New F.D.A. Nutrition Labels Would Make ‘Serving Sizes’ Reflect Actual Servings – This is one of the better articles I’ve come across that explains the FDA proposed changes to nutrition labels.

Two-thirds of fish to come from fish farms by 2030: FAO – “Chinese consumption of fish is expected to reach 38% of the global total by 2030, and China has been increasing its production of farmed fish accordingly. Asian consumption as a whole, including that in South Asia, Southeast Asia, China and Japan, is predicted to account for 70% of all global fish consumption by 2030.”

3D model of child’s heart helps surgeons save life – Experts created a 3-D model of a child’s heart using images from a CT scan. The model helped doctors figure out the best approach to fix the child’s multiple heart defects. The result of the Rapid Prototyping Center’s work was a model heart 1.5 times the size of the child’s. It was built in three pieces using a flexible filament and required about 20 machine hours (and only about $600) to make, and was a “game changer” for the planning of a complex surgery, the surgeon involved said.

Vast Study Casts Doubts on Value of Mammograms – “A large, 25-year study of Canadian women aged 40 to 59 found no benefit for women who were randomly assigned to have mammograms. The death rate from breast cancer was the same in both groups, but 1 in 424 women who had mammograms received unnecessary cancer treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.”

The secret of my most successful clients – A food journal/calorie counting app that I highly recommended is MyFitnessPal. For those of you who are already using it you can probably attest to the awareness it provides with its comprehensive food database that also includes a barcode scanning feature. Whether you’re trying to lose, maintain, or gain weight give food journaling/calorie counting a try for a couple weeks. You might be surprised on what your daily/weekly nutrition totals are. Particularly for those who are scratching their heads on why they are not losing, gaining, or maintaining weight.

Dustin
Certified Personal Trainer
NASM-CPT, EMT-B

10 Simple Ways to Eat Healthy Without Thinking – “What you eat is important, but even healthy food can stop you from losing weight if you eat too much of it. Your brain is easily fooled by shifts in perspective. It’s also more responsive to external cues like an empty plate, than internal cues like a full stomach. Understanding these influences can show you how to tilt them in your favor. Usually we eat more than we should because of the mindless margin, but you can use the same principles to subtly influence your behavior and mindlessly eat less. Over time this calorie difference can help you drop weight. It’s slow, but it’s steady. And best of all, it’s painless” -Darya Rose (source).

Plant egg entrepreneur raises $23m in latest funding round, led by Asia’s richest man, Li Ka-shing – Founded in 2011, San Francisco based food company Hampton Creek has been taking on chicken eggs with non-GMO plant-based products (Just Mayo and Beyond Eggs) and has raised a total of $30 million in funding to date.

The Truth About Nutrient Timing – A thorough review of the research published on post-workout meals and the perceived benefits is suggesting that depending on when you have a meal prior to training, you might actually have a 4 to 6 hour window as opposed to the current belief of 30 to 60 minutes. If you find the article to be a tough read, simply skip to “The New Rules of Nutrient Timing” at the bottom of the article for a quick summary.

What’s the Difference Between a Romanian Deadlift, American Deadlift, Stiff Legged Deadlift, and Straight Leg Deadlift? – Great article explaining the differences and how to properly perform the exercises. If you are new to deadlift exercises I recommend looking at his suggested beginner hip-hinging drills at the bottom of the article. Deadlifts are not gender specific and are arguably one of the best compound exercises (meaning they target multiple muscle groups) you can have in your workout program. FYI – you might encounter a pop-up window that is missing the “close” or “X” button but just click the upper right hand corner of the pop-up box and it should go away.

Carb Controversy: Why low-carb diets have got it all wrong – “Strict diets aren’t the answer. If your eating plan isn’t working for you, it’s tempting to make it more restrictive. You might assume that if you aren’t losing fat going kinda low-carb, you should go full ketogenic (low-carb). But more restriction almost never works. Don’t take your nutrition to extremes — unless you have extreme goals. Strategic moderation, as unsexy as that sounds, is the only sustainable method.” -Bryan St. Pierre

Dustin
Certified Personal Trainer
NASM-CPT, EMT-B

11 Graphs That Show Everything That is Wrong With The Modern Diet – In regards to #5, there seems to be a recent upward shift in butter sales. In 2013, the U.S. reached its highest consumption level in four decades with average butter intake rising 25% since 2002.

Do cold temperatures cause colds? – Interesting research and theories on why we get colds.

No Candy Bars Here: This Vending Machine Sells Only Fresh Salads And It’s Seriously Delicious – Great concept and so far it’s working! Currently only in Chicago and receiving great reviews on Yelp.

‘Lung In A Box’ Keeps Organs Breathing Before Transplants – Warning NSFW. This article contains graphic images of a human heart and lung contained in experimental devices that keeps them alive longer for organ donor recipients. Just FYI if you’re squeamish. This new technology could be particularly beneficial for Hawaii where according to the article 30 to 40 hearts annually go unused because they cannot be transported.

KITCHEN 101: COOKING FATS & OILS – Awesome graphic depicting the best temperatures and uses for common cooking oils. In regards to nutritional value and weight loss, pay attention to the serving size of oils. One tablespoon of coconut or olive oil is approximately 120 calories.

Dustin
Certified Personal Trainer
NASM-CPT, EMT-B

Top 5 Reasons Your Diet Isn’t Working – A study in 2010 “compared two groups of overweight non-smokers on calorie restricted diets for 14 days. One group clocked 8.5 hours of sleep per night, and the other logged 5.5 hours of sleep per night (which the authors point out is a “norm” for people in this day and age.) Both groups ate roughly 1,450 calories a day. After two weeks, the people who slept more lost more fat than the group who slept less. More than half of the weight loss during the 8.5 hours of sleep was fat versus only one quarter of the weight loss during the 5.5 hours of sleep. People literally burned fat while they slept. The folks who slept less lost more muscle (60% more muscle was lost by the sleep-deprived group.) Those three hours of lost sleep caused a shift in metabolism that made the body want to preserve fat at the expense of muscle. When the researchers compared circulating blood levels of appetite-regulating hormones in the two groups they found those who slept for three fewer hours had produced more of the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin. They woke up hungrier!” -Woodson Merrell

Fitness Reborn: The Real Truth About Carbs – The Top-10 countries in the world with the lowest obesity rates all consume a carb-dominant diet. Of the 10 countries with the lowest obesity rates, 8 are in Asia, and the remaining 2 are in Africa.

Shivering ‘as good as exercise’ for producing brown fat – New research shows that adults are capable of transforming energy-storing white fat into energy-burning brown fat by two similar muscle contracting mechanisms: exercise and shivering.

Drug Use in Sports: Can We Ignore It Any Longer? – The sports adage “if you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t trying” seems to be the line of thinking taken too seriously among athletes these days. In cycling, more than a third of the top finishers of the Tour de France have admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in their careers or have been officially linked to doping.

Training to Bobsled – This is a short video about U.S. Olympic Team bobsled training and a few exercises in their workout. Chris Fogt, the American bobsledder in the video is also a Captain in the U.S. Army and participant in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (located in Fort Carson for you Coloradans) which allows soldiers the opportunity to train and compete at national and international sports competitions.

Dustin
Certified Personal Trainer
NASM-CPT, EMT-B