Meet the Chef Who Has a Tougher Workout Than You
He works 12-hour days, has two kids,
and still finds time for burpees. What’s your excuse?
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Moreno, a 42-year-old father of two
sons, clocks 12 hours a day in his kitchen and still fits in two hours of
exercise five days a week. Some days that includes hill repeats in Nevada’s
desert terrain. Other days that means bear crawls around his neighborhood’s cul
de sac with his 8-year-old on his back. He’s part of the rising #FitChef movement.
He warms up with burpees. He’ll teach you how to do a set of clapping pushups.
And ifpull-ups on a set of Olympic rings sounds difficult, consider that
Moreno executes them in a descending set, starting from 13 reps and progressing
to 12, 11, 10 ... and you get the freakin’ point. In short, he’s a beast.
But Moreno
wasn’t always so driven. Growing up in Los Angeles, he did the recreational
stuff L.A. kids do: surfing, skateboarding, BMX. But when his cooking career
launched, the demanding hours in the kitchen fooled him into thinking that he
couldn’t find time for fitness.
Despite the hours
on his feet, Moreno started to take on weight. At his heaviest, he registered
171 pounds with 24 percent body fat. Then a friend bet him $1,000 in a
three-month-long weight loss contest. Moreno started lifting weights, doing
bodyweight exercises, and experimenting with CrossFit.
At the end of the competition he dropped about 30 pounds and 13 percent of his
body fat (handedly winning the bet). So it was on to the next challenge.
Another friend
introduced him to Spartan Race and he entered. “I had the most brutal
ass-kicking I ever experienced,” Moreno says. “I was so drained that I fell 20
feet off a rope and I missed the spear throw—and then I was penalized 30
burpees for each.” Moreno now competes in 10 Spartan races a year.
“I changed my
habits and am a better chef for it because I now have the fitness and energy to
match my drive and my passion,” he says.
Sure, having a
kitchen with access to the grass-fed meats and organic vegetables takes the
hassle of feeding yourself. But there’s really no reason you can’t eat like
him. Moreno keeps a supply of washed and prepared vegetables like roasted beets
and sweet potatoes on hand to help complete meals come together quickly.
Take, for
instance, this breakfast, which he whips up in one pan and carries the
vegetables, protein, and good fats he looks for in every meal.
Chicken
Vegetable Hash
Recipe by Jesse
Moreno, executive chef of The Mansion at
the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
What you’ll
need:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 skinless
boneless chicken breast, pounded ¼-inches thick
Salt and pepper,
to taste
1 cups
vegetables (such as sliced baby carrots, sliced green beans, sliced sweet
potatoes, chopped cauliflower, diced mushrooms, finely chopped bell peppers,
and/or finely chopped diced onion)
1 small handful
of baby kale or regular kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 egg
Hot sauce, to
taste
How to make it:
1. In a large
skillet over medium, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil. Season the chicken breast on both
sides with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and sizzle until cooked
through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. In the same
skillet you used to cook the chicken, add the vegetables and kale and cook
until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, mix to
combine and then plate everything on a serving dish.
3. In the same
skillet, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil. Crack in the egg and cook until
the white is set, 2 to 3 minutes. Slide atop the chicken and vegetables. Douse
with hot sauce. Makes 1 serving.
5 Amazing Health
Benefits of Fiber!
Fiber does more than
keep you regular and increase feelings of fullness. Get the facts on fiber
here!
Here's
the first surprising fact about fiber: It's a carbohydrate. But not just any
carbohydrate. Because it's indigestible, fiber doesn't affect your body the way
other carbs do.
Here's
the second surprising fact: There are two major types of fiber. Soluble fiber
dissolves readily in water and turns into a gel upon digestion. It takes a long
time to digest and slows the release of other nutrients into the blood.
It's
counterpart, insoluble fiber, doesn't dissolve in water. It enhances your
body's ability to bulk up stool and keeps food moving through your digestive
system.
F-
Fullness
I-
Insulin control
B-
Beneficial bacteria
E-
Expectancy
R-
Regulation
FULLNESS
Fiber's
effect on satiety is usually attributed to two main factors: adding bulk to the
diet and slowing down digestion. When you eat high-fiber foods, this increased
bulk takes up more space in your stomach. This is directly related to fullness
because your stomach is a "volume counter" rather than a
"calorie counter." The more space you take up&mdash with food or
fluids, the fuller you feel.1
It's
no wonder you can plow through a whole box of cereal but struggle to finish a
second serving of broccoli. The high-fiber nature of the broccoli takes up more
space in your stomach, which sends signals to your brain to put down the fork.
Additionally,
foods high in soluble fiber slow digestion and absorption by creating a gel
once ingested.2 A slower rate of digestion helps to keep you fuller
between meals and allows satiety signals to be sent to your brain, which work
to stop you from eating as much.
INSULIN CONTROL
Another
perk of slow digestion is enhanced insulin sensitivity and blood glucose
control.3,4 A high-fiber meal slows the entry of nutrients, such as
glucose, into the blood. A slower release of glucose into the blood allows
insulin to distribute it effectively. What's more, the pancreas doesn't need to
secrete as much insulin.
REGARDLESS OF YOUR GOALS, ENHANCED
INSULIN SENSITIVITY IS INVALUABLE.
Regardless
of your goals, enhanced insulin sensitivity is invaluable. The ability to
efficiently clear glucose from the blood and to effectively distribute it bodes
well for body composition, regardless of your physique goal.
BENEFICIAL BACTERIA
The beneficial bacteria in your gut feed on
fiber. Increasing the amount of good gut
bacteria has been shown to enhance immune function and reduce inflammation.5,6
A
stronger immune system helps you get to the gym, rather than being stuck on the
couch, sick, wrapped up in a blanket. You can't make progress if you're unable
to get to the gym!
Reducing
inflammation may reduce your risk of several metabolic abnormalities such as
high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and high blood lipids.
EXPECTANCY
Multiple
studies demonstrate a positive association between the amount of fiber you eat
in your diet and life expectancy.7,8 A
recent study looked at the dietary fiber intake of nearly half a million
European adults and found that those eating more than 28 grams of fiber per day
had a 24 percent less risk of death than those taking in less than 16 grams per
day.
EATING ENOUGH FIBER EVERY DAY MAY HELP
ADD A FEW EXTRA YEARS TO YOUR LIFE.
This
doesn't mean a low-fiber diet will take away 25 percent of your years on earth,
but it does suggest that eating a high-fiber diet may potentially add a few
years. That means more time for squats and deadlifts!
REGULATION
A diet
plentiful in insoluble fiber is effective at increasing fecal bulk and
promoting a regularly scheduled trip to the bathroom.9 There's
even some new research demonstrating that people who eat a diet higher in fiber
may expend more calories through their poop than those consuming a low-fiber
diet. The results may be miniscule, and more research is needed at this point,
but, hey, it's another incentive to stay regular.
HOW MUCH FIBER SHOULD I CONSUME?
The
recommended intake for women is a minimum of 25 grams per day, whereas for men
it is a minimum of 38 grams per day.10 More
is not necessarily better. Excessive amounts of fiber can lead to GI distress,
impaired nutrient absorption, and unintended weight loss. If you're
continuously full, it's hard to eat enough!11
HOW TO INCREASE DAILY FIBER INTAKE
If
you're not eating enough fiber at the moment, have no fear, as there are many delicious high-fiber foods to choose
from. Start with one meal, and swap in a high-fiber source—say, brown rice for
white rice. Then, start increasing your vegetable intake, one meal at a time,
until you're at 4-5 servings per day. Slow and steady is the key; otherwise,
you may suffer cramps, excessive bloating, and gas.
EXCELLENT SOURCES OF FIBER
§ Soluble
Fiber: Oats, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and some fruits and
vegetables
§ Insoluble
Fiber: Whole-grains such as wheat and popcorn, fruits and
vegetables (with peels)
When
you increase your fiber intake, you should increase your fluid intake, too.
Without adequate fluids, fiber can actually increase constipation and impede
digestion.
WHAT ABOUT ADDED FIBER?
Many
processed foods now contain added fiber, also known as functional fiber. Dietary
fiber comes from plants, but functional fiber, such as polydextrose and inulin,
is isolated from natural sources and then added to foods such as cereals and
bars.12 There is limited long-term research on the effects of
functional fiber, but current literature suggests that the benefits may mirror
those of dietary fiber.13-15
CHOOSING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WILL
PROVIDE YOU WITH FIBER AND OTHER VITAL NUTRIENTS THAT CEREAL BARS AND PROCESSED
FOODS DO NOT.
There
are no known negative side effects to date, but the idea of adding fiber to
processed foods allows many nutrient-poor foods to be deemed
"healthy." Choosing fruits and vegetables over cereal bars and
processed foods will be better for your nutrition plan as a whole.
REFERENCES
1.
Phillips, R. J., & Powley, T. L. (1996). Gastric volume
rather than nutrient content inhibits food intake.American
Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 271(3),
R766-R769.
2.
Wanders, A. J., van den Borne, J. J., de Graaf, C., Hulshof, T.,
Jonathan, M. C., Kristensen, M., ... & Feskens, E. J. (2011). Effects of
dietary fibre on subjective appetite, energy intake and body weight: a
systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Obesity
Reviews, 12(9), 724-739.
3.
Lattimer, J. M., & Haub, M. D. (2010). Effects of dietary
fiber and its components on metabolic health.Nutrients,
2(12), 1266-1289.
4.
Ismaiel, M., Yang, H., & Min, C. (2016). Dietary fiber role
in type 2 diabetes prevention. British
Food Journal, 118(4).
5.
D'Mello,
C., Ronaghan, N., Zaheer, R., Dicay, M., Le, T., MacNaughton, W. K., ... &
Swain, M. G. (2015). Probiotics improve inflammation-associated sickness
behavior by altering communication between the peripheral immune system and the
brain. The Journal of Neuroscience, 35(30),
10821-10830.
6.
Ganguli, K., Meng, D., Rautava, S., Lu, L., Walker, W. A., &
Nanthakumar, N. (2013). Probiotics prevent necrotizing enterocolitis by
modulating enterocyte genes that regulate innate immune-mediated inflammation. American
Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 304(2),
G132-G141.
7.
Chuang, S. C., Norat, T., Murphy, N., Olsen, A., Tjønneland, A.,
Overvad, K., ... & Teucher, B. (2012). Fiber intake and total and
cause-specific mortality in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer
and Nutrition cohort. The
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 96(1), 164-174.
8.
Park, Y., Subar, A. F., Hollenbeck, A., & Schatzkin, A.
(2011). Dietary fiber intake and mortality in the NIH-AARP diet and health
study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 171(12),
1061-1068.
9.
Cummings, J. H. (2001). The effect of dietary fiber on fecal
weight and composition. CRC
Handbook of Dietary Fiber in Human Nutrition, 3, 183-252.
10.
Trumbo, P., Schlicker, S., Yates, A. A., & Poos, M. (2002).
Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids,
cholesterol, protein and amino acids. Journal
of the American Dietetic Association, 102(11), 1621-1630.
11.
Duke University. (n.d.). Fiber—How Much Is Too Much? Retrieved
from
https://studentaffairs.duke.edu/sites/default/files/u110/TooMuchFiber082015.pdf
12.
Slavin, J. L. (2008). Position of the American Dietetic
Association: health implications of dietary fiber. Journal
of the American Dietetic Association, 108(10), 1716-1731.
13.
Konings, E., Schoffelen, P. F., Stegen, J., & Blaak, E. E.
(2014). Effect of polydextrose and soluble maize fibre on energy metabolism,
metabolic profile and appetite control in overweight men and women. British
Journal of Nutrition, 111(01), 111-121.
14.
Cho, S. S., & Samuel, P. (Eds.). (2009). Fiber
Ingredients: Food Applications and Health Benefits. CRC Press.
15.
Hutchinson, C., & Hollis, J. (2013). Effect of soluble fiber
dextrin on postprandial appetite and subsequent food intake in healthy adults. The
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