Go Green to Get Lean

By Ivan Blazquez, M.Ed, B.S., ACSM, NGA Pro Natural Bodybuilder, Triathlete

While "Go Green" has been a catchy buzz phrase recently, this should not take away from the literal effectiveness of actually going green. While going green has many different applications, many pertaining to environmental and energy conservation, this article will explain the effects of going green on one's health and fitness goals. As a fitness professional, some of the many goals clients have are to tone-up, lose weight, sculpt long and lean muscles, lose bodyfat, get healthier, etc. While the work done in the gym can aid in reaching these goals, I tell my clients that this is only 1 hour out of 24 hours during the day. What one eats and how one spends his/her time throughout the remainder of the day all have a significant impact on whether one's health and fitness goals will be reached. This article will focus on the nutritional aspects and how going green can boost one's health and fitness level. When this happens, the aesthetic goals such as toning-up and losing bodyfat will be more likely to be successfully attained.

I read recently a quote from Dr. Eric Berg (2008) that went as follows:

It's not "Lose weight to get healthy." - It's "Get healthy to lose weight!"

This really stood out to me and was something I had suspected for quite sometime and now it was a quote in a book! Something I tell my clients when re-assessments are done is, the most important test result is the recovery heart rate on the aerobic test. While some may also ask about body composition and other tests, fitness level is by far the most important test result for many reasons. First, it assesses the most important aspect of the human body, the heart. Second, it is a measurement that anyone can see improvement in and this in itself is very motivating! Even more, it has been reported that having a higher fitness level means a greater capability and capacity to burn bodyfat (Coggan et al., 2000; Klein et al., 1994; Stisen et al., 2006). So rather than simply looking at the number on the scale, tape measure or caliper, I look at that recovery heart rate on that aerobic test. When that number improves, fat-burning capability will improve as well. And even if no weight change does occur for some, health benefits are still occurring despite no weight loss (King et al., 2009; Martin et al., 2009). In one study, it was found that exercise-trained women had higher levels of beta-hydroxy acyl CoA dehydrogenase (HAD), and hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) (Stisen et al., 2006). Both of these naturally produced substances in the body are involved in fat-burning efficiency. Thus, exercise-trained women will have a greater potential to burn more bodyfat. Now the reason I bring this up is because, all things considered, exercise is the most potent form of fat-burning. It revs up the metabolism and gets calories moving. However, this does not guarantee fat-loss or weight loss. As is known, there are other components to this such as what one eats, stress management, sleep quality, genetics, etc. However, being physically-fit gives one an advantage over his/her unfit counterpart at finally losing that weight or bodyfat if other areas are improved as well such as, eating.

Yet, since everyone is different, the rate of weight loss will vary, however, everyone can get healthier from exercising and making healthier choices when eating. One such way to enhance the quality of food one eats is by going greener. Aside from many studies citing the health-promoting effects of fruits and vegetables (Joshipura et al., 2001; Rao & Al-Weshahy, 2008), these foods are naturally lower in calories, more satiating, higher in nutrient density and contain most of the ingredients found in many of the past, present and future fat-burning supplements out there! So why aren't more people eating green leafy vegetables? More than likely it could be the taste factor of many greens. However, when does eating have to always be about taste? It has been said that we are creatures of habit, and taste preferences are no exception. I have found that a lot of the taste tendencies one develops are actually a product of environment and acquiring taste. Taste is nothing more than a sensory perception and the hormonal effects thereafter. This is another way of describing perhaps, emotional eating? Which by the way, is a common and big reason why so many struggle to take small steps towards eating healthier foods. This is certainly part of the price of having freedom of choice, but this can also be looked upon the other way! One has the freedom of choice to chose to eat healthier. Yet, the taste of healthy foods is not that same as more traditional/conventional foods, right? I beg to differ and I believe, as aforementioned, one's taste preferences are for the most part acquired or wired through the "feel good" feelings after the sweet or high fat food is consumed. Well, this same thing can happen when one eats a healthy food. The thought of doing one's own body good by making a healthier choice can also "feel good" and without any guilt that can commonly ensue when making an unhealthy food choice. So how doe's one even attempt to perhaps try out some greens?

Well I for one have found that greens are actually quite tasty when mixed with other ingredients that create a synergistic and harmonious taste and flavor. One of my clients is a chef who knows of various recipes on cooking or eating greens raw. Personally, I have found that green leafy vegetables provide amazing energy, improve recovery time between workouts, boost immune function, improve alertness, enhance sleep, facilitate digestion, build muscle, burn bodyfat and the list goes on! Now while there may be caveats with green leafy vegetables, as with many things, this is where consulting with a registered dietician would be a good idea if one has any questions regarding specific foods. Personally, I have consulted with registered dieticians and refer many clients to them as well. When seeing them (registered dieticians), I was just amazed at how much I was able to learn about myself and what foods work best and what foods I may want to limit or avoid. For me, eating more greens is now a staple in my diet. Here are a couple of smoothie recipes I have used with great taste!

Green Hulk:            

1/2 cup of almond milk

1/2 cup of coconut milk (I get the Silk coconut milk as it has only 5 grams of fat, compared to other coconut milks that have fat in double-digits)

1 banana

1/2 organic red delicious apple

2 handfuls of organic kale

pinch of cinnamon

1/2 cup of ice

1 tbsp of nut butter (tahini, almond, cashew, etc.) OR 1/4 avocado

Optional sugar booster-> 1/2 handful of dried dates or 1 tsp raw honey

Optional protein booster-> 1/4 scoop Vega sport performance protein (vanilla flavor)

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Green Lean Machine:

1/4 cup of almond milk

1 cup of green tea (brew a cup of green tea, let cool by letting sit or add a few ice cubes, then add to blender)

1 banana

2 handfuls of organic collard greens

1/2 organic red delicious apple

pinch of cinnamon

1/2 cup of ice

1 tbsp of nut butter (tahini, almond, cashew, etc.) OR 1/4 avocado

Top with a few pistachios (i.e. handful or less)

Optional sugar booster-> 1/2 handful of dried dates or 1 tsp raw honey

Optional protein booster-> 1/4 scoop Vega sport performance protein (vanilla flavor)

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Greens & Skinny Jeans

1/4 cup of almond milk

1/4 cup of coconut milk

1 organic red delicious apple (or apple of choice)

Couple of leaves of bok choy

Couple of leaves of collard green

Couple of leaves of watercress

1 tsp honey

Handul of dried figs

pinch of cinnamon

1 tsp cashew butter

1 tsp sunflower seed butter

Optional protein booster--> 1/4 scoop of a mixed plant-protein powder (hemp, rice, pea protein or other plant protein mixture)

Optional Topping--> Handful of Cinnamon Raisin granola (Bakery on Main Gourmet Naturals - Fiber Power). This is my favorite granola because of the spice taste. It is just a delicious granola, is gluten, wheat and dairy free and is Non-GMO.

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Eating greener also builds muscle while also burning fat. I have heard that some of the strongest animals are vegans such as gorillas, oxes, stallions, etc. While becoming a vegan may not be one's cup of tea, I am simply saying that these strong animals do in fact eat greens. I've also felt that while it may have been a coincidence, video game company's were on to something when they had popeye eating spinach to get his strength back. Even the video game super mario bros. and the mushroom making mario get bigger. While off-tangent, I've been hearing and reading some things about mushrooms and how they have health-promoting effects (Dudhgaonkar et al., 2009; Wasser, 2002). The point is, eating greener will get one leaner simply by way of having a lower caloric content, higher nutrient density and fat-burning ingredients naturally-present in these foods. In fact, it has reported that higher nutrient dense foods naturally incur weight loss (Fuhrman et al., 2010).

This finding just solidify's and adds credence to Dr. Berg's quote

It's not "Lose weight to get healthy."

It's "Get healthy to lose weight!"

Another example of a green food is the pistachio. I was amazed to find out that the pistachio is green due to chlorophyll content (Agar et al. 1998; Bellomo et al., 2009)! In fact, this is one of the main factors that gives green leafy veggies, pistachios and other green foods great nutritional power. Although research is at an early stage, chlorophyll has been mainly studied for it's effects on cancer treatment and prevention (de Vogel et al., 2005; Sarkar et al., 1994). Furthermore, pistachios just so happen to give the impression of being the lowest calorie containing nuts around because it takes about 49 pistachios to equal the amount of calories in 22 almonds, 18 cashews, 21 hazelnuts, 11 macadamias, 19 pecans and 14 walnuts (Pistachio Health, 2011). One of the most potent and extensively studied fat-burning teas also happens to be green (Boschmann & Thielecke, 2007; Rains et al., 2011)! In further support, another green vegetable has made it's way as a potentially high-octane fat-burning green. However, this green comes from the seas and happens to be commonly consumed in Asian populations. I am talking about seaweed! This sea vegetable is commonly used in making sushi wraps, adding flavor to soups, etc. Studies have begun to illustrate the strong fat-burning effects of seaweed (Jeon et al., 2010; Paxman et al., 2008; Woo et al., 2009). Not to mention, seaweed is one of the richest natural sources of iodine, a key element in thyroid function. Let us not forget, the thyroid gland is responsible for boosting metabolism. Another way to incorporate greens is simply having a salad as an appetizer. More often than not, this will lead to eating less at the main entree whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner (Rolls et al., 2004). In closing, eating green is essentially synonymous with eating clean, which is an integral component for getting lean.

Thanks for reading, Ivan Blazquez

Copyright:

The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not serve as a replacement to care provided by your own personal health care team or physician. The author does not render or provide medical advice, and no individual should make any medical decisions or change their health behavior based on information provided here. Reliance on any information provided by the author is solely at your own risk. The author accepts no responsibility for materials contained in the article and will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages arising from the use of information contained in this or other publications. Copyright Ivan Blazquez, 2011. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the copyright holder and author of this publication.

Oliver, GD, Stone, AJ, Wyman, JW, Blazquez, IN. (2012). Muscle activation of the torso during the modified razor curl hamstring exercise, International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 7(1), 49-57.

References

Agar et al. (1998). Variation in kernel chlorophyll content of different pistachio varieties grown in six countries, Acta Horticulturae (ISHS), 470, 372-377. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://www.actahort.org/books/470/470_51.htm
 
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Dudhgaonkar et al. (2009). Suppression of the inflammatory response by triterpenes isolated from the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum, International Immunopharmacology, 9(11), ,1272-1280. 

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Woo et al. (2009). Anti-obese property of fucoxanthin is partly mediated by altering lipid-regulating enzymes and uncoupling proteins of visceral adipose tissue in mice, Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 53(12), 1603-1611.