Nutrient density vs. caloric density

ANNOYING NEWS COMING YOUR WAY....

Guess what?

Unless you have crazy good genetics and 

an extremely exceptional metabolism... 

you CANNOT "exercise away" a bad diet.

.....I don't care if you spend an hour on the treadmill every night, if you are eating pizza, cheeseburgers, and chocolate chip cookies by the handful you will need to multiply that hour by about 5..... you cannot "exercise away" that many calories every day- it just isn't practical, who wants to do several hours of cardio every day? 

I SURE DONT! 

*Not to mention, these foods just aren't good for us. They are calorically dense (high in calories) and lack the key nutrients we need to maintain good health.

I'm all about feeling satisfied after I eat, not full, but satisfied. 

I don't like to feel hungry all the time- that's just no way to live! 

This is why we want to search for foods that are not calorically dense but that are nutrient dense and have a lot of volume. Foods that carry a lot of water and fiber will provide a fullness sensation without the over consumption of calories.  

There are tons of different things you can eat that will essentially take up more space in your stomach and make you feel full for less calories! Do not think that I am telling you to drastically decrease your caloric intake, I'm telling you to exchange the calories you are waisting on junk and start substituting some nutrient dense foods into your diet. If you add good things, the bad things will slowly fall by the wayside.

Think about this...

If you eat 3 Oreos as an afternoon snack you're looking at about 160 calories, 7g fat, and 14g sugar

 Plus, you probably won't feel satisfied after eating only 3 Oreos...who just eats 3 Oreos?

INSTEAD...

You can consume 2 apples for the same amount of calories, no fat, and a little less sugar (plus it's natural sugar) and trust me, you will feel very full!! Have you ever tried to eat 2 apples? They are very filling!

Apples have a high nutrient density and are relatively low in calories (low nutrient density). They also provide a lot of volume due to their water content. This is why as a snack or part of a well balanced meal they help provide satiety. This is only one little example! There are tons of foods that provide these same benefits...

Fruit (2 servings per day it still has sugar!)

Veggies 

Greek yogurt (nonfat plain)

Chicken, Fish, Beans

quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes

protein shakes 

And my personal favorite......
EGGS!! 
Particularly scrambled egg whites which are the perfect "filler".
 When I say filler, I mean you can add these to anymeal to "bulk it up" (add volume and nutrients) without adding very many calories. To give you an idea, one egg white contains about 18 calories give or take a few calories depending on the size of the egg! That's great news for you because you can add them to just about anything!!
**My favorite meal** (I eat this almost every night) is sauteed fresh spinach and bell peppers (in coconut oil) with egg whites poured over the top and cooked and a microwaved sweet potato with a "laughing cow" cheese wedge. BEST.DINNER.EVER (especially for someone like me who loves a quick and convenient meal!) So incredibly filling and so full of nutrients.

BODY COMPOSITION- MUSCLE VS. FAT

Have you ever worked out for several months and drastically changed your diet only to find that the scale hasn't budged or even worse, it's gone up? Bust out the calipers and take some measurements... STOP WEIGHING!!! 

The whole "Muscle weighs more than fat" thing is a true statement, SORT OF.... a pound is a pound so 1 pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 pound of fat. However, muscle is more dense and takes up MUCH less space than fat.  

See for yourself!! 

Here is a great example of body composition in women. Take a look at how different 150 pounds can look depending upon diet and exercise. The woman on the far right clearly trains with weights and eats a very clean diet yet she still maintains 150 lbs. This is because she is muscular and dense. 
See.... when you are doing all of the right things, what the scale says does not matter!!! 

***There is always an exception so I will say this...

 If you are someone who only diets and does not resistance train or do any cardio, the scale CAN be an accurate measurement of your progress... This is because you are not doing anything that will change your body composition ie; lifting weights, running, etc... you are merely changing your eating habits which may help you lose some fat, but will not necessarily help you gain any muscle. 

Proud trainer :)

My wonderful client of two years came in for measurements and in 40 days she had lost over an inch in her waist and various other areas!! She has always been consistent with her work outs and she always works very hard. She really wanted to take things to the next level so we drastically changed her diet, she stuck to it and it worked. I couldn't be more proud of her hard work and dedication! She made huge lifestyle changes and she is going to continue to see awesome results! Yes, working out will do countless amazing things for your body, both inside and out. However, don't under-estimate the power of your plate. Keep those portions in check so you refrain from negating all of your hard work! And hey, splurge when you truly feel like it, your body knows what it needs. Listen to it.

BANANA NUT COOKiE MUFFiNS

EASY BANANA COOKiE MUFFiNS

These help curb my sweet tooth at night, they're quick and easy! 

only 4 ingredients...

1/2 cup of quick oats & 1 packet of stevia

or 

Quaker Oats Weight Control Banan Bread Oatmeal

1 medium (organic) banana

Dark chocolate chips (Try Sunspire Grain Sweetened Dark Chocolate chips)

You can also add a few slivered raw almonds or walnuts...or try 1 tbsp or natural peanut or almond butter 

********************************************

DiRECTIONS

Using a fork, mash oats and nuts or nut butter in a bowl with the banana until they are mixed and doughy. 

Form into 1.5 inch dough balls and place on cookie sheet (use nonstick spray) 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes! 

Makes 3 small cookies- 

1 serving!! (I eat all 3!)

 

Came across this little gem at the local health food store today...

SPECTRUM ORGANICS

Decadent Blend

CHiA & FLAX SEED

with Coconut & Cocoa

Great to add to shakes, oatmeal, yogurt, and dozens of other things!

*I used it in my protein pancake this morning and it added great flavor and texture. 

Chocolate pancakes

CHOCOLATE PROTEiN PANCAKES!!!!!

YES, they're HEALTHY...

HiGH in FiBER and PROTEiN.

..............::iNGREDiENTS::................

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

2 tbsp coconut flour

2 tbsp ground flax

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 packet stevia

4 egg whites

*** 1/4c Walden Farms calorie free syrup!

or... any sugar free syrup will do

<><><>DiRECTiONS<><><>

Mix all dry ingredients and egg whites in bowl, stir until mixed thoroughly- no lumps!

Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray, (I use coconut oil) cook on each side on medium heat for about 1 to 1.5 minutes.

GUilTLESS BLACK BEAN TACOS

In the mood for MEXiCAN FOOD but don't want to splurge on the crazy high calories and saturated fat?

 Try these guiltless Black Bean Soft Tacos!

iNGREDiENTS:

1/2 an Avocado

2 Corn tortillas (Mission brand)

Spicy black bean burger (Morning Star brand)

1/2 cup of salsa or pico de gallo

DiRECTiONS:

cook burger in microwave, heat tortillas for 15 seconds, place 1/2 burger and avocado slices on each tortilla, dip in pico- enjoy!