Ingredient Spotlight: Luo Han Guo or Monk Fruit extract

Lo Han Guo is a promising natural calorie-free sweetener that was developed in 1995.  In one of my previous posts, protein powder, the second protein powder listed contains Lo Han Guo.  Other than this example, few foods are seen containing it in the U.S.  As of April 2011, only 5 foods were seen to use Lo Han Guo as a sweetener. (2)

Just looking at the processing method, we can infer that this product is much safer than other sweeteners.  It only has four steps that do not involve chemicals, radiation, or heat.  I found a few listings of bottled sweetener made from Lo Han Guo on Amazon that are similar to Stevia and in some cases include stevia as well.  Lo Han Guo is a product that I currently consume within my MRM protein powder listed in this article.  I also was able to acquire some Monk Fruit in the Raw which I liked.  It doesn't have much of an aftertaste at all.  A relatively new, Dec. 2013, product by Chobani utilizes Monk Fruit Extract.  The Simply 100 yogurt uses a combination of Stevia and Monk Fruit to achieve a low-sugar alternative to flavored yogurts.

I was unable to find much research on health benefits/hazards but I will continue looking.


1 Processing Method
2 http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Suppliers2/Monk-fruit-sweetener-starts-to-attract-big-guns-in-US-food-market
3 processing method 2
4 Chobani Simply 100

Fast-Food Healthy Tips

In this post, my goal is to point out the healthier choices from the majority of fast-food menus and briefly explain why.

This first thing I want to point out is that almost anything with processed white flour; sandwiches, wraps, burgers, fried chicken, etc, is going to be less healthy automatically.  The chart below lists the ingredients in various breads commonly found in fast-food restaurants.  Fast-food places make their money from cheap wheat and corn based products.

Borrowed from bk.com

Salad>Chicken strips/nuggets>Sandwiches/burgers>Wraps>Fries

The best choice would be a salad with no dressing and no croutons.  The salads do not have all the processed ingredients and preservatives that we see in the bread.  The chicken strips and nuggets are breaded except for things like Chik-Fil-A's grilled nuggets.  The less breaded, the better, but in any case they should still be less bread than a burger, sandwich or wrap. The reason fries are down so low is because they are fried in vegetable oil, corn oil, or soybean oil.  All of these contain trans fat which is hard on your body. (1)  Some of these contain trans fats which are made in a lab or by frying saturated fat.  Avoid fried foods whenever possible.

Sides:

Vegetables>Fruit>Beans/Coleslaw>Potatoes, Fried things, rice>Desserts

Fresh vegetables are a rare occurrence and the fruit is usually a fruit cup coated with ascorbic acid, but these two sides are far better than all the others.

1 Health effects of trans fatty acids.

Food Spotlight - Plums

I think plums are delicious.  I prefer the damson(yellow flesh) over the black plum(red flesh) and have not had a chance to try other kinds yet.  Plums are the second most-cultivated fruit in temperate zones, being beaten by apples. (1)

Nutrition Facts

Borrowed from spicefoodie.com

Good:

1. Contain vitamin c
2. Phytonutrients neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acid (2)
3. Increases absorption of iron (2)
4. Low Glycemic Index
5. Good potassium source
6. Useful after a workout b/c contains glucose, fructose and starch(fast, med, slow release)

Bad:

1. Toxic to dogs

Taste:

Plums have an almost gooey texture and get to be quite sweet when fully ripe.  The skin is easier to chew than apple skin, but not as easy as peach skin, and has a sweet flavor.  I notice the difference in sweetness between a bite with skin and a bite without, the bite with being sweeter.

1 http://books.google.com

2 http://www.whfoods.com

Thermic Effect of Food aka Specific Dynamic Action

Thermic effect = energy your body must expend to digest, absorb, and transport food

Different macromolecules take different amounts of calories to process:
Protein: 20-35%
Carbohydrates: 5-15%
Fat: 0-5%
(1)

It is hypothesized that leaner individuals have a higher thermic effect percentage and some individuals use up to 10% of their daily calories to digest food. (1,2)

Thermic effect from carbs is much higher directly following a workout, making this the prime time to eat an abundance of carbs.  Not only will you fuel your muscles and shuttle protein into them, you can enjoy a high carb meal that might normally put you to sleep. (2)

1 http://www.bodybuilding.com
2 http://eattoperform.com
3 http://www.livestrong.com

High Intensity Strength vs. Endurance Training

Research
This research shows what kind of results are gained from different training methods.  It addressed 4 different training programs:

C - Combined (High intensity endurance running and high intensity strength training)
UC - Upper Combined (High intensity upper body strength training along with high intensity endurance training)
ST - Strength Training (High intensity strength training only)
E - Endurance (High Intensity Endurance training only)

Strength Workouts

Endurance Workouts

These charts compare 4 exercises and the one rep maximum obtained by each training group.  What needs to be looked at here is the difference in the pre-training value from the final 12 wk value.  Even though it appears as though the combined group blew away everyone else, they actually started at a higher fitness level.  For example, in chart A the C group increased from ~90 to ~130 and ST increased from ~65 to ~105 so they actually had around the same growth.  From this example and the other charts we see that whether or not endurance training was involved, the growth is the same.  The E group had only slight growth and in chart C a decrease in bench press ability.

Even though the E group used and strengthened leg muscles, they still failed to increase their one rep max.  Chart B shows that even though the UC group trained the upper body for strength and had the same endurance workout, they still gained more than the purely endurance group.

From reading this, it seems smart to train your entire body, including cardio, when possible.  Strength training alone confers more benefits than endurance training alone.  Endurance training only prepares you to run long distances, which for the average person is not useful in everyday life.  Heart health may be bolstered more by endurance training, whereas overall health is positively affected by strength training.  Increased muscle mass, higher calorie burn, increased bone mass and increased general strength are among the benefits of strength training.