The Rundown on Almond Milk



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In recent years, milk alternatives have been taking over the dairy industry. Soymilk was one of the first to really take off, but lately, almond milk has gained even greater ground even though it has been used for hundreds of years as an alternative to dairy milk, typically because of its long shelf life. While these are all great pros for almond milk, there are many other reasons why you need to incorporate almond milk into your diet.

Health Benefits

Vitamin E is a valuable antioxidant and almond milk is packed with vitamin E. Vitamin E is responsible for helping slow down the aging process, osteoporosis, type II diabetes, and helps to prevent cancer by reducing the amount of free radicals that are taken in by the body.

While milk contains saturated fat and cholesterol, almond milk does not, benefiting the cardiovascular system. One of the things that almond milk brings to the table is Omega-3 fatty acids. These “good” fats are able to lower LDL cholesterol levels while also improving your brain function.

When you compare almond milk to other dairy substitutes like rice milk or soy milk, you will find that almond milk is the highest when it comes to levels of minerals and vitamins. Many times, dairy milk and substitute milks are fortified with nutrients, but almond milk has these nutrients naturally, making them more beneficial for your body.

Dietary Benefits

Almond milk is incredibly low in fat and calories with only 40 calories and three grams of fat (on average) per serving. There are also no animal byproducts in almond milk as it is made from only almonds and water, making almond milk a fantastic choice for those that observe a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. Some varieties of almond milk may contain additives like vanilla or sugar for flavor so watch the labels for these ingredients to get the lowest possible calorie level.

What to Watch For

As with any food, there are some things that you should watch out for. The first of these is for nut allergies. Since almond milk comes from almonds, it is not safe for those individuals that suffer from nut or tree allergies. Though people that are sensitive to lactose, casein, or gluten are perfect candidates for almond milk.

Almond milk should be incorporated into a healthy diet to provide valuable nutrients and provide a substitute for dairy products.  ENJOY!

The Value of the 20% Rule

What is the 20% rule? This is the general rule that helps you determine what the appropriate level of carbohydrates to consume. You are going to compare the level carbohydrate levels to sugar levels. This can be a tricky thing for the average person to calculate, but luckily, there is an easy way to figure this out.

The first thing to do is to identify the total carbohydrates line on the nutrition label.

In the case above, you will take 36 grams and calculate 20% - which is equal to 7.2. Compare this to the amount of sugar in the label above, which is 6 grams. If the grams of sugar are higher than 20% of the carbohydrates, that is a food to be avoided. In this case, since 6 grams is less than 7.2, this food is an acceptable choice to eat.

Let’s look at one more example. Suppose you have a cookie. That has 22 grams of carbohydrates and 28 grams of sugar. The fast way to calculate the 20% is to move the decimal point in the carbohydrate number one (22 goes to 2.2) and then multiply by two (2.2 times 2 equals 4.4). In this case, you have 4.4 as the carbohydrate number and 28 grams of sugar – not an acceptable food to eat. Another quick way to know that this is unacceptable is that the sugar is higher than the total carbohydrates so it must be a bad food.

Exceptions

As with any rule, there are exceptions and dairy is that exception. Milk and cottage cheese have a high carbohydrate to sugar ratio, but the sugar is not the same type of sugar that is found in other foods. Sugar in dairy products is actually lactose. Lactose actually behaves like a complex carb and not a sugar, thus the exception to the 20% rule. This should not be confused with soy milk, which often does not meet the rule.

This is a quick way to know if the carb choice you are making a good one or a bad one and can help grocery shopping a much easier process.

For Fat Loss, HIIT is In!

The days of hours on the treadmill are over for those wanting to get rid of a little extra fat! There are two main types of cardio. The first is low intensity cardio for a long period of time. The second type is a High-Intensity Interval Training workout. Knowing the difference between the two will help you to know what is best for you to achieve the results you want.

Variations

Traditional cardio methods have you working a moderate intensity level for a prolonged period of time. On a scale of one to ten on the exertion scale, you are working somewhere around a five to seven the whole time for anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes.
With a HIIT workout, you will be alternating between high levels of exertion and lower levels of exertion for intervals that last between 15 and 60 seconds. In between these high levels of exertion, you are resting for a minute or two. You complete this type of cycle seven to ten times and then cool down.
What are the Benefits?

Traditional cardio workouts provide you with a lower exertion level so you do not run the risk of overtraining your body. This is a great place to start for beginners because they are at a lower fitness level. Before starting more intense workouts, you need to develop a base and traditional cardio provides that. The one disadvantage is that this particular method does not help to boost your metabolic rate once you are done with the workout, known as the afterburn. People also tend to find these workouts to be tedious and long, which does not promote long-term sustainability.

HIIT workouts on the other hand are shorter and can be completed in about 20 to 30 minutes. These workouts provide a high afterburn that keeps the metabolic rate high and burning calories long after the workout is over. This is the reason that HIIT workouts are so successful at helping with fat loss. The downside here is that it is a taxing workout that is not suitable for beginners. It can be easy to overtrain if you are not familiar with how to perform this workout safely.