Here’s an interesting new study which suggests that self-efficacy – belief in yourself – has a lot to do with what you eat and whether you stick to an exercise program. Researcher Rhonda Anderson at Queensland University of Technology surveyed over 560 women between the ages of 51 and 66 on their exercise and dietary habits. She found that two …

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests that low glycemic index (GI) and low glycemic load (GL) diets are associated with a reduced risk of certain chronic diseases. These diseases include type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease and breast cancer. Researchers, at the Mayo Clinic, noted that there have been inconsistent findings on …

In years past, the practice of fasting was usually associated with religious or spiritual customs and traditions. But now, a growing number of fitness enthusiasts are beginning to include intermittent fasts in their lives, depending on goals and circumstances, as a way to lose fat and improve overall health and longevity. Intermittent fasting (IF) makes perfect sense from an evolutionary …

One of my clients recently asked me if I think it’s better to eat six small meals a day or the more traditional fare of three larger meals. Some may ask: Why would anyone want to eat six meals a day? The idea comes from the world of body building where it’s believed that a positive nitrogen balance is the …

There’s been some interesting news on diet soda, and in particular, artificial sweeteners, recently. First, in a study at the University of Minnesota, researchers analyzed the diets of more than 9,500 men and women between the ages of 45 and 64 for nine years to see if there was a correlation between nutrition and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of …

Here’s an interesting new study which suggests that a higher intake of cholesterol is associated with improvements in strength and muscle gain in response to exercise. As you might guess, these results were a quite a surprise to the researchers. In a study at Texas A&M University, researchers studied 55 men and women, between 60 and 69 years of age …

New research suggests that people with low levels of vitamin D may have an elevated risk for heart disease and stroke. And those with high blood pressure and vitamin D deficiency are at an even greater risk. Researchers followed 1,739 people, average age 59, for 5 years and used blood samples to determine the level of vitamin D in their …

Do you have an image of your ideal body in your mind? Perhaps you’d like to increase the size and strength of your upper body… Or maybe you want to lose that spare tire around your middle… And then again, you may want to look sharp in your business suit for presentations. Whatever it is, this program will transform the …

When I work one-on-one with clients, and I explain the hunter-gatherer diet – that it includes an enormous amount of plant food, protein and healthy fats with no grains (including oatmeal), milk, beans or processed foods – I’m often asked what I eat. Here’s a meal suggestion that’s very Paleolithic. It’s simply a grass-fed beef burger with sautéed collard greens. …

One of the most effective tools I use with my clients is a food diary. Keeping a food diary can often mean the difference between success and failure on a fitness program. And it is an absolute must if you want to drop fat. A food diary is just like what it sounds, a notebook in which you record your …

I just finished the first chapter of Good Calories, Bad Calories written by Gary Taubes, an award-winning science writer. This book may be one of the best nutritional books of the past twenty years. Reuters recently published a review in their Lifestyle: Health & Fitness section. Here’s an excerpt from that piece: “Good Calories, Bad Calories” examines an alternative hypothesis …

Looking for a way to enhance the results of your strength training? New research suggests that supplementing creatineand conjugated linoleic acidin conjunction with strength training increases strength and fat loss. In a clinical study at McMaster University, researchers tested 39 adults aged 65 to 85. One group did an hour of strength training twice a week and took five grams …

In past years, it was thought that simple carbs were the bad carbs and complex carbs (which come from starchy foods) were the good ones. But the distinction between the two is really meaningless. All carbs get broken down into glucose in our bodies. What’s important is how quickly they get broken down. When a carbohydrate is broken down into …

In a previous post I discussed the fact that we have the DNA of the hunter-gatherers. And, when our bodies don’t see the food and activity patterns of our Paleolithic ancestors, we become susceptible to many of the diseases of civilization (heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc). This study shows that even when you have coronary heart disease, eating like the …

At first glance, it’s not obvious that we have anything in common with our Paleolithic ancestors. Civilization has completely changed the way we live our lives. But because our DNA evolves so slowly, our genes have not changed over the past 40,000 years; we have the genetic blueprint of our Paleolithic ancestors. Consequently, our bodies are expecting to see the …

In a previous post I discussed the Evolutionary Fitness diet. So here are five simple tips for implementing this nutritional plan: 1. Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and even osteoporosis. They are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and various other beneficial …

In a recent post, I discussed the Evolutionary Fitness Diet, a diet rich in plant foods, protein and essential fats. So here’s an example of an evolutionary fitness dinner. I made sauteed kale (which I first boiled), sauteed sweet mini-bell peppers with red onion and a grilled turkey burger. The burger is 99 percent fat-free and made from free-range turkey …

There’s been a lot of research on the aging process recently and the latest findings suggest that low-grade inflammation is the cause of many of the modern degenerative diseases, like coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and some cancers. Inflammation is a normal part of the body’s immune system. When you burn your finger, for example, white blood cells secrete a …