What Should My Calorie Intake be if I'm on the Paleo Diet?

What Should My Calorie Intake be if I'm On a Paleo Diet?

It all depends on what your goals are.

If you want to gain weight, you need to be on a caloric surplus. If you wish to remain the same weight, you just to maintain your calorie intake. If you wish to lose weight, you should be at a caloric deficit.

The key point to note is that the paleo diet does not decide your calorie intake.

You do. Your goals do.

Firstly, you need to know what your daily calorie requirement is. You can find out form this link. http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

If you wish to gain weight, you need to consume more calories than your daily calorie requirement. This is for people who are underweight or if you’re trying to build muscle and bulk.

If you’re happy with your body and don’t see any need to get bigger or smaller, you just need to maintain your calorie intake. Then you will need to consume your paleo foods in the right proportion to meet your calorie intake.

There is no exact number as far as macro nutrients go with the paleo diet. You will need to adjust your macros to suit your needs. 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat is a common macronutrient ratio recommended for paleo. It helps to know exactly how many calories you are consuming with each meal.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to be at a caloric deficit of about 500 calories a day. Generally, most people say that it is much easier to lose weight on the paleo diet because sugar, hydrogenated oils and processed foods are not allowed on the paleo diet.

Suddenly, the fat is a lot less stubborn to burn. That’s because your body is not fighting an uphill battle. Most fat loss is difficult because even though people reduce their calories, they are still eating unhealthy food, unknowingly, and sugar creeps into many foods without any obvious signs. A good example will be tomato sauces and other sauces that have high sugar content.

If you are an athlete, your calorie requirement will be much higher than the average person. You will need to gauge how many calories you are expending during your workout and eat accordingly.

The paleo diet does not allow the consumption of rice, bread, grains and starchy fruit. So, if you are training hard and not consuming enough carbs, you may end up feeling lethargic. Or you may lose weight rapidly and end up looking gaunt.

The aim of the paleo diet is to make you look and feel healthy. In order for it to benefit you, you must know its limitations and restrictions so that you can adjust and get the best out of the diet.

While a high degree of compliance is necessary as far as avoiding the “harmful” foods, there is some room for flexibility. You may consume bananas or potatoes if your workouts need more carbs. The rules are not set in stone. Use common sense and make the diet work for you and do not end up a slave to the diet. Then you would have truly mastered the paleo diet.

Eric Dempsey

MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist

Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

for

The Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry

Caveman in the Kitchen: Protein Cake

In this episode, I make a protein cake from scratch with ingredients on hand. 

It turned out good and gave me another nutrition packed source for this week’s meal plan.

Watch the video to see the ingredients. It is all good, healthy stuff.

Eric Dempsey
Master Sergeant, US Army Retired
MS, ISSA Master Trainer
Dempseys Resolution Fitness


for


The Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry

Eating Healthy On A Budget

If you have problems eating healthy foods because

of the prices, you'll find these tips to be just

what you need to eat healthy on a budget.

1. Eliminate junk food

Doing your shopping on your own is the easiest way

to shop, as children and sometimes spouses are

usually the ones requesting junk food. Shopping

alone will prevent this, and ensure that you only

buy the foods you need.

2. Water or milk instead of soft drinks

You can still enjoy your favorite drinks at a

sporting event or night out, although you should

stick with the smallest size when shopping to save

money and calories. Children and adults can drink

milk or milk products on a daily basis. Milk will

also help you get strong and provides calcium for

healthy bones and healthy teeth.

3. Buy fruits in quantity

Whne they are in season, buy fruits in quantity

and freeze any extras. You can buy several pounds

this way, and freeze extras to have them when the

fruit goes out of season. Wash the fruit well,

remove any spoiled pieces, dry thoroughly, then

freeze in plastic zipper bags.

4. Meats and beans

Meats and beans are good sources for protein.

Lean meat is more expensive than meats with a lot

of fat. Canned beans are a great deal as well,

as they give you protein at a great price.

5. Beans as a substitute

You can use beans as a substitute for meat on a

regular basis. There are several varieties,

which you can prepare in a crock pot, so when

you return home, it is ready to consume.

The USDA recommends eating beans at least 4 times

per week. If you experience gas after eating

beans you should try washing them, covering them

with water, bringing the water to a boil, then

draining it off and refilling the pot.

6. If you live in a coastal area or an area

where fish are around, make that an integral

part of your diet. You can catch them from the

lakes or rivers, saving money in the process.

7. Peanut butter is great for those on a budget

as it's popular with almost everyone. You can

use it for sandwiches instead of eating hot

dogs. It does need to be refrigerated, although

bigger jars can last you for weeks.

8. You should fill up with foods that have a high

content of water. Watermelon, salads, and even

sugar free gelatin are all great examples.

Eating healthy is always something you can't go

wrong with. You can eat healthy for just a few

bucks, which makes it perfect for those on a

budget. 

9. Get generic brands and non -organic food to save money.  

You can research online about what optimal choices are for 

non-organic fruits and vegetables. 

There are many more ideas and methods that you can 

use to save money. These are just examples. Continue to research different ideas 

and techniques to manage your meal plan and budget. Now, you don't need a lot of 

money to have the lifestyle and health you've always wanted.

Eric Dempsey

MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

for

Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry

4 Reasons To Stop Eating White Bread

4 Reasons To Stop Eating White Bread

There's nothing wrong with including bread in your diet, right? Well, it turns out it depends on the type of bread it is you're eating. Whole grain breads provide you with vitamin, minerals, and fiber – they're a great addition to your diet.

Unfortunately, white bread isn't just unhealthy, there's more to it than that. If you're trying to decide whether to ditch white bread or stay the course, check out these four major reasons that will help make your decision a bit easier.

Reason 1 – No Nutritional Value

To make white bread you first need white flour and unfortunately, white flour has been completely stripped of its nutrients. While manufacturers do enrich white flour with vitamins and minerals, it's only in small amounts.

The flour is made primarily of starch. On the other hand, you have whole-grain breads which are made from germ and bran as well, which is packed with minerals, vitamins, protein, fiber, and healthy fats.

Reason 2 – Full Of Preservatives & Additives

Additives, preservatives like calcium peroxide, ammonium sulfate, mono, DATEM, and diglycerides are all found in the average white bread loaf. There is absolutely no nutrition found in white bread, it's created with the express purpose of being a filler that is soft and has a longer shelf life.

We talk about foods being whole, living, and dead. You can categorize white bread as a dead food. Other dead foods include processed, junk foods and fast foods. If you want to eat well, choose whole and living foods – that includes lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads (and pastas, etc.).

Reason 3 – It Won't Bring You Satisfaction

While white bread is a filler, what it won't do is leave you feeling satisfied. White breads are high on the glycemic index and cause a spike in your blood sugar and with that delicious carb rush comes a nasty carb crash. Whereas, you can choose whole-grain breads which release energy slowly – whole-grain bread fills you up more, leaves you feeling fuller for longer, and you don't need to worry about a nasty carb crash either.

Reason 4 – It Will Lead To Weight Gain

Harvard University says, eating white bread in large quantities is going to lead to weight gain. You may think it's okay because you checked the calorie count and it's not too bad, but white bread can lead to cravings which will cause you to eat more calories the rest of the day.

When you strip away the benefits of a product just to leave the starchy remains you're going to go through those spikes in blood sugar and when you crash you will crave. It's a nasty cycle to get caught up in and eating white bread simply perpetuates it. Without the necessary fiber content, you end up hungrier as white bread leaves your stomach quickly.

You may have chosen to cut white bread from your diet, but you can't forget about the other sources of white bread that you may still be eating. Bagels count, as do English muffins, baguettes, French bread, and pizza. Refined carbohydrates the sugar in your blood ends up being stored as body fat.

In fact, some researchers are looking into the link between depression in post-menopausal women and refined carbohydrates. Dropping white bread from your diet is one of the easiest diet and lifestyle decisions you can make, all you need to do is reach for the whole wheat.

If you aren't convinced and you choose to continue eating white bread then you need to ensure you consume it in the appropriate portions and as part of a healthy, balanced diet. You can use the USDA's MyPlate to keep yourself on track.

It recommends a diet of 2,000 calories a day and you should only consume 6 oz of grain (each day), to put that into context one ounce is half a slice of bread. However, half of your daily grain count should be whole-grain.

Know the chemical Alloxan-another reason to avoid white bread.

Ounce wheat kernels are stripped of their bran and germ layers, it still a natural flour that is just white but still contains residual outer fibers. The industry is not happy until every trace of fiber is removed. The flour then goes through a process of whitening which is similar to any chlorine bleaching process. A similar chemical to chlorine but leaves a residual byproduct called Alloxan.

Unfortunately alloxan is very toxic for all animals causing the destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. These cells are responsible for insulin production. Alloxan is so effective in destroying beta cells that is the standard laboratory drug to artificially induce diabetes in rats for drug tests and other studies. So white bread potentially can contribute to diabetes. Not cool! Once in awhile probably won't matter, but repeated use could become a problem. Easier to just stay away from it all together.

 
Photo credit:

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2013/01/11/white-bread-9aca49dd298d29eba19afe086778b821bc7f90fd-s800-c85.jpg

Eric Dempsey

Master Sergeant, US Army Retired

MS, ISSA Master Trainer

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

For 

The Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry

5 Tips to Start Eating Clean Today

Eating clean may seem like a simple notion but adopting the lifestyle itself can prove challenging for most. Whole foods like fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, plant-based proteins, and whole grains become the staple of your diet. Meanwhile, you reduce your intake of large amounts of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, refined grains, additives, and preservatives.

Making such a change can be daunting. Upon transitioning into clean eating, it is highly likely you will encounter a few bumps in the road. The good news is that clean eating doesn’t have to be a difficult task. After all, this way of life is all about eating the healthiest of food groups. With proper tips and a clean eating playbook in hand, you can successfully navigate the bumps to reach the other side.

Here are five tips on how to start eating clean today.

Start with a Single Meal

Avoid making sweeping changes to your diet right away. Consider this; it may require a full year for you to make the transition. Instead, make gradual changes to your eating habits by starting with a single meal. According to Prevention Magazine, breakfast is an excellent choice for initiating your move to cleaner eating. Begin by removing processed meat like sausages and replacing it with two eggs or ditching those sweet cereals for whole-wheat toast and unsweetened peanut butter.

Plan Your Meals and Cook Your Own Food

Consistently planning your meals is the best first step you can take. This plan becomes the basis for your shopping list and what it is you will consume for the week. It also helps you to stay on track. Use the plan to introduce new foods into your meals slowly and as a method to gradually remove the bad stuff. Remember, try to avoid cutting everything out at once. Your body will not be able to adjust. Instead, plan each week out methodically. Keep a few of your favorites but make small changes.

Next, cook your food as much as possible. The only way to know what’s in your food and about to go into your body is to prepare it yourself. This action will enable you to feel confident in the fact that you are keeping with your new standards for clean eating. Research meals that fit the clean eating lifestyle. Sites like eatingwell.com and cleaneatmag.com are fantastic sources of information. YouTube university also offers a wealth of videos with clean eating recipes.

If planning to eat out with your friends, do all that you can in advance to prepare for the experience so that you can stay on track.

Keep Your Produce in Stock

One of the most significant components of clean eating is fruits and veggies. Make sure you stock up on your fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables will provide you with much-needed fiber which plays a critical role in reducing inflammation in the body, lowering cholesterol, and managing heart disease.

Eat Five to Six Meals Per Day

Eating clean will require you to eat frequent meals. This effort will help to ensure you are taking in adequate nutrients and keep your belly satisfied. Also, it will ensure that you avoid regular, unhealthy snacking.

Give Yourself Permission

Permit yourself to eat a little junk food from time to time without feeling guilty (Prevention Magazine). A taste of the bad stuff from time to time will not sabotage your clean eating lifestyle. If you deny yourself a few guilty pleasures all the time, it can set you up for failure down the road.

These are just five tips to help you start eating clean today. Every step you take towards clean eating will bring you closer to a healthier way of living. Make your experience a positive one. Your body will thank you.

Eric Dempsey

MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist

Living Life The Paleo Way

for

The Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry

Becoming A Healthy Eater

Being a healthy eater requires you to become both
educated and smart about what healthy eating
actually is. Being food smart isn't about
learning to calculate grams or ounces, or is it
about studying labels, macronutrient ratios, 

and calorie requirements.

Healthy eating is all about balanced and moderate
eating, consisting of healthy meals at least
three times per day. Healthy eaters eat many
different types of foods, not limiting themselves
to one specific food type or food group.

Eating healthy requires quite a bit of leeway. You
might eat too much or not enough, consume
foods that are sometimes more or less nutritious.
However, you should always fuel your body and
your brain regularly with enough food to keep
both your mind and body strong and alert.

A healthy eater is a good problem solver. Healthy
eaters have learned to take care of themselves
and their eating with sound judgement and making
wise decisions. Healthy eaters are always aware
of what they eat, and know the effect that it
will have on their bodies.

When someone is unable to take control of their
eating, they are also likely to get out of control
with other aspects of life as well. They could
end up spending too much, talking too much, even
going to bed later and later.

You should always remember that restricting food
in any way is always a bad thing. Healthy eating
is a way of life, something that you can do to
enhance your body or your lifestyle. If you've
thought about making your life better, healthy
eating is just the place to start. You'll make
life easier for yourself, those around you, and
even your family.

Don't wait, start today!

Eric Dempsey

MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

For

The Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry
 

5 Must-Have Foods to Aid Weight Loss

5 Must-Have Foods to Aid Weight Loss

Choosing the right foods will help you lose weight faster and then keep it off. These foods help in a variety of ways to ensure that you will be able to lose weight. When put together along with an overall healthy diet, then these five foods will aid in weight loss.

Here are 5 must-have foods to aid weight loss:

1. Leafy Greens

There are a number of plants that fall under this category that all work the same way to help you lose weight. The best are spinach, kale, swiss chard, and collards. The first way they help you lose weight is by providing you with a number of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These work together to make sure your body is working the way it should.

The other way that these help you lose weight is because they are high in fiber. Fiber keeps your digestive system working the way it’s supposed to which helps you lose weight. It also makes you feel full for longer, which keeps you from eating too many snacks in between meals and can prevent you from eating too much as your next meal.

2. Whole Eggs

Contrary to what was believed for a while, the yolks of eggs are beneficial to people that want to lose weight. Recent studies have proven that whole eggs don’t increase cholesterol or increase your risk of heart attack. In fact, eating eggs will help you lose weight and are a vital part of low-carb diets since they are low in carbs but high in healthy fats and protein.

3. Cruciferous Vegetables

This family of vegetables include cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. Like leafy greens, they are high in fiber but low in carbs. They also contain surprisingly high amounts of protein compared to other vegetables, making them an excellent choice for people who want to lose weight. Additionally, they have a number of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

4. Salmon

Salmon, along with other oily fish like trout, mackerel, herring, and sardines are excellent for losing weight. The first way they can help you lose weight is by providing you with a good amount of healthy fat. These will help keep you feeling full for longer, and also do a lot for different processes in your body, especially your brain.

Another way that salmon and other fatty fishes can help you lose weight is the amount of iodine they contain. Many people don’t get enough iodine from their diets which can lead to low thyroid function. Because the thyroid controls metabolism, it’s important to keep it running the way it’s supposed to if you’re going to lose weight.

5. Chicken

Along with other white and lean meats, chicken can help you lose weight. This is because of the amount of protein it contains. Protein is a vital part of weight loss because of how much a high-protein diet can contribute to weight loss. In fact, studies have shown that by getting between 25 and 30 percent of your calories from protein, you can lose up to a pound a week just by reducing cravings.

Eric Dempsey

MS, NASM Specialist in Fitness Nutrition

Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry

Natural Remedies for High Cholesterol

Natural Remedies for High Cholesterol

Having high cholesterol levels may prelude the existence of several heart diseases. However, you can take control of lowering your levels with natural remedies. Here are just a few.

Artichoke Leaf Extract
Studies reveal that artichoke leaf extract can help lower an individual’s total cholesterol levels by as much as 18.5%. It can also lower bad cholesterol levels – LDL levels – by up to 22.9%. These results can be achieved by taking 1,800mg of artichoke leaf extract every day for up to 16 weeks. Its active compound known as cynarin (or cynarine) is believed to be responsible for increasing the production of bile in the liver and speeding up its flow from the gall bladder. These occurrences all contribute towards faster excretion of cholesterol from the body.

Olive Oil
Research reveals that those people who use olive oil daily are at a lower risk of developing cardiovascular problems and heart disease. Even consuming 2 tablespoons of olive oil every day for a week can help lessen the oxidation of bad cholesterol levels.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is not only delicious, but it can be helpful for those wanting to lower high cholesterol levels. Taking half a teaspoon of cinnamon every day is enough to keep cholesterol levels low.
Cinnamon can also be a good replacement for sugar. You can try mixing it in your coffee or tea, or blending it in your morning cereal. Basically, you just have to sprinkle it on everything you can to achieve the heart healthy benefits.

Garlic
Anyone who loves natural remedies has probably been waiting to see if garlic is on the list, and yes, of course it is. Garlic can be taken raw, in powder form, or in supplements or capsules. Experts confirm that eating one clove of garlic every day can help lower cholesterol. Garlic has long been known as a great help for people who have high cholesterol levels. Garlic contains certain compounds that act as blood thinners, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.

Alfalfa
The active compounds found in alfalfa leaves, such as saponins, have the ability to block cholesterol absorption and prevent atherosclerotic plaque formation. Both alfalfa leaves and sprouts are beneficial for lowering high cholesterol levels. An infusion of alfalfa leaves, boiled in one cup of water can be taken as a tea. To add a little flavor, add some lemon grass, honey or mint.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal is full of soluble fiber. When digested, this fiber becomes sticky and gluey, thereby allowing the cholesterol to stick to it as it passes through the digestive tract for faster excretion.

Broader Dietary Modifications

Diet naturally plays a major role in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. As well as selecting the specific foods above, make broad-based selections of food types to improve your cholesterol balance.

Choose monounsaturated fats - Olives, avocados, canola oil, walnuts, almonds and peanuts are some examples of foods that contain monounsaturated fats.

Avoid trans fats - If you are a lover of baked goodies, now is the time to review your habits. Baked goods mostly contain trans fats that will not only increase your bad LDL cholesterol levels, they will also lower your good HDL cholesterol levels. You need good HDL cholesterol to keep your LDL under control!

Eat plenty of fish, fruits and veggies – Fish, especially oily varieties, is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids which help improve your heart health. Veggies and fruits are rich with dietary fiber to help you get rid of excess cholesterol.

If you have been diagnosed with high levels of cholesterol, congratulations on looking for ways to lower it naturally. Relying on statins will likely cause more problems to your health, so it is important that you first exhaust all natural means of lowering your cholesterol levels.

Eric Dempsey
Master Sergeant, US Army Retired
MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist
Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry