Are Nuts Fattening?

The question ‘are nuts fattening‘ is one I get asked regularly.

In fact, almost every time I suggest that people should have nuts as a snack, I get some opposition. It’s an interesting one that requires us to take a closer look at the facts…

What the studies say

No-one’s going to argue that nuts aren’t high in fat — they are.

But, many people assume you shouldn’t eat them when trying to lose weight. Studies have confirmed, however, that people who eat nuts have a lower body weight than those who don’t.

Since almonds are a pretty popular nut, let’s think about them for a minute.

First study:

• 81 healthy adults 
• Given 60 grams of raw or dry-roasted almonds for 6 months
• Participants were expected to gain 14 lbs
• Instead weight gain was only 1.3 lbs for men, and 0.3 lbs for women

Second study:

• 20 healthy, overweight women
• Given 65 grams of almonds for 10 weeks
• The mathematical theory of “energy consumed minus energy expended equals weight gain” predicted that women should gain 7.5 pounds
• Instead, the participants’ weight did not change at all. In fact, their weights went on average from 155.9 lbs to 154.6 lbs.

So, it seems clear the impact of nut consumption on weight is either negligible, or non-existent. Also remember that in these studies, participants were not on any sort of diet.

Nothing had changed in their lifestyle other than the inclusion of nuts.

This begs the question, what would the effect of nuts be on weight if they were also part of a weight management regimen?

Other studies have shown that replacing carbs with almonds in a weight loss program leads to greater reductions in body weight and BMI, waist circumference and fat mass. Therefore, compelling evidence suggests you can include nuts in your regular or weight loss diet without fearing weight gain.

So, how can this paradoxical phenomenon be explained?

Are nuts healthy? 

3 reasons why nuts aren’t fattening:

1. Nuts have high satiety properties

People who eat nuts report sharp reductions in appetite. This is because nuts have a high fullness index. Studies have shown that when you eat nuts there is a reduction in energy intake. In fact, about 70% of the energy provided by nuts is offset by lower food consumption at subsequent meals.

2. Nuts are not absorbed efficiently

The fat contained in nuts is not efficiently absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. This manifests itself as elevated fecal fat loss. It’s thoughts that up to 20% of the lipid content of whole nuts will be lost in the stool. This is around 10-20% of the energy contained in nuts.

3. Nuts increase metabolism

Regular consumption of nuts increases resting energy expenditure (REE). This is the minimal energy we spend in one day at rest — just doing nothing.

In one study, people who ate 500 calories per day from peanuts for 19 weeks, showed an 11% increment in REE.

To get an idea of what effect a REE increase of this magnitude would have on your weight, let me explain:

• The average woman in the US (30 year-old, 5’ 4’’ tall who weighs 160lbs) has a REE of 1,511 calories per day
• An increase of 11% in her REE means her body burns an extra 166 calories per day
• She can choose to “eat” these additional calories without worrying about gaining weight, or “leave” them and lose weight at a pace of 1.4 lb per month, or 17 lb per year
• And, that is by just including nuts in the diet, with no other lifestyle changes

Conclusion

Well, although nuts are among the most energy dense foods around, studies show little to no impact on body weight.

This is great news, because nuts have so many health benefits. Therefore, excluding them from your diet would be crazy! Next time you feel like indulging, go for whole, raw, unsalted nuts, and don’t feel guilty about it!

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Why Sugar Makes You FAT

Look at how many grams of sugar are in what you’re eating (on the nutritional label). Now divide that number by 4. That’s how many teaspoons of pure sugar you’re consuming. Kinda scary, huh? Sugar makes you fat and fat-free food isn’t really free of fat. This article will provide you with some helpful suggestions to achieve not only weight loss success, but improved body health.

First, let’s make some qualifications. Sugar isn’t inherently evil. Your body uses sugar to survive, and burns sugar to provide you with the energy necessary for life. Many truly healthy foods are actually broken down to sugar in the body – through the conversion of long and complex sugars called polysaccharides into short and simple sugars called monosaccharides, such as glucose. In additions to the breakdown products of fat and protein, glucose is a great energy source for your body.

However, there are two ways that sugar can sabotage your body and cause fat storage. Excess glucose is the first problem, and it involves a very simple concept. Anytime you have filled your body with more fuel than it actually needs (and this is very easy to do when eating foods with high sugar content), your liver’s sugar storage capacity is exceeded. 

When the liver is maximally full, the excess sugar is converted by the liver into fatty acids (that’s right – fat!) and returned to the bloodstream, where is taken throughout your body and stored (that’s right - as fat!) wherever you tend to store adipose fat cells, including, but not limited to, the popular regions of the stomach, hips, butt, and breasts.

As an unfortunate bonus, once these regions are full of adipose tissue, the fatty acids begin to spill over into your organs, like the heart, liver, and kidneys. This reduces organ ability, raises blood pressure, decreases metabolism, and weakens the immune system.

Not good!

Excess insulin is the second problem. Insulin is a major hormone in the body, and is released in high levels anytime you ingest what would be considered a “simple” carbohydrate, which would include, but not be limited to: 

• Fruit juice
• White bread
• Most “wheat” bread (basically white bread with a little extra fiber)
• White rice
• Baked white potato
• Bagels
• Croissants
• Pretzels
• Graham crackers
• Vanilla wafers
• Waffles
• Corn chips
• Cornflakes
• Cake
• Jelly beans
• Sugary drinks 
• Gatorade 
• Beer 

and anything that has high fructose corn syrup on the nutritional label. Two actions occur when the insulin levels are spiked. First, the body’s fat burning process is shut down so that the sugar that has just been ingested can be immediately used for energy. Then, insulin takes all that sugar and puts it into your muscles. Well, not quite! Actually, most of us, except those random Iron man triathletes and 8000- calories-per-day exercisers, walk around with fairly full energy stores in the muscles. As soon as the muscles energy stores are full, the excess sugars are converted to fat and, just like the fatty acids released from the liver, stored as adipose tissue on our waistline.

But that’s not all. After the blood sugar has been reduced by going into the muscles or being converted to fat in the liver, the feedback mechanism that tells the body to stop producing insulin is slightly delayed, so blood sugar levels fall even lower, below normal measurements. 

This causes...

1. an immediate increase in appetite, which is usually remedied by eating more food; 
2. the production of a stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol triggers the release of stored sugar from the liver to bring blood sugar levels back up, which, combined with the meal you eat from your appetite increase, begins the entire “fat storage, metabolic decrease” process over again.

This process of destabilizing blood sugar levels and sending your body on a roller coaster ride can occur throughout an entire day, week, or month. The excessive cortisol that accumulates in the body eventually distresses your hormonal system and results in other problems, including a further decrease in metabolism, obesity, depression, allergies, immune weakness, chronic fatigue syndrome and other serious side effects.

So what kind of carbohydrates can you eat to avoid de-stabilizing blood sugar levels, constantly sabotaging your weight loss, and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in health care as you get older? 

Here is a list of carbohydrates that do not trigger such a strong insulin response and instead provide long-term, stabilized energy: 

• Apples
• Oranges
• Pears
• Plums
• Grapes
• Bananas (not overly ripened)
• Grapefruit
• Oatmeal
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat spaghetti and egg fettuccine
• Whole-wheat pasta
• Bran cereal, barley
• Bulgur, basmati
• Kashi and other whole grains
• Beans
• Peas (especially chick and black-eyed)
• Lentils
• Whole corn
• Sweet potatoes
• Yams
• Milk
• Yogurt (preferably low-fat or fat-free)
• Soy

Stay away from processed and packaged foods as much as possible, because they are highly likely to include artificial sweeteners (which basically have a similar effect as sugar), as well as simple and refined sugars. 

Keep your eye out for ingredients that include..

• Sucrose
• Maltose
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Galactose
• Glucose
• Arabinose
• Ribose
• Xylose
• Deoxyribose
• Lactose

and other fake names for sugars. Even “healthy” juice and many health food products will need to be avoided if they contain high levels of sugar.

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Why YOU Should STOP Drinking Soda

What do you know about sodas? And if you haven't already heard, there's countless reports of sodas being detrimental to your health. So... why should you really stop drinking soda?

But rather..let us take a look at what we can do with sodas(what you're drinking)..

1. Cleans your toilet, pour around the toilet bowl, leave for awhile and flush.
2. Removes grease stains from clothing and fabric.
3. Removes rust; also loosens rusted bolt.
4. Removes blood stains from clothing and fabric.
5. Dissolves a tooth.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty terrified by the fact that it can even be used to dissolve a tooth. That's really scary. 

We drink soda like it's water, but it's not! A 20-ounce soda has 16 teaspoons of sugar. The average American consumes 45 gallons of sugary drinks a year. That's 39 pounds of sugar -- about as much as a 5-year-old child weighs! The worse part about this is that liquid calories don't satisfy hunger the way solid food calories do. As a result, the calories we drink tend to add to the calories we eat, rather than replace them. These liquid calories have made soda and other sugary beverages a huge contributor to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and tooth decay.

Now can you imagine what is does to your stomach lining? 
Who needs the ‘household and cleaning’ section at the hardware store when we have Coke.

Have you ever wondered what exactly Coca Cola is?

After 10 minutes: The sugar contained in a glass of Cola can cause a devastating “strike” on the body. The cause being the phosphoric acid which inhibits the action of sugar.

After 20 minutes: A leap in insulin levels in bloodstream occurs.

After 40 minutes: Ingestion of caffeine is finally completed. The eye’s pupils are expanding. Blood pressure rises because the liver disposes more sugar into the bloodstream. The adenosine receptors become blocked thereby preventing drowsiness.

After 45 minutes: The body raises production of the dopamine hormone, which stimulates the brain pleasure center. Similar to the reaction Heroin creates.

After 1 hour: Phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in the gastrointestinal tract, which supercharges metabolism. The release of calcium through urine takes place.

After more than 1 hour: Diuretic effects of the drink enters in “the game”. The calcium, magnesium and zinc are removed out of the body, which are a part of our bones, as well as sodium. At this time we can become irritable or subdued. The whole quantity of water, contained in a coca cola, is removed through urination. 

When having a cold bottle of Coke and enjoying its undeniable freshness are we aware of what chemical “cocktail” we are putting into our bodies? The active ingredient in Coca-Cola is orthophosphoric acid. Due to its high acidity, cisterns used for transporting the chemical have to be equipped with special reservoirs designed for highly corrosive materials.

Let’s have a look at “the anatomy” of one of the most advertised products of “Coca-Cola Co.” – Coca-Cola Light without caffeine. This drink contains Aqua Carbonated, E150D, E952, E951, E338, E330, Aromas, E211.

Aqua Carbonated – this is sparkling water. It stirs gastric secretion, increases the acidity of the gastric juice and provokes flatulency. Filtered tap water is what is primarily used.

E150D – this is food coloring obtained through the processing of sugar at specified temperatures, with or without addition of chemical reagents. In the case of coca-cola, ammonium sulfate is added.

E952 – Sodium Cyclamate is a sugar substitute. Cyclamate is a synthetic chemical, has a sweet taste, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar, and is used as an artificial sweetener. In 1969 it was banned by FDA, since it, as well as saccharin and aspartame, caused cancer in rats.

E950 – Acesulfame Potassium. 200 times sweeter than sugar, containing methyl-ether. It aggravates the operation of the cardiovascular system. Likewise, it contains asparaginic acid which can also cause an excitant effect on our nervous system and in time it can lead to addiction. Acesulfame is badly dissolved and is not recommended for use by children and pregnant women.

E951 – Aspartame. A sugar substitute for diabetics and is chemically unstable at elevated temperatures it breaks down into methanol and phenylalanine. Methanol is very dangerous as only 5-10ml can cause destruction of the optic nerve and irreversible blindness. In warm soft drinks, aspartame transforms into formaldehyde which is a very strong carcinogen. Symptoms of aspartame poisoning include: unconsciousness, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, palpitation, weight gain, irritability, anxiety, memory loss, blurry vision, fainting, joint pains, depression, infertility, hearing loss and more. Aspartame can also provoke the following diseases: brain tumors, MS (Multiple Sclerosis), epilepsy, Graves’ disease, chronic fatigue, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, mental deficiency and tuberculosis. Later, this substance was initially illegal due to its dangers but was again made legal in a suspicious manner.

E338 – Orthophosphoric Acid. This can cause irritation of the skin and eyes. It is used for production of phosphoric acid salts of ammonia, sodium, calcium, aluminum and also in organic synthesis for the production of charcoal and film tapes. It is also used in the production of refractory materials, ceramics, glass, fertilizers, synthetic detergents, medicine, metalworking, as well as in the textile and oil industries. It is known that orthophosphoric acid interferes with the absorption of calcium and iron into the body which can cause weakening of bones and osteoporosis. Other side effects are thirst and skin rashes.

E330 – Citric Acid. It is widely used in pharmaceutical and food industries. Salts of citric acid (citrates) are used in the food industry as acids, preservatives, stabilizers, and in the medical fields – for preserving blood.

Aromas – unknown aromatic additives

E211 – Sodium Benzoate. It is used in production of some food products for anti-bacterial and anti-fungal purposes. It is often found in jams, fruit juices and fruit yogurts. It’s not recommended for use by asthmatics and people who are sensitive to aspirin. A study conducted by Peter Piper at the Sheffield University in Britain, found that this compound causes significant damage to DNA. According to Peter, sodium benzoate which is an active component in preservatives, doesn’t destroy DNA, but deactivates it. This can lead to cirrhosis and degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease.

Coca-Cola is undeniably a very useful product. The key is to use it for purposes that do not include drinking! Here is a video about Coca-Cola!

Still not convinced?
Click here to read more facts

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Do 'Fat Burning Foods' Really Exist?

Image courtesy of Thinstock Photos

The problem these days are that when people think about fat burning foods, they think of foods that would actually make you lose fats instantly, or magically. As if the foods they consumed contained secret fat burning compounds that will transform your body with no effort.

Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a food that will make you lose 5 pounds over-night or actually doubling or even multiplying your fat burning rate just by consuming it. 

Don't get me wrong, fat burning foods do exist. But more often these foods are considered as fat burning because of what they do NOT contain, not because of some secret formula or ingredient inside.

Technically, any food that is raised, grown or picked off the ground in a relatively clean environment, free of dangerous contaminants and that gives your body essential nutrients, CAN be considered fat burning.

If you eat how like how the people used to eat back in the olden days and eat the way nature intended, also exercising to some degree, your body will naturally get rid of those extra fats. It's really that simple.

So with all that said, why are people from all over the world so fat if it's so simple? Simply cause "simple" does not rhyme or go along with "easy". 

In actual fact, our food supply is becoming more and more processed and contaminated with fattening chemicals every year – which makes finding REAL fat burning foods way more difficult and complicated compared to the olden days of human hunting for foods naturally.

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The Real Truth About Free-Range Egg Yolks

Yesterday, my great friend and cutting edge nutrition expert, Nick Pineault shared why the grass-fed beef you’re paying top dollar for might really NOT be grass-fed at all.

  

Unfortunately, he’s back today with more bad news…

  

Pay close attention:

BAD NEWS About Free-Range Eggs

By Nick Pineault, The Nutrition Nerd and author of Truth About Fat Burning Foods

Claims on eggs cartons can be VERY misleading.

  

Free-range... pastured… organic… added lutein… added omega-3…

  

So which ones are the best?

The simple answer is:you want the eggs than come from the healthiest hens possible.

In other words, hens need to have access to sunshine and be able to eat the omnivorous diet they’re supposed to. Yes, hens are in fact omnivores (mostly insectivores), and do not usually eat the grains most farmers feed them with nowadays.

Eggs raised this way (“pastured eggs”) pack a ton more nutrition than regular factory eggs.

• 66% more vitamin A
• 200% more omega-3
• 300% more vitamin E

Very much like beef, eggs’ claims are mostly not regulated.

For example, a farmer could say that its hens are “cage-free” but, in fact, they could still be packed into an overcrowded barn in the dark – leading to very poor life conditions for them and ultimately eggs that contain way less nutrients in your shopping cart.

Also, another misleading claim (that just isn’t worth the extra money you pay) is “Added Omega-3”.

It’s true that using flax as part of poultry ration can increase the ALA omega-3 content of egg yolk fat.

BUT --- there’s a caveat: this type of omega-3 is 8 to 33 times less absorbable than the animal-based omega-3 (EPA and DHA) naturally contained in eggs.

To make it even worse, the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s independent lab tests revealed that certainenriched eggs contain less than half of the omega-3 claimed on the packaging.

The bottom line: just like buying grass-fed beef, knowing your egg farmer personally remains the best way to make sure you’re getting the nutrition you’re paying a premium for.

“Pastured” and “organic” are probably the two labels that I would trust the most, but if you’re still in doubt, make sure to verify the color of the yolk.

If the yolk is a pale yellow, chances are that these eggs aren’t really pastured. But if it’s bright orange, you’ve got a keeper.

Important reminder: Of course, if you can only get regular factory eggs, remember that they’re still MUCH better than any granola bar as a filling snack, or as any pastry or cereals for breakfast.

------------------------

Thanks Nick!

Now in case you didn’t already know, this type of stuff is going on EVERYWHERE inside your local grocery stores and restaurants.

Look… we all know that nutrient-dense foods improve our health and ultimately our results, right?

Might as well know you’re investing your hard-earned money to get the real deal, and get deceived by these food marketers.

Make sure you learn TheTruth About Fat Burning Foods BEFORE your next trip to the grocery store.

=> Learn the REAL truth about the food you eat

You’ll thank me for it.

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