Happy Monday
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed the Hawkes Bay sunshine
I just want to say well done to all those that competed in yesterday’s Triathlon.
Last week, during our fitness camp class I was asked about my thoughts on coffee. Well to tell you the truth I love the stuff BUT is it any good for you?
So for today’s post I thought I would cover coffee and some of the other small (sometimes large:) indulgences I get through.
Below is the pyramid that the Miller household follows
As you can see at the top of the pyramid there is a place for sensible indulgences. A sensible indulgence for us is something that may contain a little sugar but packs a powerful antioxidant punch.
In this newsletter I am going to share with you some of the lesser-known benefits to some of our favourite foods.
Red Wine
A glass or two of red wine a week is not going to sabotage your fat loss goals. In fact it is possible that a few red wines will actually help with fat loss. Antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols may help your heart. One particular polyphenol called resveratrol has been shown to decrease bad cholesterol, prevent blood clots and help protect you from both diabetes and heart disease.
Dark Chocolate
Eating a small amount of dark chocolate may actually be good for you. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids which are compounds that act as antioxidants. These flavonoids protect your body from free radical damage. It is these free radicals that cause cell damage and can ultimately lead to heart disease. Flavonoids have been shown to lower blood pressure and decrease bad cholesterol.
Coffee
Is coffee good for you? It seems like everyone wants to disagree on this one. There are no conclusive studies to prove that coffee is good for you but there are many studies out there to suggest there are some great benefits to coffee. Several studies show that chlorgoenic acid found in coffee can prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Coffee has also been shown to increase your insulin sensitivity once again lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. It doesn’t stop there though, one study at Harvard Medical School suggested that regular coffee drinkers were 50% less likely to suffer from breast, colon and prostate cancer due to the high levels of antioxidants in coffee. Other studies have shown that coffee improves brain function, prevents liver cirrhosis and aids with weight loss.
Cheese
First off let me point out that not all cheese is made the same way. There is a big difference between aged Gouda and stringy cheese. With that said I am going to take you through what I believe to be the most superior type of cheese – Raw Grass Fed cheese. Raw grass fed cheese contains large amounts of CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid). Animal studies have shown that as little as 0.5% CLA in your diet may reduce cancerous tumours by 50%. CLA has been shown to have a dramatic effect on insulin too. CLA actions copy the effect of synthetic diabetes drugs, with early stages of testing on humans showing to have a positive effect on diabetes, lowering of body fat levels and increasing lean muscle tissue and it may even increase your metabolic rate.
Finally in the words of Oscar G Hernandez
‘The only real difference between medicine and poison is the dose’. I personally believe that too much wine, chocolate, coffee or cheese will have negative effects on your body but a little bit here and there might just be good for you
Have a great week
Paul “coffee addict” & Krystie “but it’s okay, it’s 90%’’ Miller
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