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Alan Levi: Posted on 28 April 2013 14:59
There is a lot of controversy surrounding a diet high in red meat content. This started with the cholesterol controversy (which has been resoundingly debunked by guys a lot smarter than me - Dr Jonny Bowden, Dr Mercola, Dr Briffa, Coach Charles Poliquin and a number of pharmaceutical "whistle blowers" in the USA who confirm what a lot of us fear - that cholesterol is vital for body function and that reducing it could actually be counterproductive to good health!) This is an argument for another day - but what is obvious from the research out there is that the old LDL = bad, HDL = good paradigm is a gross oversimplification of a far more complex issue. |
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Alan Levi: Posted on 14 April 2013 09:30
It is one of the big problems for a huge majority of clients - what do I eat when I am on the road, busy and haven't had time to prepare anything? My first recommendation is cook more than you need, and have that with you (so if you cooked a chicken, then that is hot or cold snacking for days). Of course there is the issue of refridgeration, and sometimes we just don't have time to get anything ready. The worst case scenario is stopping off at a petrol station to get a snack. Very few (apart from the BP garages with an affiliate Marks & Spencer) have anything remotely resembling a healthy, nutritious or comprehensive range of foods - so what do you do? |
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Alan Levi: Posted on 13 April 2013 15:34
If you are rubbish at getting your vegetables in, my first recommendation is to purchase SUPERGREENS. These are a marvellous shortcut and actually nutritionally superior to a scraggly bag of wilted lettuce. So what are they? Supergreens have been around for years, they are produced by various companies and usually consist of chlorella, wheat grass, barley grass, and spirulina. They come in powdered form and are easily mixed with water. The taste may take a bit of getting used to and the resemblance to something Yoda would drink is inescapable, but in terms of a nutrient dense package this takes some beating, and can make up the backbone to some truly Super Smoothie's. |
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Alan Levi: Posted on 01 February 2013 13:24
One of the principal questions I ask new clients is: "Does your urine smell of asparagus when you eat it". If the answer is "yes", we have a problem.. Contrary to popular belief, "asparagus wee" is not a normal, nor desirable by-product of eating this vegetable. It is symptomatic of the MTHFR gene (methylene tetra hydra folate reductase gene) and is THE key risk factor for cardiovascular health (just ask Dr Mark Houston from the Nashville Hypertension Institute). |
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Alan Levi: Posted on 01 February 2013 11:10
From Jonny Bowdens 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth:
Researchers designed a "polymeal" that if you ate every day would reduce your cardiovascular risk by a staggering 75%. The ingredients????
Drum roll...prepare to be happy..
1. Wine
2. Dark chocolate (60%+)
3. Fish
4. Nuts
5. Garlic
6. Fruits
7. Vegetables
The best kind of chocolate (because, lets face it, that's one of the few items people are interested in) is organic, like Green & Blacks.
The best wine is Spanish because its grown high up on the hills where the grapeskins have to develop a thicker antioxidant skin.
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Alan Levi: Posted on 15 January 2013 10:32
Research conducted by Dr John Berardi and the Precision Nutrition team showed that people who consumed large dosages of fish oil (ie 10g plus per day) exhibited a 450-500 kcal increase in their basal metabolism. In other words consuming more fat actually increased your metabolism, decreased your body fat and improved lean muscle mass. Fat makes you slim, its official. |
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Alan Levi: Posted on 30 December 2012 18:03
Soy is touted as a great health food, but everyone from Charles Poliquin, Jonny Bowden through to Dr Briffa all maintain that it can do you more harm than good. Here are some reasons why: 1. The phytic acid that it contains can compromise your absorption of calcium, magnesium and iron 2. It was only recently introduced into our diet meaning we are more likely to have food sensitivity to it 3. The processing of soya means heavy chemical treatment - the slurry of soybeans is treated with acid and alkali solutions and there is heavy tainting of aluminium - this has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's |
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Alan Levi: Posted on 27 December 2012 13:56
Research conducted by Dr John Berardi and the Precision Nutrition team has proven what a lot of fitness professionals have been saying for years - increasing your exercise AND the amount of food you eat improves your body composition. People who did this all saw dramatic improvements in resting metabolism, lean muscle mass and reductions in body fat. The interesting fact is that the reverse doesn't work! If you decrease your calorie intake, and decrease your activity level you simply lose muscle and get fatter. So restriction is a myth, you should never be going hungry and you need to get more active - so eat more and move more! |
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Alan Levi: Posted on 02 December 2012 22:03
Bored of chicken as a meal, then try this simple and delicious culinary delight. Butterfly two breasts of chicken, place some gorgonzola inside, and then wrap in some parma ham. Place in an oven at 180 degrees for 40 minutes or till the chicken is cooked. Serve with rocket salad,cherry tomatoes, mozarella, and basil leaves. Simple and delicious! |
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Alan Levi: Posted on 21 October 2012 15:16
Try out this super-omelette recipe for a real meal ! Crack four eggs into a bowl, add some herb seasoning (I got mine from the Cuckoo fair and they are a perfect blend of thyme, marjoram, ginger etc, and they come in different varieties like "Cor Blimey" or "Egyptian"). Add a dash of sea salt and some black pepper to taste. I like a bit of veg in mine, but can't be bothered to steam spinach etc so I just flake some seaweed in (the same stuff that sushi rolls are wrapped in - any supermarket or health store will stock them). |
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