In my previous post on the calories in sushi, i listed out the nutritional facts of the different types of sushi and some other dishes, focusing mostly the calorie counts of each individual dish. These sushi calories are as low as would ever get eating out and if you are on a diet it should be one of the key factors when deciding where to eat. Now I’m going to tell you why Sushi is healthy other than the low calories.
First of all Sushi and seafood in general are one of the best sources of nutrition available to us. It is packed with protein and nutrients, and is low in fat (depending on the preparation). Sushi is an excellent source of lean protein and contains very little heart clogging saturated fat unlike most forms of red meat.
The majority of the fat found in Sushi is in the form of Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are not only a nutritional requirement for humans, but also a fatty acid that shows promise in re-mediating many ailments from which we suffer for lack of this essential fatty acid in our modern diet, including cardiovascular disease.
Another great thing about Sushi and especially Sushi Rolls is that the seaweed wrap used in rolls, also called nori, is rich with essential vitamins and minerals. To add to the benefits, Wasabi and ginger both have antibacterial qualities, and ginger is widely regarded as aiding digestion and improving circulation.
So the next time you are planning on going out for dinner with friends, suggest Japanese as an alternative and you could even point out the many many health benefits.
My post on low calorie alcoholic drinks is by far the most popular post on this site so i thought i’d complement it with a post on some low calorie cocktail recipes. I hope you do enjoy some of these drinks, and I will be updating the list soon with even more low calorie alternatives along with the calorie counts of each individual cocktail.
[click to continue…]
I’ve always wondered about the connection between and sleep and weight loss, specifically if sleep (or a lack of it) can influence any weight loss or exercise program I’m on. With exercise its simple, not enough sleep and you affect both muscle growth and energy levels to exercise again the next day. But for out and out weight loss, whats the effect?
After looking around online, i found a research paper that reports that women who sleep 5 hours or less per night generally weigh more than women who sleep 7 hours per night. These findings, presented at the 2006 American Thoracic Society International Conference, showed that women who slept 5 hours per night were 32% more likely to experience major weight gain (an increase of 33 pounds or more) and 15% more likely to become obese over the course of the 16-year study, compared to those who slept 7 hours a night. The study was of 70,000 women so it has taken into account pretty much every demographic we can think of.
I couldn’t find a study specifically targeting men and although the above report was exclusively of women, the effects on us are not likely to be far behind. The question is, on a scientific basis, why does a lack of sleep cause adverse effects to weight loss?
Sleep deprivation influences two hormones that play a major role in the functioning of our appetite. The hormone Ghrelin is a hormone that is responsible for increasing our appetite and Leptin is a hormone that lets the brain know when the body is full, therefore decreasing appetite.
When you deprive yourself of sleep there is a decrease in leptin (the full hormone) and an increase ghrelin (the appetite hormone). This leads to an increase in appetite overall. This can result in increased hunger during the day and bigger meals. There is also evidence based on older studies that showed that it might affect your metabolism as well, with people who get less sleep eating less but still putting on more weight than those who got enough sleep.
So how much sleep do we actually need? Apparently Adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Unfortunately, there is no specific number of hours that is considered enough sleep, it depends on a lot of factors that are unique to each individual person.
In the end, keeping food intake and hunger in check to lose weight is difficult enough to begin with. When hormones are involved, due to lack of rest, your weight loss success might be reduced because of it. What’s your experience when it comes to sleep and weight loss?
Still in the middle of my series on different fad and normal diets and here’s another diet that found online, Its called the Scarsdale diet plan and it has a very specific diet that you are supposed to stick to and you cannot substitute anything unlike some other quick weight loss diets. The exact name of the diet is the Scarsdale 14 day medical diet plan. From what i have read you lose 20 pounds in 14 days. Here’s the diet plan: [click to continue…]
Here’s a guest post by Tom Venuto: Anytime the topic of discussion in my blogs, articles or newsletters has turned to my own personal grocery shopping list, there has always been a spike in interest. It seems that many people are not only curious about what foods a natural bodybuilder eats to maintain single digit body fat, but they also want to be taken by the hand and told exactly what foods to eat themselves while on fat-burning or muscle building programs. That’s why I decided to put together four separate “top 10” lists of healthy foods that burn fat and build muscle.
[click to continue…]
In my previous post on the calories in sushi, i listed out the nutritional facts of the different types of sushi and some other dishes, focusing mostly the calorie counts of each individual dish. These sushi calories are as low as would ever get eating out and if you are on a diet it should be one of the key factors when deciding where to eat. Now I’m going to tell you why Sushi is healthy other than the low calories.