Some people believe that losing weight is simply a matter of willpower. While willpower does play a role in the strive for weight loss, I suggest that if you are wanting to lose weight, create an environment for yourself that helps you stay on track.

1. Find a support system. Studies show that people who have a strong support system tend to stick to their programs longer and with overall better success. Memphis ABC is a very strong support system. Also, family and friends can be good support. I sometimes see people post things on Facebook about their weight loss or the number days they stopped smoking and they get flooded with positive reinforcement. By the way, befriend me on Facebook if you haven’t already!

2. Do a pantry raid. Be honest with yourself. Do you need to clean out the bad foods in the pantry and fridge? If those cookies are there in the front, looking at you each and every time you open the door, sooner than later, you are going to accidentally find their way into your mouth! Get real! Think about the trigger foods in and around your house and throw them away!

3. Change your route. Do you constantly crave an ice cream or something like this every time you pass a certain place when in your car? I realized that every time I see Pei Wei, I think, “UMMM I love their cookies!” This is no good! So, I don’t drive by Pei Wei anymore. I found I new route to get to where I needed to go! I suggest you do the same.

4. Have your significant other or best friend on board. This one is tricky, but if you approach it with tact, you could have a great ally instead of a person who works against you. Rarely do couples do exercise and eating better at the same exact times. So, one person is trying to say no to sweets while the other is chowing down on them while both are watching TV. The success of weight loss isn’t going to last long. Be upfront. Let them know you are really trying hard to do well and you really need their support. Ask them for help. The asking part will go a really long way!

Do you have a few others you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them!

Be Better!

Dexter

Stacey Greenberg, a freelance writer here in Memphis, decided to join Memphis Adventure Boot Camp. She lived to tell about it and has written an article in the January ‘10 issue of Memphis Parent Magazine. Check out her experiences here: http://www.memphisparent.com/2010/01/workout-warriors/. Also, check out her amazing, award-winning blogs at http://diningwithmonkeys.com/.

Memphis Adventure Boot Camp is the premier fitness offering for the women of Memphis. Get the complete package of fitness while doing it with other likeminded women. Memphis ABC meets for 4-weeks at a time all year long. You have nothing to lose but fat and you have your new body to gain!

We have been told our entire lives that fruit is good for us. In fact, the US Food Pyramid tells us to consume at least two servings of fruits every day. There is no denying that fruit can be considered to be one of the most healthy and natural foods in existence. There are a whole lot of varieties and they all have different vitamins, minerals and plant phytochemicals that help to benefit health. It is shown that eating whole fruits is the best way to gain the benefits of the vitamins and minerals than through taking supplements that provide them separately.

Ok, let me clarify my statement: “ There is no denying that fruit can be considered to be one of the most healthy and natural foods in existence.” Fruit isn’t really competing against very many players to begin with. We have fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts, grains, and what else…….fats maybe. That sounds like a decent crowd to be in anyway! So yeah, they can be considered natural and healthy.

Here are the concerns. Most Americans are too fat. Also, few people are training for marathons or other activities that allows the consumption of fruit to be instantly used as energy. When I, myself need answers, I have a team of experts I go to who I trust. I know a lot about things, but my specialization deals with helping people find their way to lose fat and regain their health. I asked Patrick Gamboa, MSS the question about people wanting to lose fat and if they should eat fruit. Here was his detailed response:

In general, any food eaten in excess can be stored as fat. That being said, we have not found one clinical study to validate that the body will digest, absorb and assimilate fructose from fruit sugar any differently alone or with other types of carbohydrates. The issue at hand for people wanting to lose fat is how our bodies use fruit sugar.

Our bodies can only absorb monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, or fructose), the single units of sugars and starches. Once absorbed through the small intestines into the portal vein, and then circulated into the bloodstream through the liver as blood glucose, our bodies can put glucose to work in three ways:

1. It can burn the glucose immediately for energy if blood glucose levels are not at a stable level of 20 grams blood borne glucose circulating per hour.
2. If it is not needed for energy immediately, then it is converted into glycogen in the liver or muscles. The liver has the capacity to store 100 grams of glycogen. The muscles have the capacity to store between 250-400 grams of glycogen, depending on muscle mass and physical condition. Liver glycogen supplies energy for the entire body. Muscle glycogen only supplies energy to muscles.
3. If the body has an excess of glucose, and all of the glycogen stores are full, the surplus glucose is converted to fat by the liver and stored as adipose tissue (bodyfat) around the body. If needed, fatty acids can be burned as fuel (BUT the fat cannot be converted back to glucose).

Muscles only have the specific purpose of contraction and have a limited number of enzymes for glycogen synthesis. Muscle only has the necessary enzymes to convert glucose (and nothing else) into glycogen. The liver, however, is able to make glycogen from fructose, lactate, glycerol, alanine, and other three-carbon metabolites. Therefore, fruit sugar will help keep blood sugar levels stable by keeping liver glycogen stores full not muscle glycogen.

Wow! He sure is a smart guy! Is your head spinning? Let me give you a summary of his main points. Fruits have the same digestion ability as other carbohydrates. The concern is this, there is very little the body has to do in order to digest it. It is already very close to its monosaccharide state: fructose. Our bodies turn fructose into glucose in the liver so that it can be used immediately if we are exercising or at least creating enough movement to consume it. If we don’t need it immediately, we can send it to our muscles. If they are already filled with enough, it is then converted to fat to be burned when we needed. Fat in the body is like a super-concentrated source of energy. We should also realize that only the liver can convert fructose to glucose, not the muscles. Therefore, if the liver doesn’t need the fructose, then it will send it to be stored as fat.

Let’s turn to Phil Kaplan who always does a good job explaining things in simple terms.

The ingestion of fruit can result in the same insulin release as stuffing some brownies into your sugar craving mouth. To clarify the picture, yes carbohydrates do break down into sugars, and sugar from the blood, muscles, and liver are used as energy. The major difference between the ingestion of simple sugars and complex carbohydrates is the speed at which simple sugars enter the bloodstream. Complex carbohydrates are made up of chains of simple sugars which allows for gradual release into the bloodstream keeping insulin levels constant and eliminating all the described negative effects of simple sugars.

Insulin’s job is to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood system, meaning, it wants to keep it in normal ranges. If fruit can have the same insulin release as brownies, then we will probably not have enough storage room in our liver or muscles and it then gets stored as fat. Complex carbohydrates do not have this effect, especially when combined with lean proteins. Where do we find complex carbohydrates? We find them in vegetables and whole grains!

If you are a person who is constantly exercising say a dancer with 3% body fat on tour with a hip-hop superstar, you’ll need to consume lots of energy if you don’t you’ll lose your muscle. If you are a person in the middle of a training session for a marathon, then fruit or some sort of simple sugar can be used in order to keep energy levels high and maintain muscle. This is also assuming the runner is at their desired body fat percentage as well. Now that we have eliminated the exceptions, let’s talk about what most of the population needs to hear.

If you are a person who is wanting to lose fat, then eating fruit will not be something you will not want to consume very often. It’s that simple. Is there a compromise? I will try. Foods like bananas, peaches, and grapes are very high in sugar. Try to do more apples, pears, and berries if you must consume them. They are usually less sweet. And for heaven’s sake, eat them with some lean proteins!

Do you have a comment or concern about this topic? Feel free to comment. I’d like to know your thoughts.

Be Better,

Dexter

References

Gamboa, P. (2009, October 31). Fruit and fat storage. Message posted to https://www.issatrainer.com/question_board. Retrieved November 1, 2009.

Kaplan, P. (1997) Transform! The Ultimate Fitness Solution (1st ed.) Florida: Great Atlantic Publishing Group.

Many foods come naturally equipped with immune boosting and antiviral qualities and the good news is these foods can be easily incorporated into your daily menus. Here are some suggestions:

1. Choose foods rich in Vitamin C: Since we cannot store vitamin C in our bodies, we need to consume it regularly. We should be eating 5-6 servings daily of fruits and vegetables which are rich in this vital vitamin. Such foods include bell peppers (especially red), cabbage, broccoli, leafy greens, kiwi fruit, citrus fruits, and berries. Consider making a smoothie for breakfast using banana, orange juice and organic frozen blueberries. Or just add thawed blueberries to your granola or yogurt. Peel and slice a kiwi or an orange to have with your toast. Other ideas include sautéing spinach with garlic in olive oil for dinner or make festive fajitas with chicken and brightly colored peppers. These are all easy ways to increase your consumption of vitamin C, a natural immune system enhancer.

2. Eat more garlic and onions: Garlic is a highly esteemed vegetable to many cultures around the world and for good reason. In fact, its use as a vegetable and as a medicine dates back to 5000 BC. Garlic certainly adds wonderful flavor to food, but it also has a positive effect on the immune system. It is rich in phytonutrients which are known for their antibiotic and antiviral properties. Garlic’s medicinal benefit is most potent when used raw so consider adding it to salad dressings for this use. However, garlic still offers benefits when cooked so use it generously in stir frys, soups, and casseroles. Top crusty bread with roasted garlic instead of butter. Similarly, onions enjoy a long history with their cultivation dating back to 3200 BC. Clearly onions are the most universal seasoning used today. The flavonoids in onions actually work with vitamin C to help kill harmful bacteria. It’s hard to find a savory recipe that doesn’t use onions but consider making a soothing and delicious pot of onion soup or include onions with slow roasted winter vegetables.

3. Eat brightly colored fruits and vegetables: While nutritionists tout the health benefits of beta carotene, its conversion into vitamin A in the body has immune boosting qualities as well. Fortunately foods rich in the nutrients are readily available in the fall and winter months including winter squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. Additional sources include cooked spinach, apricots, and mangoes. Instead of a russet potato, substitute a delicious sweet potato. Just that simple change increases antioxidants significantly and also provides more vitamin C and trace minerals. Use that can of pumpkin puree in your pantry to make pumpkin bread. Make a pot of carrot ginger soup. Fish are also good sources of vitamin A including halibut, wild caught salmon, and cod. Evidence suggests the nutrients in these foods can prevent or lessen the severity of certain infections.

4. Drink tea: And in particular, drink green tea. Studies have shown that drinking green tea can enhance the immune system because it has a high concentration of polyphenols, known for their antioxidant properties. Green tea is also less processed than black tea. And finally, enjoying a hot cup of tea forces you to slow down and relax and this is always a benefit to your immune system.

While each of us usually get a cold or two each year, it’s important to know that our diets and habits do impact our health. Get plenty of sleep, stay away from highly processed foods and include some of the healthy foods included above and you are on your way to a healthy flu season and healthy year ahead.

Be Better!

Knowing this and applying it will give you Jedi nutritional powers above and beyond almost all other people trying to lose weight through ineffective means. The Proximity Rule is not something I made up, but something that has been researched and proven to be true no matter your education level, status, sex, or income. You want to increase your results and eat more supportive more consistently, you need to watch this video and then apply it!

Be Better!

Dexter

I don’t have time. My Memphis Adventure Boot Camp for Women meets at 5:30 a.m. I consider it the “no excuse” time.

Working with Dexter is too expensive. Answer #1: Maybe it is, but my new assistant Anna Langston has learned the same synergistic approach of the Power of 5 to be an extremely effective and lower cost option for you. Schedule the sessions in a way you can afford. Answer #2: My Memphis Adventure Boot Camp for Women is only $14.95 a session so you can’t tell me that I am too expensive to work with.

I don’t exercise during the times you don’t meet with me. OK, Memphis Adventure Boot Camp for Women meets 5X a week so you don’t have to think about any of that anymore!

The eating part is where I have the most trouble. We all do! I am in the final stages of working with a person who will offer a 5-meal or 3-meal option that is supportive of the Power of 5 fitness approach. Definitely be looking for that in the very near future.

I don’t have enough time to eat five to six meals a day. See above. Also, I have found a super-excellent option from Dr. Fred Hatfield. His meal replacement squares taste SOOO EXCELLENT! I have an account set up through the website, so you will need to use my trainer code when checking out. It’s 114330.  Here is the direct link to these awesome bars. http://drsquat.com/propower/supplements/meal-replacement-squares He has other products I will review in the upcoming months.

Exercise isn’t fun. Memphis Adventure Boot Camp, myself, and Anna all specialize in making sure you get what you need in exercise. You never know what you are going to get in a one-on-one session or Memphis Adventure Boot Camp!

I don’t have support at home. OK, then look elsewhere. There’s nothing like having 49 other women and me   giving you the support you need to get through the week! On a one-on-one level, we get to the root of your issues and work to find the best way to help you to be inspired and encouraged throughout the week!

I think that almost wraps all the excuses up. You now know I am here to help Memphis become fit, healthy, and reverse disease.

Be Better,

Dexter

In the outdated theater of the Malco Four here in Memphis, I experienced with 15 or so people, a movie that is eye opening, frustrating, and life changing. Food, Inc. dives into the modern technological age of making food. According to the movie, we have changed how we grow and produce food more in the past 5o years than in the past 10,000 years. And, the reason for this: money. This initially seems like a good thing, but the techniques and processes that are being used are showing correlation with health and disease problems of the 21^st century.

This movie isn’t some hippie movement or PETA driven movie. It is a movie that encourages the public to understand what is going on in the food industry currently and asks them to demand more natural foods. It really is that simple! The movie doesn’t directly talk about fitness and nutrition, but it does give another, yet important viewpoint as to why it is imperative to eat in a more supportive manner. Health is a HUGE concern when dealing with nutrition and this movie nails it on the head!

So, I encourage you to take action and see this film! When it comes out on DVD, I will buy it and make sure all of my clients have an opportunity to see this film because I believe it is that important!

Here is Food, Inc.’s Official Website: http://www.foodincmovie.com/

Here is the trailer for Food, Inc.:

Here is a website dedicated to local farmers’ markets and event around your area. This is a great place to find more natural growing and animal raising techniques. Some farmers do organic, but simply cannot afford to be labeled organic. These are great finds at reduce costs. Let’s does this for your health!

Always Better,

Dexter