Tag: cleanmetabolic

Sugar vs. Low-calorie Alternatives

A calorie-conscious diet is important to many people today. Especially sugar is a red rag for many and so you can find more and more sugar substitutes and sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, succralose, mannitol, sorbitol and many more in various foods.

These artificial sugar alternatives are not only used in confectionery. They are also contained in many processed products, beverages and so-called ‘light’ products. Sweeteners usually have a very low or even no calorie content, whereas sugar substitutes, with about 40% of the calorie count, are only reduced in calories compared to household sugar.

Consumers are often easily misled on this topic. Reduced-calorie products are usually understood as “healthy” and are therefore preferentially purchased and consumed. However, the consequences of excessive consumption of the sweeteners or sugar substitutes contained in them can be devastating for the body.

1. Food Cravings

Research has shown that sweeteners like saccharin lead to constant feelings of hunger. This is because when saccharin is ingested, the body believes it needs to metabolize sugar. But since there is no real sugar to metabolize for energy, the organism reacts with feelings of hunger.

In stock-breeding, saccharin is used as an appetite-stimulating fattening agent. In the human organism, its intake has a similar effect.[1]

The consequence of sweetener consumption can lead to eating more and the body is supplied with more energy than it needs. Thus, by consuming light products, more calories are often absorbed than would be the case if the same product containing conventional sugar were consumed.

2. Disturbance of the Intestinal Flora

Products sweetened with sweeteners often contain the statement that “excessive consumption may have a laxative effect”. One of the reasons for this is that the artificial substances can disturb the intestinal flora. Studies published by the German Medical Journal confirm that sweeteners negatively change the intestinal flora.[2] The intake of sweeteners causes bacteria to multiply, which can metabolize more dietary fiber. This produces short-chain fatty acids, which enter the bloodstream via the intestinal cells and – when there is no energy demand – are stored in fat cells.

Artificially produced sweeteners cannot be metabolized by the human organism. Their consumption contributes to the fact that the composition of the intestinal flora is changed. In the long run, this unbalances the metabolism. Weight gain, high blood pressure and other ailments can be promoted.

Metabolic Balance deliberately avoids the use of sugar and any kind of sugar substitutes. The body can cover its sugar requirements with fruit and vegetables. Sugar substitutes and sweeteners, which are produced with high technological input or exclusively artificially in the laboratory, have no place in a healthy and balanced diet, which consists mainly of unprocessed and natural foods.

The clear recommendation is to stay clear of light products and all foods enriched with sugar substitutes.

It is best to reduce sugar altogether. However, if you don’t want to give up cakes or desserts completely, you should definitely prepare them from scratch. By doing so the sugar content can be significantly reduced or the natural sweetness of fruits (e. g. dates) can be used.

[1] Bürkle, Silvia et al. (2015): „Ernährung macht’s möglich – Stress ade“, p. 59

[2] Süßstoffe: Studie belegt Störung von Darmflora und Glukosestoffwechsel https://www.aerzteblatt.de/nachrichten/60139/Suessstoffe-Studie-belegt-Stoerung-von-Darmflora-und-Glukosestoffwechsel

Legumes

http://www.metabolic-balance.com

Legumes are ripe, air-dried seeds of plants that grow in fruiting pods. From a botanical point of view, they belong to the legume family, also called “Leguminosae” or “Fabaceae”.

Legumes are distinguished according to their size, uniformity, shape, color, as well as cooking ability. When purchasing, make sure the seeds (the beans) are clean, smooth, shiny, and free of circular holes or black discoloration, as these can indicate poor quality produce, or worm and insect infestation. It is best to reach for clear packaging to check this at first glance. When you open the package, the legumes should smell fresh and spicy.

Legume cuisine does not get boring easily: After all, there are well over 12,000 different varieties. Legumes are very high in protein, contain many complex carbohydrates, provide plenty of fiber and, with the exception of soybean, contain relatively little fat with 1-2%.

Most legumes provide abundant B vitamins in particular, including B1, B2 and B3, as well as folic acid. Like the minerals iron and phosphorus, they are important for blood formation, the strength of bones and for the brain, the whole metabolism and strong nerves. They are also rich in secondary plant substances such as flavonoids, which have antioxidant and detoxifying effects.

These ingredients also explain the positive influence on blood sugar levels as well as blood pressure, which has already been impressively proven in some studies. (https://www.aerzteblatt.de/nachrichten/52122/Diabetes-Huelsenfruechte-senken-Blutdruck-und-HbA1c-Wert#group )

Legumes are best stored in a dry, airy and dark place: Filled into screw-top jars or cans and stored in the kitchen cabinet. Unpeeled legumes can be kept for several years, peeled ones up to six months.

Before cooking, legumes should be soaked in water. Seeds that float on top are not edible and should be removed. Lentils and shelled peas can then be cooked immediately, all other dried legumes must first be soaked, usually overnight. Please follow the package instructions! Since some legumes contain toxins, they should boil bubbly for about ten minutes and then continue cooking until they are soft. In general, it is recommended add salt to legumes after cooking, otherwise they will not become soft; and to cool them quickly after cooking. When stored in a warm environment, legumes start to ferment quickly.

For a long time, dishes with legumes were considered “poor people’s food” and people thought of thick soups and stews. With a little creativity, a number of different delicious dishes can be conjured up. From fresh salads to patties to noble vegetable side dishes, the most diverse meals can be prepared.

Legumes

Flour and pasta produced from legumes and Metabolic Balance

Whether lentils, beans or peas – legumes are very important for a balanced and healthy nutrition. Due to many valuable ingredients, legumes are therefore also found in many Metabolic Balance nutrition plans, provided that the blood values and preferences allow it. Since legumes tend to be “acidic” foods, they should, for example, be on the menu less often for people with an over acidic stomach, gastrointestinal ulcers, kidney disease or gout. However, the acid-base ratio can be easily balanced if the legumes are combined with whole grains, potatoes or vegetables.

To further increase the popularity of the colorful seeds, more and more products are entering the market, from flour made from various legumes to pasta and so-called “granules” which are mostly made from soy, supermarket shelves are nowadays full of products based on legumes.

Metabolic Balance participants often ask themselves whether they are allowed to eat flour or pasta made from legumes, since these usually contain only the legume and no other additives. Basically, they should keep in mind that pasta from legumes is a very highly processed product.

The unprocessed, raw legumes or even those preserved in water have much more nutrients, so it is not the same whether you eat natural legumes or pasta made from legumes.

Therefore, we recommend to integrate these pasta and flour alternatives into the menu only from phase 3 and also not to enjoy them too often, i.e. 1-2 times a week at the most. Soy granules, on the other hand, are produced with extreme technological input and are so highly processed that virtually no nutrients remain. That is why specialists and coaches at Metabolic Balance recommend avoiding granules.

Basically, it is always worthwhile to looking at the real food, which is nutrient dense. With regional organic prouce you will get the highest quality.

Keep Your Kidneys Healthy – A Healthy Diet and Excercise Will Help

The metabolic balance diet will help keep your kidneys healthy by showing you the right way to eat for your body.

Here is some information about how your kidneys function and an infographic explaining a little bit about kidney disease.  Since women and older Americans are at major risk for the disease, we want you to be aware and take action so that you are heading down a healthy life path.

 

 

 

 

Where’s The Egg? Egg Substitutes for Baking and Cooking – Advent #9

metabolic balance wants you to have only one protein per meal so when a recipe requires you to use an egg and another protein, what are you to do?   Be creative! Here is an infographic offering you some egg alternatives:

 

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photos of eggs by Liz West

Two Infographics Encouraging You to Eat More Onions and More Mushrooms – Advent #6

We shared different kinds of mushrooms you could grow but here are more options you can try adding to your diet:

mushrooms1

As long as you are adding more mushrooms, how about trying a few more Onions (Onions go well with mushrooms). In the infographic below are a few varieties you can find in your local health food stores, farmers markets and maybe even your traditional grocery stores.

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Here are some onion articles that you may want to read:

 

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Red Onion photograph by Andrew Malone

Meditate through the Holiday Stress – metabolic balance Advent Day 2

To help relieve the stress that comes with the holidays, we are sharing with you a few guided meditations that you can listen to each day until the 25th to help you develop a meditation practice.

There are four styles of meditations: Silent, mantra, guided meditation and music meditation.  The list below offers you choices from guided and music meditations.
Guided Meditations:
Loving Kindness Meditation. (9 minutes guided meditation)
Mindful Awareness (5 minute guided meditation)
Simply Being podcast #5 ( 8 minute guided meditation)
Mindful Breathing  (10 minutes guided meditation)
Music Sound Meditations:
Bells (10 minutes bell music for meditation)
Relaxing Music (60 minutes)

 

Positive Affirmation Audio (30 Minutes)

 

Meditation helps with Mindfulness.  We talked about Mindfulness on the blog in the following posts.

 

 

Rebalancing to be Your Ideal Weight

Don’t wait until the new year. If you have been on the metabolic balance plan for a year and have more weight to lose or have stopped following the plan and want to start your journey again, now is the time to start rebalancing.  

Rebalancing

What does it mean to rebalance?  Rebalancing means going back to phase 1 & 2 of the plan so that you can reset your body and get back on track.  (If you have been off the program for awhile, we suggest you get a new plan from your metabolic balance coach.)

Many clients have a hard time realizing they have gained weight or, that they have strayed too far from their metabolic balance plan.  If you are a metabolic balancer and,

-Your clothes or rings getting tighter;

-You have less energy;

-There a reduction in your well-being;

-You reached your alarm weight*;

A rebalancing should be done with the assistance of your coach.  Because the focus of the metabolic balance plan is to help you have a healthy lifestyle, a rebalancing should be done no more than once a year.   If you find that you need to do a rebalancing several times in a short period of time, you may have diet issues that need to be addressed by your coach. 

If you would like to read more about the metabolic balance plan, please check out our posts for phase ½, phase 3, and phase 4.

*Alarm weight.  Sylvia Egel uses an alarm weight with her clients as a warning that something is wrong.  If a client reaches their alarm weight, they need to do a rebalancing to get things back on track.

Before rebalancing:

  • Let your coach know that you are rebalancing and discuss with your coach the challenges you faced or are facing with eating the metabolic balance way.
  • If it has been several years since you received your initial plan, ask your coach for an updated plan based on a new blood test to gauge your current health and nutritional status. (There is a charge for a new plan based on a new blood test.)
  • Prepare your kitchen/home for phase 1 and 2.  Eliminate any foods from your house which will derail you during those first few weeks.
  • Lighten your schedule and try to keep the stress down while you are making this healthy change to your body and your lifestyle.

Additional Posts on Rebalancing:

4 tips for rebalancing

Rebalancing tips from metabolic balance Germany

 

Thank You for Being metabolic balancers!

Thanksgiving is next week and we want to thank you for supporting metabolic balance and each other on your metabolic balance journeys.  Following the metabolic balance way will take you down the road to good health and a balanced life which is both an amazing journey and one full of changes.

Metabolic balance coaches help with these changes and with your transformation into a metabolic balancer.  This month, 10 new metabolic balance coaches attended the San Francisco certification course which means there are ten more metabolic balance coaches waiting to help you reach your goals.

Here are the new coaches from our November certification program in San Francisco.

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SF metabolic balance certification class November 2016. Congrats new coaches!!

Under the 2016 metabolic balance® motto,Restart Your Metabolism, coaches learn how the metabolic balance method achieves a re-balancing of the metabolism, which results in a significant weight reduction and leads to a measurable improvement in the quality of life.

Our metabolic balance® coaches assist clients, who are ready to change their life. Make sure to connect with a metabolic balance® coach – this will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made!

If you are interested in joining as a coach our coach certification will happen January 2017 in Florida. 

If you want to be a metabolic balancer, you can attend an online information event for more information.