Skipping Meals Does NOT Work For Weight Loss

November 16, 2015October 16, 2015drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Yes, you read that title correctly. If you have been on one diet after another in an effort to try to lose those last 5, 10, 15, or however many pounds, perhaps losing some weight only to gain all of it back plus some bonus weight, then it is highly likely that you have damaged your metabolism via severe calorie restriction. There is a very good reason why the weight loss industry is so successful and why certain well-known weight loss programs keep their customers coming back. The reason has everything to do with severe caloric restriction which squashes metabolism.

Another common practice among those trying to lose weight is to skip meals in an effort to cut calories. As stated before, you wreak havoc on your metabolism when you skip meals by causing it to slow down. Why does this happen? When there is no food to break down, the body’s furnace slows down and becomes so sluggish that when you actually do eat something, your body is less equipped to break down the food quickly, so much of it is stored as fat. Depriving yourself of food also causes sharp drops in blood sugar, robbing you of energy and increasing insulin resistance. Increased insulin resistance over time can precipitate the development of diabetes.

Other consequences of skipping meals include the following:

• Malnutrition – If you do not feed your body regular, balanced meals, it is highly likely that you are depriving it of essential nutrients. Malnourished states can lead to weight gain, poor health and progression of disease over time.

• Poor concentration – This is due to the depletion of glycogen stores which occurs. The brain simply does not have enough fuel to run on, resulting in fogginess.

• Hunger pangs – When you skip meals, you may experience intense feelings of hunger along with anxiety, dizziness or nausea. In addition, such feeling may lead to overeating when you finally sit down to eat something. Loading the body with a large meal is overkill, and leads to poor digestion and absorption as well as increased storage in body fat stores.

Do yourself a favor and practice the following guidelines. If you do, you will be rewarded with a healthy weight for a lifetime.

1. Don’t skip meals.
2. Make sure to eat enough protein to sustain your energy levels and satisfy your hunger.
3. EAT BREAKFAST.
4. Commit to healthy meals.
5. When you turn to snacks, make sure healthy alternatives are available so you aren’t tempted to reach for a nutrient-poor convenience food.

A Couple Of Nuts

September 29, 2014August 31, 2014drstaceynaito 1 Comment

Most people love nuts, especially those of us in the fitness industry who will actually fantasize about the calorie dense morsels. Since I usually take a stance from the fitness end, I want to explore one very popular nut as well as another which had until recently been considered more forbidden. Meet the peanut and the cashew.

Peanuts have become popularized by baseball stands, candies which feature them, and clever labeling on peanut butter jars which, through their colorful and whimsical labels, have won great favor by children and adults alike. The problem with consumption of large amounts of peanuts and peanut products is that androgen dominance develops, which is closely tied to inflammation and insulin resistance. Individuals who are more sensitive may find that they have more acne breakouts when they consume peanuts, peanut oil, or peanut butter. So in a sense, peanuts can wreak some hormonal havoc on the body.

In contrast, cashews may be considered a hormonal ally. Cashews contain compounds referred to as anacardic acid which has a demonstrated anti-estrogen effect in which it blocks the activation of estrogen receptors once they have attached to estradiol. Anacardic acid also kills hormone sensitive breast cancer cells in vitro and may have a beneficial effect in human subjects. If you consume one half cup of cashews, you will ingest approximately 20 milligrams of anacardic acid. The jury is still out on how much of an impact the anti-estrogen effect has, but it certainly won’t hurt either.

By no means am I suggesting that you eliminate peanuts or peanut products from your diet (provided you aren’t allergic to them). But if you consume excessive amounts of peanuts and are noticing that you are suffering from acne breakouts, the peanuts may be the culprit. You might want to stop eating peanuts for a couple of weeks to see if your skin clears up. If you simply cannot live without a nut butter, you can consume almond butter or cashew butter as an alternative. If you have any interest in blocking estrogen through consumption of key foods, adding cashews to your meal plan may be just the boost you need to balance estrogen levels.

Taurine

July 25, 2014July 22, 2014drstaceynaito Leave a comment

If you want to live to a ripe old age, you should make sure you have a steady supply of taurine to guarantee it. Taurine is an amino acid which is found in large concentrations in the brain, heart, retina and platelets. This amazing amino acid protects against heart failure, detoxes the liver, maintains electrolyte balance in the body, supports the immune system, and promotes insulin sensitivity. If you consume a diet which incorporates meat and fish, your taurine levels may be normal, but if you are vegetarian or vegan, chances are that you don’t have adequate levels of taurine in your body. Another factor is the fact that as we age, we become less efficient at producing taurine.

Those of you who lift weights may already be aware of the energy boosting effects of taurine supplementation, and may be already taking it in the form of a preworkout mix which typically has taurine as part of the blend. Taurine also expands muscle cells, increasing the volume and contributing to the ever so familiar “pump” that comes from an intense lifts. But the additional health benefits of taurine supplementation make it almost impossible to pass up.

Taurine supplements are inexpensive and you don’t have to take high doses. A good dosage for most people is 1.5 grams, but you can double the dosage if you wish. You may notice a metabolic boost and significant weight loss as a result of taking taurine supplements. Taurine also causes a drop in serum triglyceride levels, making it an acceptable alternative to prescription lipid-lowering agents. Any excess is excreted by the kidneys.

How White Rice Ruins Me

April 9, 2014March 20, 2014drstaceynaito Leave a comment

I grew up on glutinous white rice as a result of my Japanese heritage and never thought twice about it. Then when I began competing in 2009, I had to cut out the white food and actually went through a bit of separation anxiety. In a sense I was probably feeling more guilt than anything else, but I eliminated it from my daily meal plan and suddenly noticed that my physique leaned out rapidly. It’s not like I had started out with a weight problem, but I certainly did not have the chiseled appearance of someone who stepped on a bodybuilding stage regularly.

Though it has been relatively easy to avoid regular bread, sweets, and other contest prep busters, I still find myself pining for sticky white rice, because it is the bosom buddy of the lovely raw fish slices that characterize sushi. I absolutely love sushi and sashimi but only indulge in it on rare occasions when I can afford it and when I know I can have a fun meal. What drives me nuts is the fact that all-you-can-eat sushi places require you to eat all the rice you are served, which means that you are almost force fed a large quantity of high glycemic index starch. It’s wild to think that people frequently negate the health damaging effects of the rice, only concentrating on the fish being served. Truth is, the insulin-spiking effects of white rice can wreak havoc on general health and can certainly set one back on contest prep. So if you consume sushi frequently, you may be setting up your body for insulin resistance over time.

Another thing I have noticed personally whenever I eat sticky white rice is that my hamstring region holds water. The following morning is always disappointing because I wake up to waves and ripples, and sadly, they aren’t the kind you would see in the ocean. It takes 24 to 48 hours to get rid of that too, and also requires me to hydrate aggressively to flush everything out. It’s dramatic and it’s very upsetting. My body has actually gotten more sensitive over time too, and my body struggles to digest white rice. To be honest, I am not sure it’s really worth indulging in the white rice I used to love to much because it sets me back so much health-wise.

Two Magic Ingredients To Prevent Diabetes

August 28, 2013August 15, 2013drstaceynaito 1 Comment

Diabetes mellitus is a devastating disease which affects every organ system in the body and which affects over 300 million people worldwide, with over 4 million deaths resulting from diabetes-related complications each year. With such staggering statistics, it makes perfect sense to change one’s eating habits so that lower glycemic index foods are favored over high index foods. In addition, one can look into insulin mimetics. Insulin mimetics are substances which mimic the action of insulin, thus supporting it and guarding against the development of insulin resistance which precedes progression into diabetes.

One insulin mimetic is methyl hydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP) which is found in cinnamon. Unless you have severe heartburn, you can and should eat cinnamon daily. I always recommend sprinkling cinnamon on oatmeal or cream of wheat, but you can also take cinnamon in capsule form. Another insulin mimetic is lipoic acid, which increases the expression of glucose receptors on muscle cells. For individuals who are susceptible to insulin resistance, I highly recommend incorporating both of these substances in to their daily regimen. Start with 300 milligrams of alpha lipoic acid and sprinkle cinnamon onto your morning oatmeal.