What’s the research say?

After searching PubMed, the research archives of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health, I found nothing…nada…zip.

However, several studies have been used to promote the Lemon Juice Diet.

One being from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition which found that the pectin in Lemon Peels help reduce hunger pangs for up to four hours. Pectin is also found in other fruits such as apples. Call me crazy but eating an organic apple is more appetizing than chomping on a lemon peel.

The other study came from researchers at Arizona State University. The researchers suggested that people who eat more vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables tend to digest foods and lose weight more easily than people who do not consume as much vitamin C rich produce. Since this study is not exclusive to lemons, they are reaching a bit. However, this study does show some of the benefits of lemons.

Bottom line

I could go on for pages on this subject; however, most people won’t take the time to read it. So here is the bottom line…

Lemon juice does not directly burn more calories or more fat. But rather it works indirectly by improving digestion and detoxification. When the body is toxic and unable to digest and absorb foods properly, it becomes inflamed. In this stressed state the body does not burn fat efficiently.

Fresh squeezed Lemon juice and supplements like Betaine HCL and Gentian Root help improve digestion by stimulating the production of adequate amounts of stomach acid.

When stomach acid is sufficient then the body becomes less inflamed, bloating and belching often subside and as the body heals itself it begins to burn fat more efficiently and becomes leaner.

Lemon juice is not a miracle weight loss cure and contrary to what some TV personalities claim, there is no research to show that it will cause the body to “burn an extra 100 calories per day.” It is beneficial for health reasons and when combined with a consistent nutrition and training plan, you will achieve a leaner, more defined body.

To obtain the benefits of Lemon Juice try this:

1. Take the juice of 1 organic lemon and mix it with 4 ounces of room temperature water. Drink it first thing in the morning. You can add a dash of cayenne pepper for a calorie-burning boost. Many people report a noticeable increase in energy afterwards.

2. Add freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice to your water. If you want to make it sweet then add a few drops of the natural sweetener Stevia. This healthy “Lemonade” helps lower stress hormone levels (cortisol) in the body.

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1) Spend most of your time on the perimeter of the store.
Most of the food you should be buying is on the outside, around the aisles. Of course there will be some foods you need to pick up in the aisles but most of your food is on the outside. For instance, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and low fat dairy is all on the perimeter.

2) Check all labels.
Labels can be misleading. You are going to have to be a detective and check calories, calories from fat, and serving size to name a few.

3) Plan your list.
Don’t fail to plan. If you don’t have a list with you, you might be more tempted to buy unhealthy foods. If they are not on your list you won’t even think of them (hopefully). What I do is write out all my meals for the week. I then see what foods I need for the meals and buy accordingly.

4) Hit the store at least once per week.
If you are not grocery shopping at least once per week and perhaps more, you are not eating optimally. Of course some foods will last but many healthy foods that you should be eating will go bad so you have to consume them and then buy more.

5) Get in–Get out.
When i go shopping, I have my list, i put what’s on the cart, and i check out. That’s all i have time for. If I hang around too often I’ll purchase things I may later regret.

6) Ease up on the drinks that have calories.
Most of your drinks should be calorie free such as water and green tee. Of course you can and should treat yourself in moderation. I have a “cheat day” every Sunday afternoon!

7) Buy only vegetable-base pasta.
Pasta is a source of carbohydrate, and it has been a favorite pre-event carb loading food for marathon runners, but it’s refined which makes it more likely to convert to triglycerides and be stored as fat. In some lean or in the body of an endurance athlete, the carb calories will likely used for energy needs, so there is room for pasta, but if leanness is a primary goal, you’d do better using potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc as your starchy sources. The more a food resembles its natural state (we don’t grow pasta) the more nutritionally valuable it’s going to be. Corn, peas and tomatoes are also very good starchy carb sources when integrated into supportive meals. With that said, If you can find a good natural market you can buy spinach pasta, tomato pastas, or whole wheat pastas. These are not ideal, but are more nutritionally valuable than the white super market pastas.

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Approximately 68% of Americans suffer from some type of sleep disorder. A restless night or two has victimized us all; however, it seems as though our high stress society is creating an epidemic of sorts. And I don’t mean just a sleep epidemic but an obesity epidemic.

In fact, a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that cutting back on sleep increases appetite, slows fat loss and lowers metabolism by causing a loss of muscle tissue.

The study director Plamen Penev, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago said it best, “If your goal is to lose fat, skipping sleep is like poking sticks in your bicycle wheels.”

“Cutting back on sleep, a behavior that is ubiquitous in modern society, appears to compromise efforts to lose fat through dieting. In our study it reduced fat loss by 55 percent.”– Plamen Penev, MD, PhD

Not convinced yet?

In another study from the Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, researchers found that poor sleep patterns increased appetite and cravings. This was due to a disruption in the secretion of the hormones, Ghrelin and Leptin. Both of these hormones play significant roles in metabolism, fat loss and appetite control. Without these hormones in check, sticking to an effective eating plan is beyond challenging.

In my experience with working with thousands of people over the last 15 years, I have witnessed a clear connection between getting adequate sleep and achieving a lean, athletic body that you are proud of.

There are no short cuts. Achieving physical greatness requires the right combination of Physical Training, Effective Eating, Quality Sleep and Mental Conditioning.

Bottom line: Adequate Sleep = Less Fat, More Muscle, Greater Energy and Vitality

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What is the best time of the day to exercise?

The best time to exercise is whatever time you can consistently fit into your schedule.

Don’t get caught up in a pattern where you’re exercising in the morning one day, mid-afternoon the next, then squeezing in an evening workout the following days.

It is best to get into a consistent pattern.

I generally encourage clients to try to fit exercise into their morning routine. I can tell you that morning exercisers are simply more successful at sticking with their program for the long haul. Morning exercise becomes a lifestyle. Exercising before you head off to work allows you to start the day feeling spectacular. You feel productive and ready to take on the challenge of the day.

You may say, “Cavakia, I’m not a morning person. I have to be at work at eight o’clock and there’s no way I’m getting up at 5:00 or 6:00am to exercise.” Every once in a while I’ll get this responce. That’s cool. Then get your workout in later on. Maybe over the lunch hour or right after work. But I’ll tell you that you will generally run into more issues that make it easy to miss workouts if you try to schedule it later in the day. When the day gets busy and push comes to shove, your evening exercise sessions will likely be disrupted.

Here are some facts that will help you pick the right exercise time for you:

Morning exercise allows you to maximize the benefits of something exercise physiologists call EPOC. EPOC stands for “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.” Research shows that exercise increases your resting metabolic rate to varying degrees. People seem to maximize this effect when exercising in the morning.

Lunchtime or afternoon exercise, if it can be squeezed in, will generally help you avoid the mid-afternoon energy dip which naturally plagues human due to our circadian rhythms.

The only thing that I can think of that’s really beneficial about evening exercise is the social implications. Generally evening exercisers are a more social crowd. Want to meet someone special in the gym, than a bar? Evening exercise will maximize your chances.

I should also mention that you probably do not want to workout too late at night. Late-evening exercise may interfere with your ability to sleep for several hours after the workout. Of course, if you feel that you need more energy in the evenings, exercising right after work may be a good option for you. Test it and see what works best for you. Everyone is a little different in regards to how exercise effects their ability to sleep.

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