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Grass Fed or Grain Fed Beef?

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Fit Chow Atlanta | Grass Fed or Grain Fed?

What’s the Difference between Grass Fed Beef vs Grain Fed/Grass Finished Beef?

Grass Fed Beef = cattle roam free on a pasture & eat only grass
Grain Fed/Grass Finished Beef = Cattle confined in feed lots & eat mostly grain

What’s the Difference between Nutrition Profiles?

The label “grass-fed” refers to cattle who are given an all-grass diet. Grass-fed meats are higher in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). Studies show omega-3 fatty acids lower the risk of heart attack, lower blood pressure, and improve brain function. Studies also show, CLA’s may reduce the risk of cancer.  Grass fed beef is leaner and juicer, thanks to higher moisture content in addition to having more omega-3 fatty acids, CLA’s, vitamin B6 and beta-carotene. Also, grass fed beef has as little as 140 calories per serving plus lower cholesterol.  When you are shopping for beef, look for a meat that has fat yellowish in tint (not white).  This color in the fat is derived from the cows grass intake.

Grain-fed or grass finished beef is more greasy and not as juicy. Plus, it’s ‘fattened up’ on a variety of grain or corn by-products that are not healthy and highly refined (the fat will appear white in color in a grain fed cow). Regular consumption is not recommended as part of a healthy diet because there is risk in elevating bad cholesterol levels.

The “Quick and Dirty”…

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Fit Chow Atlanta only uses meats that have never been treated with antibiotics or given hormones.  Our beef is always grass-fed and of the leanest cuts.

Source:

http://www.justaddgoodstuff.com/grass-fed-vs-grain-fed-beef/#.VCrbUkvXklI

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The Dirty Dozen

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www.fitchowatlanta.com

Eating fresh produce is the best way to obtain the nutrients that support optimum health, but the pesticides used on many crops remain a major health concern. This is the primary reason why at Fit Chow we use produce that has never been treated with pesticides. By choosing organic foods, you can reap the health benefits of fruits and vegetables without exposing yourself and your family to potentially harmful chemicals. Pesticides present real health risks, particularly to children and those with health concerns. The toxicity most commonly associated with pesticides in animal studies include disruptions in the normal functioning of the nervous and endocrine system, and increased risks of cancer (http://www.drweil.com).

You may be familiar with the term “Dirty Dozen”. This is a list of produce (fruits and vegetables) used to identify the produce with pesticide residue found in them. If you don’t want to eat bug and weed killers, when shopping on your own you most definitely want to purchase organic or pesticide free versions of the produce listed on the the Dirty Dozen. However, rest assure, at Fit Chow you will only be served organic and/or local pesticide free fruits and vegetables.

The Dirty Dozen

Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen™ list of produce includes apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, imported nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and potatoes. Each of these foods contained a number of different pesticide residues and showed high concentrations of pesticides relative to other produce items.

In particular:

Every sample of imported nectarines and 99 percent of apple samples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other food.
A single grape sample contained 15 pesticides. Single samples of celery, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and strawberries showed 13 different pesticides a piece.
The Clean Fifteen

Environmental Working Group’s Clean Fifteen for 2014 – the produce least likely to hold pesticide residues – are avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwis, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticides. So when shopping, if cost and saving a some money is a concern for your family, you may choose to use the conventional versions of these produce items.

Notable findings:

Avocados were the cleanest: only 1 percent of avocado samples showed any detectable pesticides.
Some 89 percent of pineapples, 82 percent of kiwi, 80 percent of papayas, 88 percent of mango and 61 percent of cantaloupe had no residues.
No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen™ tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides.
Detecting multiple pesticide residues is extremely rare on Clean Fifteen™ vegetables. Only 5.5 percent of Clean Fifteen samples had two or more pesticides.
Source:

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

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What’s in your lunchbox?

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What makes a great lunch? Is it something new, colorful, warm, hot, sweet, spicy, or one that comes neatly packed in a tupperware container? As a personal trainer and fitness nutritionist, I would say yes to each of these lunch characteristics. However, with a full schedule, time is a rarity in my household and making the time to create healthful meals is a challenge. There are many benefits to eating a healthy balanced meal mid-day, and Fit Chow helps me do just that without any time consuming preparations!

Eating in the middle of the day reenergizes your body and continues to provide your body with the energy it will need to stay productive throughout the rest of your workday. In addition, eating lunch (or small frequent meals) helps to keep your metabolism revving. It is a common misbelief that skipping meals to cut calories may help propel your weight loss. However, this strategy rarely produces long term, sustainable weight loss. In actuality, people who skip meals tend to weigh more than people who eat often throughout the day (according to Weight Control Information Network). Skipping lunch (or other meals/snacks) can rev up your appetite, causing you to over indulge in poor food choices.

Eating lunch is important, but what you are eating has equal importance! Some foods pack more nutritional value than others. Combining protein and complex carbohydrates (fruits and veggies) will give you a long-lasting source of energy. At Fit Chow we have combined our expertise in nutrition, health and fitness with Chef Curry’s exceptional cooking skills to create meals that fit this criteria perfectly. Ideally, a healthy lunch should be balanced with protein, complex carbs (fruits and veggies), and healthy fats. By simply packing 4-6 oz of the protein of your choice (1/2-1/3 of the protein in a container) and 4 oz (or 1/2 a container) of vegetables, you will have rapidly created a nutritional lunch to fuel your body through the rest of the work day. We have worked to create options for you that take guessing on healthy choices at fast food restaurants out of the equation.

So, take a lunch break and nourish your brain with healthful foods such as the foods Fit Chow Atlanta provides and I guarantee it will lead to a better and more productive afternoon!

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Atlanta Personal Trainer |Healthy Tacos

Taco’s the healthy way…

 

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Eating clean doesn’t have to mean eating boring. Fit Chow’s mission is to provide you with healthy and delicious alternatives to your favorite meals. We are taking the ‘guess’timating out of the equation and preparing meals that you can trust will keep you on track and reaching your fitness goals. One of our favorite menu items, Spiced Turkey Lettuce Wraps, helps satisfy your cravings for traditional Mexican dishes without adding disastrous inches to your waistline. Wrapping your favorite lean meat and sautéed veggies in lettuce will not only reduce your overall calorie intake, the crunchy greens will also provide you with more phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals than consuming your tacos on tortillas or taco shells.

Try adding these healthy toppings to your Spiced Turkey Wraps:

Cheese gets lost in the mix. Omit it to save calories–you won’t miss it.
When it comes to creamy toppings, choose sour cream or guacamole–not both.
Add moisture-choose tomato salsas as a lowcalorie/low-fat.
Add roasted corn, smoked peppers, or mango to boost flavor and nutrition to your topping.
In place of sour cream, consider using Greek yogurt, which has more protein but still has the tang!
Try adding chopped cucumber, green onions, diced tomatoes, cilantro, mushrooms, and green/red/yellow/orange peppers.

To order Fit Chow simply click on the link!

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Cooking with Coconut Oil | Atlanta Personal Training

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Heat, along with light and oxygen, can destroy the beneficial fats in some oils. Polyunsaturated fats are the most fragile and are not recommended for cooking. Coconut oil, being mainly a saturated fat, is able to withstand higher temperatures than other oils, making it one of the best oils for cooking. It also gives a delicious taste and superb texture to foods. (http://healthyeating.sfgate.com)

At Fit Chow Atlanta, coconut oil is the only oil being used during any cooking that requires high heat.  To try Fit Chow, visit our website at www.FitChowAtlanta.com.

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How we eat and stay fit…

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Each week, Brad and I each enjoy our very own 5-Day meal plan from Fit Chow Atlanta. We thought it may be helpful for you to see how each of us incorporate these very foods into our daily dietary intake. The most challenging part has been deciding which entrée to dive into first!

As you can see this is A LOT of food, but as you know, you should be eating small frequent meals throughout the day in order to optimize your metabolism, stabilize blood sugar and help ward-off unwanted late night binges on foods that won’t help you reach your fitness goals. Here is what a day of eating looks like for me (Mandy) and Brad, using the 6oz and the 8oz meat and vegetable portions provided by Fit Chow Atlanta.

Daily Meal Schedule (Mandy):

Breakfast– 4oz meat, 1 small fruit

Snack 1– 2oz meat

Lunch– 4oz meat, 4oz veggies

Snack 2– protein shake

Dinner– 4oz meat, 4oz veggies

Bedtime Snack– Frozen Greek Yogurt Dessert

 

Daily Meal Schedule (Brad):

Breakfast– 3 whole eggs, protein shake + fruit + veggies

Snack 1– protein shake

Lunch– 6oz meat, 4oz veggies

Snack 2– protein shake

Dinner– 8oz meat, 4oz veggies

Bedtime Snack– Frozen Greek Yogurt Dessert

To view the menu and order your Fit Chow, go to FitChowAtlanta.com.

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Now OPEN | Fit Chow Atlanta | Meal Service

Fit Chow
Now serving the Atlanta area!

Fit Chow Atlanta healthy all natural meal service

Brad and I are excited to announce we have launched a healthy meal service! We know how challenging it can be to manage jobs, family, chores, working out, appointment, etc. and still manage to cook/eat clean meals. Fit Chow was designed to not only help you balance all of life’s challenges, but will allow you to spend more time doing the things you love with the people you love and less time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning.

Fit Chow provides healthy meals using only the freshest ingredients available. All of our foods are all-natural, never frozen, and are never processed or pre-packaged. You will enjoy freshly made, fully cooked food prepared to absolute perfection. All ingredients have been carefully chosen by Brad and myself (A.C.E. certified personal trainer, longevity specialist, specialist in fitness nutrition) and an award winning executive chef. Each health-conscious menu has been designed and constructed using hormone-free and antibiotic-free poultry, grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and pesticide free fruits and vegetables. No hydrogenated oils or margarine, MSG, fillers, white flour, white sugar, white salt or non-food ingredients are ever used! The focus of each menu is on quality, variety and health. We strive to take the monotony out of your dietary intake while also allowing you to invest your time into luxuries outside of the kitchen. Yet, rest assure you are eating a wholesome healthy meal that will keep you on track to reaching your health and fitness related goals.

To view our weekly menu and to learn more about Fit Chow Atlanta, go to www.fitchowatlanta.com.

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