Whole Grains: Are They Healthier Than the Alternative?

Whole  or....not. Should you eat grains?

You’ve undoubtedly heard that refined wheat and other processed foods are unhealthy.  But what about the “good kind of wheat,” the kind found in whole grains?  What are the benefits of whole grains compared with their sinister relatives…refined grains? 

Since the food pyramid was first developed in the 1970’s, it has emphasized carbohydrates while the American public has gotten consistently more and more obese. In January of this year, The US government released the most recent revisions to its dietary guidelines. The USDA Food Pyramid, now known as MyPyramid (it now encourages personalized recommendations that adjust for activity level, gender, and other variables), reflects the government's recommendations for the consumption of grains and other foods.

The recommendations for grains now include division into 2 subgroups, whole grains and refined grains.  Guidelines include eating 6 servings of grains per day with half of those servings coming from the so-called “whole” grain group. Their guidelines define a serving as, 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice, cooked pasta, or cooked cereal. These examples can be considered a one ounce equivalent or, one serving from the grains group-and we are told to eat 6 servings a day?

No Whey? In Defense of this Popular Powder

Whey is the way!

With a growing array of plant-based and even defatted beef protein powders, it isn’t a good time to be whey as experts pounce on this once-respected protein.

“For many, whey protein shakes can cause gas, bloating skin irritation congestion and even weight gain because whey shakes have the tendency to cause insulin spikes leading to fat storage,” writes Jorge Cruise, clearly not a fan of commas or whey, pushing instead a beef-based protein powder he's selling.

Thankfully among the backlash, a few respected colleagues stand behind whey.

“Whey protein is the perfect food for

Goodbye, Carbophobia. Hello, Carbs!

Carbs...are not the enemy

My friend dramatically gasped, and at that exact moment I reached a tipping point. You might think I had committed dietary debauchery, but no: I had simply ordered quinoa with my chicken breast and sautéed spinach.

“Did you know one tiny serving of that has 27 net carbs?” she dramatically proclaimed. 

My friend had a method to her madness. Over the past year, she had lost over 60 pounds doing an extremely low-carb diet. She looks fabulous, but along the way she developed carbophobia, hence my quinoa pushing her over the edge. 

“Ah that little four letter word: CARB,’” writes Sara Shelly. “So many of us cringe merely at the mention of it.” http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6029/3-Common-Carb-Misconceptions.html Likewise, Jen Broyles asks, “Why is it that carbohydrates have developed such a bad name? It seems that ever since the hype of the Atkins Diet, carbs have been looked down upon, feared, and completely avoided.” http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7147/dont-fear-carbs-enjoy-them.html . 

Low-carb diets work, at least at first. Working with clients who’ve struggled for years on low-calorie, low-fat, and near-starvation diets yet couldn’t maintain their loss, they oftentimes yield

Strong, Lean & Powerful? Skip the Weight Machines

Free weights: a bigger bang for your buck

I had my eye on him for months before we finally spoke, his focused demeanor revealing a fierce determination to get in amazing shape.

For maybe an hour each visit, four or five times a week, I watched this 30-something guy in American Apparel t-shirts and Lululemon shorts rotate machines, gradually increasing his weight and somewhat mixing up his routine.

Aesthetically he looked good, yet his physique never evolved even after months of Herculean, consistent effort. Finally, I accosted him while he was doing lat pull-downs to correct his form.

“You work so hard, yet I don’t see much change,” I finally said. “Have you considered free weights? They’re faster, more efficient, and provide the real change I think you desire.”

I had a new client. Over the next few months we trained twice weekly, both immediately noticing

5 Reasons to Avoid (Most) Supplements

Vitamins: Definitely not all created equal

The Associated Press recently evaluated herbal supplements at four big-box retailers. Reporters learned "four out of five contained none of the herbs on the label. Instead, they were packed with cheap fillers such as wheat, rice, beans or houseplants."

The New York Times picked up the piece, and suddenly everyone and their grandma was buzzing about how supplements were ineffective.

"So, the industry keeps growing, with 65,000 dietary supplements now on the market, consumed by nearly half of all Americans," writes Timothy Egan in a snarky follow-up editorial. "Everyone wants to live longer, to be happier, to have better sex. And, if you think you can do it without exercise, or eating enough vegetables, or getting regular sleep, there are a thousand pills for you, sold not far from the candy counter."

The Times took a similarly dismal view in this 2013 opinion piece summarized as "Dietary supplements: mislabeled, contaminated and probably useless."

It isn't just the New York Times. Mainstream media, often led by

Why Did the Times Get Chipotle So Wrong?

Move over fast food...enter casual dining

“It wasn’t even good trashy,” my friend recounted about a recent fast food indulgence. “I felt gross afterwards, and not in a I-just-ate-something-fabulous-but-fatty way. Just… gross.”

With reviews like that, I’m not surprised McDonald’s and other fast food joints are financially tanking. But so has “fine dining,” as more people can’t afford or aren’t willing to plunk down $100 or more for a super-fancy meal.

Stepping in to fill that gap is casual dining, which offers a hybrid of fast food with fresh, simple ingredients without the greasiness or exorbitant prices.

Chief among this casual-dining trend is Chipotle, where you can get a freshly prepared, delicious meal for about 10 bucks.

I visited my local Chipotle one recent Friday night to find

8 Ways to Get More Pedometer Steps

The goal? 10,000 steps a day

Sometimes, we all overlook the obvious. That's why we can all use a little reminder every now and then -even when it comes to exercising smarter. Here's a repeat of one of my most popular blogs....

Looking to improve your health and fitness?  One of the simplest ways to go about it is to focus on taking more total steps all throughout your day. 

By increasing your total step count, you’ll naturally be burning more calories, you’ll increase your heart health, and you’ll take one giant step towards accelerated body fat loss.

Wearing a pedometer on a daily basis is one of the best ways to be aware of how many total steps you’re taking and make changes to gradually increase that number aiming eventually for a total of 10,000 steps a day. Wearing a pedometer is a great way to make yourself