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You may find a host of low carb foods on the grocery shelf, proudly announcing it on their packaging. Just noting something is low carb, doesn’t mean it’s a healthy addition to the diet. The same is true for high carb foods. People on a low carbohydrate diet often search for those foods that contain the fewest carbohydrates without focusing on other health benefits. Finding the best and worst low carb goods in Miami, FL, can help you achieve weight loss, while boosting your overall health.

What’s the worst low carbohydrate foods you can add to your diet?

You may be eyeing some of those low carbohydrate candies and confections, but you really shouldn’t. Many replace sugar with sugar alcohol that causes bloating and gas. These foods often include inflammatory highly refined vegetable oils and provide no nutritional value—just like other junk foods. String cheese is another favorite, but like many other types of cheese, it’s highly processed. Processed meat is another food that’s known to be unhealthy, yet it’s low in carbs. Various types of bread and low carb tortillas basically are made in the lab, rather than being natural. There’s a plethora of vegetable oils and spreads that aren’t healthy, but low in carbohydrates. Frozen low carb meals and keto fast foods are also filled with ingredients that sound like a chemical equation. Read the labels before buying.

Finding the best low carb foods is easy.

Check the produce section at your grocery and you’ll find some of the best low carb foods. Most vegetables grown above ground are low carb, with the exception of pumpkins. Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, asparagus and all those leafy greens are just a few of the excellent choices. Put nuts and seeds on the list, too. They’re a good source of protein and low in carbs. Fermented food, cage free/free range eggs, grass fed beef and other meats are also healthy carbs. Healthy oils and bone broth also top the healthy list.

Even “health foods” like protein bars and protein powder don’t always make the list.

Just like those low carb confections, many of the protein bars contain highly processed ingredients and are loaded with additives you’ll never find in nature. These can often affect your microbiome and lead to inflammation. Always check the label for ingredients. Those with natural ones, such as collagen, coconut oil and almond butter are the best. Protein powder is another that needs investigating. Some have been found to contain everything from heavy metals to pesticides. Rather than add those powders, add nuts or eggs to your diet.

• Vegetable oils and spreads aren’t nearly as healthy as butter from grass fed cows. Those spreads often have a high amount of Omega 6 fatty acids compared to the Omega 3s. That can cause inflammation.
• You might think you’re safe by drinking “diet” soda, but stick with the ultimate low carb drink, water. Studies show that diet soda can add inches to your middle, encourage cravings for sugar and disrupt the microbiome of the gut, which leads to glucose intolerance.
• If you’re hoping for a sweet treat, it’s still available. Dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao that’s sweetened with a natural sweetener like stevia is a healthy option.
• How slow a carb digests is another indication of its healthiness. Fast digesting sugars and refined carbs are unhealthy, slower digesting ones like melons and other fruit, beans, lentils, berries and beet or other starchy vegetables are also healthy options.

For more information, contact us today at Kirra Collins Fitness

Are you running around Miami, Florida stressed to the max and so busy you don’t have time to workout? That’s exactly the time you need to workout, when there is no time. No matter where you live, if you’re under stress, that’s when it’s time to start working out. Not only is exercise good for your health, exercising can be a stress reliever. It burns off the hormones of stress, like cortisol. Stress exacerbates health conditions and creates ones where none exist. It boosts energy and can help prevent minor injuries that can occur from doing everyday tasks.

It boosts your happy hormones.

You’ve probably heard of a runner’s high, well that’s the way all types of exercise affect the body. It helps boost the production of the feel-good hormones called endorphins. You don’t have to go running to experience it. It’s part of the body’s chemistry to deal with pain or stress. These neurotransmitters interact with the opiate receptors in the brain and act very much like opiate drugs, except for the potential for addiction. There are 20 different types of endorphins found in the brain and throughout the body.

Exercise can function like meditation.

Meditation helps you escape the day and rest your brain, basically thinking of nothing, just being in the moment. Have you ever noticed how your thoughts seem to disappear when you’re running and you’re just hearing the sound of your feet on the pavement or the wind in your ear? Or how your focus shifts from the day’s problems to each individual muscle when you’re doing power lifts? That laser sharp focus on the specific activity, sights and sounds is like meditation in motion.

Stress can cause side effects like anxiety and depression.

Working out not only boosts your mood and self-confidence right after you do it, it can help make long term changes in your mood. Studies show that when exercise was a complementary therapy, depressed and anxious subjects improved more and more rapidly. It helps improve sleep, which is another way to help boost your mood and reduce your stress.

• Don’t add to your stress, ease into exercise and don’t push yourself to the point of injury. Make sure you check with your health care professional before you start any workout program.
• Combine working out with having fun. Get a workout partner and make it social. Studies show that people with a healthy social life also live longer. One thing is certain, a workout buddy holds you accountable for your exercise program.
• If you’re out of shape and can’t do a regular workout, start slowly. Walk before you run. Walking more each day can build your endurance and get your body ready for a great workout. It also burns off hormones of stress.
• Exercise can strengthen your muscles, build stronger bones, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, help you lose weight and improve your self-image, too. Those changes can relieve a lot of stress.

For more information, contact us today at Kirra Collins Fitness

We promote a healthy diet for our clients in Colorado, which includes food to eat for better gut health. While many of you may not be eating specifically for improving your digestive tract or elimination system, a healthy diet is one way to improve it. What does gut health entail? It’s about having a healthy environment for digestion. If you’ve found yourself bloated or gassy after eating, it’s time to think about a healthy gut.

You have thousands of microbes inside you.

While the ratio of microbes in your elimination and digestion system has been reconsidered, it was one time believed you actually had more microbes than cells. However, the minute you defecate, that ratio changes dramatically. Even so, there has been an estimation that the body contains about 100 trillion microorganisms. While they’d only account for about a pound or two of weight, many are extremely important for good health. Your gut or digestive and elimination system contains from a low estimate of 300 to a high of 1,000 different species, with just 30 to 40 of them being the most plentiful. The beneficial bacteria and microbes have a symbiotic relationship with humans, providing some of the digestive processes to deliver nutrients we can use. Without them, people would die of malnutrition.

What causes an unhealthy gut and how do you know you have one?

You may already know one of the signs of an unhealthy gut. It’s a combination of bloating, gassiness, diarrhea or constipation. Gas-X and Beano become your best friend. Other signs are more illusive. It may be insomnia, mood disorders, autoimmune diseases, bad breath, skin conditions and even food intolerance. Some studies show that cancer might even be a result of poor gut health. A craving for sugar not only promotes poor gut health, it’s a result of poor gut health. Not eating a diet that provides adequate nutrition, including prebiotic foods with fiber, overindulgence in alcohol, cigarette smoking, stress, lack of sleep and use of antibiotics can tilt the scales from a healthy gut to one that’s not.

Eating prebiotic food and fermented or probiotic food can help.

Anyone that watches television probably has seen the commercials for some brands of yogurt that provide a probiotic boost to the body. Fermented foods also help. These include kimchi, kefir and sauerkraut. However, you can also boost your gut health with prebiotics, foods that encourage the growth of beneficial microbes. Garlic, onions, mushrooms, bananas and apples are a few.

• Studies are now showing that lack of exercise can tip the scales to poor gut health. In the studies, regular exercise produced a healthier blend of bacteria for digestion. Stress, another factor in poor gut health, is also reduced.
• If you take antibiotics, always replace the beneficial bacteria killed by eating live bacteria yogurt or other fermented food and hour before the antibiotic or an hour afterward.
• Staying hydrated also helps gut health. Drink at least eight 8-oz glasses of water a day to be at your best.
• Cut the sugar and the processed food habit for better gut health. Whole foods have more fiber and provide a friendlier environment for beneficial microorganisms.

Walking has a leisurely sound to it. It’s associated with romance, such as long walks on the beach or a walk at sunset. It offers so much more than just a physical workout. It can provide relaxation. You can relieve stress with walking, while boosting your energy. For those just starting a program of exercise, it’s a great addition. Walking puts less stress on the ankles, knees and is a good way to start back if you’re just recovering from an injury.

While regular exercise can reduce depression, anxiety and stress, walking may be better.

There are a number of studies that show that exercise provides relief for patients with anxiety and depression, quickly boosting the feeling of peace and a good mood. While many studies were based on working out for 45 minutes in the gym, some more recent studies show that the effects of a brisk 10-minute walk may

Walking won’t replace a workout for overall fitness, but as a stress reliever, it may be the perfect solution.

You won’t build more flexibility when you walk or upper body strength, but as a stress reliever, walking may be perfect. Stress and anxiety can rear their ugly

selves suddenly. It’s not always convenient to go to the gym, nor is it a good idea to workout for forty-five minutes several times a day. However, walking is always easy to do. There’s no changing clothing and you can reboot that good feeling when you have a few minutes throughout the day.

Want to get a little fancy and get a bit more from your walk?

A HIIT—high intensity interval training—workout is one of the best for getting results. You can get more health and fitness benefits than just stress release from a walk by modifying it to one. Just vary the speed and intensity of the walk, walking at top speed for a while until your heart rate goes up and then moderating the speed in a short recovery period. Once your heart rate returns to normal, walk fast again.

• Walking may be healthier for you than running, according to a study in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. The study found that people who walked on a regular basis often were healthier than those who ran. If you love running, don’t quit it, but walking is easier on the joints.
• While walking is something that most people can do without help, there are some things to remember about form. Good posture is important and holding your head high and in line with your body gives the best results.
• If you’re uncomfortable working out in the gym because you’re too out of shape, start walking. Of course, being out of shape is exactly why you should go to the gym, but some people like to be fitter when they first start.
• Don’t forget to take longer strides and swing your arms fully. If you’re stepping out with your right foot, your left arm should be brought forward and visa versa. Swinging your arms makes it more of a workout and burns more calories, plus adds to your natural stride.