Easy food ideas

For cheap food ideas and meal planning options check out the NRG Tribe.

Weight Loss Tips

SO, you’re fat and now you know why. The best weight loss tips I can give go along exactly with what the video said.

In order to lose weight you must:

Keep your insulin in check by keeping your blood sugar under control. You can do this by

• eating a low carb diet
• eating plenty of quality fats and proteins
• do high intensity interval workouts to burn excess sugar in your system.

 

Protein diet for Weight loss? Where’s the Beef? – The NRG Tribe

Everyone’s gunning for the right way to lose weight, right?

There are numerous diets that feature the concept of encouraging protein consumption for weight loss.  Proteins are of course major components of nearly every tissue in our body.  They perform many key functions including but not limited to:

• Serving as enzyme catalysts
• transport molecules (Hemoglobin-carries oxygen in our blood)
• Storage molecules (Iron stored as ferritin in the liver)
• Major component of muscles, bones, skin
• Immune function/control
• Control of cell growth
• Major component of hormones (signaling systems in our body)

So does eating a protein diet for weight loss really work?   Well, sorta.   Balance is a real key.  It is true, as diets like Atkins, South Beach and of course the NRG Diet all encourage proteins as a major component of the diet plan.   Scientifically speaking, proteins do create more heat during digestion and utilization by the body–which means it “TAKES” more energy to use them.

Please, if you haven’t already, please disregard the old myth you’ve read about carb, protein, and fat calories….e.g.  “protein and fat make you fat because they contain more calories”=NOT TRUE

Ugh!  I’ll write it now in hopes I’ll never need to say it again to another patient, I’ll just direct them to this blog….proteins, fats, and carbs are all handled differently in the body.  Each effects us differently and produces different changes physically, hormonally, etc.  Therefore you can’t just add up calories and say “Well protein and fat have more calories….better not eat those”

As you learn in the NRG Lifestyle, eating foods made from “White sugar” = Weight Gain.  Fact!  It makes you insulin levels rise.   It also raises triglycerides, cholesterol.  When insulin rises you get belly fat!

Proteins and fat on the other hand require different handling by the body.  There are more steps involved and the body continues to utilize them to repair tissues and structures all over the body (See bullet points if you don’t get this)

So, this begs the question, does eating a diet higher in protein improve your chances of dropping pounds?

Sure, absolutely, but particularly if you will cut out processed sugar from your diet as well.   On the flip side you can also lose weight by cutting protein and fat consumption……WHAT?

No joke, you can lose weight by avoiding proteins and fat for that matter.  However, the weight you lose will come at a greater expense to vital structures, like your muscles, bone density, immune function, etc.   NOT GOOD!  Yes you’ll lose fat. but you’ll lose vital structural proteins in the body in greater proportions than if you SMARTLY included protein in your diet.

So fish, chicken, turkey, beef (grass fed), eggs (organic) are A-Ok as part of a weight loss program.

via nrgtribe.com

What is the Cohen Diet? – The NRG Tribe

The Cohen diet is a diet program focusing on specific blood work results to determine the best proportions of food types (Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat) for the individual patient. Developed by a South African cardiologist the diet suggests that each individual has a slightly different requirement for food types which explains why extreme diets models like Atkin’s Diet (Low Carb) or DASH (Low salt/fat) don’t always work for everyone.

The Cohen diet is offered through clinics throughout South Africa and now some in the US.   They charge about $250 for the diet which does not include the special blood work and analysis.  There are no supplments suggested or required.

In general, I believe there are differences from person to person.   Some folks lose weight extremely fast on low carb diets, others the progress is limited.   I have seen patients that actually slightly increased  their carbohydrate portions and noticed improved energy and weight loss.

The Cohen Diet plan certainly has some positive points, as it doesn’t recommend stimulants and gimmicks towards weight loss.  It is also flexibile for individual patient characteristics.

via nrgtribe.com

Read more at http://nrgtribe.com/profiles/blogs/what-is-the-cohen-diet?xg_source=activity

Dr. Curtis’ latest post on weight loss…

Ok, I keep getting requests for recommendations on a weight loss supplement.   I really don’t do that typcially.
First, you can accomplish all your health objectives by following the principles and nutritional advice given in the NRG Lifestyle.  The nutrition sections describe how to eat more natural foods, less processed sugars, and proper amounts of health fats.  Combined with basic everyday fitness….that’s really all one needs.
That being said, the only supplemental product I’ve used with patients specifically seeking weight loss is the fiber product known as SLIM.   It’s basically a fiber and vitamin supplement that fills the stomach and slows caloric absorption.  I don’t for one second think that that replaces the need for proper diet, but, when people are 40-50 pounds or more overweight, considering bariatric surgery, etc, I grudgling will acknowledge that this completely safe product will accelerate weight loss.