Health Food at Urbane Cafe

Cafes are popular places to eat that offer casual food at lunch time prices. No need to scarf down something heavy  and then carry that feeling with you over the next hour. Urbane Cafe has high quality food that fulfills the needs of a health conscious consumer. Located near USD in a busy business outlet off the trolley Urban Cafe offers an urban atmosphere at a reasonable price.

Health food and healthy lifestyle are popular today. That doesn't meant that everywhere we go to eat will also follow that standard. At Urbane Cafe they have a health focus with their food and this draws a lot of interest from local patrons. College students, the business class, and families enjoy their offerings

Urbane Cafe is well known for their soups, salads, and sandwiches. Try the southwest chicken sandwich or one of their soups. Because it is so popular expect the line to be long at lunchtime and early evening. You can opt for their catering or take out options.

If your a vegetarian you are going to like this place. Most of their soups and salads are under the $10 price. I had the Santa Maria BBQ Chicken Salad and was impressed by the variety of vegetables and quality of the ingredients. If you want a vegetarian sandwich I would suggest the Pesto & Sundried Tomato Sandwich. 

5375 Napa St

San Diego, CA 92110

http://urbanecafe.com/

Eating Bread for Improved Health and Weight Loss

You have read the diet books and browsed the health magazines and finally came to the conclusion that all bread is very bad and should be avoided at nearly any cost. That isn’t the whole truth as some bread leads to weight loss and improved physiological health. Health enhancements depend on the manufacturing process and what is retained inside the flour. Don’t be fooled by coloring, name, or natural ingredients. The most important aspect of all bread is it’s the natural grain you find in it. 

Weight Loss:

According to a study conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition women who eat whole grain wheat were more likely to lose weight while those who ate refined wheat were more likely to gain weight (1).  The more refined wheat found in white and enriched bread is unhealthy and likely to have an adverse impact on your body. 

Health: 

Whole grains are rich in fiber and improve the overall functioning of the body while protecting against diseases (2). Benefits range across the entire body and include reduced risk of stroke 30-36%, type 2 diabetes 21-30%, heart disease 25-28%, asthma, inflammatory disease, blood disease, and gum disease.  The ingredients of bread are a basic component to proper nutrition.

The Right Kind of Bread:

Forget the color, fancy names, and labels. If it isn’t whole grain then you don’t want it (3).  Rye, wheat bread, white bread, pumpernickel, multi-grain, and just about every other type offered are not that good for you. They extract the most important ingredients in bread and end up leaving the processed flour enriched with vitamins and coloring.

5 Fruits & Vegetables that Support Your Fitness

What we eat is as important as our fitness routine for ensuring we are growing and improving as planned. Food is the most basic foundation of fitness that fosters muscles growth and pliability. Fruits and vegetables have been known to encourage better overall health but not everyone has heard of eating them for muscle growth. Getting the proper dose of fruit and vegetables will give a few steps forward on your goals.

A study conducted on college students found that those who ate appropriate amounts of fruit and vegetables had better BMI and lower weight than those who don’t (Gilmore, et. al. 2008). Ensuring you obtain the right vitamins, anti-oxidants, and calorie amount appears to support your fitness goals. Loosing fat and gaining muscles is part of a solid fitness plan and fruit and vegetables provide the catalyst for doing just that.

The five fruits and vegetables you should not do without are:

Oranges: Vitamin C to thwart disease, magnesium to lower blood pressure, and anti-oxidants (1).

Bananas: High carbohydrate food that restocks glycogen levels that cause muscle breakdown (2).

Apples: Burn fat and support skeletal strength (3).

Blueberries: Antioxidant that helps recovery after workouts (4).

Carrots: Low fat that provides fiber (5).

An article entitled 5 Tips to Build Muscle Strength in the Harvard Health Letter further emphasizes how eating right and building muscle protects against future injury (2014). The food we eat has a large impact on our ability to maintain a healthy body and meet our fitness objectives. When engaging in multiple physical sports and activities it is important to ensure that the required strength is gained to compete effectively.  

Fitness requires the ability to create small tears in the muscle and allowing those tears to heal. Nutrients are used to repair those tears and build muscle. Without eating right the muscles cannot build properly and tears don’t repair effectively leading to fatigue and possible future injury. It is even possible to cannibalize current muscle growth. Incorporate fruits and vegetables into your program so that you are using your time most effectively.  

Gilmore, et. al. (2008). Selected health behaviors that influence college freshman weight change. Journal of American College Health, 56 (4). 

No Author (2014). 5 tips to build muscle strength. Harvard Health Letter, 39 (5).

Choosing Pretzels as a Healthy Snack Alternative

Finding healthy snacks that go along with your fitness program is not easy. The amount snacks with bad carbohydrates, processed and fatty foods are everywhere and making better choices is difficult. Americans suffer from extra pounds that are caused by a lethargic lifestyle and poor food choices. Pretzels are a great alternative to what you might find on your local supermarket shelf.  Whole wheat pretzels offer an even better snack option. It is these small decisions on an everyday basis that culminate to higher level of fitness and health. 

A 100-gram serving of pretzels (16) has about three grams of total fat and no cholesterol with 88%  consisting of healthy unsaturated fats while a comparable portion of potato chips have 36 grams of fat (1). Saturated fats and deep frying oil, often found in potato chips, add to cholesterol and body weight. Many pretzel brands are baked which lowers the negative effects. 

You may be concerned over the salt on pretzels. Sodium is a mixed debate in the health fields. For decades people believed that sodium raised cholesterol and blood pressure. According to research, when people cut back on sodium they experienced a 1% drop in blood pressure but also raised cholesterol levels by 2.5% and triglycerides by 7% (2). Salt is a mixed bag and doesn’t appear to have a positive or negative effect when eaten in moderation. 

The type of pretzel you buy appears to be the most important consideration. Some are processed flour, others sourdough and still others are whole wheat. The 100% whole wheat varieties are best. When they are sesame sticks, no trans fat, no cholesterol, no artificial colors, and no preservatives you have made the best choice. If you are a snack person, focus on making those small choices that lead to higher health instead of trying to change your entire diet all at once. When done well you can reduce heart disease by 25-46%, stroke 37%, type 2 diabetes 21-27%, cancer of digestive system 21-43%, hormone related cancer 10-40%, and obesity (3).

Three Rules to Eating for Weight loss

You want to eat right, lose weight, and improve your health but seem to be having a hard time reaching your goal. Pumping it out on the stair stepper everyday will only do so much if you don’t think about your eating habits. Making a few adjustments to your diet will go a long way in achieving your fitness goals without wasting hours. The three simple rules are:

1-Cut back on portions.

2-Reduce white bread, refined pastas, and crackers.

3-Move to low fat dairy and reduce portions.

The vast majority of Americans are overweight due to lack of physical exercise and poor eating habits. Poor eating habits are the main cause of increased pants size and poor health above and beyond exercise. The amount of calories still takes the lead position in weight loss. No fitness training plan is complete without adjusting the food you are eating. 

We all love bread but many conventional breads don’t love us back. White bread, white pasta, white rice, crackers, pretzels, and other finely processed grains will damage your weight loss prospects through high carbohydrates (1). Whole grains provide the right ingredients due to the grain not being crushed and the nutrients removed. Look for whole grains, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta as alternatives (2).  

Cream, milk, butter and cheese will damage your weight loss achievements. Lower your dairy consumption and switch to low-fat alternatives. Dairy products contain milk sugar that slows down weight loss and generates a strong insulin response (3). You can use low-fat varieties such as skim milk, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese while still getting the calcium you need (4).