4 Ways To Never Have A Bad Workout

If your body isn't improving as planned, the problem could be in your head. Use these strategies to boost your motivation and jumpstart your gains! 4 Ways To Banish Bad Workouts If you're starting to dread your workouts, don't be alarmed (not yet, anyway). It's easy to fall into a slump, especially if you're feeling overwhelmed by life's daily tasks and the scale starts sticking. But this doesn't always call for a complete overhaul of your routine. A little mental jumpstart may be all you need to get your wheels turning again so you can stick with your New Year's health resolution. Follow these motivation-boosting strategies, and you'll be back to building more muscle and burning more fat in no time. 1. UP THE BEAT WITH YOUR IPOD The Boost: Numerous studies confirm a strong link exists between music and improved exercise performance. According to recent research published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, listening to music helps reduce the fatigue associated with exercise and narrows attention (i.e., focus). A similar study conducted at Brunel University (West London, UK) found psychological arousal (the readiness of an individual to respond to stimuli) as an additional benefit. What this means is that not only does music allow you to "drown out" the tiredness that results from intense exercise, it also helps drive you to engage in this exercise. Your Task: Slower, calming music can quickly kill your workouts. Start by removing songs like this from your iPod, and then load up on your favourite upbeat music. Take your iPod with you every workout. When you start to feel your motivation wane, reboot by cranking it up a bit louder. Click To Enlarge. Workout Rx: switching from The Carpenters to Katy Perry. 2. GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS TO REBOOT The Boost: Being overwhelmed by the day's tasks isn't uncommon. However, it's on these days you're more likely to push exercise aside. According to a study published in Health Psychology however, you can boost your mood and fight fatigue by doing just ten minutes of moderate exercise, such as on the bike. Exercise is well known for its ability to significantly boost brain serotonin levels-and the more intense the exercise, the greater the production of this feel good hormone. Your Task: Whenever you start to dread your workout, take a ten-minute timeout on the bike or aim to complete at least one set of your favourite exercise before you pack it in for the day. Chances are, by the time you're done "going through the motions" you'll have a surge of new energy and be mentally ready to toss around the weights. Click To Enlarge. In 46 seconds, this guy will be pedaling like a maniac. 3. MAKE IT SOCIAL WITH NETWORKS The Boost: According to a recent study conducted at Brandeis University (Waltham, Massachusetts), social support plays a key role in health-related behaviours. Those who have supportive social relationships are more likely to engage in (and reap the benefits of) exercise. Perhaps more important, social support encourages adherence to exercise programs. But this doesn't mean you need a training partner in order to build muscle or lose fat. You can get your social fix surfing the net.

Online and mobile phone applications have also been found to promote healthy behaviours-especially exercise-through social support. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington (Seattle), working in collaboration with Intel Research Seattle, found that subjects who shared their exercise progress with friends on a mobile phone application experienced a significant boost in motivation. They concluded that these applications influence motivation through both social pressure and social support. Another reason increases in motivation may occur is that online social networks spur contact with additional resources to help facilitate healthier behaviours. Your Task: Log on daily to fitness networking sites such as BodySpace, then start recording your workout data so you can track your progress. You'll be able to see where you're making gains (or losses) at a glance, and so will all of your friends and peers-a sure-fire way to keep your motivation revving high!

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4. GO MENTAL WITH VISUALIZATIONS The Boost: Stacks of research has shown mental imagery (i.e., visualization) can push towards higher performance-but, in most cases, only in elite-level athletes. Recently however, visualization has proven just as beneficial to the average gym goer. Researchers at the University of Lyon (Villeurbanne, France) found that when subjects followed a mental rehearsal protocol during rest periods between sets-for 12 workout sessions, they gained more strength, particularly in the lower body (leg press), than those who did not rehearse. While this was in part attributed to neuromuscular adaptations that allowed for enhanced technical execution of the movement (i.e., better recruitment of motor units during muscle contraction), researchers also stated that intrinsic motivation played a significant role. Just visualizing the movement primes the brain and body to actually do it-in this case, more efficiently. An earlier study published in Memory and Cognitionreported that subjects were much more motivated to take part in an activity if they had first imagined themselves actually doing it. So the clearer that picture is of yourself lifting heavy iron or sweating on the gauntlet, the more muscle you'll build or more fat you'll shed. Your Task: You don't have to wait until you're between sets to reap the benefits of visualization. The next time hit the treadmill to warm up, "walk" through your entire workout, one exercise, set, etc. at a time. But whether it's during your warm up or between sets, you want to ensure your mental image is vivid, meaning you both see the exercise and feel the muscle contraction.

Conclusion Don't fall slump this winter and lose sight of your muscle-building or fat-loss goals. By applying these four proven strategies you can give yourself a mental tuneup and kick your New Year's health resolutions into high gear again. Apply these strategies any time you start to feel your motivation wane.

Quit Fast Food For Good To Save Time And Cash!

Do you often give in to the temptation of fast food to feed yourself or your family? Find out how you can quit fast food for good and save a ton of money doing it! It's 5:30pm. Your kids' soccer practice starts in 15 minutes. You've barely gotten your foot in the door before the barrage of demands for your time and attention begins. Lil' Suzie needs help with homework. Bobby Jr. wants to practice his batting swing in the living room. Hubbie Larry is wondering what's for dinner. Chances are if you're like most, you head for the fast and efficient livestock corral known as your local fast food drive-thru window. The $.99 menu beckons to your wallet and your sensibilities with its cheap, easy fare. I mean, what else could you get for less than a dollar in such a short amount of time these days? Certainly nothing healthy, right? The truth is that you can create healthy, affordable meals for your family in less time than it takes to drive to your local fast food joint! Click To Enlarge. The $.99 Menu Beckons To Your Wallet And Your Sensibilities With Its Cheap, Easy Fare. Stop, It's Hammer Time: Step 1 - Sit Down! In your new mission to provide your family with the healthiest, fastest meals known to man, the first step is to sit down! Yes! Take out a piece of paper and a pencil and actually PLAN OUT what you're going to eat for the week! Your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners should all contain a protein, slow-burning carb (sweet potatoes are cheap, fast, and readily accessible this time of year) and some good-quality fats. A sample day could look like this: Meal 1: 1 cup Banana Walnut Oatmeal with Wheat Germ and Flax Seed Meal 2: 30g of Fruit 1oz Raw Almonds Meal 3: 1 Serving of Tossed Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing 1 Grilled Chicken Breast 1 Slice of Whole Grain Toast Meal 4: 1 Protein Shake with Either Low Fat Milk or Water Meal 5: 1 Pork Tenderloin 1 Serving Broccoli 1 Serving Mashed Sweet potatoes with Light Butter Then create your grocery list based on what you'll need from the meals you've planned! Click To Enlarge. Your Breakfasts, Lunches, And Dinners Should All Contain A Protein, Slow-Burning Carb And Some Good-Quality Fats. Grocery List For The Week: Bananas Walnuts and Almonds (Get 'em in bulk and save a bundle) Wheat Germ and Flax-seed (Available at most mega-marts) Can of Fruit in Water (Again, buy in bulk to cut down on prep time and cost) Salad Fixings (6 heads of Romaine are available for bulk purchases and will last you all week) Dressing (skip the Cream-Based ones and go for the Low-Sugar Vinaigrette) Chicken and Pork Tenderloin (Buy both in Bulk) Bread (some Dollar Stores get shipments of Bread twice a week. A loaf of Bread for $1.00!) Protein Powder (Available through Bodybuilding.com in a variety of flavors for a low price!) Milk (1% or Fat Free) Sweet Potatoes Broccoli Now you're ready to go grocery shopping! Click To Enlarge. Now You're Ready To Go Grocery Shopping. Grocery Shopping: Clean Up On Aisle 3! I prefer to go grocery shopping once a week, getting all the materials I'll need on Thursday for the week ahead. I load up the trunk of my car with coolers and icepacks and head to my local Sam's Club or Costco(whatever bulk foods store is in your area). You'll discover that most of the meat on your list can be purchased in bulk for the same price or less than in your local grocery store! The coolers are to ensure my meat stays a safe temperature for the ride home. But remember, you aren't in the food storage business - you're in the food eating business! So don't buy more than you'll use in a week. Freezers tend to change the texture and consistency of most meats. And don't buy anything that isn't on the list! You've allotted for allsnacks and meals - so no extra cookies, cakes, or pies should wind up in your cart! (Note: this'll cut down on your at-home munchies too!) Average total grocery bill for a family of 5? Approximately $110.00 a week. (That's $2.86 per meal, per person) Step 1 in the Cheap/Fast/Healthy Nutrition Challenge? Done. Click To Enlarge. You'll Discover That Most Of The Meat On Your List Can Be Purchased In Bulk For The Same Price Or Less Than In Your Local Grocery Store. Marathon Sundays Sunday morning dawns bright and early! After breakfast, the oven is preheated and the food preparation can begin! All of the chicken is placed onto a large baking sheet, seasoned with salt, pepper, or whatever other seasoning you choose and cooked all at once. (Yes, for the whole week's worth of lunches!) The pork tenderloin is run through the meat slicer (available at your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond) to create pork chops which will later be placed on the same baking sheet to cook all at once as well (once the chicken is done). The veggies for the salad are "processed" while the meat is cooking. The lettuce is chopped to prepare for salads and portioned out to ensure that any 'grab and go' lunches are 90% done before they're needed. Don't forget the zip-top baggies! While you're waiting on the meat to cool before storing, go ahead and portion out your snacks as well! That #10 can of fruit you got in bulk can be drained (and rinsed if soaked in "light fruit juice") and put into baggies or small Tupperware containers next to its companion almonds or walnuts for easy-to-grab snacks for the whole family! By the time lunch rolls around on Sunday afternoon, 90% of your cooking for the week has been accomplished. My Family Will Never Go For That The idea of having the same lunch for every single day of the week may be daunting...and you assume it'll get old. But, here are three things to consider: 1. Home Prepared Vs. Fast Food If you told your family they were having burgers and fries from McArches for a solid week of lunches, would they complain? Would it be any different than what they're getting now? Chances are they already have similar items for many of the same meals during the week. This isn't that much different than what you're already giving them (just healthier...) 2. Taking Out the Guess Work You're eliminating the age-old question, "What's for dinner?" as well as the headache that comes with figuring out what new and inventive meal you can throw together at the last second. (And let's be honest - won't the hassle of scrambling to figure out what to eat be EVERY SINGLE NIGHT worth getting off your plate with everything else you try to do in a day?) 3. Setting An Example Tough love alert! This is a lifestyle change you've made for yourself and your family. Children look to their parents to learn what's best for them. If children were able to be self-sufficient from the womb, they'd be hatched like snakes and no longer need adult supervision. But they aren't. Kids need parents who are willing to show them a healthier alternative to the junk they're being fed by school cafeterias and on television commercials. By demonstrating a willingness to eat the right foods more often, you're setting an example that'll keep them off The Biggest Loser and on the right track to a longer life as well! That being said, recognizing that chicken for lunch CAN get a bit dull after a while; here are a few tips to change up your meals: 1. Toppings Melt a small jar of apricot jelly and add some finely dicedjalapeno peppers (seeds removed!) on the stove until some of thewater has evaporated and the sauce is a bit thicker than it was originally (keep stirring during this process - the sugar in the apricots can burn easily!) Store in a microwave safe container and spoon over top your chicken for a Sweet and Spicy alternative! 2. Dice Your Food Dice your chicken and add it TO your salad instead of on the side (Hey, it works for McArches, right? And theirs are made well in advance of you ordering it!) 3. Barbecue Sauce Low-sugar BBQ sauce can add a boost of flavor to your chickenwithout a lot of extra calories (just watch your sugar intake). Or try a BBQ-flavored rub on your chicken before you cook it on Sunday for a week of yummy BBQ flavor without the hassle! Putting It All Together Now that you've pre-cooked your meals and portioned them out, it's time for a challenge! You and your spouse stand in your living room. One person heads for the kitchen while the other heads for the car. The one in the car should drive to your local go-to drive-thru and order what you'd customarily get for the whole family. The one heading for the kitchen can break out the pre-cooked pork tenderloin and reheat (not re-cook! Then it'd be overdone), throw a couple of peeled sweet Potatoes in the microwave (and cook for about 5 minutes. Individual cooking times will vary) then mash with a little bit of low-fat butter, alongside a cup of freshly steamed broccoli (most can go straight from freezer or fridge to microwave with a splash ofwater in the bottom of the container for steaming). Chances are, the person in the kitchen will be done with dinner and ready to serve before the person in the car can say, " I'd like fries with that". Now you've cooked a healthy meal for your family in less than 15 minutes, under 450 calories, and under $15 for the entire meal (without any added preservatives or unnecessary ingredients to boot!) Find that on any local dollar menu - I dare you! Click To Enlarge. Now You've Cooked A Healthy Meal For Your Family In Less Than 15 Minutes, Under 450 Calories, And Under $15 For The Entire Meal.

Insulin Sensitivity: Why You Can't Blast That Fat For Good!

Have you reached the final fat loss plateau, tried everything and can't conquer it? Learn why Insulin Sensitivity is your biggest obstacle and how to defeat it to see the results! Insulin Sensitivity: Why You Can't Blast That Fat For Good! Have you ever wondered why, after all the exercise and healthy eating you do, you still can't shift that last bit of fat? You hit the gym four to five times a week or more, you even try to get a run in over the weekend and on top of this you're eating all the healthiest food you can find; despite this your still not super lean like you want to be. I have the answer to your nightmare - Insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity will eventually replace the term "weight loss" and "fat loss" as the new hot topic. Insulin has a powerful ability to prevent fat breakdown by its anabolic (rebuilding) properties. Few health and fitness professionals know or understand Insulin sensitivity (IS) which is why its no wonder that the every day man or woman is finding weight and fat so difficult to lose; it's incredibly hard to win against an obstacle you don't know is there! Let me explain Insulin's role and how it's sensitivity changes depending upon how close you are to your weight and fat loss goals. Click To Enlarge. It's Incredibly Difficult To Win Against An Obstacle You Don't Know Is There. Insulin Sensitivity: You might remember the hormone Insulin from articles referring to muscle gains due to its anabolic properties. Well further research into Insulin action shows that these same anabolic tendencies also affect the fat cells1. What most people don't realize is, Insulin also targets the fat, liver, and muscle cells when it is released1. This is not the only problem, though. A review of the research tells us that IS is actually increased when you lower your weight or body fat percentage2,3,11. It's also important to note that IS gets stronger the more you work out. The catabolic effect of exercise increases IS during a work out and for about 30-45 minutes post workout3. This means as a healthy exercising individual you simply can't eat the same amount of carbohydrate food that you did before and expect to keep getting better results. It's important to note that Insulin is sensitive to both carbohydrate and protein consumed, but not fat4. However, of all the food sources, it's the higher carbohydrate meals that elevate Insulin levels the most after a meal5. (See diagram below and look at lunchtime reading.) Even though there are individual differences to IS levels depending upon your metabolic type, the evidence strongly suggests that the leaner and lighter you become the stronger your IS levels will be. This means carbohydrates (and proteinto a lesser extent) are producing a bigger and more powerful anabolic effect the closer you get to your weight loss/body fat goals. Click To Enlarge. It's The Higher Carbohydrate Meals That Elevate Insulin Levels The Most After A Meal. Self-Preservation: It seems the body has a way to protect the ever reducing mass of itself as it gets smaller and smaller by ramping up its IS. It also protects itself from too much exercise induced catabolism by making you more IS around your workouts. Why does the body do this, you might ask? This is a good question, but the body has a very good answer: protection and survival. Imagine the scenario - a body that could just keep losing weight without any self checking system! "Heaven!" I hear you say, that is until you realize that this body would be in danger of wasting itself away. If your body was without any anabolic or rebuilding effect, critical tissues, such as connective ligaments and tendon absorption would occur, muscle wasting would be uncontrolled and shutting down of vital systems in the body would happen next. If the body could be in a constant state of catabolism the body could break itself down into an unrecoverable state! Constant catabolism isn't just limited to energy sources either, being dangerously low on certain nutrients could mean you might leech them from an eye or a section of nerve tissue or other vital organs and body parts. There is more and more evidence to suggest the body already performs such processes as these as we see osteoporosis and varying degree's of vision in people as well as an array of bone and joint problems, to name but a few. The evidence is out there to suggest the body leeches nutrients from other parts of itself if it is not obtained from the diet6,7,12. Without a rebuilding response from the body, it would be unable to get bigger and stronger or recover properly from exercise and stress. This is why Insulin is so important and so is a variable rate of IS. Click To Enlarge. The Body Will Leech Nutrients From Other Organs As Neccessary Evidenced By Varying Degree's Of Vision. Insulin's Role: Insulin's role is protective of the whole so that body parts can rebuild and maintain integrity of internal systems as well as keep energy stores at an optimum and safe level. Insulin and IS is a very good protection system, but like all systems it can be manipulated, you just have to know how. IS is a pre-programmed mechanism responding to the amount and sweetness of the carbohydrates (carbs) that we eat. Everybody has a unique set IS level which is governed by many internal factors that can be measured by determining your metabolic type4. Despite some people having a lower IS level and a slower Insulin response who are better adapted to eating carbs in their diet, there is still a vast majority of people out there struggling to get to their fat and weight loss goals from having high levels of IS and strong Insulin responses. What this really means though, is not that our bodies have become stubborn fat burners, it's that even the healthiest of food available today is still a little too high in carbs for most of us. Your IS is really highlighting that your current food is still a bit too refined and sweet for your needs. Click To Enlarge. Insulin Sensitivity Is Mechanism Which Responds To The Amount And Sweetness Of Carbs We Eat. Carbohydrate Usage: You can appreciate this a lot more when you realize that there are eight essential amino acids and eight essential fatty acids required for life. These same nutrients are used all over the body for normal and constant metabolic processes such as repair of hair, skin, bone, muscle, red blood cells. Fat is used for energy purposes, protein only in ketosis. Compare this to carbs, which have a very limited role around the body, in fact it's only the brain that needs carbohydrates as a fuel source, most cellular processes are happy using fat. That's one of the reasons why we are designed to carry so much of it around with us. Carbs do provide us with fiber and minuscule but essential amounts of vitamins and minerals which are very difficult to store (unless they're fat soluble), and if they're not used at that time, they are passed through the body very quickly6. This means the main role of carbs is to top up the liver and muscles which are not as big a store as some people would realize. A closer look at the anatomy of a person reveals that the human liver can hold approx 80-100g of carbohydrates and the muscles can only hold 1-2% of carbs by volume, known as glycogen. Click To Enlarge. It's Only The Brain That Needs Carbohydrates As A Fuel Source In The Body. Glycogen Storage The exact amount of how much glycogen you can store is dependent upon how much muscle mass you have and how intense your training. Individuals need more carbs if they train at higher levels of intensity as the main fuel used is glucose. This is why there is a greater storage effect after this type of training, called supercompensation7. It's a long conversion to find the muscle volume of a person and then work out 1-2% of that volume and finally convert that volume to mass. But if you take an average of 1.5% storage capacity for muscle glycogen and then work out a range of muscle mass (in this case men) from the literature at 38.4kg for distance runners and 58.7kg for bodybuilders8, then glycogen storage capacity is only 97-150g from my calculations. Add on the liver store of 80-100g and you are looking at total capacity of 177 - 250g of carbohydrates that the body can realistically store (Women should use the small figure as an accurate reflection of what glycogen stores they can hold.). This is not a lot of carb intake per day if you consider we are, or should be, using fat as a fuel source for most of the day for most of our bodily processes and never get to a point of complete depletion. Athlete Muscle Mass Muscle Glycogen Storage Combined Glycogen Storage Distance Runner 38.4kg 97g 177g Bodybuilder 58.7kg 150g 250g Fat Usage: I'm sure nobody really likes fat, but I have to say it's an incredibly powerful fuel source. Very little fat can provide energy for extensive periods. It is reported that 3% body fat is enough energy for someone to run 2 consecutive marathons together8. Quite clearly we are built to run on fat and use carbs sparingly, otherwise our anatomy would be completely different and be built the other way around, meaning small fat deposits in our livers and muscles with plenty of carbs built around us. A good analogy would be - why build a car with a tiny fuel tank? It would make sense to design a car with a much bigger fuel tank and a richer fuel supply that was at least twice the energy capacity of most fuel without any extra weight: Fat = 9 Cals per gram, Carbs and Protein = 4.2 Cals per gram A much more intelligent design would be to store the most potent fuel in an unlimited area and then add the idea of a turbo charger that could boost performance temporarily for stressful or strenuous circumstances for a perfectly designed machine. This smaller reserve for high octane fuel would be the intake for carbs which are limited to storage in the liver and muscles as they are required in the least amount, with the main fuel of fat stored all over. Click To Enlarge. It Is Reported That 3% Body Fat Is Enough Energy For Someone To Run Two Consecutive Marathons Together. Rethinking Your Diet: A rethink of your diet might be in order if you do eat root vegetables and fruits whilst also consuming bread, dairy and/or cereals. Be weary of so called "healthy" fruit juices as these are really sugared water. This is also true of the new trendy flavored waters that you can buy these days, these products and most sauces are easy ways to alter your carb/fat/protein intake and can be a leading culprit in contributing to your weight and fat gain. This is why "healthy" people are often "lean" people. I see evidence of this all the time with my own clients, not just in the research literature. I'm sure you have seen people who train all the time but don't control their diet very well, they try to think in terms of calories in versus calories out only, with little or no regard for thecarbohydrate intake. I have to say I don't see their bodies change a lot, where as there are other people who eat cleaner food, they eat some raw vegetables, they cook most of their food at home and avoid heavily processed foods with added chemicals including - colorings, preservatives, artificial flavors etc and there bodies reflect this. They don't come in the gym and have to workout hard, they are workingout smart using tighter control of their food. We all know it's much easier to take the calories in during a blow out, than it is to work them off in the gym. In fact its practically impossible to get really lean and stay there unless you're healthy first. Fitness will only work for so long before your body will be unable to maintain the exertion and catabolism induced. Click To Enlarge. Those People Who Eat Cleaner Food Don't Have To Workout Hard They Can Workout Smart. Potential Hazards From Caloric Deficit: If you do not provide your body with adequate nutritional support, you'll start witnessing sickness and run down symptoms from poor recovery from your training sessions. If you ignore this and continue, you will see problems with joints and bones or both and you may also start to see symptoms in the muscular and hormonal systems6,7,13. This leeching of nutrients from other body parts or other systems will only serve to weaken the whole - You! This makes it harder and harder to have the energy to work out regularly and keep the body in a healthy state where all systems are working synergistically to utilize fat metabolism. Stress hormones from a stressed system use more glucose than fat and increase the need for stimulants and sugars that are not going to serve you well in the long run due to your higher sugar diet and your Insulin response. Leeching of nutrients is another good reason to clean up your diet and stick to vegetable and some fruit based carbs. Scavenging necessary ingredients from other body parts is not a long term survival method; we should be always aiming to eat foods that revitalize our bodies, rather than our mouths. If the body is without certain nutrients it has to choose between switching off certain processes temporarily or leeching what's needed from somewhere else in the body. This would mean further catabolism/ breakdown when you are already in a catabolic state from dieting and training. This puts a lot of stress on the body by asking it to provide further breakdown in another area to sustain itself, which is just more stress added to the system. Now it's easy to see why the body might prefer to go into a complex preservation mode and preferentially start storing more energy as fat and break down the muscles as it is trying to "save" itself rather than allowing constant catabolism. Click To Enlarge. We Should Be Always Aiming To Eat Foods That Revitalize Our Bodies, Rather Than Our Mouths. Lack Of Need For Carbohydrates: I also studied the research on how much depletion our livers receive overnight due to heavy brain activity during our sleep cycle. It was reported that only approx 27 - 30 grams of carbs overnight was used10. This is not a great deal of carbohydrate food when you consider what people regularly consume at the first meal of breakfast, never mind the rest of the day's intake. Unless strenuous exercise or long periods of mental focus are applied you are simply not built to consume too much carbohydrate. Most people are simply burning a hole in their liver and muscles when they exercise by going hard and then replace it with their diet afterward. This means they are maintaining they're weight and fat loss at best! These are the people who as soon as they stop exercising just balloon in size and weight as they can no longer store the carbs internally as we all know that once the liver and muscles reach full capacity the extra carbs are converted to fat. Unfortunately most carbohydrate foods we see are extremely low in nutrition, but their low cost and short preparation time make them very convenient to everyone. Thus, avoiding these at all costs is a must if you're serious about getting the healthy body and lean definition you see in fitness magazines. Some fruits and all vegetables are a much better source of carbohydrates as they contain 1000's of nutrients and phytochemicals compared to breads, cereals and pasta11. A study I read recently described an apple as having 10,000 to 15,000 nutrients contained within it versus virtually none in a doughnut11. Taking a metabolic type assessment will help you sensibly reduce your carb intake and accurately determine which nutrients you need the most from the various fruits and vegetables as well as the sources that best suit your genetics for the 8 essential amino acids and 8 essential fatty acids that are vital to healthy functioning.