- The Authors
Jeff Thiboutot
Matt Schoeneberger
CLA and Weight Management – Will it help?
It has been nearly a year since Matt and I completed SPEED. We recommended some weight loss supplements that we thought had enough evidence and real life applicability. To make sure that our recommendations are sound, Matt and I continually re-evaluate the evidence for our recommendations. One supplement that we did not recommend at the time was CLA. Based on some additional information I have come across since the publication of SPEED and a discussion with a professional acquaintance, I thought I would re-examine CLA for its ability to help with losing weight and keeping it off.
Here is the basic conclusion for those of you with a short attention span; from my extensive re-evaluation of the evidence CLA will help to reduce body fat, particularly in the midsection, and may help to preserve lean tissue, but its effects are so minor that the real world significance is very poor (it will cost about $42 to lose an additional 1.1 pounds a month). This means that the cost of the supplement, for most people, is not justified by the results it will produce. To learn more on how I came to that conclusion keep reading.
To read the entire report click here.
Filed under: Product Review, body composition, diet, fat loss, health — Jeff Thiboutot M.S. @ 9:58 am
Taurine – Does it boost energy?
Taurine is an amino acid, which is what proteins are made of. It is a ubiquitous ingredient in energy drinks and is often promoted as an energy booster. However, is there any evidence that ingesting larger than normal amounts of taurine will increase a person’s energy level?
Before getting to the “energy” aspect, I want to give you a short overview of what taurine is. As mentioned above, taurine is an amino acid and is a very important one. In fact, “taurine [has] considerable biological significance” (Lourenco, p.266). It is so important because it is found in almost every tissue in the body, particularly the heart, brain, skeletal muscles, pineal gland, liver and the retina. Due to its functions, taurine supplementation has been found to have a positive affect with many conditions such as hypertension, arrhythmias, seizures, macular degeneration, and diabetes. The amount of taurine used typically ranges from one to six grams a day. This amount is often many times higher than what is typically ingested from dietary sources, which ranges from 40 to 400mg/day for non-vegetarians to virtually none from a strict vegan diet. With respect to supplemental taurine, the safety of this supplement is very good and many grams a day is not likely to cause any significant adverse effects.
Taurine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid. This means that an adult can typically make enough taurine, in the body, from other amino acids, particularly cysteine. However, taking in higher amounts may have some benefits as mentioned above. Additionally, because dietary taurine is mostly found in animal products, particularly in seafood and organ meats, people that follow a vegetarian or vegan diet may benefit from supplementing with taurine.
Now what about the “energy” aspect of taurine? Well it seems that there is no good evidence that supplemental taurine, found in energy drinks or supplements, gives someone an energy boost or helps with maintaining a higher energy level. As mentioned above, taurine has the potential to have positive health effects and is considered very safe are relatively high levels for most people. But when it comes to more energy, it falls short. So why is it in energy drinks? Like many things, it sounds good and boosts sales! But, the fact is, it is not the ingredient in energy drinks or supplements that can give you an energy boost.
References
Braveman, E. (2002). The healing nutrients within. North Bergen, NJ. Basic Health.
Galloway, S. et al (2008). Seven days of oral taurine supplementation does not increase muscle taurine content or alter substrate metabolism during prolonged exercise in humans. J Appl Physiol; 105: 64-651.
Gupta, R.C. (2004). Taurine: Insurance of sound health. Indian J Pharm; 36(5): 333.
Lourenco, R. etal (2002). Taurine: a conditionally essential amino acid in humans? An overview in health and disease. Nutr Hosp; 17: 262-270.
Wesseling, S, et al (2009). Taurine: Red Bull or Red Herring? Hypertension; 53: 909-911.
Filed under: Product Review, Uncategorized, diet, health, nutrition — Jeff Thiboutot M.S. @ 8:41 am
Priorities – What is really important to you?
We all have things we will do no matter what. We consider these things to be top priorities in our life. For example, most people will take a shower daily, eat a few times a day, and go to work for 8 or more hours, the core necessities. But what about all the other stuff that ranks very high on the priority list or takes up the bulk of our time every day? The other things that you make sure you do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis no matter what. Some examples include getting your haircut, having your nails done, playing Facebook games, watching certain TV shows or sporting events, going shopping, going out to dinner and so on. For many people these things will dominate their top priorities and will use up most of their available time. As fun and enjoyable as these things are, they typically do not contribute to achieving a high level of success in life. This does not mean that these activities have to be completely avoided. My point here is that many people have a priorities list that is dysfunctional. People tend to focus on, and succumb to, immediate gratification. There is no or little focus on the long-term benefits/consequences of their actions. The result of this type of thinking and behavior is very negative as is evidenced by the average economic and health status of many people. What can be done to improve this situation?
First, there are no shortcuts to success and happiness. It takes persistent effort. In fact, it is the effort that really gives us the deep feeling of accomplishment. Without some effort, sometimes a lot of effort, attaining some goal or reward will have little meaning and the potential high from achieving it will be fleeting.
All the information so far has been a build-up to a discussion of your nutrition and fitness priorities. However, the information can be applied to any behavior you would like to modify. It seems that many people, from my experience with many clients and the clinical research, put the nutrition and exercise aspects of their life, and therefore their health, low on their priority list. Or it may be high on the list but it easily gets bumped down by many other things. Why is this?
There are many reasons why a person does not make eating well and exercising regularly top priorities. A few of the reasons are legitimate, but most of them are poor reasons to justify the neglect. Regardless of the reasons, most people have the time to eat well and exercise a little. In fact, eating well will often take no more time than eating poorly. But, for arguments sake, let’s say it takes an extra 30 minutes a day to do it. Do you not have 30 more minutes in your day to be able to nourish your body properly? Again, this is about priorities. Do you need to watch 2 hours of TV a night? Do you need to surf the web for 2 hours a day? There is no doubt that you want to do these things. However, do these latter things really contribute to the “good life”?
When it comes to exercise, 30 minutes a few times a week can have significant health benefits. Exercising more can possibly be better, but for most people, who just want to be able to function well in daily life, hold-back some of the effects of aging, and be able to play with their kids or grandkids, then this amount of exercise can do the trick (more on the specific exercises in another article). Do you not have 90 minutes a week? Really, is this amount of time not available? I would guess it is, but you have probably scheduled other things to do, for right now, that you considered more important. This brings us back to priorities.
The first step to setting your priorities is to spend some time and figure out what YOU want. Think of this as your personal vision quest. Do YOU want to feel good, physically and mentally, most of the time? Do you want to feel comfortable with how you look? Do you want to be able to do some physical activities with friends and family? Do you want to increase your chances of living a long and healthy life? You need to really want these results and be able to envision the benefits you will receive from putting in a bit of time and effort. If you do not cultivate a deep, passionate, emotional feeling connected to the exercise and nutrition habits then the likelihood that you will change your priorities is unlikely, particularly for the long-term.
If you want to look and feel better then you need to prioritize your life in a way that will facilitate daily habits that will move you in that direction. There are many techniques that help can help your motivation levels and ability to stick to your plan, such as setting SMART goals, journaling, and getting a mentor or coach. For now focus on creating a compelling vision in your head and on paper. Huge time commitments are not needed, but consistent effort is. If YOU really want to change, then stop the excuses and begin prioritizing your time.
Food, Inc. A documentary on food production – A must see
I rented Food Inc. this weekend. It’s a recent (2008) documentary on how most of the food in the U.S. is produced. I was aware of most of the information covered, but still found it educational. It definitely got me thinking again about the many problems with how food is typically produced and that it is clearly not the best method available. I would recommend everyone watch this video. I rented it @ Blockbuster. Let me know what you think of it after you watch it.
Filed under: Environmetn, Uncategorized, health — Tags: environment, health — Jeff Thiboutot M.S. @ 4:12 pm
Alternate Day Fasting Succussful for Weight Loss and Heart Health
Research Review:
A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows some support for the ability of modified alternate day fasting (ADF) to facilitate weight loss and modify markers of heart health.
Subjects ate 25% of energy needs on fast days and ate ad libitum (at will) on alternate days. On fast days, subjects were instructed to consume all calories between noon and 2 p.m. This pattern continued throughout the study. Subjects were also able to meet with a Registered Dietician (RD) (explains the horrible food choices they were provided on fasting days during the first 4-week period – chicken alfredo? really?) once per week.
The cool thing about the study’s design is that for 4 weeks, the subjects were provided a meal for each fast day, and for another 4 weeks were left to complete the program without prepared food. Adherence rates remained high for subjects who completed the study, which means ADF may be a valuable tool for weight loss and health in the real-world. One drawback was that 2 people withdrew from the study due to their inability to comply with the protocol – that’s 10% of the original subject pool. I guess ADF isn’t for everyone, although that’s not surprising.
Average weight loss over 10 wks (8 wks on weight loss diet – 2 on control diet) was about 5.8% or 5.6kg (12.3 lbs). Also decreasing were BMI, body fat percentage, total and LDL cholesterol, and triaglycerol levels. Systolic, but not diastolic, blood pressure was also lowered.
This study gives us a little more evidence that ADF or intermittent fasting (IF) might be a great tool for weight loss and health interventions. However, there are some drawbacks to this study. 20 subjects is a rather small sample size, so more studies with larger samples are a must. The fact that subjects had weekly meetings with a coach (RD) most likely affected the adherence in a positive way. It would be interesting to see a study that compared an ADF plan with coaching to one without.
On a side note, the lead researcher Dr. Krista Varady commented on the subjects eating less than expected on ad libitum days and said “”I think it’s probably because their stomachs kind of shrunk.” Let’s get this straight. Stomachs don’t shrink. Feelings of satiety (fullness) change, but the physical size of the stomach does not shrink. Ugh… I can’t believe she said that.
Varady KA, Bhutani S, Church EC, Klempel MC. Short-term modified alternate-day fasting: a novel dietary strategy for weight loss and cardioprotectio in obese adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;90:1138-43.
Harding A. On-off fasting helps obese adults shed pounds. Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5AB4HM20091112
Filed under: Research, health, weight loss — Tags: fasting, heart health, Research, weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 12:07 pm
What’s the deal with hot dogs?
When eating a low-carb diet it is useful to find quality protein sources that are quick and convenient, not to mention good for you. Surprisingly, there are certain types of hot dogs that qualify. You must be thinking “You must be kidding, hot dogs!?” Please read-on.
There is no doubt that the hot dogs are a ubiquitous food in the U.S. and so is the thought that eating hot dogs is unhealthy. However, it is not that simple and there are a number of misconceptions about hot dogs. Just in case you are wondering, we are not being paid by the national Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes this is a real organization, see http://www.hot-dog.org/) to write this. There are typically three arguments used to support the idea that hot dogs are disgusting and unhealthy. These three arguments relates to; the quality of the meats used to make them, the amount of fat in them, and the preservatives, sodium nitrites or sodium nitrates, used in them.
Let’s first look at what hot dogs are made of. The following is a good overview of what hot dogs are made of, which is from http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/10/11/what-is-really-in-a-hot-dog-and-how-unhealthy-are-they.htm
On to the million-dollar question: what are hot dogs made of? According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council:
“All hot dogs are cured and cooked sausages that consist of mainly pork, beef, chicken and turkey or a combination of meat and poultry. Meats used in hot dogs come from the muscle of the animal and looks much like what you buy in the grocer’s case. Other ingredients include water, curing agents and spices, such as garlic, salt, sugar, ground mustard, nutmeg, coriander and white pepper.”
However, there are a couple of caveats. “Variety meats,” which include things like liver, kidneys and hearts, may be used in processed meats like hot dogs, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that they be disclosed on the ingredient label as “with variety meats” or “with meat by-products.”
Further, watch out for statements like “made with mechanically separated meats (MSM).” Mechanically separated meat is “a paste-like and batter-like meat product produced by forcing bones, with attached edible meat, under high pressure through a sieve or similar device to separate the bone from the edible meat tissue,” according to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
Although the FSIS maintains that MSM are safe to eat, mechanically separated beef is no longer allowed in hot dogs or other processed meats (as of 2004) because of fears of mad cow disease. Hot dogs can contain no more than 20 percent mechanically separated pork, and any amount of mechanically separated chicken or turkey.
So if you’re looking for the purest franks, pick those that are labeled “all beef,” “all pork,” or “all chicken, turkey, etc.” Franks labeled in this way must be made with meat from a single species and do not include byproducts (but check the label anyway, just to be sure. Turkey and chicken franks, for instance, can include turkey or chicken meat and turkey or chicken skin and fat in proportion to a turkey or chicken carcass).
As you will see from the few brands highlighted below there is no problem with the quality of meats used. In fact, the organic grass-fed beef hot dogs are a very high quality meat which is better than any “regular” cut of meat you will get in almost any grocery store. Therefore, if you stick to the brands that use “all beef”, or “all chicken”, and particularly the organic or natural meats, there should be no concern with what the hot dogs are made from.
The second issue is the fat content of hot dogs. This really stems from the common, but misplaced fear about fats, particularly animal fats. There are many aspects of this issue but are beyond the scope of this article. For now, realize that a low-carb diet will be a higher fat diet, from both plants (avocados, walnuts, coconuts, etc.) and animals (beef, eggs, salmon, etc). Therefore, eating foods with fat in them is fine. The amount of fat in a particular hot dog will vary so you will need to read the nutrition facts label to know how much is in a specific one and how many you can eat to stay within your goal intake. Additionally, the grass-fed hot dogs will contain a good amount of omega-3 fats and CLA, which both have health and weight loss properties.
The third concern is the preservatives sodium nitrite or nitrates. These can lead to the formation of nitrosamines which are carcinogens (can produce cancer). These have been linked to cancers in the digestive tract. However, recent evidence for this connection has shown that typical intakes of these preservatives are not likely to lead to an increase in cancers (Powlson et al). Additional recent research is finding that food sources of nitrates and nitrites, particularly from vegetables, may be health promoting (Hord et al). There is more about this topic and, in fact, there have been a number of recent papers published on this topic so I will discuss this in greater detail at another time. For now, however, this topic is really not applicable if you eat hot dogs that are not preserved with sodium nitrite/nitrates. All of the following hot dog manufacturers listed below do not use this preservative. Therefore, these hot dogs do not contain nitrites or nitrates and the concern about ingesting cancer causing agents, which is not definitive anyway, is not a valid reason avoid eating this product.
Here are a few examples of healthy hot dogs; hopefully you no longer think that statement is an oxymoron.
Applegate Farms – The great orga
nic uncured hot dog
No nitrates or nitrites.
Made from 100% organic grass-fed and finished beef, these lean hot dogs are bursting with old-fashioned classic hot dog flavor—juicy, flavorful and delicious! These dogs have only 8 grams of fat compared to the average 15 grams in most brands, and because they’re made from grass-fed beef, they’re also high in omega-3 fatty acids (the good fat). Great on the grill or steamed on your stovetop any time you’re craving a taste of summer.
Ingredients:Organic Grass-Fed Beef, Water, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Sea Salt, Organic Spices, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Paprika, Celery Powder, Organic Onion, Lactic Acid Starter Culture (Not From Milk).
Let’s be Frank – Uncured Beef Frank
No nitrates or nitrites.
Made from 100% Grass-fed Beef
These snappy dogs are loaded with flavor, not junk! Using premium cuts from cattle raised on pasture in California (naturally high in healthy Omega 3 fatty acids!) and organic spices, we’ve crafted a delicious dog that’s lower in fat, calories and sodium than conventional franks. No nitrites, nitrates, hormones, or antibiotics, ever
Ingredients:Grass-fed beef, water, sea salt, organic evaporated cane juice, organic spice, organic garlic powder, natural flavor (celery powder, spice extract, paprika extract), spices, lactic acid starter culture, in a lamb casing.
Trader Joe’s – All Natural Uncured All Beef Hot Dogs
No nitrates or nitrites.
Ingredients: Beef, water, contains less than 2% of the following; allspice, celery juice powder, evaporated cane juice, garlic powder, ginger, honey, lactic acid starter culture, mustard, nutmeg, onion powder, paprika, pepper, sea salt.
In conclusion, the belief that all hot dogs are bad to eat is not supported by the evidence. If you eat a quality hot dog there seems to be no good reason that they cannot be part of a healthy diet, whether high-carb or low-carb. The benefit with a low-carb diet is that you can eat more of them! One way that Matt and I like them is lightly warmed-up with a bit of organic mustard and with a side of baby carrots or a small apple; how easy is that!
References:
Hord, N. et al (2009). Food sources of nitrates and nitrites: the physiological context for potential health benefits. Am J Clin Nutr; 90: 1-10.
Powlson, D. et al (2008). When does nitrate become a risk for humans?J Environ Qual; 37: 291-295.
Can or should you eat carrots on a low-carb diet? This will largely depend on how low you are keeping your carbs. If you are keeping them in the 20-30 g/day range (ketosis) then probably not, but if you are keeping them in the 70-80g./day range then it is probably fine to eat some. Here is the breakdown of half a bag of organic baby carrots, which equals 2½ servings:
| Food |
Serving size |
Total Carbs |
Fiber |
Net Carbs |
Protein |
Fat |
| Baby carrots |
½ bag (8 oz) |
20 |
5 |
15 |
2.5 |
0 |
As you can see, a fairly large serving of carrots does not have a high amount of useable carbohydrates. For comparison, a 1 cup (8oz) serving of brown rice would have about 
40 net carbs.
A final thing about carrots is how fast the carbs in them get digested. This is referring to its glycemic index (GI) rating, which for carrots is about 40. 1 This is a low to moderate ranking (rankings run from 20 to 100). It is typically thought that carrots have a high GI, but recent research has over turned this. 1 As we mentioned in S.P.E.E.D., it is good, for weight loss and health, to keep the overall GI of your diet low. So, the conclusion here is that eating some carrots is okay as long you do not go over you specific carb intake goal.
1-Brand-Miller, J. (2008). International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care; 31(12): 2281-283.
Filed under: diet, fat loss, health, weight loss — Jeff Thiboutot M.S. @ 12:00 pm
Introduction and 1st Chapter of S.P.E.E.D. Available…
…if you’re a fan of our Facebook page.
www.tinyurl.com/SPEEDonFacebook
We’ve decided to release the Introduction and 1st Chapter of our weight loss ebook early, before the rest is edited for release… for FREE! All you have to do is become a fan of our Facebook page. So, follow the link and become a fan. Tell your friends to become a fan as well!
You won’t believe what the first chapter has to say…
Filed under: diet, fat loss, health, weight loss — Tags: book, facebook, fat loss, weight loss — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 3:13 pm
Exercise Tip – Pick Multi-Joint Movements for Effecient Workouts
When exercising, pick movements that require the use of more than one joint.
For example, consider the bicep curl. Only the elbow is moving so only the muscles around the elbow are working through a range of motion. Now consider the row. The elbow is performing the same movement as in the bicep curl, called flexion (the wrist is getting closer to the shoulder) but at the same time the shoulder is moving as well. This exercise uses the muscles around the elbow as well as the muscles around the shoulder.
Multi-joint exercises: more work, less time.
Filed under: Exercise, Quick Thoughts, Uncategorized, health — Tags: Exercise, resistance training, weight loss, weight training — Matt Schoeneberger M.S. @ 12:36 pm
