Increase Fiber for Fat Loss

So you’ve been working out at the gym for months now; you’ve increased your protein intake and you’ve been doing cardio like a madman or woman, but you’re still not getting the fat loss results that you desire. This is happening to countless people around the world as they strive for that dream body and those six pack abs. As a trainer I can’t tell you how many people tell me that they want to lose inches around their midsection, get rid of their man boobs or lose those cottage cheese thighs, but never take the time to look a bit closer at their diet. As they say, you can’t always have the cake, eat it too and expect to look like an abs model.

You see, exercise alone will never get you the results you desire. It is only through exercise and a well balanced diet that you will be able to shed those extra kilos of body fat. So at Fitcorp Asia when I make recommendations regarding diet, one of the first things that I instruct a client is that they need to increase their consumption of whole foods; mainly vegetables.

Most of us frown at the site of vegetables and many of us were conditioned from an early age to dislike vegetables as our parents typically had no idea how to present them or prepare them and simply put them on the plate as an afterthought. We were commanded to eat them and told that if we didn’t eat them we couldn’t have desert. So what do we do as adults? We say, my parents aren’t here to tell me what to do so I’ll skip the vegetables and go straight for the desert.

But here lies the problem in our quest for Fat Loss. The dietary fiber which comes from vegetables is a key component for not only your body’s overall health but it’s also a strong support in fat loss. Of course we’ve been told that fiber will help fight against heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes and colon cancer, but there is much more to fiber than meets the eye. Here are a few ways that fiber can help you to your fat loss goals.

Fiber controls appetite. Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water and absorb large amounts of water while traveling through your digestive tract. It tends to add bulk and will give you a full feeling of satiety. This will assist you in consuming less calories overall.

Research shows that fiber lowers estrogen levels, which in men is tremendously important in preventing prostate cancer. But estrogen also causes the body to store more fat. This is why women tend to carry more body fat than men. Men also have estrogen within the body and it can be lowered by increasing the amount of fiber in the daily diet.

Fiber has been shown to improve protein absorption by slowing the rate of protein moving through the body and allowing your body a longer period of time to digest and absorb it.

Insulin is a major factor if fat loss or fat storage. By slowing the process of sugar absorption, the release of insulin into the bloodstream is also slowed. Insulin contributes to the storage of excess body fat so the lower the insulin spike is the better off your body fat will be.

If you’re not consuming fiber then it’s time to get on it. The average person consumes well below a suitable level of fiber per day. There are no specific guidelines but research has shown that 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day is a good level. Unfortunately, most people are consuming less than 15 grams per day of fiber.

Now don’t run out and jump to 30 grams immediately. Take your time and work your way up. Increasing fiber immediately can have adverse reactions like gas, irritable bowels, bloating, etc. Increase slowly and give your body time to adjust.

Also be sure to divide your fiber intake throughout your meals. If you are on a 5 to 6 meal a day plan which includes snacks, try to get 5 to 6 grams of fiber with each.

Make sure to get both types of fiber, insoluble and soluble. To decrease body fat insoluble fiber is recommended. Whole grain cereals and apples are a good choice. Psyillium Husk can also be an excellent source of insoluble fiber.

Like I have said in many of my previous articles, fat loss doesn’t happen overnight. For fat loss you will need a bit of patience. Don’t set your expectations too high. Give it a few months before you start to see the long term external benefits of fiber, but realize that from day one you have started the cleanup process from the inside.

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 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.

Strong Buns for Performance & Fat Loss: Why Training Glutes is Essential

Many of you may remember the Sir Mix-A-Lot song, “I Like Big Butts”, but for those of you who do not remember this popular early 90s rap song and wonder why someone would prefer a big butt, think about this. The butt, which is composed of the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus is the ultimate sign of strength, power and in most cases a point of attraction for the opposite sex. The Glutes are often neglected and allowed to wither away into nonexistence by the working public who spend most of their time sitting at a desk, riding escalators instead of taking the stairs and generally performing activities without activating the Glute muscles.

But why should I have strong or shaped Glutes you ask? Well first of all, to hold up those pants without having to pull your belt so tight that it cuts off circulation. On a more serious note, having strong Glutes can help improve posture, ease back pain, strengthen your running stride, help prevent knee and hamstring injuries and increase power output during activity involving the legs.

At Fitcorp Asia, one of the things we emphasize with all of our new personal training, group training and even Boot Camp clients is the importance of Glute activation. We identify weaknesses or imbalances during initial evaluations and many of the problems that our clients face, whether it is in their performance or dealing with pain can be traced directly back to a weakness or an imbalance in the Glutes.

Activating the muscle fibers of the Glutes are the first step in developing a stronger, more shapely butt. Learning how to trigger those muscles on command and integrating their usage into the lower leg exercises that you may have done for years will provide much greater results over the long haul. Once you have successfully learned how to activate the Glutes, multi-joint exercises like squats and lunges will provide much more results.For the ladies who are concerned with having a larger butt, don’t worry one bit. These are the reasons why:

1. The Glutes are the second largest muscle group of the body after the back. For this reason, when we stimulate growth of these muscles, not only are the muscles used more, but more calories are utilized resulting in greater overall fat loss throughout the body.

2. Muscle takes up less space than fat. More muscle, less fat…less space. Just ask my personal training clients how their jeans fit since we’ve been Glute training.

3. Muscle has a defined shape giving the body nice curves. Need I say more?

For all the guys who are thinking, I don’t want to do Jane Fonda exercises; these are the reasons to reconsider:

1. Consider Usain Bolt, the fastest man on earth. For all of the men striving to be faster but focusing on the quadriceps, think again. It is the Glutes that are required for horizontal propulsion and according to studies fire more than twice as much as the quadriceps during sprinting. Don’t forget your backside gentlemen!

So ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get off your backside and get moving. The road to a happier, healthier body starts here.

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 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. Whether it’s fat loss or toning, personal training or group exercise Fitcorp Asia, Thailand’s leading sports experts has something for everyone. For more information check out our website at www.fitcorpasia.com or drop Rich a line at Richard@fitcorpasia.com

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.