Eights & Weights Recipe: Sauteed Tofu and Wild Rice

Tofu requires great strategy to cook correctly. There are many different levels of firmness, but unless you are making soup, I always suggest you go for the Extra Firm tofu. This is because you don't want it all broken up in your meal, but solid and ready to absorb whatever it is cooked in.

Even with the extra firmness, tofu can still be pretty soft and brittle if it is not cooked properly. For this reason, some people choose to fry their tofu. However, because that usually involves a lot of oil, I choose to grill mine. That way, I keep the texture, but still keep it clean and healthy.

For this simple meal, let's take a look at what you will need (it serves 4). Please note that you need a grill (I use an indoor electric grill). If you do not have a grill, you can try broiling this in the oven.

May Fitness Basics: No Calories?

People make a common mistake with food: think "low ---" or "organic" means we can eat however much we want. But words like "organic" just mean it is better for your body because artificial fertilizers and hormones were not used to grow, feed, or produce it. They still contain calories and we still have to watch our portions. Portion control is always key.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

May Fitness Basics: Metabolism

I think it is important to understand metabolism. Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy. The amount of energy your body needs to perform basic life functions is called Basal Metabolic Rate. Everyone has a different BMR and it is based on factors like your sex, age, amount of physical activity, etc. e.g. Men naturally burn more than women. However, these basic life functions take up about 70%of your energy needs.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Don't Neglect Your Cardio!

Whether you are trying to lose weight or get that muscle tone to show or just get a healthier heart, cardio is very important. The general recommendation is at least 150 minutes per week. But of course, this could be more depending on your goals. Males tend to lift weights a lot, and sometimes forget that cardio is just as important. You could run, swim, use the elliptical, do HIIT exercises, or whatever. But make sure you get some in today!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

FDA Changes to Nutrition Labels

The US Food and Drug Administration is proposing that nutrition labels be overhauled (the left picture above is the old way and the right is the new proposed way). For some perspective, food labels have not really changed in the last 20 years. The premise for the change is that the real information people need should be highlighted to emphasize calories and added sugars. The FDA is also trying to make sure that serving sizes reflect how people really eat or drink, not random sizes to sometimes drive the calories down like what we see today. So a full bag of chips would reflect the calories on the full bag.

Great news! The jury is still out on whether it would really change the way people eat though.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

What do Calories Mean to Your Waistline?

The body is a very complex machine, but its laws are pretty simple when it comes to weight loss and weight gain. You pretty much consume food to help provide you energy and help your body function. If you consume more than your body needs, it converts it into fat and stores it for a rainy day. This leads to "weight gain".

Jump Rope as Cardio

Running gets the reputation for being "the" cardio exercise pretty much because it is easy to figure out how much you are losing and how fit you are getting. But then a lot of people end up not working out because they hate to run and they think that's the only way to do it. Why not diversify? Try the jump rope!

NutriCrystal Wireless Smart Food Scale Review

Okay, so I'm sure you've read the nutrition information of some food online, and have found it really difficult to translate the information to practical every day life. I mean, who the hell knows what 200g of chicken breast looks like, huh? But sometimes, especially if you are on a strict calorie program, it is easy to veer away from the right track because estimates can be grossly wrong. So of course, when I got the opportunity to review a food scale, I was pretty excited. 

Think Before You Drink That Lemonade

The diet trap that a lot of us fall into is drinking our calories. If something says "fruit" on it, that does not always mean it is the best for you. One of the biggest traps is with lemonade.

What You Drink is Just as Important as What You Eat

So by now we all know how calories affect us, right? Food in - Activity out? Here's a picture to show how it works:

E&W Recipe: Spicy Baked Chicken Breast and Pasta

We love food here. But healthy tasty food is even better. And healthy tasty spicy food is much much better. I could keep going but I'll just get to the recipe :)

E&W Recipe: Baked Plantain and Egg Sauce

Plantains are yum. No, yellow plantains are yum (I like green and all, but the yellow ones are tastier). Like they are God's special gift to us. But they can also be very murderous in the calories department. So the trick is to minimize the portions we eat, and find healthier ways to make them besides frying. Here's one :)

What Does All This Sweat Mean?

As humans who are so obsessed with perfection, we've somehow created this image in our minds that sweating is horrible. Okay, if you're perspiring profusely and giving off rancid smells in the middle of the office, maybe it is kind of bad. But when you work out, it is actually a super duper thing.

When you exercise more and more, usually you learn to control your breath. The reverse is true for sweating. The more performance-oriented your body becomes, the more you tend to sweat. Why? Two reasons: One, you work out more so your body may produce more heat; and two, your body has become proficient in regulating its temperature. 

If you ever took a science class, you know that the purpose of sweat is to cool the body when it overheats. This is why you sweat more when your body produces more heat, like in the sun or even in the gym. And this is the same reason why it takes longer to produce sweat in freezing weather.

But don't just say "Hooray" if you've got to the point when you sweat a lot during exercise. Remember that what liquid you lose needs to be replenished. Which means you also need to be drinking more water or you could get dehydrated easily.

However, do not take this to mean that you burn more calories simply because you sweat more. There are other factors that determine how much sweat you produce besides how hard you work out, like your sex and your genes.

But if you've noticed that you've been steadily producing more and more sweat during exercise, rather than look for a million ways to reduce it or hide it, celebrate it! You work hard!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Chobani Greek Yogurt Review

If you are a fan of yogurt, you've probably heard both good and bad things about it. Recently, Chobani, one of the big makers of Greek yogurt, sent me some flavors of their low fat and fat free yogurt to sample and write a review on. Prior to trying them, I already had a positive nutritional view of Greek yogurt, but as I haven't tried a lot of flavors, I was a little iffy on the taste.

The great thing is that they did send me three flavors as you see in the picture above: Pomegranate (non-fat), Mango (low-fat), and Pineapple (low-fat). Since I adore tropical fruits, this was already looking up for me. I'll provide details on the three individually so that you can determine if any of the flavors work for you. Each contain 6oz.

Mango

Calories: 160

Fat: 3g

Protein: 13g

Pineapple

Calories: 160

Fat: 2.5g

Protein: 13g

Pomegranate

Calories: 140

Fat: 0g

Protein: 14g

See the protein in there? That's about 2 times more protein than regular yogurt! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Post-workout protein shake base! Rather than use regular yogurt as your base, you could try Greek yogurt to give you some extra protein. 

I must admit that I did also like the taste. You have to stir in the fruit on the bottom, but it tastes good once you do. And it does have a creamier consistency than regular yogurt so if cream is your thing, then it's great. My favorite flavor was the mango, but my favorite on nutrition content obviously was the pomegranate.

Chobani also claims the Greek yogurt is made with only natural ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, and no preservatives. So I thought I'd check out the ingredients on the pack. Although it is true that all the ingredients are 'cultures' and 'fruit', some of the fruit content seems to come from fruit concentrate, which I'm not a big fan of. So that is the only part of the Chobani Greek yogurt that does not sit well with me.

What do I think? You should definitely try it. But be aware of the sugar content as well since the fruit comes from fruit concentrate.

Have you tried Chobani? What are your views?

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Sugar vs. Sweeteners: Which is Better for You?

With the way teams on Twitter are going, frankly, I'm surprised people haven't started #TeamSugar and #TeamSweetener yet. If you're not into social networking, you probably won't get that.

Anyway, when you are trying to lose weight or stay healthy, the age old question of "sugar vs. sweetener" always comes up. Is sugar all bad? Are sweeteners super healthy? Well, let's find out.

First off, it is important to understand that there are different kinds of sweeteners: Natural sweeteners vs. Artificial sweeteners.

Natural Sweeteners

As you've probably guessed, the word 'natural' doesn't always tell us what we need to know. Generally, products are called natural because they go through little or no processing. However, that is subject to interpretation as two products can be called natural but have very different effects on the body based on their nutrition content. 

Sometimes, people lean towards some brands of sweeteners because of their exotic names or origins. Some examples of natural sweeteners are honey, molasses, agave nectar, and maple syrup. The truth is that although they require less processing, natural sugars are not that different from regular sugar in the calorie content and in the nutrition value. However, the good thing is that they don't contain a bunch of preservatives or ingredients that make you scratch your head. See below for how natural sweeteners stand compared to sugar.

Artificial Sweeteners

If you don't really have a sweet tooth, it could be difficult getting used to artificial sweeteners because they tend to be much much sweeter than sugar. However, the awesome aspect of artificial sweeteners is that they usually contain little to no calories because they are not carbohydrates. Some examples are: Splenda, and Sweet n' Low.

On the other hand, it is important to be careful with artificial sweeteners because many studies have shown that they are possibly linked to various diseases, including certain types of cancer. How do artificial sweeteners stack up compared to sugar?

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: healthland.time.com

Chicken: To Skin or Not to Skin?

When I cook chicken that I didn't already buy skinless, I usually go through the motions of skinning the chicken. Yes, people have varying opinions of this is really necessary or not. My position is that it is not particularly necessary, but it definitely helps to reduce the temptation to eat the skin when I'm done cooking the chicken.

Okay, that just broke a lot of people's hearts, right? Well, here's a little fact to help you understand how many calories you are cutting down. Unlike other kinds of meat, most of the fat in chicken is in the skin. A 4oz regular chicken breast with skin has about 188 calories, and 3g of saturated fat. If you skinned that same chicken, it would have about 118 calories, and 0.4 grams of saturated fat. Multiply that to the amount you may actually be eating and you see how much of a difference that is!

So you're probably now wondering why I'm all for skinning it BEFORE you cook the chicken. Isn't it the same as just cooking it and then peeling it off? Plus, isn't it way easier that way? I'm not sure about you, but I don't always have the most control in the world when it comes to food, and so it's easier for me to avoid stuffing my face when the food is not on my plate or in my pot. I'm pretty sure some of you are the same. So I skin before I cook so I don't have to look at the juicy piece of skin and then will myself to not eat it.

Also, you may not know this, but the skin actually absorbs most of the spices when you cook the chicken. So peeling it off after you cook it sometimes means losing the flavor of what you just cooked. If you peel it off before, you allow the meat to absorb the spices.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Can't Get the Scale to Budge Anymore?

I always say that the body is like a machine; if you take it to get checked up regularly, keep it oiled, and perform your daily maintenance activities, it would run smoothly. If you don't well... it could catch up to you later on.

However, unfortunately, sometimes, the body gets used to the same routine. i.e. standard meals, standard calorie count, and the same exercise routine. So if you have been consistently working out and losing weight for a while, you may realize you have gotten to a point where the scale would no longer move. This is actually more common than you'd realize.

The good news is that you've noted the problem and can work to fix it. It may seem counter-intuitive sometimes (If you're exercising and eating right, it should be all good, no?), but here are a few steps you can take to get your body back into that fat-zapping state.

Switch up your diet: It doesn't matter whether your whole diet consists of protein shakes or veggies; your body gets used to what you put in it. It basically gets into a fuel-and-burn routine where your carbs come from the same food, your protein comes from the same food, and all your other nutrients come from the same food. To give your metabolism a kick, it is important to change your diet. You still want to keep your calories low, but change what foods your nutrients come from. Also, if you work out a lot, you need to make sure you are getting enough carbs to work out, and enough protein to rebuild muscle.

Change your calorie count: The number of calories you need is relative to your body weight, sex, and activity level. Take a look at this article for more details on the math behind your weight loss goals. Now, if you lose weight, that also means your body needs less calories and so you need to reconfigure your diet to fit your new weight. Sometimes though, you may also need to rev up your metabolism by upping your calorie intake just a little for about 2 or 3 days and then adjusting it back to what you need for your weight loss regimen.

Try new exercises: There is a term called muscle memory, where your muscles work similar to your brain. When you establish a habit, your brain automatically remembers to do it without much effort. Your muscles are similar. When you are used to doing an activity, your muscles require less effort to do the same activity. This means you may be using less energy and burning fewer calories. So mix up your routine to keep your calorie burn up.

Break up your exercise routine: After exercise, your body continues to be in fat-burn mode for a while. If you are used to exercising at one point in the day, you may be losing the chance to get your metabolism revved up during other points in the day. If you break up your routine (e.g. half of it in the morning and half in the evening), that could help burn more because your body would be in fat-burn mode during other points of the day as well.

Strength train: Sometimes, when people are trying to lose weight, they may focus just on cardio exercises. This isn't completely wrong because cardio exercises burn fat. However, building lean muscle also helps the body stay in a state where more fat is burned. And so it is important to get your body toned up so it can keep burning calories even during rest.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Fitbie.msn.com

Aren't all Juices Healthy?

Some juices should be called cocktails, not juices, because I think they serve to confuse the consumers more than help them. I understand that it is cheaper for manufacturers to produce these 'cocktails' since most of the ingredients are non-perishable synthetic chemicals that don't require effort to keep fresh, and thus can be sold for cheaper. However, the word 'juice' makes people believe they are in some form healthier.

Let's face it: not drinking soda does not mean a person is healthy. In fact, some juices are just as bad as soda, containing just as much sugar and not enough actual fruit. See below for an example of the ingredients in a product that is identified as a juice:

Yikes! All I see is various kinds of synthetic sugar, and then some small references to fruit somewhere in the center. If we're going by the rule that manufacturers identify the ingredients in order of quantity with the largest first, then this poses a major problem. You're basically drinking sugar drinking this juice. Now, if you didn't pay attention to the actual contents or the calorie information, and simply thought "Oh, great! Juice.", then you see how this could lead to some unfortunate decisions.

Okay, but if you shouldn't drink all juices, what should you do? First of all, pay attention to the nutrition content. If one glass contains upwards of 100 calories, ask yourself if it is worth giving up that many calories in your day for a drink. 

Second, do all of the calories come from its sugar content? Look at the ingredients. If it's stuff you don't know (What is Carnauba wax?), maybe think twice. Look out for the "100% pure" on the back with the list of ingredients, not on the front with the name.

Now, wouldn't that feel better? 100% fruit and vegetables sounds good to me. I would rather go for tomato juice and other vegetables than fruit because it contains less sugar and helps me stay fuller.

Thirdly, consider this: Can you make it at home? I know things that are properly packaged always seem prettier and juicier, but in reality, the juices we make at home are fresher, more natural, and contain more nutrients than the ones we buy at the store. Plus, you have the free reign to mix and match fruits and veggies as you'd like. The juice below contains spinach and carrots.

If you must buy juice though, some of the best options are 100% cranberry juice (known to prevent urinary tract infections), pomegranate juice (contains tons of antioxidants), and vegetable juices (low in sugar and calories). If you're not hell-bent on juices, another option to try is flavored water. It usally contains 0 calories and it tastes better than water.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: kitchensimplicity.com

All I Need Is A Cup of Tea?

Tea always gets a good name. Everyone says you should be drinking more tea to lose weight and stay healthy. But no ones seems to be able to directly tell you the benefits of tea.

Nutrients in Tea

First off, there are different types of tea, right? There is green, black, white, and a variety of teas specific to certain regions. All these types of tea contain something called flavonoids (you've probably heard of one of these flavonoids called ECGC), which help the body fight against diseases.

Also, tea, like any other drink containing caffeine helps to 'wake you up' and keep you alert.

Unfortunately, a lot of diet companies sell certain teas as weight loss formulas. There has been no conclusive medical evidence that tea in itself helps you lose a lot of weight. Granted, green tea does possess some weight loss qualities, but they are insignificant at best.

The Best Type of Tea

Black, green, white, herbal? What really is the difference? The difference is in how the tea is made. See the excerpt below by Julie Edgar on WebMD:

• Green tea: Made with steamed tea leaves, it has a high concentration of EGCG and has been widely studied. Green tea’s antioxidants may interfere with the growth of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers; prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, counteract oxidative stress on the brain, reduce risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, reduce risk of stroke, and improve cholesterol levels.
• Black tea: Made with fermented tea leaves, black tea has the highest caffeine content and forms the basis for flavored teas like chai, along with some instant teas. Studies have shown that black tea may protect lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette smoke. It also may reduce the risk of stroke.
• White tea: Uncured and unfermented. One study showed that white tea has the most potent anticancer properties compared to more processed teas.
• Herbal tea: Herbal teas are generally made from a plant besides tea. For example, chamomile tea. So though they are called teas, technically, they aren't. However, they are mostly made from healthy substances and so do have their own benefits. For example, hibiscus tea may help to lower blood pressure.

So now you can see why green tea seems to have the most health benefits. Just don't fill it with all the sugar or honey.

Additional Tips

Caffeine can be a great thing if consumed minimally not to allow the body to become dependent on the substance for proper mental function. Watch how much black tea you consume. With the other types, they contain a lower amount of caffeine and so you don't have to be as vigilant with the quantity you drink.

As with anything you eat, go for natural vs. processed. Use tea leaves or a tea bag where you can, rather than the powdered iced teas or pre-made teas. Those things contain a lot of sugar.  Tea itself has 0 calories (that's right: ZERO), so the calories you see on packs is all in the additives.

What kind of tea do you drink the most?

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: londonlady.hubpages.com

What you Didn't Know About the Banana

You've either heard that bananas are great or they are bad (There's no middle ground with rumors). Some folks say the banana is great simply because it is a fruit. Others say the banana is bad because it tastes so sweet. So what is reality? The banana is more complex than that.

Calories: A medium banana can contain about 110 calories. But rather than just say a banana contains more calories than other fruits, it is important to understand why. If you look at a banana, it is denser than most other fruits because it contains less water (which is why we don't refer to them as 'juicy'). Thus, there is more actual fruit in a banana than there is in most fruits, and they make you get full faster. Because they satisfy you more, people tend to eat less of them. All I would say is that because you know how many calories are in it, don't go eating 3 as a snack.

Potassium: I'm sure you hear this a lot, but you're probably like "who cares about potassium anyway?". I'll tell you why you should care, especially if you are an athlete (we are all aspiring athletes on here, yea?). The high amounts of potassium in bananas can lower blood pressure and the risk of stroke, replace electrolytes lost with sweat, and stimulate your muscles, nerves and brain cells. Athletes tend to take bananas to prevent muscle cramping and replenish the muscles after a tough workout.

Sweetness: A medium banana contains about 19 grams of sugar, which is more than most fruits. Let's be honest though, most fruits do contain a lot of sugars. The positive benefit is that compared to the sugars in desserts, these sugars are natural and can provide well-needed energy. And we all know natural is better than processed. If you are doing a hard workout and need to quickly replenish your body, the banana is probably a better way to go than energy drinks as it replenishes you quickly and more naturally.

Fiber: Fiber is great for the digestive system, and although bananas don't contain a very high amount, then do contain a good amount of fiber for a snack. A medium banana can contain about 3g of fiber (compared to the 30 or so we usually need per day). So if your food has some trouble going down and out, maybe introduce a banana into your daily diet to help?

Other nutrients: The fat content in a banana is pretty low compared to the sugar content. One banana still usually has basically no fat, sodium, or cholesterol (less than a gram). And of course, they are high in vitamin C, B6, and magnesium.

So what's the verdict? Bananas are great as part of a healthy diet, but you need to be careful with how much you eat because they could stack up your calorie count pretty easily. However, the health benefits outweigh any negatives, especially for athletes. Just don't look for banana-flavored items because there's nothing like the real thing!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: opposingdigits.com