Amino Acids

We have all heard of proteins as it is a macronutrient that our body needs.  However, did you know that there are two kinds of proteins - nonessential and essential?  The good news is that the body can create more than half of the amino acids for itself as long as it is given enough nitrogen to form the amino group and fragments from carbohydrate and fat that assembles the rest of the structure.  The protein you eat in food typically provides those needed amino acids. These amino acids are considered nonessential.

On the other hand, there are 9 amino acids your body cannot make at all, or cannot make in sufficient quantity.  That means, we must consume these amino acids by our food.  To prevent protein breakdown we need to ensure that our diet supplies at least these 9 essential amino acids, plus the necessary nitrogen-containing amino acid groups and energy.  Unfortunately, the body does not store extra amino acids, so that means an excess in either is wasted or they are used for another purpose. 

Foods that are considered to be a complete protein contain all of the essential amino acids we require.  Animal proteins from meat, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, and milk usually are complete.  The only exception would be gelatin as it is missing tryptophan, so it cannot help with growth if it is used as the only protein.  Some plant protein from vegetables, grains, and legumes tend to be limited in one or more essential amino acid.  Soy protein however is considered a complete protein.  With that in mind, plant proteins supply less protein per unit than animal protein.  That is why vegetarians need to combine complimentary plant-protein foods.  Doing so helps them to obtain the essential amino acids they need. Examples of this food combining are black beans and rice, peanut butter on whole grain bread, or tofu with stir fried vegetables with brown rice.

Essential Fatty Acids

We have all heard of fat, but were you aware that the human body can make all but two fatty acids?  Yes, that's right - they are linoleic and linolenic acid.  It turns out these two fatty acids are necessary for proper functioning of the body, which is why they are essential.  Specifically, the body uses them to maintain the structural parts of cell membranes that create hormonelike substances called eicosinoids.  These substances help to adjust blood pressure, blood clot formation, blood lipids, and our immune response to injury and infection.

Linoleic acid is the primary member of the Omega-6 Fatty Acid. You can find it in vegetable oils ,as well as meat.  Normally, most people consume enough of this fatty acid. Your body uses this fatty acid to make other members of the omega-6 family like arachidonic acid. 

On the other hand, linolenic acid is the primary member of the Omega-3 family.  When given this fatty acid our bodies can use it to make eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Did you know that many of your body tissues contain these fatty acids? And, they make up a sizeable amount of the communicating membrane of the brain - meaning we need them for proper brain development. EPA and DHA are also present in the retina of the eye, and are needed for normal growth and development.

Note: It is possible for your body to make some fatty acids, but that can only occur if others are available. In addition, some may be essential for growth or disease prevention. However, our bodies cannot make any of the omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acids from scratch because we do not have the enzymes necessary to create them. But, you could start with the 18-carbon member of a series and make the longer fatty acids by forming double bonds.  Because this is a slow and tedious process it is best to eat these fatty acids.

Top 10 Reasons for Irregular Weight Loss

Hey Everyone, from time to time clients inquire about their irregular weight loss.  With that in mind, we created a list to help you if you have been experiencing a shift in your weight loss.  Usually by reviewing the list below people are able to pinpoint what needs to be changed.  We hope this helps!

1.   Am I keeping a food journal?

People who journal throughout the program have the best success and are able to reach their goals. 

2.   Am I cheating and making allowances for items that are not part of the plan?

Each time you cheat it hinders your progress for 2 to 3 days. Also, it compromises your overall success with the program because you are not allowing your pancreas to rest.

3.  Am I constipated – either not having a bowel movement every day, or when I go it hurts or it’s hard?

Drinking at least 8 to 10 glasses of water, plus more will help, as well as increasing your vegetable and leafy green intake. Try making the vegetable soup recipe, which helps eliminate constipation due to its vegetable content, as well as the broth is helpful because it provides much needed liquid to soften stool.

4.   Am I skipping meals?

It is vital to eat all the food required on the plan because where this is already a reduced calorie diet, by skipping meals and reducing the calories even further your body will think that it is starving, and you will not be lose weight.

5.   Am I eating every 3 to 4 hours?

It is important to eat every 3 to 4 hours to help fuel your metabolism.

6.   Am I drinking at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day, plus more with caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea?

Water helps flush fat out of the body.

7.   Am I eating 4 cups of vegetables every day?

Vegetables provide much needed nutrients and vitamins. Also, they help provide bulk to help flush out waste.

8.   Am I eating leafy greens every day?

They provide roughage to help flush out waste from the body.

9.   Am I eating enough protein - between 5 to 8 ounces of lean protein, 2 shakes, and 1 bar daily?

Protein preserves your muscle mass, which is important because muscle fuels your metabolism and the faster your metabolism is the more calories you burn. 

10. Am I drinking alcohol?

Alcohol stops you from burning fat, and puts you into a fat producing mode.

For Women:  Do you have PMS?

o   PMS can cause a 3 to 4 pound water weight gain, which is temporary, so you may not see a weight loss on the scale until the next week.  Again, this is only water and you are still burning fat. 

Nutrients for Metabolism

At Ideal Weight Loss Center we encourage healthy eating whether that means focusing on losing weight or  maintaining it.  With that in mind, we want to talk to you about how important healthy whole foods are to your metabolism and why we encourage you to take supplements - particularly during our weight loss phases.

Though food is delicious it serves a purpose in terms of our health and how we function. That said, did you know that there is an important relationship between proper nutrition and the Kreb's Cycle?  So, what is the Kreb's Cycle?  Simply put it is a series of chemical reactions that make up one phase of cellular respiration.  This is important because this is a major way which your cells create energy. What's neat is the very food you eat contributes to this process and effects your cell's ability to perform this cycle.

Carbohydrates are important to this process as it is what drives the Kreb's Cycle in your cells.  After you eat carbohydrates your body starts to break down those molecules into glucose (simple sugar). Next, you body changes the glucose into what is called pyruvate. That is why including healthy carbohydrates like vegetables, fruits and whole grains into your daily diet is so important as it drives metabolism. 

Now let's look at protein and fats as they help with metabolism as well. Some amino acids from protein contribute directly to the Kreb's Cycle, while others help your body to create pyruvate or acetyl CoA, which help to start the Kreb's Cycle.  This is why we encourage you to consume these two macronutrients on our program. In addition, they both help maintain protein-rich tissues like your muscles.

Next, food contains vitamins that have an effect on the Kreb's Cycle.  Specifically, your B vitamins play a direct role.  They are needed to create what is called flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD).  FAD is necessary for your cells to carry out the Kreb's Cycle and is used during the eighth chemical reaction of this cycle.  Vitamin B comes in handy because it is used to help generate enough FAD to keep the Kreb's Cycle going.  Riboflavin (B-2) is a form of vitamin B required. Other B-vitamins like B-1 help with this cycle too.  These vitamins are essential to this cycle. You can find vitamin B-1 (thiamin) in pork, ham, whole grains, nuts, and legumes.  B-2 (riboflavin) is found in milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, meat, leafy green vegetables, and whole grains. This is why our Multivitamin is required in our weight loss phases. You want to remember when you are eating less food that means you are eating less of these vitamins, so supplementing is crucial to ensure this cycle of metabolism is working correctly.

Consuming a healthy diet is critical to healthy metabolism.  Unfortunately, for those of you who are not doing so you may be affecting your Kreb's Cycle because being deficient in some vitamins may have a negative impact for your body to perform all parts of this cycle. That means your energy production within your cells in reduced! To help prevent this, focus on eating a diet filled with produce, whole grains, lean proteins, nuts, and beans.  All of these foods provide you the carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and vitamins that are necessary for proper metabolism.

Reference:  The Relationship Between Proper Nutrition and the Krebs Cycle, Tremblay, Sylvie, June 2015, http://www.livestrong.com/article/555827-the-relationship-between-proper-nutrition-and-the-krebs-cycle/

Why See A Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist

So, what is a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist and why would you want to see one?

🍎A Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist has earned credentials from a nationally recognized nutrition licensing body, such as the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists (CBNS) or the Clinical Nutrition Certification Board (CNCB). Once licensed to practice in a particular state, a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist may legally provide nutrition counseling, nutrition services and advice. Settings in which Licensed Nutritionist may work include hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, community programs and nonprofit organizations.

🍎What are the benefits of working with a dietitian?
When you go to see a dietitian, it isn’t like hopping on board with the latest fad diet. A dietitian knows that with nutritional care, there is no one-size-fits-all diet. A dietitian takes your medical history into account, learns what kinds of foods you like, and what your lifestyle is like to recommend strategies to work towards good health in a way that you’ll enjoy and benefit from. A dietitian will even help with issues such as food intolerances and sensitivities to help fill any nutrition deficiencies.

🍎In your first session, you’ll start with a plan and begin setting goals and then, as you continue to go to follow up sessions, you are maintaining and reporting progress and developing new strategies to combat eating dilemmas as they arise to make for long lasting results.

🤓Did you know that in addition to our Owner, Colleen, who is a Nurse that we have a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist on staff. These two areas of expertise can give you the confidence knowing that you are in good hands regarding your health.

🤔Curious about working with us? Feel free to contact us - our initial consultation is always free! And, we can work with you remotely via our Healthie app! We look forward to working with you!

InBody Test - A True Assessment of Your Body

We all know that weight is just a number. Monitoring your weight is not enough. Weight can be misleading when used as an indicator of health. Anyone may experience frustration when their weight shows no change, even with exercise and improved nutrition. Your body is a complex structure made of difference components; such as body water, fat and muscle. Your body cannot be expressed with one simple number.

Our InBody Test will show a true assessment of your body. To thoroughly learn about your body and its condition, take the InBody Test. In less than 60 seconds, the InBody not only examines the compositions of your body, but also reveals percentage of body fat, muscle distribution, and body water balance; components that are a key in understanding more about your body.

​Interested in having your own assessment? For clients who live in the area we provide a scan each month. Not a client, no problem you are welcome to visit us when you like and pay a small fee of $25. Contact us to get started!

Do you Integrate with Fitbit?

Do you Integrate with Fitbit? Now you can sync Fitbit with Healthie easily!

Simply sign into your Healthie account on a computer and go to settings--->account-->scroll to the bottom of the account and click the "Connect with Fitbit" option!

Fitbit will pull the following data into Healthie: Weight, meals, workouts/any physical activity and it will be entered and available in the Journal area! Fitbit will sync with Healthie once a day, every day in the morning!