I have been drinking a lot of Jamaica tea with a little Splenda. Does the tea have a sugar content? I have seen conflicting articles when I Google it. Thanks.
– Antonio D.
Tea brewed from the dried petals of the hibiscus flower (also known as Jamaica or Roselle) is a pleasant ruby red, almost cranberry juice-like color, not to be confused with African rooibos tea.
According to the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy Release: brewed hibiscus tea has 0 grams carbohydrate per 8 fluid ounces, no caffeine and contains trace minerals. By contrast, a cup of the raw flower petals has 6.5 grams carbohydrate.
If you brew your own or obtain it unsweetened, there should be no sugar in your Jamaica. However, prepared hibiscus/Jamaica teas sold at a coffee shop/restaurant or in the drink aisle at a store may be sweetened with sugar.
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
Navigating the world of protein powders and supplements can indeed feel daunting, with countless options lining store shelves and online marketplaces. As you consider adding a scoop to your post-workout smoothie or exploring new ways to boost your nutrition, it’s...
Cue the sound of a revving engine… running your blender at home can bring goodness with that whirring noise! Creating your own smoothies is a great way to get in some nutrients and plant phytochemicals you otherwise wouldn’t during the day. It allows you to prepare...
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I’ve been eating just fruit for lunch each day. Can you please recommend the best fruits to eat for weight loss?
– Lisa
My first recommendation would be to consume more than just fruit if you eat only 3 meals and breakfast is not ample. On the other hand, if you eat heartily in the morning with snacks between meals, then you might get by on a fruit-only lunch.
Almost all fresh* fruits (save avocados, olives & coconuts) are pure carbohydrates with very little protein or fat. So, they may not sustain you for long. They do offer an abundance of fiber, vitamins/minerals, and water content, though. I would encourage you to balance your fruit only lunch with some nuts, seeds or even a hard-cooked egg for a little protein and fat.
While the nutritional content varies among fruits, there aren’t particular ones that promote weight loss, per se. Melons and strawberries are more calorie-dilute than some others, while cherries, grapes, and bananas are considered dense. Anything that takes a while to chew means you’ll consume less of it, so apples with the skin on and pomegranate arils may be better choices.
For further answers regarding fruit consumption click here and here.
*Dried and canned fruits are a no-no for dieters!
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
Navigating the world of protein powders and supplements can indeed feel daunting, with countless options lining store shelves and online marketplaces. As you consider adding a scoop to your post-workout smoothie or exploring new ways to boost your nutrition, it’s...
Cue the sound of a revving engine… running your blender at home can bring goodness with that whirring noise! Creating your own smoothies is a great way to get in some nutrients and plant phytochemicals you otherwise wouldn’t during the day. It allows you to prepare...
With so many sources offering nutrition advice, it’s hard to know what’s true. Even factual information can become distorted by the time it reaches you. Like a game of telephone, the message often changes as it’s passed along. Here, we debunk 5 common diet myths to...
We’ve heard time and time again that eating healthy and exercising does wonders for our bodies, but to what extent? See how maintaining a nutritious diet and hitting the gym lead to good health.
Eating healthy presents many physical benefits such as preventing cancer, improving your immune system, and maintaining blood pressure levels. Upping your fruit and vegetable intake and eating enough calories throughout the day ensure you stay energized and control your weight.
But what’s considered a nutritious diet? A balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates which, in addition to making you energized, leads to tissue growth and repair, bone strength, and healthy digestion.
It’s also important to eat foods with significant nutrients like Vitamin C, B vitamins, and iron. Vitamin C builds collagen, a protein essential to the healing of skin tissue; B vitamins lead to the creation of amino acids, which create muscle tissue; and iron encourages cells to grow and function. Foods containing these nutrients include fruits, vegetables, fish, and meats like chicken or turkey.
Make sure you’re also getting enough calcium, a nutrient that keeps your bones and teeth strong, and vitamin D, which properly absorbs the calcium. Stick to foods like cheese, seeds, yogurt, and lentils and beans.
Aim for 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. Like good nutrition, exercising can also control weight, combat diseases (like heart disease) improve your mood, boost energy, and help you sleep better.
There are many studies on the benefits of exercise. One, by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, showed that six weeks of regular exercise reduced feelings of fatigue for 36 people who had persistent fatigue.
Looking for a clearer and brighter complexion? An active lifestyle can help with that, too. Regular exercise helps your body produce more antioxidants, stimulate blood flow, and decrease the appearance of aging.
There are many exercises out there, but if you want to benefit your entire body, perform total body workouts. These consist of exercises that target all of your muscle groups at once. Total body workouts burn calories faster, increase strength, and build more muscle. If you’re a beginner, sign up for classes at a local gym and you’ll get stronger in no time.
Sources:
Navigating the world of protein powders and supplements can indeed feel daunting, with countless options lining store shelves and online marketplaces. As you consider adding a scoop to your post-workout smoothie or exploring new ways to boost your nutrition, it’s...
Cue the sound of a revving engine… running your blender at home can bring goodness with that whirring noise! Creating your own smoothies is a great way to get in some nutrients and plant phytochemicals you otherwise wouldn’t during the day. It allows you to prepare...
With so many sources offering nutrition advice, it’s hard to know what’s true. Even factual information can become distorted by the time it reaches you. Like a game of telephone, the message often changes as it’s passed along. Here, we debunk 5 common diet myths to...
I have spent the past year working out five days a week doing both HIIT (2-3 days of the week) and strength training. I have had a lot of success with changing my shape, dropping 1.5 pant sizes and building muscle, but the process is slow. I still have body fat that I want gone. I have been reading some about the Keto diet, but don’t want to lose anything from my ability to perform and have heard mixed things about that diet. I eat pretty clean already and always have. Are there dietary changes that are key to increasing fat loss but don’t impact performance? Or should I just be patient with the process?
– Laura E.
When you mention performance, what comes to mind is athletic competition or workout effectiveness. In either case, weight loss should ideally be tackled off-season or before the critical performance time. As it sounds like that is not your intended situation, there is no guarantee that while you are creating a caloric deficit your workouts won’t suffer.
Since you state that you eat clean already, I’d look to volume and timing of your meals and snacks for the greatest effect. Supporting your workouts with proper hydration, pre-workout snacks, and recovery nutrition is paramount. Don’t skimp in the few hours preceding and after exercise. Curbing intake at other times, particularly before bedtime and on rest days, would be the approach I’d recommend. Portions may be deceiving and appetite tends to increase with exercise, so watch not only the volume on your plate but how much goes in your mouth. An additional 100 calorie reduction equates to another lost pound per month.
Of course, if there are ‘extras’ in your diet like alcoholic beverages or sweets (even if organic), giving up on those will only benefit your performance and fat loss goals.
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
Navigating the world of protein powders and supplements can indeed feel daunting, with countless options lining store shelves and online marketplaces. As you consider adding a scoop to your post-workout smoothie or exploring new ways to boost your nutrition, it’s...
Cue the sound of a revving engine… running your blender at home can bring goodness with that whirring noise! Creating your own smoothies is a great way to get in some nutrients and plant phytochemicals you otherwise wouldn’t during the day. It allows you to prepare...
With so many sources offering nutrition advice, it’s hard to know what’s true. Even factual information can become distorted by the time it reaches you. Like a game of telephone, the message often changes as it’s passed along. Here, we debunk 5 common diet myths to...
Welcome to the 8th episode of the Living Healthy Podcast, presented by LA Fitness.
On this episode of Living Healthy, we bring back to the show LA Fitness registered dietitian, Debbie James, who helps us better understand how to meal prep, common mistakes when meal prepping, and how it can be budget-friendly.
How Are We Doing?
This podcast should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Introduction
0:01
Show Begins
0:15
Planning for Meal Prep
Begins at 0:50
Can You Meal Prep for 5 Days Ahead of Time?
Begins at 1:10
Is it Harder to Prep for Certain Meals of the Day?
Begins at 2:09
How Many Days a Week Should You Meal Prep?
Begins at 4:02
Meal Prep Containers
Begins at 4:30
Random Side note About Cheese
Begins at 5:28
Common Meal Prep Mistakes
Begins at 6:22
Delivery vs. Make-it-Yourself
Begins at 9:09
Meal Prep Budgets
Begins at 14:15
Frozen vs Fresh
Begins at 17:28
Product Password
Begins at 18:01
Actionable Advice
Begins at 20:35
Navigating the world of protein powders and supplements can indeed feel daunting, with countless options lining store shelves and online marketplaces. As you consider adding a scoop to your post-workout smoothie or exploring new ways to boost your nutrition, it’s...
Cue the sound of a revving engine… running your blender at home can bring goodness with that whirring noise! Creating your own smoothies is a great way to get in some nutrients and plant phytochemicals you otherwise wouldn’t during the day. It allows you to prepare...
With so many sources offering nutrition advice, it’s hard to know what’s true. Even factual information can become distorted by the time it reaches you. Like a game of telephone, the message often changes as it’s passed along. Here, we debunk 5 common diet myths to...