valshealthblog.com

Hi,

Dietary supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry.  So if you are spending money on your supplements it might be important to know how much you should be taking. 

(Image is of a trans fatty acid.)

I am going to talk about the dietary supplement CLA or conjugated linoleic acid.  But, what I will share with you could hold for any supplement you take. 

CLA has been shown to help people lose weight.  CLA is a trans fatty acid.  Whoa!!  Wait a minute, everyone knows all trans fatty acids are bad for you. 

Oh, if only it were that simple.  This is why you can’t always believe what the “news” tells you. 

CLA is also a cis fat.  The difference refers to the structure of the atoms as they line up.  Cis means on the same side and trans means across or on the opposite side. 

This might not seem like much, but for CLA it lowers its melting point and basically makes this trans fatty acid beneficial. 

CLA has other benefits beside aiding in weight loss, such as reducing the growth of cancerous tumors. 

But, getting back to weight loss.  It was found that taking 3.4 gms of CLA per day resulted in an average 6 pound weight loss while preserving muscle tissue.  From that we can assume that most of the weight loss came from body fat. 

This is a good thing.  It basically does this by keeping smaller fat cells from getting bigger. 

All this is great.  Here is the problem though.  If you didn’t read about the above mentioned study using 3.4 gms of CLA, then you probably don’t realize that you aren’t getting enough. 

A sample of the CLA supplements on the marketplace show that most of them come in 500, 750 and 1000mg softgels or capsules.  That would be 1/2 to 1 gm. 

Yet, the instructions on the bottles of the CLA recommend 1 to 3gms capsules a day.  Three grams was the highest recommended dose I found. 

Most recommended 1 to 2 grams per day.  If you had read about CLA and wanted to use it to help you lose weight, then you probably would not be taking enough. 

That means you would be wasting your time and money.  Taking 1-2 grams a day is from less than 30% to less than 60% of what you would need to get the full benefits.

So here is the problem.  Are you going to take the time to find the studies and figure out what you really need to take and how much? 

I would guess not.  But, no worries.  I love to do this stuff.  So all you have to do to know what dietary supplements to take, why to take or not take them and how much to take is to keep reading this blog. 

Pretty simple, huh?

Thanks for reading this one.

Mike Val

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Hi,

You probably eat or have heard of good foods to eat for your health.  But, are they really.  Here are 5 good foods that have been ruined by man.

The first is coffee.  Natural coffee has a lot of antioxidants and has been shown to help prevent diabetes among other things.  That of course means just the coffee and not the sugar and creams that are added. 

And remember too much of a good thing can be more harmful than good.  And that certainly applies to coffee.

But, that is not the main problem.  The main problem is that -unless you are getting organic coffee – you are getting all kinds of pesticides in your morning brew.  These include, but are not limited to highly toxic chemicals like:  endosulfan, dursban, basudin, and disulfoton.

So spend a few extra bucks and buy organic coffee and skip the pesticides. 

Salmon is the next good food.  Used to be any salmon would do, but in order to make more profits salmon started to be grown on salmon farms. 

And they were fed, corn, soy, vegetable oil and fishmeal pellets that contain PCBs (cancer causing agent).  Wild salmon eat krill. 

This difference changes the structure so much that farmed salmon contain 4 times the omega 6 oils and less omega 3 oils. 

You actually need about a 2-1 to 3-1 ratio in favor of omega 3 oils. 

Wild salmon is a good source of protein and antioxidants as well as the omega 3 oils.  Farmed salmon is none of the above.

Number 3 is cocoa.  Cocoa has the highest ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) units of any food source at a score of 80000.  This measures the amount of antioxidants it has. 

Problem is most of the cocoa you see has added sugars and other non-natural ingredients.  And is has been treated with alkali, a harsh chemical base that cuts its antioxidant capacity in half.

Again, go organic and get all the benefits.

Also way up there on the ORAC base are blueberries (6500 score).  That is way less than cocoa, but nothing comes close to cocoa. 

Blueberries, rasberries, strawberries, black berries are all great for you.  They have lots of antioxidants, fiber and only a little sugar. 

Again, the amount of pesticides in these berries is tremendous – they are all on the top 12 list of most contaminated fruits.  Cherries rank high on this list also.

If you think the pesticides can be washed off, you will have to think again.  Tests show that the pesticides penetrate the skin of the fruit and reduce the antioxidant effects by over25%

Lastly we have beef.  Grass fed beef that is.  Grass fed beef is a natural source of protein, creatine and omega 3 oils. 

Pen fed beef is not a natural source of anything.  But, it will give you a lot more omega 6 oils and fat enhancing hormones. 

Going back to a natural or organic diet will do wonders for your health.  As you can see pesticides, chemicals and hormones have ruined what once once a good food. 

But, you can make a change.  Start eating more organic foods and naturally raised beef and fish.

Then you don’t have to worry about the 5 good foods ruined by man and can enjoy all the benefits of a good diet.

Thanks,

Mike Val   

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Hi,

I just read an article on Yahoo TV by someone quoting Jillian.  I had to ask myself, did Jillian really say this.

Because if she did, she really needs to update her research.  You can read the article here: http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/losing-it-with-jillian-5-tips-to-greater-abs–1335

Let me just say this first.  Jillian is doing a great service.  She is helping people get in better shape and in effect getting much healthier. 

However, assuming she did say these things, she is also propogating a lot of the myths about losing body fat and getting a six pack out there.

If even she is doing this, then is it any wonder you might be frustrated hearing all this conflicting information from the supposed experts?

All right, so what did she say and what is the problem. 

1. She said a big part of ab definition is managing water weight. 

While this is true for professional body builders competing before a show, it isn’t true for the average person.

Before you can even worry about ab definition, you have to lose the fat around your middle.  And you have to build up the muscle, just like any other muscle. 

2. She had various ways to reduce bloat. 

Bloat is a temporary thing and it is the same problem as above.  Lose fat, build ab muscles first, then you might have to worry about bloat.

3. She said you can spot reduce belly fat. 

I can’t believe she said this. This myth of spot reduction has been scientifically disproved so many times that no one believes this any more. 

Yes, if you lose weight and do abdominal exercises you will see a reduction in your waist size.  But, you will not see a reduction in waist size and no reduction anywhere else.  You lose body fat over all your body, not one part.

4. She said when you hit the gym go hard – 85% of max heart rate. 

Okay, this is not inaccurate, but here is the problem.

My goal is for everyone to lose weight and fat in a program that they can continue for life.  Most of you do not have a personal trainer or are in an isolated setting (like the TV show) that will watch and push you for the rest of your life.

So you need a program you can stick with for the rest of your life.  Pushing yourself at 85% max heart rate is not that program.  And most people, even trained athletes, can not do that for more than a few minutes at a time. 

5. She said avoid processed foods, etc.  This is true, but then she adds that it is because of the hormone cortisol being a fat storing hormone. 

Body fat and hormone research is really in its infancy.  And yes, cortisol can help with fat storing and muscle breakdown.  But, that is only under certain circumstances.

Cortisol can actually help you build muscle and burn fat if your body is primed for this. 

So, 5 statements and each one has problems.  Look, I don’t know what her credentials are except that she is a famous personal trainer and is good at marketing. 

So did Jillian really say those things?  I don’t know.

I do know that the above remarks are at best superficial and in some cases downright wrong. 

In order to lose body fat and finally see your abs is a whole lot harder than eating more watermelon. 

I am working on a program designed around your hormones that will guarantee you lose body fat, get in the best shape of your life and it will be something you can easily do for life. 

If you would like more information on this, then keep reading this blog, or you can sign up to get on my email list at: valshealthsite.

Thanks,

Mike Val

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Hi,

You have probably heard that if you have more muscle that equals more calories burned. 

But, is it true. 

There have been estimates that having 1 extra pound of muscle will equal 50 extra calories burned per day. 

While it is true that having a more muscular body will usually equate to a higher rate of calories being burned per day, sometimes the truth gets stretched. 

If 1 pound of extra muscle means 50 extra calories burned each day, then 2 pounds should equal 100 extra calories per day. 

So if you could gain 10 pounds of muscle that would mean an extra 500 calories burned per day. 

While that seems somewhat logical there is a slight problem. 

Since 1 pound = 3500 calories that means with a 10 pound gain you would burn off 1 pound of body weight each week. 

Yet, somehow you have gained 10 pounds of muscle weight as you are burning more calories per day. 

To gain 1 pound you have to eat an extra 500 calories per day. 

So you are eating more (gaining), exercising more (burning) and as you are gaining you are naturally burning more. 

That means you would have to be eating a heck of a lot more than you are burning. 

Let’s say you doubled what you are eating – an extra 1000 calories per day. 

Now even if you were exercising more and building muscle do you really think eating an extra 1000 calories per day is all going to be muscle gain? 

If you do, then let me be the first to burst your bubble. 

It won’t be.  For most people most of those extra calories will go right to the adipose tissue.  Even if you are exercising like crazy, your body will not be able to process all of that extra food into muscle. 

And that is if you are eating clean.  Add any junk food or too many extra high glycemic carbs and muscle gains will be minimal. 

And you can see the consequences at any gym in the US (probably the world).  There are really big guys with lots of muscle who have even bigger guts. 

So why don’t all these big muscled guys have ripped bodies?

Because they eat too much.  Just having big muscles does not mean you will be burning so many extra calories that you will be ripped. 

Now, here is the thing.  Being more muscular will help you control your weight and fat levels.  You will burn a few extra calories per day – but not 50 calories per pound of muscle. 

Being more muscular will help you burn more calories per day, but that is because you are more active, you pay more attention to what you eat, you exercise regularly. 

All of these little things add up and help you keep any extra calories from going to your waistline. 

So yes, build more muscle and more calories will be burned throughout your normal day.  Just don’t think of it as a miracle way of burning fat. 

Thanks,

Mike Val

Hi,

Just how long should your exercise time be? 

Well, that depends upon what you are trying to do.  Are you trying to build muscle or to burn fat?

Are you trying to get in better shape or just maintain what you have?

As with most things in life, everything starts with a goal in mind.  It is no different with your fitness life. 

Most people think long term, moderate pace aerobics are the best for fat loss.  Everyone “knows” you have to walk or jog for at least 20-30 minutes to reach the fat burning zone. 

Problem is, that what everyone “knows” is wrong. 

Yes, you can burn some body fat if you walk or jog for 20-30 minutes or more.   The problem is that you will only burn fat during the last few minutes of those 20-30 minutes. 

And your fat burning will stop as soon as you stop exercising. 

So if your goal is to burn body fat, then you have to walk or jog for way longer than 20-30 minutes or you have to do something different. 

You could increase your pace so that you are running and this will help you burn more fat than a walk.  But, still it isn’t very efficient. 

And it isn’t the healthiest way to lose body fat.  Now, if you do run long distances – like a marathon runner – you will lose fat and weight over a period of time.  

This will also increase your risk of developing all kinds of runner’s problems.  Like shin splints, sore ankles, sore knees, sore hips and back pain. 

If you are older, this is not the way to go. 

Not only that but there are other adverse health problems that people develop with long distant running.  That is another story though.

For now we are still concerned with fat loss. 

If you do stop this long term running, or jogging or walking, you will be more inclined to regain the weight you lost faster. 

The reason is that this type of aerobics does nothing for your muscles.  So the weight loss is not only body fat, but also muscle loss. 

You will be just a smaller image of yourself. 

Tommorrow we well talk about how to cut your exercise time way down, develop muscles and fuel your fat burning furnace 24-7. 

Stay tuned,

Mike Val

Hi  everyone,

I am moving my blog to the Word Press Format. 

 As I am not a techie it will take a few days to look

normal.  Back to posting content tomorrow.

Thanks,

Mike Val