and why. Well below in this post Jayson Hunter highlights the  Top 10 Women

vitamins. If you live locally in the Glen Cove, Oyster Bay, North Shore Long Island areas you can stop into my

Locust Valley fat Loss Studio or visit my online vitamin store for more details.

Ok, so you know Vitamins and Minerals are important. Most women know that.

However, not everyone understands WHY they are so important for their body.

So I recently asked Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter to give us the easy rundown on the Top Women’s Vitamins.

Here’s what he had to say:

Vitamin A – This vitamin contributes to the health of you eyes, skin and nails.

Vitamim B – While B Vitamins are often referred to as “energy vitamins” they don’t actually give you a surge of energy, per se. What

they actually do is help facilitate metabolic reaction in the body to create energy. They’re also necessary for a  healthy metabolism.

Vitamin C – This women’s vitamin is a great antioxidant and immune system booster. It also helps skin health.

Vitamin D – Helps women absorb calcium and it may help prevent certain types of cancer.

Calcium – It’s actually a mineral not a vitamin. And as most women know already, it improves bone density.

Pretty simple, right? But you can also see why it’s so important to understand vitamins for women. When we understand the reasons

to make healthier choices it helps us make them.

Now, I get asked all the time by women which vitamin supplements, if any, they need to be taking. Great question.

Well, if your nutrition is 100% perfect all the time then you probably don’t need to take any.

But that’s not the case for most women. Most women are busy as heck and don’t always find the time for proper nutrition. So if that’s

the case with you I recommend taking a whole foods based Multi-Vitamin. And the only one I recommend is

Prograde Nutrition’sVGF 25+ for Women.

It’s actually really cool because it’s literally made from 25 veggies, greens and fruits.

You should definitely check out Prograde’s Women’s Vitamins to your store –

http://b2f.getprograde.com/vgfwomen At the very top of the page is the list of

ingredients. You can see the 25 whole foods they use to make VGF 25+ for Women.

Dedicated to your Results, Coach Rahz

Eat Well, Train Hard, and Live with Passion

PS – Pretty cool, huh? The nutrition of 25 whole foods in a bottle!

PPS – If you Like Smoothies check this one out

Prograde Cinnamon Chai Latte

1 Scoop of Prograde Vanilla Protein
1 Cup of Cold Cinnamon Chai Tea
1 Pinch of Stevia
1 Pinch of Cinnamon
5 Ice Cubes

Let me know what you think about this post by leaving me a comment Below —–>  Right Now! Thanks that’s just my way of say Hurry up…