Logan Wells - Health & Wellness

Can diet soda actually help fat loss?!

Most people say that diet sodas are just as fattening as regular sodas. But are they?

I recently ran across a study on diet sodas (peters et al 2016, I’ll link below) that I thought was very interesting and I figured I would lay it out here for you, so you can make your own scientifically backed opinion on diet sodas.

300 overweight participants (male and female) were given a calorie controlled diet according to the needs of each of the participants. This diet was targeted to have each participant lose between 1-2 pounds per week.

The 300 participants were split into two groups. Group A utilized their new diet strategy and continued with regular water consumption. Group B used the same diet strategy but replaced 24oz of their water consumption with diet sodas.

So what happened at the end of the study? At the end of the 12 weeks, the diet soda group (B), lost significantly more weight than the water group (almost 6.5 pounds more on average!). They also reported to be less hungry during the study, they lost more waist circumference, and even maintained their weight more effectively in the post diet phase! So does this mean that diet sodas have a magical fat burning property, or that they are better for weight loss than water? No.

This study shows that diet sodas can be beneficial in a weight loss diet because they may suppress sweetness cravings to help with dietary adherence as well as increasing satiety through the carbonation within the drink. Both of these factors can be extremely beneficial for somebody in a fat loss diet.

I hope you found this study as interesting as I did, and I hope it helps!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4744961/

The effects of water and non‐nutritive sweetened beverages on weight loss and weight maintenance: A randomized clinical trial To evaluate the effects of water versus beverages sweetened with non‐nutritive sweeteners (NNS) on body weight in subjects enrolled in a year‐long behavioral weight loss treatment program.The study used a randomized equivalence design ...

How to stay on track during the holidays

Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of the most food heavy holidays in American culture, making this time of year the most stressful for people trying to keep an eye on their weight.

One way to get through the holiday season is to not worry about dieting, just enjoy it and get right back on track afterwards. Now, I know this may not be what you expected, you may be thinking “Logan, I’m trying to lose weight, not gain it. Why are you telling me to eat like normal?”. Hear me out. A few years down the road, you’re not going to remember how much you weighed on Thanksgiving or Christmas 2020, or what your plate looked like. But what you will remember is the memories you made with friends and family, and how much fun you had. If you’re stressing or worrying too much about your food, odds are, you may not be enjoying the day to its fullest. Food is a huge part of fellowship in American culture, so embrace it. BUT, don’t indulge to the point of no return. Eat until you’re full, have some dessert, and don’t bring any leftovers home. The next day, you can easily get right back on track without sacrificing the enjoyment of the holiday, and without setting yourself back in your weight loss journey.

Now, if this isn’t the route for you, and you still want to watch what you eat during the holidays, I have a few tips to help you along the way.

1. Prioritize protein intake throughout the day before your big family meal. Protein is one of the most satiating macronutrients, so spreading it out throughout early meals can possibly help avoid ravenous hunger before your big meal, leading to less overeating.
2. Eat your protein first at your big meal (protein again, I know). Eating your meat first before the rest of your meal, can lead to you feeling full sooner, which can help lower the risk of overeating the rest of your meal or dessert.
3. Drink water or diet drinks instead of calorie laden drinks. This will drastically reduce the amount of calories you intake throughout the day.
4. Stay active. Make time in the morning to go for a nice walk or to the gym. This will give you a head start on a caloric burn before you go to your family gathering.
5. Avoid foods that you know to be very calorie dense. AKA, eat like you normally would during your weight loss phase.

At the end of the day, I believe the memories you make with your family are more important than a slice of pie. But, the way you eat during the holiday season is completely up to you. I hope something I said within this post can help somebody out during this season.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Every single one of you are a part of this group for one reason or another. Whether it’s because you want to look better, feel better, or simply because you got an invitation and blindly clicked accept. Whatever category you fall into, I would take a guess that most of us are here to learn how to become healthier. If that’s not the case, becoming healthier is an indirect side effect of any of the other reasons.

I’ve gone over many topics in this group, but I’ve neglected to cover the topic most people need to hear. How to actually eat healthy. Most people know what they probably shouldn’t eat when dieting (I.e. overly processed and calorie dense foods like chips, sweets, fast food, deep fried anything etc.), but most don’t know what their diet should actually consist of.

Eating healthy can be broken down by prioritizing certain macronutrients (proteins, carbs, and fats) and where those macronutrients come from.

First on the list is lean proteins. You can get all you need from chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, turkey, beef, tofu etc. even a whey protein shake can be added to that list when none of the rest are available. Your choices of meat don’t always have to be super lean like a turkey breast or white fish, as long as it isn’t always super fatty like bacon and sausage. It’s okay to have every once in a while, as long as the vast majority of your protein intake comes from a less fatty source. A lean protein source needs to be the core of every meal that you eat.

Second on the list would be healthy carbs. Now, I know carbs aren’t an essential nutrient, but just because something isn’t essential, doesn’t mean that it isn’t beneficial or optimal. Having healthy carbs in your diet like veggies, fruits, and whole grains, allow you to ensure that you’re getting plenty of energy, fiber, and vitamins without having to risk being deficient in any of those.

Last but not least is healthy fats coming from sources like olive/canola oils, avocado, nuts, and seeds. Other fats are fine as long as you don’t overdo trans fats or a whole lot of saturated fats (although saturated fats are okay in moderation, it’s still a good idea to not over consume them).

Now, the goal when eating healthy is to strive to eat MORE healthy foods and less “not as healthy” foods. The goal should not be to eat ONLY healthy foods, because doing so can be boring and unsustainable for the average person. It is okay to have some junk food here and there, but it should definitely not make up the majority of your diet.

A good way to start a journey to eating healthy is to take baby steps and make healthy eating become a habit. A good way to do this is to start off with changing one meal a day to mostly healthy foods. Maybe switch a gas station biscuit for breakfast with a healthier option. After a few weeks of doing this, maybe start to create a healthier lunch habit. Then after a few more weeks of a healthy breakfast and lunch, then start eating healthy suppers. Before you know it, you’re whole day is comprised of eating healthier foods and you’ll be right on track to becoming a healthier version of yourself!

Is eating clean, the answer to a healthy life?

Before we answer that question, let’s try to answer the question of, what is clean eating anyways? The problem is, nobody really knows. First, you define what you think clean eating is, then go ask your neighbor what they think clean eating is. Odds are, they will have a different definition than you do.

If you ask a body builder what clean eating is, they’ll give you a short list of foods that they deem to be clean (probably chicken, rice, broccoli and oatmeal). Ask a keto dieter and they’ll say that carbs aren’t a clean food, while vegans say the complete opposite considering that around %80 of their diet consists of carbohydrate.

So where do we draw the line? What is clean eating? “If you tried eating clean according to every groups definition, you’d have an empty plate”- Dr. Eric Helms

Most people think that “clean” foods are inherently healthy. For example, a craze right now is avocado toast. Yes, whole grain bread and avocado can have some nice health benefits as long as you have your calorie balance figured out. Same goes for every other “clean” food, you can always eat too much of it, and too much can be a bad thing if you’re consistently over doing it.

At the end of the day, if you enjoy “clean eating” or any other diet for that matter, and it seems to be something you can stick to and be consistent with, then please continue to do so. But, it’s always good to remember, that it’s not the cleanliness of foods that aids fat loss, it’s the calorie content of those foods. If you over consume your calories in “clean foods” you will still gain weight. Always remember that calories are king when it comes to fat gain/loss.

One of the most underrated and commonly unknown factors of fat loss, is something known as NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis. Basically NEAT is anything that you do during the day that burns calories, that is not structured activity.

Some examples of NEAT are fidgeting, standing, walking, talking with your hands, etc. Anything and everything we do requires energy (calories), so things like these can add up over the course of a day or even a week.

NEAT is very important to fat loss and here’s why.. if you exercise for an hour today, the caloric burn from that exercise usually only accounts for about 4% of your total daily caloric burn. NEAT, on the other hand, makes up about 6-10% of your total daily burn for a sedentary individual, and up to a whopping 50% for an active individual. Now that’s a huge difference! So even for people who have a sedentary job, they still burn more calories through NEAT, than they do through exercise.

Most people who want to start a fat loss phase tend to look for a diet and exercise program. Now that is definitely a good thing, but NEAT may be something to try to optimize as well. Here are some ways to try to increase your NEAT.

-Park further away from the store
-Choose to stand instead of sit when you can
-Pace while talking on the phone
-Take the stairs instead of elevator
-Take your dog for a walk daily

Little things like this can add up over time, and eventually become habitual, and make the journey even easier.

Is your thyroid causing a lack of weight loss?

First of all, what is a thyroid anyways? The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland in our throat, that creates the thyroid hormone. This controls our metabolic rate, so if somebody has a low thyroid, then they tend to have a lower metabolic rate. Same goes for somebody with a high thyroid, they have a high metabolic rate as well.

Most people who struggle with weight loss or happen to gain weight suddenly, tend to think they have a low thyroid which is a condition called hypothyroidism. Most often, hypothyroidism is caused by something called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, or more commonly known just as Hashimoto’s. This is basically where your body can attack your thyroid to the point where it can’t produce as much thyroid hormone as it could before, or any at all. Another cause of hypothyroidism can be from an iodine deficiency. Luckily, this isn’t as common as it used to be, considering that most of us use iodized salt, in or on food, which can give us our daily amount of iodine. But, people who use mainly sea salt, and don’t have a very balanced diet, might see a slight iodine deficiency.

**Since the thyroid is major determinant of metabolism, individuals who struggle with hypothyroidism tend to struggle to lose weight. But it is extremely important to note, that thyroid issues DO NOT negate the laws of thermodynamics. A calorie (energy) balance, is still the only determinant of fat gain/loss. But, hypothyroidism does lower metabolism, which can make a calorie deficit more difficult to achieve, thus weight loss can become more difficult.**

It’s also important to note that most people who think they have a thyroid issue, often don’t actually have a thyroid problem at all. So it’s very important that if you think you may have an issue, see a doctor. If you don’t have a thyroid issue, a re-evaluation of your nutritional and physical approach to dieting may be needed.

If you end up going to see a doctor, there are a few things that doctors look for that can determine if you have a thyroid problem. One of the first things that doctors look at is your TSH levels. TSH is an acronym for thyroid stimulating hormone. TSH is a hormone that your brain sends to your thyroid to tell it to produce thyroid hormone (T4). If you have high levels of TSH, this could mean that your thyroid isn’t producing enough of its own hormone, so your brain is having to send extra signals to it to help stimulate the thyroid to produce more. This is a way to tell if your thyroid is responding correctly to the TSH sent from your brain.

Another thing that doctors can test for is what’s called Free T4 levels. This is a test on the levels of hormone that is produced straight from the thyroid gland to determine if the issue is the actual thyroid itself.

If you go to a doctor, I suggest you pick your doctors brain. If they come in and tell you that your thyroid is good or bad. Ask them what they tested for, what the levels were and what the normal range is. Learn as much as you can from your doctors and try to understand what is really going on. If you do, in fact, have low thyroid, ask your doctor what their recommendations may be. Then after the thyroid issue is worked out, a new nutritional approach may be needed to help you reach your goals.

Is eating all natural better for your health?

Short answer. No. Let me explain why.

First, let’s start off with an example. What do you think is healthier, eating a cup of beef lard, or a whey protein shake? Beef lard is 100% natural, while whey protein is highly processed in a factory with all sorts of chemical processes to turn it from a milk byproduct, to a powder that can be shelf stable for over a year.. Most people would agree that the protein is probably the healthier option of the two although it is highly processed.

Now, I’m not saying that all processed foods are healthier than natural foods. Of course fresh fruits and vegetables are better for you than a bag of veggie straws. But, there is no reason to claim that natural is better than artificial.

But does processing food make some things less healthy? Sometimes it can. When white flower is made, the processing removes fiber and phytochemicals that can make it less healthy. On the other hand, processing foods can make stuff quite a bit healthier as well. Pasteurization of milk makes it safer to drink by removing bacteria. And some orange juices have added vitamin C, which can make it a slightly healthier alternative than regular orange juice.

Also, in the aspect of natural vs. unnatural, antibiotics are 100% man-made and synthesized in a lab, while cyanide is found in nature and is known to be lethal at a certain dose; one can save you, one can kill you. At the same time, you wouldn’t go running through the jungle of some wild country snacking on berries off of every bush you see. Just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Am I saying that artificially altered foods are safer/healthier than unaltered ones? No. But the reverse is no truer.

Everybody knows what healthy eating looks like to a certain extent. Using blanket terms, such as good and bad when talking about foods can create more confusion in the world of nutrition than there already is.

Long story short, just because something is processed, doesn’t make it inherently unhealthy. And just because something is natural, doesn’t mean that it’s better for you than something that isn’t.

Artificial sweetener.. good or bad?

What better way to follow up a post on sugar than to make a post on artificial sweeteners, sugar’s so-called evil twin?

Artificial sweeteners have been demonized for years, and we are all guilty of it at some point. The claims of their negative health effects range through the entire spectrum of health problems that humans could possibly run into. These claims make artificial sweetener sound like a purposefully poisonous compound that’s out there just to cut us down. But is any of it true?

Artificial sweeteners (aspartame especially), have been examined in hundreds of studies over the course of decades to test possible health negatives, ranging from blood sugar disruptions all the way to cancer. What has been found through those studies, is that artificial sweeteners are some of the safest food additives ever to be invented.

Even the American Cancer Society has stated that the link between artificial sweetener and cancer is not consistent. The FDA claims that the use of aspartame as a general purpose sweetener is completely safe! But how are we supposed to believe them?

The way that health organizations, like the FDA, determine the safety of compounds like artificial sweeteners is by what’s called an ADI (acceptable daily intake). The ADI is based off of the maximum amount of a substance that can be ingested daily, over a lifetime, with no appreciable health risk. The ADI is actually 100X lower than the actual safety factor that is observed in studies! So basically, the ADI of each sweetener listed below, is more than safe for daily intake.

Aspartame- found in most diet drinks has an ADI of 50Mg per kilo of body weight per day. Which is equivalent to about 21 cans of Diet Coke a day for a 160lb person!!

Sucralose- AKA Splenda. Has an ADI of 5Mg/Kg/day. Which is equivalent to 31 packets of Splenda per day for a 160lb person!

Saccharin- AKA sweet n low. ADI 5Mg/Kg/day. Which is around 10 packets of sweet n low per day for a 160lb person.

Stevia- 4Mg/Kg/Day which is close to 40 packets of stevia per day for a 160lb person!

Now that we know that these substances are safe, and how much of it we can safely consume, let’s go drink a diet root beer together!

Is sugar causing fat gain?!

If you go out and ask 100 people what they think the single most harmful nutrient is, at least 50 of them will say sugar. We’ve all heard that sugar is bad for us, and that if you eat no sugar, you’re the healthiest person on earth. Some doctors recommend no sugar, keto zealots claim that sugar is the devil, your favorite Instagram influencer claims that sugar will make your abs disappear, and some people will go as far to say that even fruit is bad for us because of the sugar concentration.

Fruit?! Really??

I mean it makes sense right? The correlation in the rise of sugar intake and the rise of obesity has been very strong over the years. But, *correlation DOES NOT imply causation.* Meaning that just because there is a rise in sugar intake that mirrors a rise in obesity, doesn’t mean that sugar is causing obesity. There has also been a rise in bottled water consumption over the years as well. If you were to look at it on a graph, it shows a strong correlation between bottled water consumption and obesity as well. But nobody is claiming bottled water to cause obesity?! Because, again, correlation does not imply causation...

A 2013 systematic review observed 68 total studies on this subject. They came to the conclusion that when sugars were replaced with other macronutrients, the result was no change in body weight (as total calories were equated).

This is along the same lines of a quote from a 2005 paper titled “Sugar and Health Controversies...” where it stated that “evidence from a variety of sources does not suggest that sugars make a unique contribution to obesity. In a condition as complicated as obesity, it is highly unlikely that one single nutrient would uniquely cause this condition. It is more likely that the totality of the diet, including increased consumption from all sources exerts a significant impact on the likelihood of obesity.”

So there we have it, sugar isn’t the devil, you can still be healthy if you eat some of it, and fruit is good (we don’t even need to explore that one).

-WHO recommends a daily upper limit of 10% of total calories coming from sugar. Basing this number off the relation between sugar and dental cavities.

-It’s been stated that a ball park upper limit of total daily sugar is around 100g for general population. But this can be very individual based on each persons specific lifestyle and nutritional needs.

5 easy tips to consume less calories

1. Eat mindfully. In other words, turn the tv off while you eat. One study showed that participants who watched tv while eating pizza, consumed 36% more than the group not watching tv. The time between bites was significantly decreased in the tv watching group. I can understand this because if I were to eat pizza while watching tv, I would turn into a zombie, mindlessly shoveling food into my mouth while rarely stopping to breathe.

2. Reduce or eliminate liquid calories. You would be amazed at how easy it is to drink 500 calories compared eating 500 calories. Switch to diet drinks (no they won’t hurt you), have one coke per day instead of two, or just switch to water completely.

3. Pre-load water. Drinking water prior to a meal, has been shown to decrease food consumption by up to 13%. This makes sense considering that water fills your stomach up just as food does.

4. Reduce mouthful size. One study showed that when participants used a smaller spoon, they consumed 8% less food overall than the group eating with a normal spoon.

5. Eat foods higher on the satiety index. Foods with a high satiety score tend to fill you up faster, which leads to less calories being consumed during that meal. You can google the satiety index for reference.

Immune system support

With schools and businesses opening back up in the midst of the COVID-19 issue, I’ve gotten a suggestion to make a post about how to support your immune system through basic lifestyle and nutritional interventions.

**JUST BECAUSE YOU DO EVERYTHING ON THIS LIST, DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU ARE PROTECTED FROM SICKNESS. I AM ALSO NOT A MEDICAL EXPERT OR IMMUNOLOGIST. DO NOT TAKE MY ADVICE OVER THAT OF A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL**

Also, applying these interventions will not make a difference overnight. They must be implemented over the course of weeks or months to show any type of difference within the immune system or for your overall health. Like I say with everything else, consistency is key.

1. Exercise regularly.. exercise not only strengthens our muscles and aids our body composition, but also strengthens our immune system.

2. Get enough high quality sleep.. Studies show that 7-9 hours of sleep is optimal for most people. If you struggle to get that amount, I suggest turning your phone/TV off an hour before bed, create nighttime routines, and supplement melatonin if needed.

3. Have an overall healthy diet.. To an extent, everybody knows what eating healthy looks like. Be sure to not over/under eat, get a balanced amount of your macro and micronutrients, and drink plenty of water. Basically, just eat HEALTHY.

4. Eat adequate protein and fiber.. There is some data to suggest that a severe deficiency in either one, can have negative effects on the immune system. Most of us don’t have to worry about this because both protein and fiber are fairly easy to come by in the western world. But just in case, I threw them in here anyways.

5. Do not over-consume vitamins like vitamin C, D, or any other multivitamin. Doing this will not help you in any way. If you want to take a recommended dose of any of these, then you can. Just don’t over do it.

I know that none of that is really shocking, and most people already know that each of these points are important, but in our society’s current situation, it’s probably good to just reiterate it.

Also, be sure to keep up with proper hygiene, social distancing, washing your hands, and don’t go around sneezing on doorknobs for the fun of it.

Once again, I’m not a doctor!

Intermittent fasting

What if I told you that intermittent fasting was superior to all other diets in many different ways? Ways like appetite control, fat loss, mood regulation, autophagy (cell turnover and replacement), etc.

I would be lying... well, sort of. Allow me to explain.

*Compared to a typical calorie controlled diet, there is no evidence to support that fasting is superior for fat loss or adherence.*

First off, what is intermittent fasting? Technically intermittent fasting is an umbrella term for two types of fasting, one being alternate day fasting, and the other being called time restricted feeding.

Alternate day fasting is exactly what you would expect from the name. You fast one day, eat the next, and alternate in that way over a period of time. It can also be broken up into ratios like a 5:2. Where out of your 7-day week, you can choose any 2 days to fast, while you eat the other 5.

Time restricted feeding is the more popular option of the two, probably because nobody wants to fast for an entire day! This is broken down into ratios as well, but hourly ratios instead of days. The ratio most widely used is the 16:8, where you fast for 16 hours which leaves you with 8 hours to eat.

One benefit of this type of fasting, is appetite control. Mainly because hunger can sometimes be a habit. Imagine, you normally eat breakfast at 7:00, but you decide to start fasting and your first feeding hour is at 12:00. For the first few days or weeks, you’ll notice yourself become hangry around 7:30 because you’re used to being full from breakfast. But after that period resides, you’ll not even notice any hunger until around 12:00. This is because you are out of the 7:00 habit, and switched to a later time so you are now suppressing your early morning appetite.

Another claim for fasting is an increased rate of autophagy. Basically meaning that your cell turnover and replacement happens faster which leads to healthier, more lively cells throughout the body which is good for skin, hair, nails, etc.. But, long term studies have shown a similar rate of autophagy between fasting groups, and regular calorie control groups. So in other words, any diet that controls calories will yield the same results as fasting.

Fasting also helps body fat loss. But it’s not due to any special magic, it’s due to a calorie deficit. You shorten your feeding window, you tend to eat less. Pretty simple. You can also gain weight while fasting too, if you have a 2,000cal maintenance, but eat 2,500cals in your 8 hour window, you will still gain weight. At the end of the day, fat loss and fat gain are determined completely by calorie balance.

Intermittent fasting is merely just another tool in the toolbox for a dieter. If you feel like you would enjoy it and can stick to it, then go for it! If not, then maybe another diet option would be right for you!

Is fasted cardio better for fat loss?

Many people believe that if they train or do any type of cardio before they eat, then their body is forced to burn body fat to fuel the workout, therefore more fat is lost. Sounds like a great idea, I can just wake up, run a mile, and become leaner right? I wish it was that easy.

Unfortunately, training fasted has no different effect on the body in regards to overall fat loss compared to fed cardio. Here’s why...

-Fasted cardio burns more fat during the training session, but because of that, you burn less throughout the day. While fed cardio burns less fat during the session, but more throughout the day.

Both fasted and fed cardio result in the same amount fat burn over a 24-hour period, and overall fat loss is determined by the net loss over time.

Practical applications:

-If you do cardio, do it when you’re more likely to consistently get it done.

-For some people, that could be fasted after waking up. For others, it could be after lifting. For others, whenever they can fit it in.

-Cardio timing in regards to fasted vs. fed does not impact the rate of fat loss.

Long story short, if you enjoy fasted cardio, do it. If you would rather train after a meal, do it. Do what you enjoy and stick to it.

Women and weightlifting

“I don’t want to lift weights and get bulky. I want to tone up, not look like a body builder, so I’ll just do cardio.”

Makes sense right? Body builders lift weights and get super muscular, so if you lift weights, you’ll get super muscular too. Wrong..

The idea of becoming a body builder from lifting weights, would be like having the same idea of becoming a NASCAR driver by driving your car to the local produce stand. It just doesn’t work that way. For body builders, it takes years of consistency of fine tuning every aspect of their training, nutrition, sleep, and supplementation for them to look the way they do.

Most women say they want to get “toned” but in order to be toned, you must have muscle. Weightlifting does, in fact, help grow that muscle. BUT the hormonal profile of a woman won’t allow excess muscle to be gained due to the lack of testosterone in a woman’s system. Because weightlifting does promote muscle growth, it is able to boost an individuals resting metabolic rate because muscle is a metabolically active tissue and requires energy (calories) to move. Therefore the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.

Not to mention, exercise can contribute up to 10% of an individuals total daily caloric burn, according to the BMR scale (I’ll explain in a separate post)

In short, weightlifting will not bulk up a woman. Here’s a short list of things that it WILL do though..

-burns calories while you’re doing it
-burns calories after you do it
-makes you stronger
-makes muscles more defined/“toned”
-helps you sleep better
-helps with over all mood
-increases resting metabolism
-strengthens immune system
-reduces risk of injury
-increases energy level
-reduces depression and anxiety

Go lift, you won’t regret it!