Fear Of The Unlabeled

I recently had a discussion with one of my friends, and an interesting topic arose concerning eating healthy and controlling calorie intake (I have such interesting conversations, don't I?)  He mentioned that he was afraid of eating foods that didn't have nutritional labels associated with them, for fear of consuming too large an amount of calories, or other bad stuff (like trans fat) without ever knowing it.  I too used to have this fear, big-time.  It's a common one.  Heck, if you don't know what's in your food, how are you supposed to know if it's healthy?  It's a legitimate quandary, and I decided right then and there that I would write my next article on that very subject, namely, how to get over the fear of unlabeled food.

Firstly, I'd like to say one thing:  YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF EVERY FOOD THAT DOESN'T HAVE A LABEL.  Why not?  Because some of the healthiest stuff in the entire WORLD doesn't have a nutritional label on it.  For instance, go and pick yourself an apple.  Does it come with a nutritional label pasted to its skin?  Nope.  Does this mean it's not healthy, and you shouldn't eat it?  NOT AT ALL!  In fact, you'd do well to eat that apple right at that very instant and start benefiting from the enormous amounts of nutrients it contains.  The same goes for fruits, nuts, and vegetables.  In their natural form, there's no way they could be bad for you.  Just absolutely no freaking way.  In fact, almost every single container of organic food you can buy at your local health food distributor will NOT have a nutritional label, and yet those foods will do so much more good for you than any sort of boxed crud you could get at any old grocery store.  So if you see a bowl of apples sitting there in the cafeteria, or a bucket of tomatoes at the salad bar, don't avoid them.  Dig in.  You won't get fat, you won't have a heart attack, and you WILL make your body healthier.

But that's a no brainer...right?  Yeah, I thought so.  So what about the more complicated stuff?  Let's look at the situation I'm regularly in when I go to my school's cafeteria.  They make a LOT of healthy food, and a LOT of crappy food as well.  And rarely is any of it labeled correctly (though they are trying, I'll give them that.)  But do I stress?  Not one bit, because I know what to look for.  That means I can look at a plate of sauteed vegetables, and tell if the cooks have used too much oil, or if there's a sugary glaze overtop of them to make them more appetizing.  And this is what you need to do.  With complex dishes, you need to use a combination of past knowledge (what have you eaten in the past similar to this, and how was it made?), and a discerning eye for ingredients (know what oil looks like, know what fried foods look like, and determine what ingredients make up the entire dish.)  If it's a relatively plain dish, as in no glaze or anything like that, you can assume that those veggies aren't any more caloric than the raw ones at the salad bar.  If it's a stir fry, I still wouldn't be worried, you can easily account for a few extra (healthy) calories and still have a good meal.  Heck, a little cooking oil will give you some healthy fat in your diet.  If those veggies are rolling around in sloppy meat and brown sauce, skip them, as you know they've been too doctored up to really be beneficial for you.  It's not a hard concept, go with stuff that looks more plain, or more sparingly dressed.

What about meat?  Well that can be a little more daunting, but still not a horrible situation.  Breaded or fried meats are generally a no-no, as they'll have many more calories (sometimes almost double the plain variation), and a lot of bad fats that you know won't do you or your figure any good.  Heavily sauced meats are generally in the same boat, and you should avoid things smothered in BBQ sauce or a sugary marinade.  If the meat is only spiced (seasoning baked in), it could be just fine, or it could have excess sodium.  That one's really a toss up, but a little salt every now and then will do no harm.  In my opinion though, the plainer the meat, the better.  Go for the grilled or poached chicken, or a medium portion of turkey/beef.  I'd stay away from pork and fattier cuts of beef, as they'll be the secret killers, ESPECIALLY if they're unlabeled.  Fish is an AWESOME choice as long as it's not fried.

Also, you have to know your portions.  6 oz of meat is a decently thick piece about the size of your palm.  6oz of any sort of plain meat ranges from 120-250 calories, based on whether it's chicken, pork, fish, steak, etc.  Knowing portions is just as important as knowing ingredients just by looks.  If the cuts are too big, slice it in half and throw out the rest (or give it to your friend who loves meat.)  Not hard, right?

Another reason NOT to be afraid of unlabeled food is as follows:  Just because a food has a label, doesn't mean it's healthy.  Just 'cause you know how many calories are in an Oreo doesn't mean eating them is a healthy choice.  Heck, have you seen a Lean Cuisine package?  I picked one up the other day, and my jaw nearly dropped open at how many chemical ingredients were in that thing.  Low calorie?  Sure.  Healthy?  NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!  You'd be better off eating a piece of meat that you had no freaking clue how many calories were in rather than one of those things.  Ridiculous.

So here's the bottom line.  If you want to eat as healthily as possible, you have to move away from labels.  The healthiest stuff on earth is unlabeled, and you have to deal with it.  I'm pretty sure most of what I eat doesn't have nutritional labels on it, and I'm seeing fantastic results in both strength an leanness as I continue to train.  Don't be a label addict.  It'll only limit your diet to the point where you're absolutely stifled when it comes to mealtime.  If you're a serious addict, you can always look up nutritional information online after (or before) the meal.  But seriously, don't stress.  It'll only cause tension, hormone imbalance, and in this case, hunger.  Remember one thing:  calories aren't all that matters.  Nutrients are where it's at.

Know your portions, know your ingredients, and as always, GOOD LUCK!

Be The BEST, Not The Thinnest

Body fat seems to be the enemy of 90% of gym-goers these days.  They don't lift to get strong, they don't run to get fast, and they most certainly do not pedal on that spinning machine to train for their next summer bike trip.  No, they lift, run, swim, bike, squat, pull, and jump to get LEAN.  They want those rippling abs, popping veins, and to fit into those size 1 jeans.  It's become an obsession, and in my opinion, it has gone too far.

Sure, there are exceptions.  Some people go to the gym for different reasons.  But those "honest to goodness" gym-goers seem to be getting scarcer and scarcer.  I have to ask, what gives?  I lift because I love lifting, and love feeling strong.  I eat healthy because I want my body to perform at top notch levels (a "champion" level, actually), and if I maintain a lean, muscular frame as a result of that, so much the better.  So many people torture themselves to eat so cleanly they're basically grazing with the cows, and run for so long that one of these days they might forget their legs on the treadmill.  All in the name of 7% body fat.  Listen, I'm about to drop some knowledge on you that might surprise you:

Some body fat is actually HEALTHY!  Anywhere between 7-15% is healthy for a male, and 10-20% is healthy for a female (by the way, body fat percentage means the total percentage of body mass you have that's not LEAN body mass.  Lean body mass is muscle, bone, and all other essential body mass.  Body fat is excess adipose tissue.)  Sure, that may seem pretty low if you're an average, slightly overweight middle aged person, but the upper end of this range is extremely achievable through regular exercise and a clean, balanced diet.  And the lower end is still EXTREMELY achievable if you're determined.  Remember, you get out what you put in.  There's no magic trick, but I've given you hundreds of tips and tricks at this point to get started.  So if you're confused, scroll through my articles for workout ideas and awesome diet advice.

But you have to ask yourself.  Is maintaining 7% body fat really what you want?  Sure, it may be nice to look shredded for a month or two, get some good pictures in, but let me tell you something, to get as ripped as this:

takes pure, unfaltering dedication.  Can you do it?  OF COURSE!  But if you ask Kane Sumabat (the guy in this picture, who is sponsored by Controlled Labs, a very successful supplement company), he'll tell you how crazy his workouts are every day, how incredibly strict his diet has to be, and what his life is like (FITNESS FITNESS and MORE FITNESS).  This is his life.  And while it's possible to get cut like him, it may not be worth it to the average individual.  And that's completely, 100% OK.  You can be at 15% body fat and look GREAT.  Heck, you can even be a little higher than that, and look darn good.  It's all about your diet, your dedication, and what you put into it.  If you eat clean and work hard, you will look good, no question about it.  NO...QUESTION...ABOUT IT.

But wait, am I overlooking some crucial advantages to fat loss?  Listen, fat loss can be extremely important.  If you are overweight, trying to lose fat is an extremely reasonable and intelligent goal.  It can help you live a much longer, healthier, more enjoyable life.  But don't forget about the other things the gym represents.  It's a place of self trial, and new challenges.

So here's what I suggest:  Don't JUST run to lose that gut, run to be the fastest you can be.  Don't just lift because you were told to by some stupid article online, lift to be a strong, powerful, impressive individual.  Set goals for yourself.  Jump higher each day, try to squat a little more, run a little faster for a little longer.  Don't think so much about the fat, or being 100% shredded, just try to be the best.  The weight will come off, you'll look amazing, and you'll BE amazing too.  So what if you're not 2% body fat.  If you can out-sprint everyone else, if you can throw more weight over your head than all those other hulking guys, if you can do more burpees in one minute than any other girl, no one will care that you're not some perfectly sculpted bodybuilder.  You're strong, you're fast, you're a BEAST.

Don't go to the gym to be the thinnest.  Go to the gym to be the best there is, was, or ever will be.

Good Luck.

Weighing In

Weighing yourself seems like a simple task, yet so many people seem to get it wrong.  They weigh in too often, or not often enough, or find some other little way to stress over something that shouldn't be more than a bookmark for where they're currently at.  Hopefully this quick little article will help you to realize that the scale is an extremely helpful dieting tool, but ONLY when used correctly and with the correct mindset.

Weigh yourself in the morning- First thing when you wake up, make sure to jump on that scale before putting anything in your belly.  This will make sure that the weight you're seeing is as close to possible to your actual body weight. Surprisingly, if you were to weigh yourself before bed, then as soon as you wake up, you'd see about a 2-3 lb difference (I've seen as much as 5 lbs) due to water evaporation.  Water is heavy, and can really add a few pounds to that figure you see on the scale face.

Weigh in at the same time each day- This one seems like a no-brainer, but I've had people ask me how they gained 3 lbs in one day, and after getting over my initial bafflement and finally asking when they weighed themselves each day I learned that once was before breakfast and the other time was after dinner.  Of course you're going to weigh more!  FOOD WEIGHS SOMETHING!  Make it only in the morning, and save yourself some worry.


Weigh in naked- OK, this one's truly up to you, but if your scale is in the bathroom it shouldn't be too big a deal.  This will provide consistency to your figure that might be taken away by clothes that are different weight. Before you hop in the shower, just hop on the scale real quick.  Easy enough right?

Weigh in after your business is done- Hopefully I don't have to go into too much detail here.  Wake up, empty yourself, then jump on the scale.  Hey, that stuff weighs something, right?  Do you want it counted in your figure?

Don't weigh in Every Day- This will drive you nuts. If you weigh yourself every day, you're not going to see any real trend due to the natural fluctuations in your body.  This could include things like how much water you're retaining that particular day, or how much food's in your belly (although if you followed my advice prior then that shouldn't be an issue).  Things don't stay the same, especially in your body, and trends take a while to show.  I would suggest once or twice a week, and if you're really looking to track what you hope will be fast progress, then every other day is as often as I'd go for.

Weigh in only once a day- Again, this one doesn't seem too hard to remember, but some people just can't keep away from the scale.  Once a day only please, or else you WILL become neurotic about the scale and freak out about any little weight fluctuation.  Like I said, your body composition changes on an hourly basis.  Weigh in when you wake up, figure out how your diet is working, and go about your business.  Don't burn that number into your head.

Weigh yourself on a hard, even surface- Don't set the scale on the carpet, it's as simple as that.  This will skew the results up to and sometimes greater than 4%.  To give you an idea, that'd be like seeing the scale say 173 lbs when actually you weigh 180 lbs.  Not a surprise you want to figure out later, right?

Weigh in on the same scale- Different scales, while all pretty accurate these days, do have their own characteristics.  If you're hopping from scale to scale, you might see differences that aren't really there, and start to stress.  Keep the benchmark consistent and try to use the same scale every day.

DON'T STRESS!!! I can't say this enough.  The scale, while a great tool to view your progress, can also be a really stressful thing.  Some people avoid it, some people weigh in 4 times a day in obsession.  Listen, while your weight is important, it's not the most critical thing in your life.  There are many factors a scale doesn't take into account, one of them being muscle mass (you can gain muscle, lose a pant size, and GAIN weight all at once), the other is overall health.  If you eat healthy, not only will you tend to weigh less, but you'll be much healthier than a "skinnyfat" person who only weighs 138 but eats burgers, Doritos, and cookies for every meal.  Concern yourself more with health than with weight.  The scale is your friend, don't stress out about it.

Keep recording, keep smiling, and as always, GOOD LUCK!

All About Salsa!

Ah yes, salsa.  God's gift to health nuts looking for something strong, flavorful and nutrient packed without all the calories.  In my opinion, it's hard to beat a good, natural salsa.  It'll go with all sorts of things, way more than you'd initially believe.  It isn't just an accompaniment to those tortilla chips, in fact those chips actually give salsa a bad rap.  I'm here to tell you today that on its own, salsa is not only delicious, but a very healthy snack that you'll want to get into your diet as soon as possible, especially if you want to spice things up from all those clean, bland, "boring" foods.  Let's check it out!

First, what is salsa?  Well the definition I found on thefreedictionary.com says:


A spicy sauce of chopped, usually uncooked vegetables or fruit, especially tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers, used as a condiment.

This leaves a LOT of room for interpretation.  I've had salsas that were sweet, with pineapple and mango.  I've also had some that are hot as heck, with habanero and green chili peppers.  I've had bean salsa, with black beans and corn and chickpeas (YUMMY).  And then there's the good old mild stuff on the middle shelf of the grocery store, an option that's still completely delicious despite being a little less adventurous.  You'd be amazed at all the different ingredients that can go into one salsa, and surprised at how natural a lot of those ingredients can be.  Here's the nutritional information for the average store bought salsa (For two tablespoons):

Nutrition Facts
Calories 9	(37 kJ)
% Daily Value 1
Total Fat	< 0.1g	< 1%
Sat. Fat	< 0.1g	< 1%
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	198mg	8%
Total Carbs.	2.1g	< 1%
Dietary Fiber	0.5g	2%
Sugars	1g
Protein	0.5g
Calcium	8.9mg
Potassium	98mg

You can expect most salsas to have around 10-15 calories per two tablespoons.  This is very very low, especially in comparison to other sauces like ketchup, steak sauce, and especially mayonnaise (over 100 calories for two tablespoons!!!).

When it comes to salsa, the more natural it is, the better.  What do I mean?  Well a lot of the big name companies start to make their product a little overly processed, and you start to get ingredients that you wouldn't really want or need in salsa.  You also get a lot more sodium per serving, as well as a lot more sugar (they sweeten it up unnecessarily in order to sell more jars, obviously.)  To give you a comparison, let's take the sodium count in the salsa mentioned above (which is an average of all store brand nutritional facts), and a natural salsa I have in my fridge right now.

Theirs?  200mg of sodium per serving

Mine?  150mg of sodium per serving

50mg is a plenty big difference.  What salsa is it exactly that I have I'm currently munching on?  It's called "Wholly Salsa," and it's an all natural variant that tastes absolutely delicious.

There's even lower sodium counts out there too.  Here's another natural salsa's nutritional information:

80mg of sodium!?  That's pretty darn low, especially for salsa.  I'm going to have to check this stuff out (though it does look like they added a little sugar).

So why is salsa so healthy and low calorie?  Well the credit goes mainly to its main ingredient: VEGETABLES.  That's right, the low calorie, complex carb, nutrient packed meal item we often like to "accidentally overlook."  You get a ton of vitamins and minerals from salsa that you wouldn't get from other sauces.  In my honest opinion, salsa is quite the find for any dieter, because it can quickly make bland, tasteless foods quite delectable and desirable.  Want some examples of how I personally use salsa?  SURE!

On Sandwiches- That's right, nothing spices up tuna or turkey like a little bit of salsa.  It gives the sandwich an amazing natural kick and barely changes the nutritional info at all.  It has completely replaced mayonnaise in my diet, and definitely does the job well.

On Salads- Want a replacement for that fatty, calorie loaded ranch?  Try salsa!  Believe me you won't miss the saturated fat, or the taste, because you'll be too busy enjoying all the powerful flavors of your salad coated in a beautiful medley of spice and savory goodness.  Did that sell you?  I hope so.  Try it today, it's an amazing low calorie salad topper.


As a Veggie Dip- I love to dip raw vegetables in salsa.  They go together perfectly, and compliment each other in a way that's quite delicious.  I guarantee you won't look at plain old cucumber slices the same ever again after you've had them with a spicy bean salsa.  My personal favorite though is a bowl of cooked baby carrots with a little dish of dipping salsa.  I've been known to have that snack at least three times a day.  TRY IT!

In Omelettes- Now this one is truly awesome.  Throw some salsa into your next omelette, along with some mushrooms, onions, and whatever else you may desire, and be prepared for one amazingly delicious breakfast.  Eggs go great with salsa in general, so don't worry about ruining either flavor.  Plus, when salsa gets warm, it's extra delicious, as more of the aromas and flavors are released.

Plain- Yes you read right, I've been known to eat this stuff plain!  just a few spoonfuls at a time of course (though usually the entire package has less than 200 calories), to avoid too much of a sodium intake.  But don't be afraid to have a spoonful when you feel like it.  It will barely make a dent in your daily calories and is a great way to get a few more vegetables in your diet.  Plus it can really curb the appetite with all those nice flavors!

So get to your grocery store and pick up a jar of salsa today!  It's versatile, delicious, and above everything else, EXTREMELY HEALTHY!  Low calorie, high nutrient, what more could you ask for?  Pick what ever kind you like best, and start trying it out.  Believe me, your taste buds and your figure will both thank you.

Some like it hot, some like it chunky, some like it sweet. It's up to you.  GOOD LUCK!