Black: The New Color of Nutrition

When we consume food, we rarely take into account the colors of the food product and how the variety in color translates into a variety of health benefits. We have been encouraged for years to consume a colorful variety of food in order to insure consumption of a wide range of vitamins and minerals. So what about black colored foods?

Black colored foods have been around for centuries and research is now showing a tremendous benefit from foods such as Black Beans, Black Rice, Black Vinegar, etc.
Here are a few examples of black foods and their benefits…

Black Vinegar is produced in Japan from rice. Studies show that the acetic acid in black vinegar may help improve blood circulation, lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure.

Black beans are rich in antioxidants and anthocyanins, which may have healthy benefits to eyesight, the nervous system and protection of blood vessels. Most legumes are rich in fiber and will help the body regulate blood sugar. When rice and beans are combined they create a nearly complete protein with virtually no fat and no cholesterol.

Black sesame seeds are high in calcium, protein, iron, and magnesium. They not only are a good source of essential fatty acids and aid in blocking cholesterol production.

Unlike white rice, black rice, which is used to make black vinegar, is rich in anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants. Black rice also contains more vitamin B, niacin, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc than white rice.

These are just a few of a list of many. Not mentioned were Blackberries, Black Soybeans and many more. So next time you are in your local grocer, consider going black and with the obvious health benefits, you’re sure to never go back to a life without these great foods.

By Rich Thurman, B.Sc., MA, CSCS, CPT.

Rich is the Fitness Development Manager and a Fitness Coach at Fitcorp Asia, Thailand's leading personal training, sports performance and corporate wellness organization. With a Bachelors degree in Physiological Science from UCLA and a Masters in Sports Management from The University of San Francisco, Rich has over 10 years of experience in Fitness, Sports Performance, Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation. Rich and other coaches from Fitcorp Asia can be contacted via email at info@fitcorpasia.com.

5 Simple Ways to Burn More Fat NOW!

1. Nutrition
Your nutrition is going to be the number one step for burning more body fat and getting the fat loss you desire! We as Personal Trainers can’t stress this enough; eating regular meals is important in keeping the body’s metabolism revved. Starving is not the answer because it puts the body in a protective state where it will naturally begin to store fat. By eating small frequent meals every 2 to 3 hours you can prevent the body from doing this and give your body a metabolic boost. Remember the word Breakfast means to Break Fast so start with a nice healthy breakfast full of protein and fiber. At Fitcorp Asia we give every client a food map that gives guidelines and direction for your successful path.

2. Get More Active
Get your bodies moving! When you sit you burn more calories than lying; when you stand you burn more calories than sitting; walking burns more than sitting and running more than walking. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or walk instead of taking a motorbike. These are simple alternatives that will result in higher calorie expenditure per day and an overall loss of excess fat.

It’s a good habit to start your exercise regime in the morning before the excuses begin to pile on over the course of the day.



3. Resistance Training
At Fitcorp Asia we stress resistance training is essential to burning more body fat. Your muscles are the furnace for fat molecules. When your body releases fat into the blood stream it is shuttled to the muscle and used for energy. The more muscle or lean mass the body has, the more fuel is necessary for activity.

For building muscle it is important to stimulate and challenge the muscle fibers. Typically your weight training should be done before any cardio training and before your glycogen stores have been depleted. In this way the body works in an anaerobic realm and is able to bear the heavier loads necessary for muscle gain.

4. Cardio Training


It usually takes the body about 15 minutes of activity before it begins to burn fat. For this reason, it is a good idea to start your cardio training with either a dynamic exercise routine/warm up or do 15 minutes of interval style weight training before your cardio. Unfortunately for all of us adipose or fat is the last energy source that your body reaches for. High intensity training is usually most affective, mixing both anaerobic (load bearing) and aerobic intervals. The load bearing portions will discourage the body from using muscle as a fuel source as it is necessary for the work and the aerobic phase will continue the process of energy consumption. Over time watch the fat melt away.

5. Variation
Finally, you must provide your body with variation. Your body quickly adapts to the stimulus provided to it and will find ways to slow down or stop the use of fat as the predominant source of energy. Remember that fat is a means of storage for a rainy day so your body does not want to relinquish its reserves if at all possible. Constantly varying your weight training routine intensities by increasing loads, varying repetitions and mixing up your cardio workouts to include variations of intervals (fast, slow and the duration of the intervals) will result in significant amounts of fat loss.

By Rich Thurman, B.Sc., MA, CSCS, CPT.

Rich is the Fitness Development Manager and a Fitness Coach at Fitcorp Asia, Thailand's leading personal training, sports performance and corporate wellness organization. With a Bachelors degree in Physiological Science from UCLA and a Masters in Sports Management from The University of San Francisco, Rich has over 10 years of experience in Fitness, Sports Performance, Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation. Rich and other coaches from Fitcorp Asia can be contacted via email at info@fitcorpasia.com.

Bangkok Boot Camp Testimonials

Glenn King on why he has been addicted for boot camp for the last 18 months, shed 8 kilograms and IS in the best shape of his life. proving once again the leading Bangkok personal trainers and boot camp trainers are in fact, Fitcorp Asia!