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Diet

Durham Trainer Tips: The 3 Rules of Breakfast

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We all know we need to be eating breakfast, but the real question is, are we doing breakfast the right way? Read on to find out if your breakfast is working for you.

 

Eat a High-Quality Breakfast

Eating a “good” breakfast does not mean eating a big bagel or processed muffin. Chances are if this is what you consider a good breakfast, you’re likely going to have a hard time losing weight. During the week, make sure you are choosing whole foods that are rich in protein and fiber. Examples include omelets, oatmeal with fruit and nuts, a green smoothie with some protein powder, or an egg and avocado toast. For those of us who don’t have time to make breakfast, opt for the protein bar over the bagel.

Eat First Thing in the Morning (But Listen to Your Body) 

Some of us may have a hard time eating a full meal when we first wake up and that’s ok. Eat something small within the first hour of waking up and then eat the second half of your breakfast post-workout or just an hour later. Just get healthy food in your body– Plain and simple!

There Are No Rules When it Comes to Healthy Breakfasts

There are no rules for breakfast, as long as it’s healthy! If you wake up and you want last night’s chicken for dinner, by all means go for it! Don’t confine yourself to eggs if that’s not what you enjoy. The more vegetables and protein you can get in the morning the better!


 

What’s your favorite weekday breakfast? Let us know in the comments below! If you need some fitness guidance be sure and stop by our private gym in Durham!


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In Need of a Detox? Read These Tips from our Durham Personal Trainers

Halloween can be a time of temptation for many of us with all of the extra treats and sweets laying around! If you went a little crazy this year, it may be time to give your body a break with a detox! A detox is all about limiting the amount of “junk” that enters your body and only eating and drinking things that will help your body do it’s job! Here are our 5 simple detoxing tips (that don’t involve juice fasting!) 

  1. Wake up with warm water with fresh lemon juice. This will hydrate you and replenish your body first thing in the morning and is known to aid digestion and purge toxins.
  2. Stretch! This will not only help with your workouts and recovery but can also stimulate digestion and elimination.
  3. Eat your Broccoli and leafy greens! This will help reduce inflammation and are high in antioxidants which aid the body in fighting off toxins.
  4. Exfoliate. Exfoliating your body can not only make your skin softer but it can also unclog your pores and stimulates circulation.
  5. Drink lots of water and tea. This is the best way to stay hydrated and to ensure your liver and body is functioning properly!

When your feeling heavy what’s your favorite way to detox? We’d love to hear your tips! If you’re in need of some extra fitness guidance to reach your goals, come chat with one of our fantastic personal trainers in Durham!


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Pro Tips from Our Gym in Durham: The BEST Foods to Eat Before Working Out

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Last week we covered everything NOT to eat before getting your workout in and today, we’re sharing all the goods! Today’s article shares what celebrity trainer, Phillip Goglia considers to be the best pre-workout snack as well as other healthy options.

As always, if you’re loving this series and feel inspired to reboot your fitness and diet plan, come chat with our Durham personal trainers to get started on a healthier you!

We hope you Durham fitness lovers enjoy this article! And as always, thank you Dr. Goglia for your excellent insight!


The “YES” Pre-Workout Food List:

  • Raw Seeds: Raw seeds off a great source of fat as an energy source pre-workout. If the husks of the seeds do not adversely affect your digestion then they can be a great pre-workout choice. Make sure to consume between 100 and 150 calories of seeds before workout and give your body about 20 min to digest them. It is even better if the seeds are nuts like 12 almonds or almond butter 100 c mixed with 1 fruit portion. The sugar and fat combination will be extremely energizing and sustainable for a workout of 90 minutes or less. Try the nuts or nut butters with an apple… YUM!
  • Hummus and/or Bean Dips : Bean dip and hummus are sugar based with added oils. If you are not gastrically sensitive to that combination then the use of 1 tbsp 100 – 120 c before a workout can be energy sustaining. There are many benefits to beans as long as they have been soaked prior to cooking to release the mold from them. If not soaked you run the risk of consuming a high mold food that can lead to inflammation and reduction of oxygen consumption. Generally speaking, because the bean does take considerable preparation and the risk of molds. Most athletes distance themselves from consistent bean use and only using them intermittently and sparing unless on a vegetarian or vegan program

How does what you eat affect your energy level/ability to exercise?

Foods prior to exercise should be strategically consumed based on the time spent exercising and the type of exercise, ie. weights vs endurance or aerobic sport. The wrong foods or hydration choose will greatly reduce your training intensity and your results

Anything else you think is important to add to this article?

There are so many pre-training foods to choose from on the market! I say keep it simple and basic! A pre-training, 90 min or less, low-glycemic meal should be approx 200 calories with a fairly even split of sugar and fat, providing sustainable even energy.  All of my athletes either use a bonk breaker bar or they keep it even simpler : 1 fruit with 1 tbsp of almond butter. Again, keep it simple — no fake science!


Meet Dr. Philip Goglia
President & Founder of Performance Fitness Concepts

Dr. Philip Goglia  has been a certified nutritionist for over 30 years and holds a PhD in Nutritional Science in addition to being a graduate of Duke University, The American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. His nutritional expertise is fully measurable, with the proven ability to take all of his clients and athletes to the highest level of their performance and competitive abilities. He has a pedigree of athletic history himself as a high school and collegiate All-American wrestler, a storied 12 year history as a rugby player, a Mr. North America bodybuilding champion, and a Grand-Am motorsports race car driver.

Dr. Goglia’s bestselling book, “Turn up the Heat – Unlock the Fat Burning Power of Your Metabolism” is an acclaimed “Best Seller” and was featured on E! Entertainment, CNN, People Magazine, In Touch, Life and Style, In style, Men’s Fitness and Vogue. He is the official nutritional consultant for the Dr. Phil show and The Doctors television shows, and was the nutritionist for Jennifer Grey, for her season 11 win on Dancing with the Stars (and the oldest winner).

Having been a three time cancer survivor and once told that he would never walk correctly again or play a sport, he fully understands the commitment it takes to emotionally and physically take a stand for health and well-being. Daily, he supports his clients to overcome their wellness obstacles through the use of his years of education, life experience and wisdom.


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Pro-Tips from Our Private Gym in Durham: The WORST Foods to Eat Before Working Out

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We are continuing our fantastic series with famed personal trainer Phillip Goglia! We have disussed proper hydration, diet, and overall fitness! Today we are taking nutrition one step further and reviewing foods NOT to eat before you workout! If you’re loving this series and feel inspired to reboot your fitness and diet plan, come chat with our Durham personal trainers to get started on a healthier you!

We hope you Durham fitness lovers enjoy this article! And as always, thank you Dr. Goglia for your excellent insight!


The ‘NO” Pre-Workout Food List:

  1. Leafy Greens : prior to workout leafy greens will create the risk of abdominal distention, gas, and bloating. Greens are a great source of minerals and antioxidants, but are primarily useful for digestion and NOT as an energizing pre-workout meal
  2. Chocolate Milk : Prior to working out, the use of dairy and its sugars – maltose and lactose – will cause bloating and digestive discomfort. Additionally the sugars found in dairy are inflammatory and mucus producing. In fact, they inhibit the full use of our oxygen pathways. This is why when you speak to athletes and ask them about their dairy consumption, they will all tell you that they do not consume any dairy pre or post-workout as it is like eating moderately hard phlegm. Most of all, dairy can contribute to elevated triglyceride levels and inflammation.
  3. Whole Grain Breads and Muffins: Stay away from carbohydrates that are yeast mold and gluten bound. They are inflammatory, water retentive, and ultimately inflammatory. They provide energy obviously as they are a sugar — but the side effects far out weigh the benefit of sugar energy as a pre-workout meal.
  4. Last night’s Pad Thai: The convenient but bad pre-workout move. These heavy foods lots of digestion time and will hinder workout intensity and fat utilization. Mostly it will set you up for a nap rather than a workout!
  5. Sports Drinks: NOT prior to a workout. Many of these sports drinks are high sodium and sugar and contain caffeine, all of which will cause digestive discomfort and a type of energy that will be “spikey” at best. These sports drinks over load our cells with electrolytes prior to depletion — at which point your body will have difficulty establishing a sweat rate and its ability to manage an appropriate temperature while training. The result will be poor performance during your workout
  6. Protein Bars: There is NO such thing as a protein bar — Does your PROTEIN bar taste like salmon – chicken – steak ? Doubtful!  Chances are your favorite protein bar has some kind of low grade protein in it. If you must choose to use a pre-workout bar make sure it is one that offers up honest marketing that is a health 50 / 50 split of sugar and fat to be used for sustainable workout energy — examples are a bonk breaker bar. This is my favorite choice and the choice of cyclists and multi sport athletes. The other OK choices are a KIND bar or CLIFF bar – all solid choices.
  7. No foods with saturated fats that require long digestive periods

How does what you eat affect your energy level/ability to exercise?

Foods prior to exercise should be strategically consumed based on the time spent exercising and the type of exercise, ie. weights vs endurance or aerobic sport. The wrong foods or hydration choose will greatly reduce your training intensity and your results

Anything else you think is important to add to this article?

There are so many pre-training foods to choose from on the market! I say keep it simple and basic! A pre-training, 90 min or less, low-glycemic meal should be approx 200 calories with a fairly even split of sugar and fat, providing sustainable even energy.  All of my athletes either use a bonk breaker bar or they keep it even simpler : 1 fruit with 1 tbsp of almond butter. Again, keep it simple — no fake science!


Meet Dr. Philip Goglia
President & Founder of Performance Fitness Concepts

Dr. Philip Goglia  has been a certified nutritionist for over 30 years and holds a PhD in Nutritional Science in addition to being a graduate of Duke University, The American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. His nutritional expertise is fully measurable, with the proven ability to take all of his clients and athletes to the highest level of their performance and competitive abilities. He has a pedigree of athletic history himself as a high school and collegiate All-American wrestler, a storied 12 year history as a rugby player, a Mr. North America bodybuilding champion, and a Grand-Am motorsports race car driver.

Dr. Goglia’s bestselling book, “Turn up the Heat – Unlock the Fat Burning Power of Your Metabolism” is an acclaimed “Best Seller” and was featured on E! Entertainment, CNN, People Magazine, In Touch, Life and Style, In style, Men’s Fitness and Vogue. He is the official nutritional consultant for the Dr. Phil show and The Doctors television shows, and was the nutritionist for Jennifer Grey, for her season 11 win on Dancing with the Stars (and the oldest winner).

Having been a three time cancer survivor and once told that he would never walk correctly again or play a sport, he fully understands the commitment it takes to emotionally and physically take a stand for health and well-being. Daily, he supports his clients to overcome their wellness obstacles through the use of his years of education, life experience and wisdom.


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Pro Tips from Our Durham Gym: All About Nutrition with Dr. Phillip Goglia

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Today we are continuing our series with celebrity trainer, Phillip Goglia! Today it is ALL about nutrition and proper eating… And trust us when we say it’s good!

What’s your number one rule when it comes to nutrition?

  • Avoid foods that have multi-ingredients, such as breads, muffins, bagels, pastries, cereal, etc. Basically, any baked goods that include yeast, sugar, mold, and gluten.
  • Avoid diet foods that suggest low or no fat and/or low or no sugar.
  • Always try to properly hydrate your body. You should be drinking 1/2 oz to 1 oz of water per each lb. you weigh DAILY.
  • While each person’s metabolic body type is different, for a healthy diet, you should eat high fat fish, 1-ingredient carbohydrates like potatoes, rice, yams, fruits, and vegetables
  • Try to eliminate as much dairy from your diet as possible. A splash of milk in your coffee is okay though!
  • Never rely on supplementation over food and exercise
  • The biggest protein meal you eat should be at night. This is when your body has time to rest and repair your muscle tissue.
  • Looking for a great pre-workout snack? Eat raw nuts (12) with a piece o fruit. This is a great source of fat as an energy source and the sugar and fat combination will be extremely energizing and sustainable for a workout of 90 minutes or less.
  • Avoid sports drinks. Many of them are high in sodium and sugar, even some containing caffeine, which will cause digestive discomfort. The type of energy you get from sports drinks will be “spikey” at best and not sustainable.
  • Often I’m asked what type of protein bars are best to eat. There is no such thing as a protein bar! Does your protein bar taste like salmon, chicken or steak? Doubtful. It probably tastes like chocolate or cookies. Chances are, it’s a sugar with a fairy dusting of some kind of low grade protein in it. Don’t be fooled by crafty marketing. If its not fish, poultry, steak,  eggs or nuts, its not a protein. If you choose to use a pre-workout bar, make sure it is one that offers up honest marketing that is a health 50 / 50 split of sugar and fat to be used for sustainable workout energy. Examples are Bonk Breaker bars, my favorite choice and the choice of cyclists and multi sport athlete.
  • Do not under-eat

What factors do you consider when creating a personalized plan for your clients?

Above and beyond the assessment of lifestyle and personal goals– health history and medical conditions as well as likes and dislikes nutritionally. I ask questions regarding sleep patterns, digestion, energy levels, cravings, current eating patterns, exercise regiment, illness, and disease. In addition to the evaluations, blood is taken to assess a full lipid profile with glucose and hematocrit and hemoglobin assessment. This assessment provides nutritional information regarding macro nutrient tolerance ultimately classifying or blue printing an individual’s metabolic type, ie. fat and protein efficient, carbohydrate efficient, or dual.

Once metabolically typed the next hurdle is caloric assessment – Does the individual even eat enough food to generate enough caloric heat to burn fat as an energy source? Most people under-eat as they view food as adversarial– the thing that makes them fat — and in turn,  are in a constant state of disrepair. This is called being in acatabolic state vs. anabolic repairing state. The result is water retention, fat hoarding, exhaustion, inconsistent digestion moods, and sleep patterns. They do not understand that their performance is 80% food and 20% exercise. In fact, most see it in the exact opposite light.

Ask any athlete they would all tell you: Foods first — exercise second – repair repair repair.

What are the eating patterns of your clients?

My clients are set up on a foundation food pattern. This pattern shifts calorically and nutritionally every 7 days and includes 1 cheat meal weekly – if they are compliant,  the average body fat loss per week is 1.3%. That percentage could result in no scale weight loss or up to five pounds per week. Remember, scale weight is a secondary factor for assessment! Body composition and clothing fit being first and foremost! The goal is to weigh as much as you can while taking up less room in the room! It’s all about dress size, not dress weight!

What are your top 3 tips for a healthy diet?

  • Proper hydration
  • Individually appropriate macro-nutrient patterns and caloric patterns consumed daily and weekly to ensure a metabolically anabolic environment free of inflammation and fat retention
  • Consistent food patterning over 7 day periods dynamically changed weekly with foods that do not include dairy, yeast, mold gluten, and refined sugars.

What is the most common mistake people make when it comes to nutrition?

  • Caloric reduction or restriction
  • Reliance on supplementation over food and exercise
  • Expecting and deserving results too quickly rather than investing in the journey and lifestyle aspects of nutrition and exercise and the life lessons and accountability learned from the successes and obstacles
  • Lack of hydration
  • Placing the importance of exercise over proper food patterning
  • Adversarial vs. advocacy of foods, ie. the thought that food should be calorically restrictive as it is the thing that makes us fat
  • The belief that the afternoon pastry or chocolate bar will fix a bad hair day or a tough day at work

Are there any foods people should try to avoid?

  • Foods that are multi-ingredient like breads, muffins, bagels, pastries, and cereals
  • Dairy products
  • Diet foods that are low or no fat or low or no sugar that are manufactured
  • Plumped poultry
  • Meat glue
  • Soy
  • Juices
  • Dried fruit

What foods would you recommend for someone trying to do a healthy detox?

Foods that are high in essential fatty acids, co-enzymes, nitric oxide, and naturally-occurring high iron foods as well as 1 ingredient starches like yams.

What would be your advice for someone trying to lose weight in terms of what they should include/ditch in their diet?

Avoid:

  • Foods that are multi ingredient like breads muffins bagels pastries cereals – any bake good that is yeast sugar mold gluten bound
  • Diet foods that are low or no fat or low or no sugar that are manufactured
  • Plumped poultry
  • Meat glue
  • Dairy
  • Soy
  • Juices
  • Dried fruit

Include :

  • High fat fish
  • 1 ingredient carbohydrates
  • Organic poultry
  • Fresh fruits
  • Fresh vegetables

Do you have a particular nutrition plan for clients who have a red carpet or major event coming up?

Absolutely! We call it 7 days of “food jail” — lots of fatty fish and tomatoes.


Meet Dr. Philip Goglia

President & Founder of Performance Fitness Concepts

Dr. Philip Goglia  has been a certified nutritionist for over 30 years and holds a PhD in Nutritional Science in addition to being a graduate of Duke University, The American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. His nutritional expertise is fully measurable, with the proven ability to take all of his clients and athletes to the highest level of their performance and competitive abilities. He has a pedigree of athletic history himself as a high school and collegiate All-American wrestler, a storied 12 year history as a rugby player, a Mr. North America bodybuilding champion, and a Grand-Am motorsports race car driver.

Dr. Goglia’s bestselling book, “Turn up the Heat – Unlock the Fat Burning Power of Your Metabolism” is an acclaimed “Best Seller” and was featured on E! Entertainment, CNN, People Magazine, In Touch, Life and Style, In style, Men’s Fitness and Vogue. He is the official nutritional consultant for the Dr. Phil show and The Doctors television shows, and was the nutritionist for Jennifer Grey, for her season 11 win on Dancing with the Stars (and the oldest winner).

Having been a three time cancer survivor and once told that he would never walk correctly again or play a sport, he fully understands the commitment it takes to emotionally and physically take a stand for health and well-being. Daily, he supports his clients to overcome their wellness obstacles through the use of his years of education, life experience and wisdom.


Thanks again Dr. Goglia! If you’re in need of additional diet and nutritional guidance, come chat with our personal trainers in Durham!


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