Keeping the fat off during the Holidays...

We all love the holidays; filled with family, friends, laughing, and delicious meals.   However we all worry about the extra added pounds that comes along with the holidays.  Of course we come to Xtend to exercise regularly to keep ourselves active and healthy; but here are a couple tips you could also be doing to help keep off those little extras. 

1. Drink two glasses of water thirty minutes before you eat a meal. Not only will this help you feel fuller before you start to eat but drinking water before a meal also increases the production of stomach acid which will help you digest your food better.

2. Use spice more frequently with food. Spicy foods such as cayenne, peppers, cumin,
pepper, etc can slow the rate of sugar entering the bloodstream and increase the amount of calories burned in response to a meal.

3. Increase your fiber intake during the holidays. Use PaleoFiber because it is excellent
in lowering both blood sugar and insulin levels which are going to rise up due to eating heavier, more carbohydrate laden holiday meals.

4. Eat vinegar before each meal. Vinegar helps to decrease blood sugar and insulin
responses to a very starchy meal. When you eat vinegar before a meal your blood sugar and insulin levels don’t rise up as much. The simplest way to do this is to take about a shots worth of vinegar right before you eat or add that amount onto your salad.

5. Drink fresh squeezed lemon juice before a meal. This has much the same properties as does vinegar for lowering your blood sugar and insulin response to a high starch meal. You can drink a third of a cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice directly or put this amount onto your salad.

6. If you are going to eat deserts during this season, choose ones that contain berries or cinnamon. Cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels and berries are very low on the glycemic index scale and help to stimulate fat loss and slow weight gain from a high fat meal.

7. Make sure to drink green tea when consuming high fat meals. Green tea has been
demonstrated to decrease the absorption of fat and to increase fat loss by stimulating fat burning genes. If you are caffeine sensitive of course be careful here, but other than that there is really no downside to drinking green tea often.

8. Remember to eat slowly. As mouthwatering as those holiday foods are, if you take the time to chew each mouthful twenty to thirty times you will significantly decrease the amount of food you eat. Eating this slowly gives your body a chance to become more satisfied, resulting in less desire to overeat or stuff ourselves.

9. While eating a meal and when you burp for the first time, it’s time to stop eating.
Burping is the body’s natural way of telling us that it is full or close to it and going any further will just result in us reaching the “stuffed” zone.

10. Exercise one hour before eating a big meal. This way when you do consume a high fat/carbohydrate laden meal, some of those calories consumed will go into building muscle instead of storing as fat.

Happy Holidays!

Nature's Cleanser

Get lean--and stay energized--by bulking up on fiber-rich foods

Adding more fiber to your diet is an easy way to stay lean, especially during the winter months when calories consumed can outnumber calories burned while exercising, says Amy Jamieson-Petonic, RD, director of wellness coaching at the Cleveland Clinic and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Fiber swells in the stomach and intestinal tract, which helps you feel fuller longer, so you eat less. Tufts University researchers found that adding 14 grams of fiber a day to their diets helped people eat about 10 percent fewer calories and lose five pounds over four months. And a 2008 study at Penn State University found that people who put more broccoli and less roast beef and rice on their dinner plate consumed up to 86 fewer calories—but felt just as full. "The increased fiber and water content curbs people's hunger," says Jennifer Meengs, RD, one of the study's authors.

Fiber is the indigestible part of plants: It travels through the digestive system intact and flushes out the plumbing "like nature's scrub brush," says Jamieson-Petonic. But beyond keeping you regular, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables often contain vitamins and minerals that we need for energy and recovery. By targeting fiber, you're indirectly upping your nutrient density, Jamieson-Petonic says. "Plus, research indicates that a high-fiber diet reduces your risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes," she says.

But don't overdo it. Experts recommend 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day—any more and you'll likely experience excessive gas and undesirably urgent movements. To avoid such discomforts, Jamieson-Petonic recommends we gradually increase our fiber intake while also increasing water consumption. "Fiber draws water from the intestinal lining, so you'll need additional fluids to help move things along," she says.

A Question of Timing 
Fiber's filling properties are great—except when you're sprinting. That's when you want ready fuel, not bulk that cuts down on how fast you can tap into food's energy. "Fiber slows digestion and the release of sugar into the system," says Coni Francis, RD, senior manager for scientific and government affairs at GTC Nutrition. That's why high-fiber foods tend to score low on the glycemic index (GI).

So low-GI foods that are high in fiber (like beans, apples and whole grains) aren't a smart fuel choice during your exercise routine. It's also best to limit fiber right afterward, when recovering muscles require the immediate replenishment of high-GI foods. Instead, eat fiber-rich carbohydrates (such as rolled oats or brown rice) before your workout: They'll provide sustained energy and keep you from bonking. "Fiber spares your glycogen stores for as long as possible to help you get through your exercise," says Jamieson-Petonic. And enjoy fiber-rich fruits and vegetables as snacks and additions to regular meals.

Recovering with Fruit

BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries get their hue from anthocyanidin, a compound that protects against muscle-depleting free radicals and quells inflammation, making them a great post exercise food, says Amy Jamieson-Petonic, RD, director of wellness coaching at Cleveland Clinic. They also contain vitamins C and K and manganese, nutrients that fuel the immune system and improve bone health.

WATERMELON

Watermelon is filled with lycopene, which protects skin from damaging ultraviolet rays, and vitamin A, which increases iron absorption to help deliver engine-stoking oxygen to cranking muscles. And as this picnic staple's name suggests, it's brimming with hydrating H2O yet low in fiber and packed with sugars, making it an ideal choice for easy-to-digest pre-exercise energy.

BLACKBERRIES

Blackberries are high in fiber, making them a good choice for slow, steady fuel: Eat them with oatmeal two hours before a long exercise or snack on them between meals to curb cravings, Jamieson-Petonic says. They're also packed with vitamins C and K, plus manganese.

MANGO

Mango contains papain, a digestive enzyme that helps break down protein, combat acidity, and soothe a touchy postride stomach. And along with a whopping 31 grams of sugar for rocketship energy during exercise, one mango provides a trio of powerful antioxidants: vitamins A,C, and E, good for the immune system, says Jamieson-Petonic.

KIWI

Kiwi provides ample amounts of cramp-curbing potassium, as well as vitamin C to help repair muscles. It has also been linked to cardiovascular health: Researchers say that eating two or three a day can lower certain risk factors of heart disease.

Beauty after the Barre

Best Gym Bag Beauty Products

$ 1. Best Deodorant
Lady Speed Stick Fresh Infusions Enchanted Cherry Blossom Antiperspirant/Deodorant ($3, drugstores). This wetness fighter is all you need for dry underarms.

2. Best Portable Fragrance
Fresh Brown Sugar Rollerball ($19, Fresh stores). This handy fragrance has notes of lemon, honeysuckle, and caramel.  "The not-too-sweet scent works perfectly for a post-shower pick-me-up," one fan said.

$ 3. Best Body Mist
Bodycology Island Coconut Fragrance Mist ($5, Target stores). Scoring points for its beachy smell and aloe vera formula, this spray is a locker-room must.

$ 4. Best Cleansing Wipes
Yes to Blueberries Age Refresh Brightening Facial Towelettes ($8 for 30, Target stores). These cloths sweep away makeup without leaving you stripped of natural oils. 

5. Best Palette
Pixi Week of Wakeup Makeup ($34, target.com). Great for on the go, this extensive kit has eye shadows, blushes, and lip colors -- all in gorgeous shades -- for every day of the week.

6. Best Makeup Multitasker
Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 ($25, clinique.com).  This cream, which has SPF, soothing ingredients, light coverage, and a flattering sheen, is "all you need to get out of the gym fast."

7. Best Dry Shampoo
Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Dry Shampoo Spray ($23, oscarblandi.com). Dry shampoos can be chalky, but people have raved about the degreasing benefits of this clear, easy-to-use mist. "It gives my hair sexy volume and texture after my strength-training session," a tester said.