Beware of the Exercise Myth: How to Balance Working out and Eating Right

With the ongoing rise of weight loss reality television and new gyms popping up on every street corner you might be under the impression that the best way to lose weight is to exercise hard and often. Unfortunately, after months of consistent daily exercise and gym membership fees you may find yourself still holding the weight you were hoping to lose. This hard-work-with-no-results phenomenon is well-known by doctors, and is commonly referred to as the Exercise Myth, and the more you know about it, the better you can avoid becoming a victim of it.

When you’re at the gym, pumping weights and running on the treadmill, your muscle tissues break down. This is what causes the burning sensation in your muscles after exercise. When your workout is complete, your body begins rapidly recovering from the loss of tissue, using your body’s available protein to rebuild muscle. Regrettably, without enough protein, your body is likely to rebuild your muscles to their previous state. In other words, you will not be stronger and the muscle will end up the same size.

Moreover, strenuous workouts tend to result in overeating, which in turn leads to an increase in weight gain. Those unaware of the Exercise Myth may find themselves in a vicious cycle, always working out but never shedding the desired weight.

How does one avoid such a calamitous cycle? The simple answer is proper nutrition and dieting. Any diet that focuses on exercise and ignores nutrition will surely fail. The only surefire way to lose weight, gain muscle, and be fit is to maintain a proper balance of both diet and exercise.

During and after hard workouts your body requires protein, so your diet must be adjusted to include more of it. To escape the myth and start seeing more serious results, consume at least 30 grams of protein every 6 hours. It may sound like a cumbersome task, but this can easily be done by drinking the Boca Health protein shake. With this much protein enriching your daily diet you’ll be able to see significant results from your workout routine.

The Difference Between Weight Loss Foods and Medical Foods

If you’ve tried to lose weight at any point during the past decade you’ve probably come across quite a few fad diets. These are the diet plans that claim to help you shed extra pounds quickly and with minimal effort. These diets often claim that weight loss can be as simple as eating specially designed cookies and nothing else, or sticking to a rigid meal plan. Unfortunately dieting is never that simple. Along with healthy eating habits, exercise is very important. Though various fad diets offer branded food products that don’t live up to their claims, some diet foods are truly healthy and useful. These are known as medical foods.

So what is medical food? According to the FDA, medical food is any food formulated to be consumed under the supervision of a doctor and intended for specific dietary management. Medical foods cannot be found in grocery stores and shopping centers like the products offered by many popular diets. Medical foods are intended to meet the specific nutritional requirements of a disease or condition, be it obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, or any other medical condition. A doctor suggests the consumption of a medical food much in the same way he or she would prescribe medication. Medical foods are typically formulated by doctors for patients receiving ongoing medical supervision.

The Boca Health Protein Shake is a prime example of a medical food. At Boca Health, doctors perform an analysis of each patient, and then prepare a specific diet plan. The Boca Health Protein Shake was designed by the medical weight loss doctors at Boca Health to aid their patients achieve their weight loss goals.

For more information on Boca Health’s products and services, visit one of three locations in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Lauderdale Lakes and Miami.

Metabolic Syndrome and how it affects you

If you struggle with being overweight or obese you may be at risk for developing Metabolic Syndrome. A recent report on obesity trends by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that 34% of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight or obese, and of that 34%, 50 million overweight Americans suffer from metabolic syndrome. So what is metabolic syndrome?

Your body naturally produces insulin, which is responsible for controlling the creation of blood sugar in the body. Metabolic syndrome causes the body to actively block insulin, leading to a rise in insulin and blood sugar levels. If not prevented or properly treated, metabolic syndrome may lead to diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure and more.

Metabolic syndrome has no single cause. The condition is brought on by a mixture of factors, all of which relate to obesity. People with excess weight around the hips (commonly called “pear-shaped” or “apple-shaped”) are most susceptible to metabolic syndrome. The condition can arise due to physical inactivity, high blood pressure, high glucose or high cholesterol levels. In other words, obesity is a major factor in metabolic syndrome, but the condition can be avoided by staying fit.

If you are worried you may have developed metabolic syndrome visit a medical weight loss doctor. The physicians at Boca Health have spent years studying this condition and can properly diagnose at-risk patients. For a full health analysis, visit any of Boca Health’s locations in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Lauderdale Lakes and Miami.

How Cactus Can Help You Lose Weight

Have you ever eaten a cactus? There’s a good chance your answer to that question is “no.” Though cactus isn’t necessarily something you want to eat, it does have quite a few nutritional benefits. One particular cactus extract has been used in India as a natural appetite suppressant for over 100 years. This unique and powerful extract is now available from Boca Health in the form of Slimaluma.

Slimaluma combines this and three other extracts to create a powerful, organic weight loss suppressant. The patented cactus extract has been proven to reduce body fat and body mass index (BMI) by inhibiting the cells responsible for creating fats.

Green Tea extract is another key component of Slimaluma. The specially selected green tea contained in Slimaluma is naturally infused with high levels of concentrated EGCG, a chemical known to increase thermogenesis and fat oxidation. In simpler terms, EGCG speeds up and intensifies the burning of fats, making weight loss more manageable.

Extracts from cocoa nut and yerb mate are also infused in Slimaluma. These two extracts are proven natural stimulants, providing caffeine for energy and theobromine for more fat burning power. The yerb mate extract acts as a cleanser for the body, promoting detoxification during weight loss. This exotic extract also can prolong the feeling of fullness, which is a key to losing weight.

Slimaluma isn’t like other weight suppressants, which are often dangerous synthetics. Slimaluma is all-natural, Certified Kosher, Certified Halal, and Certified Organic. Recent studies have shown that regular use of Slimaluma can reduce new fat cells by up to 35%. If you’re looking for a natural product to augment your current diet, Slimaluma is the perfect suppressant for you. Slimaluma is now available from Boca Health. For more information visit any of Boca Health’s locations in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Lauderdale Lakes and Miami.

Everything You Need to Know About Branch-Chain Amino Acids

Whether it’s avoiding carbs at all cost or eating nothing but special cookies, these “commercial” diets rarely provide the long-term success that dieters are hoping for. To lose weight and build a better physique one must learn to be a smart dieter. This means getting down to the nitty-gritty of the science behind the minerals and nutrients that affect your body everyday. Case in point: Branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs).

Why is it important to understand BCAAs? The three main components of the group, leucine, isoleucine, and valine, are considered the building blocks of the body. Without these amino acids no molecular growth of any sort can occur in the body. That means no development of muscle, fat, or tissue of any sort. Though the BCAAs involve themselves in all facets of growth, the majority of their work is dedicated to muscle development. Six different amino acids are utilized by muscle tissue to create energy, but of the six, the three BCAAs have the greatest metabolic potential. In other words, your muscles use a few different amino acids, but they play favorites with BCAAs.

Muscle growth is commonly considered the complement of weight loss, and BCAAs work in accordance with this concept. As a direct result of metabolic development in the muscles, BCAAs also contribute to the release of fats for energy. Simply put, the more muscle you build, the more weight you lose, and it’s all thanks to those hard-working BCAAs.

An active body uses about  4 to 8 grams of BCAAs daily. Studies have determined that consuming 5 to 12 grams of BCAAs daily can increase muscle growth and expedite muscle recovery after exercise. This requirement can be easily met through the use of the delicious Boca Health Protein Shake.

Losing Weight and Building Muscle with HMB

It should come as no surprise that weight loss and muscle growth are directly related. When exercising, your body simultaneously burns fat and develops protein, putting you one step closer to having that perfect beach body. Amino acids create the link between losing weight and building muscle. Through a number of chemical reactions, amino acids produce protein while burning off fat for energy. During the recovery stage of a workout those newly created proteins become muscle tissue, while the fat stays off.

One particular amino acid stands out among the rest due to its key role in this process. That amino acid is leucine, which is powered by HMB, an essential metabolite. Though the body produces very small amounts of HMB, it’s role in muscle growth is far more expansive. HMB is a major force behind protein synthesis. The proteins created by HMB are used by the body to develop muscle tissue and decrease muscle degradation. In other words, HMB makes your body stronger while providing “routine maintenance” for the muscle you already have.

The benefits of HMB don’t stop at muscle development. As mentioned earlier, HMB is a metabolite. Metabolites are heavily involved in the burning of fat for energy during exercise. That means looking better and feeling better after every workout, thanks in part to the power of HMB. On average, the body produces between 0.2 and 0.4 grams of HMB daily. This is a negligible amount, less than what the body needs to truly take advantage of such a useful metabolite. Current research advises a daily intake of about 1.5 to 3 grams of HMB for significant results. HMB is commonly found in grapefruit, catfish and alfalfa, three things you probably don’t eat on a regular basis. Fortunately, HMB is provided in the Boca Health Protein Shake, among over 100 other necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

Snack healthy and lose weight with Boca Health’s protein shake

When you’re working more eight hours a day or more, it can be tough to keep up with a diet. Long days lead to hunger, and the desire to fill your stomach may lead you to grab something quick and easy, like fast food. A few trips to your local burger joint could set you back months from your weight loss goal. But don’t worry; on those days when you can’t find the time to prepare a healthy meal you can still provide your body with the nutrients it needs.

Enter the Boca Health Protein Shake. This delicious shake was designed by Boca Health’s very own doctors as a healthy replacement for any meal. This vegetarian-friendly shake is loaded with proteins and amino acids like leucine, a major factor in muscle growth. The healthy fats included in the shake give your body a sense of fullness, helping you keep those snack cravings to a minimum.  Also infused in the Boca Health Shake is an adequate serving of carbohydrates; just enough to keep you energized through the day without overdoing it. Add to this mixture a few well-needed servings of essential minerals, fibers and digestive enzymes and you’ve got the perfect meal supplement. Best of all, this drink is designed to help you lose weight.

The next time you think you might be stuck in traffic with an empty stomach or too busy with work to go out for lunch, just remember to pack a bottle of Boca Health Protein Shake. You’ll be satisfying your hunger, your body and your peace of mind without putting on any extra pounds.

Juice and Weight Loss Don’t Mix

Take a moment and imagine yourself in this scenario:

You’ve just arrived home from a long, tiring day at work and you’re exhausted. The thirty minutes you spent sitting in 5 o’clock traffic with an empty cup holder have left you quite thirsty. With a quick glance in the fridge you assess your options: a few cans of coke and a bottle of 100% grape juice. Which of the two is the healthier choice for your diet?

For most, the answer is a no-brainer. Fruit juices are packed with a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Coke is full of sugar, calories and carbonation. So the grape juice is the way to go, right? Not exactly, look at the chart below.

	12 oz can of Coke	12 oz glass of Grape Juice
Carbs	40 grams	60 grams
Sugar	10 teaspoons	15 teaspoons
Calories	145 calories	240 calories

The content of the grape juice is higher than that of the coke in every category, with almost 100 more calories. The unfortunate truth is that though fruit juices provide many of the vitamins your body needs, they’re still heavily loaded with sugar, calories and carbohydrates. In this scenario you’d be better off drinking the coke, but not by much.

Of course, coke is not a healthy beverage and should not be the drink of choice in your diet. When you’re thirsty and trying to stay healthy, your best choice is always water, and to gain those needed vitamins and minerals you should eat fruit, rather than drink fruit juice.

At Boca Health our physicians and staff are keen on these subtle but common dieting misconceptions. Our balanced diet programs emphasize protein, healthy fats and better carbohydrate choices to ensure sustained weight loss. If you’d like to see how the Boca Health Diet can work for you, set up an appointment for a complementary consultation.

Weight loss not just diet & exercise

Typically when people think of weight loss they think of two very general terms: diet and exercise. These two practices in combination are generally thought to be the key behind losing weight and being healthy. Unfortunately losing weight is not as simple as diet and exercise. There are numerous factors involved in gaining weight, both environmental and medical, and the same idea applies to weight loss.

The very same factors that lead to weight gain and obesity are ultimately connected to other serious health issues. When the physicians at Boca Health create weight loss plans for our patients we don’t ignore medical issues. Boca Health’s metabolism and weight loss physicians will work with you on a variety of low calorie, high protein programs that may include HCG, an appetite suppressant that targets stored fat. 

This combination of smart dieting, consistent exercise and supplementary medication will work to correct weight gain caused by medical issues or other environmental factors.

New mattress for weight loss?

If you have complaints about your mattress, it may be time for a new one. A new study found that good sleep is essential to weight loss and overall health.

A report in the International Journal of Obesity found that sleep and lower stress levels help individuals shed weight more easily. If your planning to lose weight make sure you are getting the right amount of quality sleep.

If you are having trouble following asleep follow these tips:

1. Set a regular bedtime. Choose a time when you regularly feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn in bed.  Stick with this time even on the weekends.
2. Wake up at the same time every day. As with bedtime, choose a regular time to wake up. Try to maintain your regular wake-time even on the weekends.
3. Take naps. If you’ve missed some sleep, don’t make it up by sleeping past your wake-time, take naps instead. A nap won’t disrupt your natural sleep cycle but will help you regain lost sleep. If you suffer from insomnia keep your naps to 30 minutes and do it in the early afternoon.
4. Fight after-dinner drowsiness. Don’t give in , engage in mildly stimulating activities to prevent going to bed before you regular bedtime.
5. Keep the noise down. People sleep better when there is quiet.
6. Keep your room dark and cool. Dim lights could confuse your internal clock so it is best to block all light from entering your bedroom. The temperature in your room can also affect sleep and should be kept around 65° F.
7. Make sure your bed is comfortable. Your bed should be big enough that you can stretch and turn comfortably. Your mattress and bedding are also important, if you are waking up with aches it may be time for a new mattress.
8. Turn off the TV. The noise, content and lights from the TV can all interfere with a good nights sleep.
9. The bed is for sleeping. If you associate your bed with activities such as work or errands, it will be hard to wind down at night.
10. Eat Right and get regular exercise. Avoid things such as late dinners, alcohol before bed, a caffeine rich diet, and lots of liquids before bed. What you put into your body plays a role in how well you sleep. Exercising regularly can also help you sleep more deeply.

Sleep may not be the only medical factor preventing weight loss, make a free consultation today with South Florida’s premier weight loss doctors.