Every 20 minutes or so, your stomach sends a burst of a chemical called ghrelin into your bloodstream. When the ghrelin reaches the hypothalamus, it tells your brain that you’re hungry. But of course you don’t feel hungry every twenty minutes. That’s because ghrelin is in constant competition with another chemical, called leptin. Leptin tells your brain you’re full.  So ghrelin triggers the hungry message and leptin triggers the stuffed message. It’s a self-regulating system. But sometimes, it gets out of whack. You might eat too much or not eat enough.

How to fix it:

Eating starchy carbs as recommended on the Parrillo Nutrition Program makes your hypothalamus very happy. That’s because these foods take a long time to break down – which means your blood is getting a nice steady stream of energy and you feel satisfied.

Don’t cut back on calories; stay with the Parrillo system of increasing them. One of the major problems with most restrictive diets is that you feel hungry all the time — so hungry you feel like stuffing yourself. That’s out-of-balance ghrelin at work.

Eat the five or more recommended meals a day. This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus two meals at mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and maybe a few additional meals at other times during the day.  On average, you’re fueling yourself every three hours. This cuts the body’s hunger signals off at the pass. There’s no way you can get hungry when eating every three hours!

Stay away from simple sugars and refined carbohydrates. They are converted into blood sugar much more rapidly than natural, starchy or high-fiber carbohydrates are. This fast conversion results in huge blood sugar spikes. When this happens, the pancreas secretes a large amount of the hormone insulin to normalize blood sugar levels. But after an hour or two, the excess quantity of insulin in the system tends to suppress blood sugar levels — not back to normal but to lower-than-normal levels. The result is hunger pangs and low energy.

On the Parrillo Nutrition Program, you’re eating high-fiber, natural carbohydrates (which tend to convert more slowly into blood sugar), along with lean proteins, a slowly digested food. Together, these foods assist in a slow release of energy, subdue the rate at which carbohydrates are reduced to blood sugar, and minimize the production of insulin. What’s more, Parrillo meals make you feel satisfyingly full, but not too full. Consequently, you do not get hungry later on, and your energy levels are more sustained throughout the day.

One more thing: Scientists have studied which foods keep people and their hypothalamuses satisfied the longest. The winner is the plain baked potato. It will keep you satisfied almost five times longer than doughnuts. Enjoy!

Scientific evidence suggests these Parrillo Nutrition foods will help beat belly fat.

Fibrous Veggies

If there’s a big buzzword in weight loss, it’s fiber, and veggies are loaded with it. Fiber is great for belly flattening because it fills you up–for fewer calories. It also helps keep the flow of sugar into your bloodstream slow and steady, so less insulin is released. (Insulin promotes the storage of body fat.) Plus, researchers have found that women who skimp on green and yellow veggies tend to have larger
middles.

Whole Grains

Trading white bread and white pasta for whole-grains like brown rice and oatmeal may help you fight fat–and lower your risk of heart disease. A Pennsylvania State University study of 50 obese volunteers found that after 12 weeks, those who ate whole grains lost more belly fat and lowered their C-reactive protein (a sign of inflammation linked to heart disease) by 38 percent.

Foods you want to avoid are those that contain refined grains, including processed breakfast cereals; white rice; and all foods made with white (refined) flour, such as English muffins, bagels, breads, biscuits, pasta, pancakes, waffles, crackers and
pizza.

Salmon

Packed with protein, salmon is a better source of calcium, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D than many other fish. Research suggests the healthy fats in salmon fight belly bulge by improving insulin sensitivity and reducing fat storage while ramping up fat oxidation. Grill salmon or use canned salmon in sandwiches and mix into salads.

Green Tea

Green tea has catechins, substances that some experts believe help burn belly fat. A February 2009 study in the Journal of Nutrition examined the weight loss effects of a beverage containing green tea catechins and caffeine compared to a drink containing equal amounts of caffeine without catechins. For 12 weeks, participants maintained their usual diets and engaged in at least three hours of moderate exercise weekly. Those in the green tea group lost more belly fat and tended to lose more weight overall, suggesting that green tea catechins enhance exercise-induced changes in the body. Aim for three 8-ounce cups a day.

Trim the Fat, Get Healthy

Many of us struggle with toning our tummies because we want to look better. But zipping those skinny jeans is only half the reward: Carrying excess fat around your middle has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. According to The Mayo Clinic, for women, having a waist measurement of 35 inches or more is a sign of unhealthy levels of belly fat, even if women are at an acceptable weight. However, those midriff inches tend to come off faster than fat that clings to the hips and thighs. By following the Parrillo Nutrition and Training Program, you can shrink your waist–and decrease your body’s unhealthy fat in no time.

Minerals are inorganic elements; in other words, they are not produced by your body. Like vitamins, they act as coenzymes, meaning that they enable certain chemical reactions to occur. After the minerals have been absorbed, they actually become part of the structure of the body – of the cells, enzymes, hormones, muscles, blood, and bone – and remain in the body for varying amounts of time. Some are utilized pretty quickly, and some are stored and utilized over a period of time.

Minerals can be broken down into two groups: macro and micro. As you might guess, macro-minerals are needed in larger amounts than micro-minerals; nonetheless, adequate amounts of each variety are essential to good health.

The macro-minerals include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium; the micro-minerals in-clude boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, selenium, and zinc.

Research indicates that both active individuals and athletes can have deficiencies of many minerals, including calcium, iron, and zinc. And of course, electrolytes, such as calcium, potassium and magnesium, are important minerals that can become depleted when you get dehydrated.

In this column, I want to single out two important minerals: magnesium and iron. Magnesium provides many beneficial services, especially to active people. Magnesium aids muscle and nerve functioning, maintains the heartbeat and blood pressure, and helps build muscle. It is suggested that an athlete consume at least six servings of magnesium-rich foods per day, including whole grains, legumes and seafood. If this is either not possible or undesirable, supplementing with Parrillo Mineral Electrolyte Formula™ is good insurance.

If endurance, muscle soreness, and fatigue are a problem, iron supplements may be the answer, especially for women. As many as 20 percent of women, in general, and 80 percent of female athletes are deficient in iron. Like magnesium, six servings a day are suggested and the richest sources of iron are: red meat, cooked dried beans, and dark green leafy vegetables. Again, taking Parrillo Mineral Electrolyte Formula™ is helpful.

Knowing which natural foods best supply our nutritional needs, which supplements act as insurance for us, and adding them to our diets, or separately, can help to boost our energy, performance, and overall good health.

Cutting-edge research published over the past several years bring to light how and why a high-protein diet may be the best for burning fat. A growing mound of proof suggests that eating more high quality protein will increase the amount of leucine, an amino acid, in the diet, helping you maintain muscle mass and burn body fat during weight loss. Maintaining muscle during weight loss efforts is essential because it helps the body burn more calories.

Leucine is one of three branched-chain amino acids (isoleucine and valine are the other two BCAAs). Leucine, which comprises about one-third of muscle protein, enters muscle cells and turns on key biochemical processes that result in more muscle protein and, thus, more muscle development and greater fat-burning. Leucine also increases secretion of the anabolic hormone insulin, important for encouraging growth. Therefore, this essential amino acid is not only a building block, but it is also needed to turn on your muscle-building and fat-burning processes.

While the body makes many other amino acids, it does not produce leucine, so we need to consume foods rich in it. Leucine is found primarily in high quality protein foods such as beef, poultry, fish and eggs.

Another source is to supplement with Parrillo Muscle Amino™ (a formulation of BCAAs). The suggested usage is two or more capsules with each meal.

Another terrific source of leucine is through supplemental protein beverages. Of the commonly available dietary proteins, whey and casein have the highest leucine contents (14 percent and 10 percent, respectively, of their total protein content). Whey, in Parrillo’s Optimized Whey Protein™, would be ideal. As a fast-digesting protein, it can move leucine to the muscles as quickly as possible. Place two scoops in a small plastic container, throw the dry mixture in your gym bag, office desk drawer, or purse and mix with 8 ounces of water.

With these supplements, along with the protein-rich Parrillo Nutrition Program, there has rarely been a quicker or more effective way to make sure you get all the benefits of protein, especially leucine.

Nutritionists used to think that a calorie was a calorie was a calorie. But now they know better. Calories from fat head straight to the tummy and hips. That’s because fat from food is chemically similar to fat in the body and thus easy to store. Many studies have shown that overweight people prefer foods higher in fat and sugar. An excess of these foods can make the pounds pile on.

Let’s say you eat 100 extra calories from a fatty food like candy or French fries. Your body may burn just three of those fat calories and stockpile the rest as body fat. In other words, 97 percent of all fat calories are turned into body fat.

But, if you eat 100 additional calories from a complex carbohydrate such as rice or sweet potatoes, you burn 23 of those calories. The rest is socked away in the liver or muscles as glycogen (the body’s storage form of carbohydrate), awaiting use as energy for activity or exercise. It really is better to eat oatmeal or a sweet potato than ice cream or pizza!

By limiting the amount of fat and eating “good” calories, you can whittle away body fat, without cutting calories. You can obtain the “good” calories you need by following the Parrillo Nutrition Program. Its emphasis is on low-fat, high-fiber foods, which have been shown in research studies to help peel off pounds and banish them for good. Proportionately, this plan is high in protein, moderate in carbohydrate, and low in fat. This approach suits the needs of active people and has been found in numerous studies to effectively promote fat loss.

Also, the Parrillo Nutrition Program foods yield “high-nutrient density.” This describes the ratio of nutrients in a food to the energy it supplies. Natural starchy foods like potatoes, yams, legumes, brown rice, and whole grains are packed with carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Fibrous vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, water, fiber, and carbohydrate. And, lean proteins (white meat poultry, fish, and egg whites) are high in protein, vitamin, and minerals.

In short, high-density nutrient foods pack a lot of nutritional wallop, and that’s why they’re on this program. Try to stay away from low-nutrient density foods. These are typically “junk foods” such as processed foods, sweets, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and high fat foods. Low-nutrient density foods are easily converted to body fat or, as in the case of alcohol, can interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize fat.

Food choice has more to do with weight control than any other factor, such as calories. By selecting wholesome, close-to-nature foods, you can make a huge difference in the way you look and feel.

● Lower blood pressure.

● Decrease levels of triglycerides (harmful-to-the-heart blood fats).

● Reduce arterial plaques.

● Improve memory and concentration.

● Boost mood.

● Protect against cancer.

But there’s more. Omega-3s can have some pretty impressive effects on your physique, by aiding in muscle growth to helping you stay lean. Science backs me up on all this. Consider the following:

A just-published study conducted at the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, and the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom examined the effects of supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids on 16 healthy older adults. They were randomly assigned to receive either omega-3 fatty acids or corn oil for 8 weeks. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults.

Corn oil supplementation had no effect on this, while omega-3 fatty acids stimulated muscle protein synthesis. The omega-3 fatty acids worked by helping muscles grow through storing more glycogen in muscle tissue. (1)

A review study conducted by the Institutes for Nutritional Sciences in Shanghai noted that fish oil supplementation helps alleviate and prevent obesity. It does so by regulating appetite (you’re less likely to overstuff yourself) and inhibiting key enzymes responsible for fat storage. Additionally, fish oil exhibits an “anti-obesity” effect by making cells more receptive to taking up insulin. Too much insulin circulating in your system is believed to trigger the body’s desire to store excess calories as body fat.

To reap all these benefits, consider supplementing with Parrillo Fish Oil DHA 800 EPA 200, a natural marine-lipid concentrate that contains the health-protective omega-3 fatty acids, DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic) in medically recommended concentrations. The suggested usage is 3 capsules daily with meals.

References

1. Smith, G.I., et al. 2011. Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 93:402-12.
2. Li, J.J., et al. 2008. Anti-obesity effects of conjugated linoleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 52:631-45.

Osteoporosis is a bone-thinning disease in which vital minerals like calcium leach from your bones as
you age. In its advanced stage, it causes debilitating hip fractures. Of those who suffer osteoporosis-related
hip fractures, 20 percent die within a year, and half of those who survive are never able to walk independently
again. What many people don’t realize is that osteoporosis is linked to 50,000 deaths annually, largely from
complications of surgery or immobilization after hip fractures.

Although there are numerous medications that can treat it, osteoporosis is largely preventable.
Building strong bones, especially before the age of 30, is your best defense against the disease. There are
several steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis:

1. Consume enough calcium each day.
Calcium’s best-known role in the body is as a builder of bones and teeth. In that capacity, it has a positive
effect on osteoporosis. But if a dietary shortage exists, the body withdraws calcium from the storage vaults
in the bone and dispatches it to the blood. The greater the draw, the more brittle the bones become. The
potential for fractures increases, particularly in the spine, hip, and wrist, and the risk of osteoporosis climbs.
To maximize and preserve bone loss if you’re a woman, take in at least 1000 milligrams of calcium
a day (from food and supplements) if you’re in the age group 19 – 50 and 1200 milligrams if you’re 51 or
older. Many physicians recommend 1500 milligrams daily. Similarly, men need a daily calcium intake of 1000
milligrams a day to age 50 and 1200 milligrams a day over age 51. Parrillo Mineral-Electrolyte Formula™ is an
excellent source of assimilable calcium and other bone-supporting minerals. Take one tablet with each meal.

2. Ensure an adequate amount of vitamin D each day.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and is required for the breakdown and assimilation of phosphorus,
another mineral involved in bone formation. Normally, our bodies make enough vitamin D from exposure to
as little as 5 to 15 minutes of sunlight a day. If you don’t get enough exposure to sunlight, then supplemental
vitamin D is a good idea. Try Parrillo Essential Vitamin Formula™ as a way to ensure that your body gets the
vitamin D it needs. Take one tablet with each meal.

3. Engage in weight-bearing and strength-developing exercise.
Weight-bearing and strength-developing exercise stimulates the formation of bone. It also improves strength
and balance, thus reducing the risk of falls and fractures.
Weight-bearing exercise involves activity in which your bones and muscles work against gravity as your
feet and legs bear your body weight. Examples include walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing and tennis.
Strength-developing exercise is essentially strength training, which builds body-firming muscle and bone
strength.

4. Avoid tobacco use
Smoking interferes with your body’s normal use of calcium and vitamin D, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
In addition, smoking reduces your intake of oxygen, and oxygen is required for the proper functioning of all
body cells. When oxygen is in short supply, bone cells can’t properly manufacture bone, and you’ll start losing
bone as a result.
If you’re a smoker, make a conscientious effort to quit. While there is no one tried-and-true method
for quitting smoking, the decision to quit generally begins with a commitment on your part. Smoking cessation
programs can be quite effective. Other supportive aids such as nicotine gum and a change in routine may help
too.

5. Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol abuse endangers bone health – in numerous ways. For example, alcohol interferes with the functionof bone-forming cells, leading to impaired bone strength. It can damage the lining of the intestines, interferingwith the normal absorption of calcium, vitamin D, and other bone-protective nutrients. What’s more, alcoholwashes bone-friendly minerals (calcium, magnesium, and zinc) out of the body in urine. Alcohol abuse canlead to falls and accidents, as well as social, psychological, and emotional problems.

Risk Factors for OsteoporosisFACTORS FOR OSTEOPOROSISWOMEN• Family history

• Age (bone loss increases with age)
• Poor lifestyle habits
• Race (Caucasian and Asian women have a higher risk)
• Having a small-boned structure
• Menopause
• Prolonged exposure to certain medications such as steroids
• Chronic diseases that affect the kidneys and thyroid

MEN

• Family history
• Age
• Poor lifestyle habits
• Race (Caucasian men have a higher risk)
• Undiagnosed low levels of testosterone
• Prolonged exposure to certain medications such as steroids
• Chronic diseases that affect the kidneys, lungs, digestive system, and that alter hormone levels
Article References
National OsteoporosisFoundation. Osteoporosis.Internet web site: www.nof.org

Iron absorption refers to the amount of dietary iron that the body obtains and uses from food. Storage levels of iron have the greatest influence on iron absorption. Iron absorption increases when body stores are low. When iron stores are high, absorption decreases to help protect against toxic effects of iron overload.

Iron absorption is also influenced by the type of dietary iron consumed. Absorption of heme iron from meat proteins is most efficient. Absorption of heme iron ranges from 15% to 35%. In contrast, 2% to 20% of non-heme iron in plant foods such as rice, corn, black beans, soybeans and wheat is absorbed.

Recent studies on the absorption of iron from the diet have clearly demonstrated that vitamin C is the most potent factor in optimal absorption of the mineral from food, particularly plant foods (which yield non-heme iron). Basically, vitamin C helps the body absorb iron by protecting iron from oxidation. Vitamin C reduces iron from the ferric to ferrous state and by preventing degradation of ferritin, the body’s iron-transporter. Simply put, iron needs vitamin C as a helper nutrient.

You can put this relationship to work by pairing vitamin C-rich foods with iron-rich foods. There are a number of good foods rich in vitamin C on the Parrillo Nutrition Program, such as tomatoes, green peppers, chili peppers, cabbage, and broccoli. Try them in combination with iron-rich foods such as: oysters, clams, crab, shrimp, turkey, chicken, tuna, halibut, spinach, beans, and lentils.

Another good strategy is to supplement with Parrillo Bio-C™. Each tablet contains 1000 milligrams of vitamin C, plus powerful antioxidants called bioflavonoids. Take one or more tablet daily, preferably with meals, to help your body absorb iron from your diet.

The list of carotenoids – which is a type of super antioxidant – is actually quite long and includes alpha carotene, beta carotene, cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and zeta-carotene. More than 600 carotenoids are found in fruits and vegetables and they may be a hundred times more powerful than beta-carotene and other antioxidants alone. Current research shows that carotenoids have various health-giving properties including preventing cardiovascular disease, reducing your risk of cancer, and improving your eyesight.

Carotenoids are responsible for the colorful hues of plants and even some animal foods, including salmon and shrimp. But they do more than serve as natural pigments. Carotenoids have “provitamin A activity,” meaning that your body produces vitamin A from them, especially beta-carotene.

As antioxidants, these protective nutrients neutralize free radicals at the cellular level, thus protecting cell membranes, DNA, and other cellular components against damage.

Alpha carotene, which makes up about one-third of the carotenoids in carrots, shows promise in stalling the growth of certain malignant tumors and may be protective against breast cancer. Other foods containing alpha carotene include carrots, pumpkin, and other yellow and orange vegetables. These foods also contain beta-carotene, believed to reduce the risk of cancers of the colon, rectum, breast, uterus, prostate, and lung.

Cryptoxanthin is found in red bell peppers and yellow corn. It looks promising against breast cancer and lung cancer. Lycopene appears to be protective against cancer of the colon, bladder, and pancreas, but is particularly noteworthy for its role in preventing prostate cancer. Supposedly, it is particularly powerful against prostate cancer. Tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato juice, and pizza are primary sources of lycopene, and those individuals who consumed greater than 10 servings of these combined foods per week may have a significantly decreased risk of developing prostate cancer.

Lutein, better known for preventing eye diseases, may guard against cancer of the colon, lung and breast. Kale is probably the richest source. Its less-well-known companion carotenoid, zeaxanthin, is linked to a lower risk of breast, cervical, and colon cancers. Both carotenoids are being investigated for their role in preventing skin cancer. Egg yolks and peppers are rich in zeaxanthin. Zeta-carotene, found in tomatoes, may be involved in protection against prostate cancer.

There’s no recommended daily requirement for beta-carotene and other carotenoids, but when you eat beta-carotene-rich foods, you’re automatically getting other carotenoids. Try to color your plate with as many colorful vegetables you can. The more colorful your food selections, the more carotenoids you’ll eat. Also, eat a hefty serving of tomatoes or tomato-based foods at least twice a week or more.

As extra insurance for all the antioxidant nutrients you need, be sure you’re supplementing daily with Parrillo Essential Vitamin Formula™ and Parrillo Mineral-Electrolyte Formula™. Take one tablet of each with each meal.

Manage your stress to keep body fat off! Stress is your body’s response to any physical, mental, or psychological demand. What many people don’t realize is that stress can interfere with efforts to stay lean. During stress, the body tries to compensate physiologically by triggering the release of hormones that increase levels of blood sugar and blood fats. If stress continues without interruption, the body enters a state of exhaustion, which can ultimately result in disease. Stress management is thus an important factor in weight control and disease prevention.

One way to manage stress is through proper nutrition. A moderately high protein diet, such as the Parrillo Nutrition Program, provides all the essential amino acids necessary for cellular repair. The Program is also high in certain nutrients easily depleted by stress, namely antioxidants and B-complex vitamins. Make sure you have some nutritional backup, too, by supplementing with Parrillo Essential Vitamin Formula^™. Additionally, supplementing with Parrillo Natural E Plus^™ is a good idea too, since this nutrient affords protection against stress. By giving your body the nutritional resources it needs, you help insure yourself against the negative effects of stress.

Here are some other stress management techniques I recommend:

• Do learn to slow down. The constant need to do more in less time causes enormous frustration for many people. That “swimming upstream” feeling we all

experience at times can be physically harmful.

• Don’t neglect exercise or sleep. Both are super stress relievers.

• Don’t alter your living patterns too quickly. Change is a stressor, so changes in your life should be eased into slowly. Athletes always warm up before the game; your body, mind, and emotions also need a “warm up.”

• Don’t overindulge. Try to practice moderation in everything you do. Excessive behavior disrupts the body’s natural rhythm. Too much alcohol, for example, will hurt your immune system.

• Be kind to yourself. You’re only human, so forgive yourself if you make a mistake. You’ll enjoy life more – and people will enjoy you more – if you learn not to take too seriously those everyday ups and downs. Enjoy today.