Lose Belly Fat with HIIT

Personal trainers, fitness experts, and dietitians get asked the same questions a lot.  "What exercise can I do to lose my leg fat? Arm fat? Hip fat? Belly fat?" Unfortunately, it is not really possible to target weight loss in one area just by lifting weights or running. Although any type of exercise will hep lose overall fat spread through the body, spot-target is not possible. There is only one type of training that can spot-target fat loss, specifically in the belly area, and that is HIIT.

What is HIIT?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training (or exercise).  It is a type of workout that changes pace/speed in intervals.  As the name suggests, high intensity is the main component to the workout.  This high intensity will be different for each individual. For me, high intensity is a sprint. For my mom, high intensity would be a power walk.  High intensity should feel uncomfortable and difficult, but don't fret, because you'll only be doing this for 30 seconds. Then you'll adjust to a comfortable pace for 1 minute. You will switch between these 2 paces, hence the word interval in "HITT". I have included my routine at the bottom of this blog post so you can refer to the times! The overall workout only has to be about 15 minutes long. It can be hard to get into it at first, but when you do, your body will thank you.

Benefits of HITT
HIIT is more effective than normal stead pace exercise routine.  It is the only exercise that will spot-target abdominal/belly fat.  Also, you can complete the HIIT workout in less time while still burning the same amount of calories. 15- 20 minutes of HIIT is adequate. You can also do HIIT on an elliptical, bike, outdoor track, or even as a bootcamp style workout.  The whole point is to interval between high and moderate intensity; exercise at a high intensity for 30 seconds and moderate intensity for 1 minute.

Science
So how does the HIIT help specifically with belly fat loss?  Well when you are sprinting (or working at a high intensity) your heart rate will significantly increase resulting in more calories being burned. Reaching 170-180 bpm is ideal during the high intensity interval.  Sprinting also engages your abs and other leg muscles that aren't as engaged when just going for a 40 minutes jog.
There is a whole lot of support out there regarding HITT and belly fat loss.  Here is a research article if you would like to know more:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991639/

My Routine
I do my HIIT training 2-3 times a week on a treadmill or track. Of course, each person will run or sprint at a different pace, so adjust accordingly. Here is just an example of what I do:

Also, I am adding in an interesting read: The Best Treadmill! 

If you are looking into getting your own treadmill for home, check out this article. 

I personally LOVE the treadmills with the 1-10 speeds on there. Instead of clicking through the speeds, I just push the number! (Ex: 6 for 6mph) Saves me some time.

If you have any questions, comment below! Thank you for reading. 

The Difference Between a Dietitian and Nutritionist

"I'm going to be a nutritionist!"
That's what I use to tell people when they asked about my future career. Little did I know that anyone can claim to be a "nutritionist" just by reading some diet books or taking a nutrition class.
I heard the words "Dietitian", "RD" and "Dietitian Nutritionist" when I started my Nutrition and Dietetics program at Loma Linda University.  I realized I have been using a less credible label. So you don't make the same mistake I did, I am going to tell you the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist.

I would also like to make one thing clear:

All dietitians are nutritionists but all nutritionists are not dietitians.  

Credibility
According to the dictionary, credibility is "the quality of being accepted as true, real or honest". We read articles and watch videos about nutrition, but we don't know where the source is coming from. There are so many diets and weight loss programs out there, but who is right? Make sure that the source you are reading is credible. The most credible, from a nutrition standpoint, would be an RD (Registered Dietitian). MD (Medical Doctors) may be seen as credible but take into consideration that in medical school only 1 nutrition class (or none at all) is usually required. So be aware of who is writing articles and giving tips about nutrition.

Education
When a nutritionist is preaching about meal plans and eating a particular diet, just keep in mind that they are NOT a nutrition professional. Perhaps they have read a few books on their own. Dietitians go to school for at least 4 years earning a Bachelors degree in nutrition. Classes include metabolism*, chemistry, food services, food science and other nutrition classes that dig deep into understanding human nutrition. Some go on to earn a masters and/or a doctorate degree in nutrition.

Practicum Hours
Dietetic students must complete 1200 hours of practice in a community, administrative, and clinical setting. Therefore dietitians have a lot of training in their field. Nutritionists don't have real life experience working under a registered professional. They aren't required to complete hours of practice like a dietitian has.

Registered Dietitian (RD) Exam
Dietetic students have to take a national exam to officially become a dietitian. Not only do they have to know about diets and weight loss, but they also have to study medical nutrition therapy, foodservice management, and much more. Many nutritionists are not registered, but might have certifications that are not recognized by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (the credentialing body of RDs).

Continuing Education 
Finally, dietitians must complete 75 continuing education hours every 5 years.  Nutrition is constantly changing and new research comes out every year. So dietitians must be open-minded to new studies on different foods. Nutritionists usually stick to the same oats, chicken, rice, and veggies meal plan, with no further education.

Just know that anyone can claim to be a nutritionist. So before you spend $20 or $150 dollars on an online meal plan, make sure you know who you're talking to. Nutritionists can post whatever they want and honestly it's a great way to make some extra cash.
If you really would like some credible nutrition articles to read, follow an RD on your social networks!
Here are a few of my favorites on Twitter:
1. @NicoleOsinga_RD
2. @ScritchfieldRD
3. @JackieVegaRDN
4. @DietitianJeJe
5. @Ellie_Krieger

Also checkout hashtags #dietitian and #dietitiannutritionist to find more!

Proof Read by RD, JeJe Noval. 

Probiotics and Acne

As most RD's and dietetic students, I am passionate about nutrition and using food to treat everything, including acne. I have tried just about everything when trying to treat my acne. I've tried cutting out sugar, eating clean, drinking plenty of water...  which all help with feeling great but still did not fix my acne problem. I went to see a dermatologist a few years ago and she always prescribed a face topical (which does work). As long as I use the products (Epiduo and Acuya), my skin is clear. When not using them, the breakouts occur after a few days.

A month ago my mom said that probiotics may help my skin. (you know moms and their strange remedies though, so I was a little skeptical).  I have learned from my professors the benefits of probiotics so I decided to listen to my moms "theory" and started a probiotic supplement.

I have been taking a probiotic tablet everyday for the past month and my skin has been clearing up. I have not used my face topical and no major break outs has occurred. I am going to continue taking the probiotic for 3 months to see if the acne resolves completely.

Being the curious student I am, I tried to look for some credible research out there that supported probiotics helping acne. Well the good news is that there are studies that support probiotics helping acne! This group of researches found that there is a certain strain of bacteria (a good bacteria) called L. acidophilus that is an internal means to treat acne. 

The Science
So there is this thing called the gut-brain-skin axis. All three are connected. The bacteria in our skin that causes acne is called P. acnes (hence the name "acne"). A beneficial bacteria, L. acidophilus has been found to basically balance out P. acnes. When we balance our gut with good bacteria, there are some positive outcomes. A healthy gut contributes to overall health. 
Also, because this gut-brain-skin axis includes the brain, there is research that supports that probiotics also hep with depression. 


In Summary
So the overall message is to include a probiotic in your day. It doesn't really matter which brand, as long as you make sure the strain L. acidophilus is in it. You can also find probiotics in foods such as yogurt, kefir, Kombucha and others. So if you aren't into supplements, L. acidophilus is found in the fermented dairy products.

Here is a link to the article if you are interested in more details about it:

https://gutpathogens.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1757-4749-3-1

Thanks for reading! :)