Fitness Fanatic

15 Easy Tips For Rapid Fat Melting

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:23:00 +0000

15 Easy Tips For Rapid Fat Melting

Follow these simple tips from registered dietitian Jayson Hunter, the Head of Research and Development for Prograde Nutrition, for a lean and healthy body.

Eat 4-6 small meals day a day instead of the usual 2-3 large meals. Eating frequently will help regulate and boost your metabolism to burn more calories.
Consume whole foods that are high in fiber and low in sugar, such as lean protein sources (lean beef, chicken, fish, and whey protein), fruits & vegetables (oranges, apples, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, peppers, asparagus, carrots, nuts (almonds, cashews, & walnuts), and whole grains.
Eat low-glycemic carbohydrates such as vegetables, whole-wheat products and oatmeal instead of refined processed carbohydrates which usually come in a box or a bag.
Consume 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Fiber will help satisfy hunger pangs as well as control insulin and blood sugar levels which tend to promote fat storage.
Eat some type of lean protein at each meal. Protein helps to satisfy hunger and provide the necessary building blocks to maintain lean body mass while losing body fat.
Consume adequate amounts of healthy fat foods such as olive oil, walnuts, almonds, Omega-3 fortified eggs, or other Omega-3 products. Healthy fats are great antioxidants as well as help with brain function and many other essential processes that take place in the body on a daily basis. Essential Fatty Acids also help prevent certain diseases. To guarantee you’re consuming enough Omega-3 supplement your diet with EFA Icon.
Eat 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day to meet your micronutrient needs. Vegetables also contain a good amount of fiber and help to control appetites and curb hunger. Additionally, VGF25+ provides the power-packed nutrition of 25 whole vegetables, greens, and fruits in a convenient “super pill.”
Consume Green Tea or Water instead of calorie-filled drinks such as soft drinks. Green Tea has many health benefits and you should be drinking 1ml of non-caffeinated fluid for every calorie that you consume. This works out between (8-12) 8oz glasses of Green Tea or Water a day.
Balance your fat intake for the day. One-third should come from saturated fats, 1/3 from monounsaturated fats, and 1/3 from polyunsaturated fats. Again, ensure you’re consuming antioxidant-rich Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids by incorporating EFA Icon into your nutritional plan.
Consistent fat loss requires good habits. If you want to create good habits, then you need plan. Therefore, map out your meals every day and follow them. If you follow your plan everyday for 2-3 weeks, you will form habits that become part of your daily routine and part of your life.
Incorporate “superfoods” into your meal plan on a daily basis. Some examples are salmon, low-fat plain yogurt, tomatoes, spinach, mixed berries, whole oats, mixed nuts, olive oil, flax seeds(or flax meal), green tea, and various beans. Many of the super nutrition found in these “superfoods” are also found in VGF25+.
Keep total fat intake under 30% for the day. This can easily be accomplished by avoiding “extra” fats such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise… This doesn’t mean you have to completely eliminate these items, just use them sparingly and avoid adding them to foods whenever possible.
EXERCISE! Yes, you can lose weight just by changing your eating habits. But very few people succeed long-term - and it takes much longer to lose fat - when they don’t exercise. And something most people don’t realize is, just how critical ingesting the research-proven Protein to Carbohydrate ratio is to optimizing the results of your workout efforts.
Record what you eat and drink. You will be amazed by what you find. Keeping a food journal is critical to your success because you need it to evaluate and analyze your current eating patterns. If your fat loss efforts are stagnant, the answer can usually be found in your food journal.
Follow the 90% rule. If you can follow your plan 90% of the time, you will soon see unwanted fat melt off your body. However, if you find yourself breaking these rules more than 90% of the time, your chances of failing increase significantly.

Cathe Friedrich - Exercise and Appetite: Do You Eat Less When You Work Out?

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Cathe Friedrich - Exercise and Appetite: Do You Eat Less When You Work Out?

Tips to Prevent Weight Gain on Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:48:00 +0000

Tips to Prevent Weight Gain on Vacation

Healthiest Chain and Fast Food Restaurants - OrganizedWisdom Health

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Sun, 15 May 2011 16:40:00 +0000

Healthiest Chain and Fast Food Restaurants

Ten Worst and Best Foods - StumbleUpon

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Sun, 15 May 2011 16:35:00 +0000

Ten Worst and Best Foods - StumbleUpon

The 100 Best Fitness Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Sun, 15 May 2011 16:26:00 +0000

printer.php from menshealth.com - StumbleUpon

Fire Up Your Metabolism - Fitness, Nutrition, Diet, Weight Loss Official Web site

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:03:00 +0000

#071 - P90X Newsletter - Fire Up Your Metabolism - Fitness, Nutrition, Diet, Weight Loss Official Web site

5K training - running for beginners

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:43:00 +0000

5K training - running for beginners

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:03:00 +0000

Introducing Team BeachBody

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noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 16:53:00 +0000

Shakeology

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noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 16:51:00 +0000

The Beachbody Solution

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Dinner in 20: Easy, Healthy Dinner Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 16:50:00 +0000

Dinner in 20: Easy, Healthy Dinner Recipes

Running Routes - WalkJogRun

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:11:00 +0000

Running Routes - WalkJogRun

5 Things You Need To Do Right Now For Six-Pack Abs

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 03:09:00 +0000

Shannon Clark

Whether you're currently working on building lean muscle mass or you're aiming to lose body fat, along the way one of your priorities is likely to get six pack abs. Six pack abs tend to be the 'gold standard' for being classified as 'fit' for most people.

Unfortunately, getting six pack abs is something that tends to take a great deal of work, and unless you're using the right methods, it's going to be a long and uphill battle. Here are five things you can start doing right now to take a big step forward towards accomplishing these goals.

1. Watch your sodium intake

The first thing you can do immediately that will have a big impact on your abs is make sure your sodium intake is low. Sodium will quickly add water retention to the abdominal region, so if you have a high salt meal one night, expect to notice a difference the next night.

It won't take long at all for the effects to be known, but on the bright side, when you reduce your sodium intake, the same principle follows - you'll see results almost immediately. Because of this, reducing your sodium intake is a very effective way to look leaner almost overnight for when you have some type of special function coming up.

Reducing Your Sodium Intake Is A Very Effective Way
To Look Leaner Almost Overnight.

2. Add Instability To Your Workout Program

The second thing you should be doing is adding some element of instability to your workout program. Whenever you reduce how stable you are, you will cause the abdominal muscles to contract that much harder to maintain balance.

You can do this by moving your ab exercises to an exercise ball, performing some of the typical weight lifting exercises you do on an exercise ball (bicep curls or chest press for example), or doing some exercises while standing on top of a bosu ball which also helps to reduce stability.

Note that you shouldn't place all your primary weight lifting exercises on an exercise ball since you do want to be lifting as heavy as possible most of the time, but doing one or two per session can be beneficial.

3. Drop Your Cards

Third, consider dropping your carbohydrate intake. This will work in much the same was as reducing your sodium intake will, as when carbs are reduced it will cause the body to start losing water weight.

You have to watch when dramatically cutting carbs in the first few days because you will typically experience higher levels of fatigue in the workout sessions and may feel slightly 'fuzzy' in the mind as the body adapts to the lower carbohydrate level. Within a week or so you should feel better provided you are still getting sufficient protein and some dietary fat.

Be aware when using this technique that the weight you're losing is mostly water though, not pure body fat. Eventually it will be body fat, but right off the bat, you're mostly shedding water weight.

When Carbs Are Reduced It Will Cause The Body To Start Losing Water Weight.

4. Reduce Your Rest Periods to 30 Seconds

In terms of your weight lifting workout, one thing you can do that will help to boost the metabolic rate and help you shed fat faster is shortening up the rest periods. Keep in mind that you're not aiming to make the workout a circuit training program because that will severely limit the total amount of weight you're able to lift, but rather prevent yourself from taking lengthy breaks between lifts.

Keep it short and snappy, so you're maintaining intensity throughout the workout. Rest periods of about 30 seconds - possibly 45 seconds on the larger lifts such as squats, deadlifts, bench, and rows are the goal here.

5. Take One Week Off Cardio

Finally, the last thing you should sometimes do, which is contrary to what you probably think you should be doing, is taking one week off cardio training.

If you're someone who has really upped their cardio training and is doing four or more hours a week, the body may actually be retaining water from all this training. In many situations, once that cardio training is dropped the muscles actually begin looking leaner, despite the lower total daily calorie expenditure.

Another thing that could be going on with this is that since you are creating such a large deficit between all the cardio plus the diet, your body could be really running slowly, with a metabolic rate that won't do much for fat loss. By stopping the cardio, you reduce the deficit and the metabolic rate speeds up again, which then sparks weight loss to take place. This will not always work to make you look leaner, but if you feel like you never get away from the cardio machines, it may be worth a try.

For ab exercises, see the link below:

Get Six Pack Abs Here

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 00:23:00 +0000

Click here to download and print the workout!

10 Healthy Snacks for Couch Time

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:21:00 +0000

10 Healthy Snacks for Couch Time
By Joe Wilkes

Fall is upon us, which means that the new TV season has begun, baseball is heading into the postseason, and football is starting up. The weather's getting cooler, and the couch will soon call for you to lie down on it with a warm blanket. Now, keep in mind we're not encouraging any couch potato behavior. We'd prefer you pop in a P90X video and use the couch as a towel rack. But we're all human, and it's almost impossible to resist the siren song of a playoff game or the return of Glee or Dancing with the Stars. Just because you're taking a couple of hours off to flatten both your gluteal muscles and your sofa cushions doesn't mean you have to stuff yourself with chips, cookies, or other bagged diet-killers. Here are 10 tasty and healthy snacks that are great for TV downtime.

Popcorn, Edamame, and Pistachios

1. Popcorn. It's not just for the movie theater anymore. In fact, you're better off skipping it at the movie theater, because a bucket of oil-popped movie theater popcorn can contain as much fat as three to five double cheeseburgers. But air-popped popcorn is a pretty benign treat. Three cups of popcorn have just 93 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. Air-popped popcorn doesn't have much nutritive value outside of the energy you may get from the calories and some dietary fiber, but it can satisfy your munchies without getting you too far off the diet path. The best popcorn comes from your own hot-air popper—and with no additional fat or salt, unless you add it later. If you're going for microwave convenience, make sure you read the label carefully. Even some of the "healthy" brands contain a fair amount of fat and salt. And many microwave brands contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to cancer. You might be better off making your own microwave popcorn. Just put 1/4 cup of popcorn into a brown lunch bag, fold the top over tightly, and microwave at your usual popcorn setting. Try to avoid salt and butter. Instead, enjoy your favorite herbs or a squeeze of lemon juice with some garlic powder or cayenne pepper.

2. Bean dip. Beans are a great source of protein and fiber, and they don't have tons of calories. One cup of canned pintos only has 206 calories; it also has 12 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber—almost half of your recommended daily allowance. And beans are incredibly filling. Even prepackaged bean dips are pretty decent (of course, always check the label for the fat and sodium contents). You can make your own dips, hot or cold, by food-processing canned black or pinto beans (my favorites are the ones canned with jalapeños) and adding water to create your desired consistency. You can also use fat-free refried beans. You could add some chopped bell or jalapeño peppers, green onions, or canned corn to add a crunchy texture, or some chopped tomatoes for a little extra flavor and vitamins. Instead of fatty fried tortilla chips, use baked chips or, better yet some crunchy raw veggies like carrots, celery, sliced bell peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower.

3. Salsa and ChipsSalsa. This is the perfect mix of tomatoes, onions, and peppers—all members of the top tier of Michi's Ladder. And the great thing is that salsa is so low in calories and so high in fiber, you can basically eat it by the cupful and not gain weight. If you buy it at the store though, watch out for the salt content—that's the secret ingredient in most canned and jarred salsas. You're much better off making your own pico de gallo: Just dice tomatoes and onions and mix with as much minced jalapeño and/or garlic as you can stand. Add fresh cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste and toss the veggies in the juice of two limes. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. You can eat it with baked chips or the crunchy veggies that also go great with the bean dip. The salsa and the bean dip also complement each other well, for the double dippers among us.

4. Crispbread crackers. These crunchy treats (including Wasa® and Rykrisp® brands) have around 30 calories a cracker (depending on the brand, flavor, and style) and a couple of grams of fiber in each one. For the Top Chef in you, they make great bases for some healthy ingredients from your refrigerator. Try a dollop of fat-free cottage cheese with a dash of hot sauce; a slice of turkey breast and roasted red pepper; a "schmear" of hummus and a couple of pitted olives; or a slice of tomato and a fresh basil leaf with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Even the pico de gallo recipe above with some shredded nonfat cheddar will make a tasty cracker-topping treat. By being creative with some wholesome ingredients, you'll forget all about the halcyon days of eating Ritz® crackers washed down with aerosol cheese right from the can (sigh).

5. Pistachios. Pistachios are a great heart-healthy snack full of antioxidants, fiber, and unsaturated fats (the good kind). A 1/2-cup serving (with the shells, assuming you don't eat them) only has 170 calories, with 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber; however, that serving also has 14 grams of fat, so don't go nuts chowing down on a whole bag. Walnuts, peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, and other nuts all have their nutritional upsides, too, but the reason I think pistachios make great snacks is the shells. The shells are difficult to open, so rather than shoveling handfuls of pre-shelled nuts down your throat, eat in-the-shell pistachios so you're forced to slow down. Keep an eye on the sodium content when you buy the nuts. Either buy unsalted or low-salt versions. And forget those disgusting pink ones that taste like lipstick. Who needs to leave hot-pink fingerprints all over the couch? A lot of stores also sell flavored versions that aren't too salty—chili-lime is one of my favorites.

6. Edamame. The Japanese have one of the healthiest diets in the world, and soybeans are a great staple of that diet. Edamame—steamed or boiled soybean pods—contain all the essential amino acids, many essential fatty acids, and soy isoflavones. And a half-cup of beans only has 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 9 grams of carbs, with 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Truly one of nature's perfect foods. And like pistachios, you can serve them in their shells, which slows down your face-stuffing process, giving you time to feel full before you've overeaten.

7. Mini-pizzas. Forget the frozen food section. Anyone with a toaster oven or a broiler pan can be his or her own Mama Celeste or Chef Boyardee®. Just take half of a whole wheat English muffin (67 calories; 2 grams of fiber), add a little low-sodium tomato-based spaghetti or pizza sauce and a sprinkle of shredded low-fat or nonfat mozzarella cheese, and voilà—tasty and healthy pizza! As with the crispbread crackers, your imagination's the only limit for toppings. Fresh herbs like basil and oregano are delicious. Peppers, mushrooms, and low-sodium anchovies are popular and fairly healthy. Just stay away from processed meats like pepperoni, which are often loaded with saturated fat, carcinogenic nitrates, and sodium.

8. Pita Chips, Hummus, and LemonPita chips and hummus. Now you can open a Greek taverna in your living room. While some stores sell premade pita chips, you can easily make your own with very little fuss and muss (and usually with much less fat and salt). A large whole wheat pita has 170 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and less than 2 grams of fat. To make chips, cut around the edge of the pita with a small paring knife, so you have two discs. Then with a knife or pizza cutter, cut the discs into eighths or smaller chip-size pieces. Arrange the pieces on an aluminum-foil-covered cookie sheet, lightly spray with some olive oil cooking spray, and sprinkle with a little salt, low-fat Parmesan cheese, or your favorite dried herbs. Cook in oven or toaster oven until lightly browned and crispy, then serve with your favorite hummus or dip recipe.

9. Relish tray. Some of my favorite snacks are pickled or brined anything—cucumbers, cauliflower, peppers, artichoke hearts, carrots, okra, baby corn, cornichons, cocktail onions, olives, sauerkraut, kimchi . . . even herring and hard-boiled eggs! Extremely low in calories, a plate full of pickled veggies on the coffee table is great for snacking. But watch out for the sodium! Certain store brands have more than others. The more ambitious might try marinating their fresh veggies in vinegar and a little heart-healthy olive oil to control the amount of salt involved. If you use salty brands, you might consider rinsing them to get rid of some of the salt, or mixing them on a plate with some fresh, unpickled vegetables to mitigate your salt intake.

10. Deviled eggs. Eggs, once considered a scourge of the heart-healthy diet, are now getting a better rap. What's indisputable is the health value of the whites. If you take the yolks out of the equation, the egg whites prove to be small, healthy, high-protein delivery systems suitable for all kinds of nutritious creamy fillings. Cut a bunch of hard-boiled eggs in half, lengthwise, and scoop out and discard the yolks. (See the Yolkless Deviled Eggs recipe elsewhere in this newsletter!) Try mixing some nonfat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or nonfat cream cheese with your favorite flavorings and spices, then blending or food-processing until creamy. Spoon or pipe the mixture into the egg whites where the yolks used to be, and you'll have a high-protein snack without all the fat and cholesterol. You can also use the empty egg whites as scoops for your favorite healthy dip or salsa.

Of course, you can enjoy even more snack food if you can work some exercise into your TV watching. During playoff season, don't just save the stretching for the seventh inning. Try some exercises like P90X X Stretch throughout the game. Or if you're settling in for a night in front of the tube, make a deal with yourself—you can veg out and watch The Office and 30 Rock if you turn off Jay Leno. If you watch a show like Hawaii Five-O that motivates you to kick some butt, schedule some INSANITY time immediately after the show while your adrenaline's still pumping. Or if, like me, you've become enslaved to your DVR or TiVo®, use it to your advantage and do a cooldown stretch to your favorite show as a reward for a well-done workout.

Facebook | Videos of Cindy Whitmarsh: Flat Abs + Toned Glutes Exercise with Medicine Ball: ExerciseTV [HD]

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 22:28:00 +0000

Facebook | Videos of Cindy Whitmarsh: Flat Abs + Toned Glutes Exercise with Medicine Ball: ExerciseTV [HD]

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:58:00 +0000

"Team Beachbody is the premier leader for fitness coaching and weight loss. Coaches can help individuals improve their life and lifestyle through better health and income."
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20 Worst Drinks in America 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:00:00 +0000

20. Worst Water
Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
150 calories
0 g fat
33 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 2 Good Humor Chocolate Éclair Bars
While “Worst Water” may sound like an oxymoron, the devious
minds in the bottled beverage industry have even found a way to
besmirch the sterling reputation of the world’s most essential
compound. Sure, you may get a few extra vitamins, but ultimately,
you’re paying a premium price for gussied-up sugar water. Next
time you buy a bottle of water, check the recipe: You want two parts
hydrogen, one part oxygen, and very little else.
19. Worst Bottled Tea
SoBe Green Tea (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
240 calories
0 g fat
61 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 4 slices Sara Lee Cherry Pie
Leave it to SoBe to take an otherwise healthy bottle of tea and
inject it with enough sugar to turn it into dessert. The Pepsiowned
company’s flagship line, composed of 11 flavors with
names like “Nirvana” and “Cranberry Grapefruit Elixir,” is
marketed to give consumers the impression that it can cleanse
the body, mind, and spirit. Don’t be fooled. Just like this bottle of
green tea, all of these beverages are made with two primary
ingredients: water and sugar.
18. Worst Energy Drink
Rockstar Energy Drink (1 can, 16 fl oz)
280 calories
0 g fat
62 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts
None of the energy provided by these full-sugar drinks could ever
justify the caloric load, but Rockstar’s take is especially frightening.
One can provides nearly as much sugar as half a box of Nilla
Wafers. In fact, it has 60 more calories than the same amount of
Red Bull and 80 more than a can of Monster. If you’re going to
guzzle, better choose one of the low-cal options. We like Monster;
it offers all the caffeine and B vitamins with just enough sugar to
cut through the funky extracts.
17. Worst Bottled Coffee
Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino (1 bottle, 13.7 fl oz)
290 calories
4.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
45 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 32 Nilla Wafers
With an unreasonable number of calorie landmines
peppered across Starbucks’ in-store menu, you’d think the
company would want to use its grocery line to restore faith in
its ability to provide caffeine without testing the limits of your
belt buckle. Guess not. This drink has been on our radar for
years, and we still haven’t managed to find a bottled coffee
with more sugar. Consider this—along with Starbucks’
miniature Espresso and Cream Doubleshot—your worst
option for a morning pickup.
16. Worst Soda
Sunkist (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
320 calories
0 g fat
84 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Breyers Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches
Wait . . . but aren’t all sodas equally terrible? It’s true they all
earn 100 percent of their calories from sugar, but that doesn’t
mean there aren’t still varying levels of atrocity. Despite the
perception of healthfulness, fruity sodas tend to carry more sugar
than their cola counterparts, and none make that more apparent
than the tooth-achingly sweet Sunkist. But what seals the orange
soda’s fate on our list of worsts is its reliance on the artificial
colors yellow 6 and red 40—two chemicals that may be linked to
behavioral and concentration problems in children.
15. Worst Beer
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (1 bottle, 12 fl oz)
330 calories
0 g fat
32.1 g carbohydrates
9.6% alcohol
Carbohydrate Equivalent: 12-pack of Michelob Ultra
Most beers carry fewer than 175 calories, but even your average
extra-heady brew rarely eclipses 250. That makes Sierra’s Bigfoot
the undisputed beast of the beer jungle. Granted, the alcohol itself
provides most of the calories, but it’s the extra heft of carbohydrates
that helps stuff nearly 2,000 calories into each six-pack. For
comparison, Budweiser has 10.6 grams of carbs, Blue Moon has 13,
and Guinness Draught has 10. Let’s hope the appearance of this gutinducing
guzzler in your fridge is as rare as encounters with the
fabled beast himself.
14. Worst Kids' Drink
Tropicana Tropical Fruit Fury Twister (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
340 calories
0 g fat
60 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: Two 7-ounce canisters Reddi-wip
Don’t let Tropicana’s reputation for unadulterated OJ lead you to
believe that the company is capable of doing no wrong. As a
Pepsi subsidiary, it’s inevitable that they’ll occasionally delve
into soda-like territory. The Twister line is just that: a drink with
10 percent juice and 90 percent sugar laced with a glut of
artificial flavors and coloring. You could actually save 200
calories by choosing a can of Pepsi instead.
13. Worst Functional Beverage
Arizona Rx Energy (1 can, 23 fl oz)
345 calories
0 g fat
83 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Cinnamon Roll Pop-Tarts
Obviously Arizona took great pains in making sure this can came
out looking like something you’d find in a pharmacy. But if your
pharmacist ever tries to sell you this much sugar, he should have
his license revoked. And if it’s energy you’re after, this isn’t your
best vehicle. Caffeine is the only compound in the bottle that’s
been proven to provide energy, and the amount found within is
about what you'd get from a weak cup of coffee.
12. Worst Juice Imposter
Arizona Kiwi Strawberry (1 can, 23 fl oz)
345 calories
0 g fat
81 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 7 bowls of Froot Loops
The twisted minds at the Arizona factory outdid themselves with
this nefarious concoction, a can the size of a bazooka loaded
with enough of the sweet stuff to blast your belly with 42 sugar
cubes. The most disturbing part isn’t that it masks itself as some
sort of healthy juice product (after all, hundreds of products are
guilty of the same crime), but that this behemoth serving size
costs just $.99, making its contents some of the cheapest
calories we’ve ever stumbled across.
11. Worst Espresso Drink
Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream (venti, 20 fl oz)
660 calories
22 g fat (15 g saturated)
95 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 8½ scoops Edy’s Slow Churned Rich
and Creamy Coffee Ice Cream
Hopefully this will dispel any lingering fragments of the
“health halo” that still exists in coffee shops—that misguided
belief that espresso-based beverages can’t do much
damage. In this 20-ounce cup, Starbucks manages to pack
in more calories and saturated fat than two slices of deepdish
sausage and pepperoni pizza from Domino’s. That
makes it the equivalent of dinner and dessert disguised as a
cup of coffee. If you want a treat, look to Starbucks’ supply
of sugar-free syrups; if you want a caffeine buzz, stick to the
regular joe, an Americano, or a cappuccino.
10. Worst Lemonade
Auntie Anne’s Wild Cherry Lemonade Mixer (32 fl oz)
470 calories
0 g fat
110 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 11 bowls of Cookie Crisp cereal
There is no such thing as healthy lemonade, but Auntie’s line of
Lemonade Mixers takes the concept of hyper-sweetened juice and
stretches it to dangerous new levels. See, sugar digests faster
than good-for-you nutrients like protein and fiber, which means it’s
in your blood almost immediately after you swallow it. Drinking the
3 or 4 days’ worth of added sugar found here jacks your blood
sugar and results in strain to your kidneys, the creation of new fat
molecules, and the desire to eat more. Ouch.
9. Worst Hot Chocolate
Starbucks White Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream
(venti, 20 fl oz)
520 calories
16 g fat (11 g saturated)
75 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 9 Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
See that stack of Rice Krispie Treats? It’s just three treats shy of
two full boxes. Unless you were a contestant on Fear Factor—
and there was a sizeable monetary prize on the line—you’d
never even consider noshing down that much sugar at once. But
here’s what’s interesting: While that stack is the sugar
counterpart to this atrocity from Starbucks, it still has 40 percent
less saturated fat. Makes us wonder what’s going on in the hot
chocolate. Stick to beverages with single-flavor profiles instead of
pile-on recipes like this and you’ll fare better every time.
8. Worst Frozen Coffee Drink
Dairy Queen Caramel MooLatte (24 fl oz)
870 calories
24 g fat (19 g saturated, 1 g trans)
112 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 12 Dunkin’ Donuts Bavarian Kreme Doughnuts
Coffee-dessert hybrids are among the worst breed of beverages.
This one delivers 1 gram of fat and 4.6 grams of sugar in every
ounce, making even Starbucks’ over-the-top line of Frappuccinos
look like decent options. Maybe that’s why DQ decided to give it a
name that alludes to the animal it promises to turn you into. If you
can bring yourself to skip DQ and head to a coffee shop instead,
order a large iced latte with a couple shots of flavored syrup and
save some 600 calories. But if you’re stuck where you are, you’re
better off pairing a small treat with a regular cup of joe.
7. Worst Margarita
Traditional Red Lobster Lobsterita (24 fl oz)
890 calories
0 g fat
183 g carbohydrates
Carbohydrate Equivalent: 7 Almond Joy candy bars
Of all the egregious beverages we’ve analyzed, the Lobsterita
surprised us the most. The nation’s biggest fish purveyor is one
of the few big players in the restaurant biz to provide its
customers with a wide selection of truly healthy food options. We
would hope they’d do the same with the beverages, but obviously
not. Drink one of these every Friday night and you’ll put on more
than a pound of flab each month. Downgrade to a regular
margarita on the rocks and pocket the remaining 640 calories.
6. Worst Float
Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Soda (vanilla ice cream and cola)
(large, 28.6 fl oz)
960 calories
40 g fat (25 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
136 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 9.7 Fudgsicle fudge bars
Done right, an ice cream float can be a decent route to indulgence.
Go to A&W and you’ll land a medium for fewer than 400 calories.
Order it with diet soda and you’ve dropped below 200 calories. So
why can’t Baskin-Robbins make even a small float with fewer than
470 calories? Because apparently the chain approaches the art of
beverage-crafting as a challenge to squeeze in as much fat and sugar
as possible. Whatever you order, plan on splitting it with a friend.
5. Worst Frozen Fruit Drink
Krispy Kreme Lemon Sherbet Chiller (20 fl oz)
980 calories
40 g fat (36 g saturated)
115 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 16 medium-size chocolate eclairs
Imagine taking a regular can of soda, pouring in 18 extra
teaspoons of sugar, and then swirling in half a cup of heavy
cream. Nutritionally speaking, that’s exactly what this is, which is
how it manages to marry nearly 2 days’ worth of saturated fat
with enough sugar to leave you with a serious sucrose hangover.
Do your heart a favor and avoid any of Krispy Kreme’s “Kremey”
beverages. The basic Chillers aren’t the safest of sippables
either, but they’ll save you up to 880 calories.
4. Worst Frozen Mocha
Così Double Oh! Arctic Mocha (gigante, 23 fl oz)
1,210 calories
19 g fat (10 g saturated)
240 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 41 Oreo Cookies
A frozen mocha will never be a stellar option, but we’ve still never
come across anything that competes with this cookie-coffeemilkshake
hybrid from Così. Essentially it’s a mocha Blizzard
made with Oreo cookies and topped with whipped cream and an
oversize Oreo. The result is a beverage with more calories than
two Big Macs and more sugar than any other drink in America.
3. Worst Drive-Thru Shake
McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake (large, 32 fl oz)
1,160 calories
27 g fat (16 g saturated, 2 g trans)
168 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 13 McDonald’s Baked Hot Apple Pies
There are very few milk shakes in America worthy of your
hard-earned calories, but few will punish you as thoroughly as
this Mickey D’s drive-thru disaster. Not only does it have more
than half your day’s caloric and saturated fat allotment and
more sugar than you’d find in Willy Wonka’s candy lab, but
Ronald even finds a way to sneak in a full day of cholesterolspiking
trans fat. The scariest part about this drink is that it’s
most likely America’s most popular milk shake.
2. Worst Smoothie
Smoothie King Peanut Power Plus Grape (large, 40 fl oz)
1,498 calories
44 g fat (8 g saturated)
214 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 20 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
If Smoothie King wants someone to blame for landing this high on our
worst beverages roundup (and truth be told, its entire menu is riddled
with contenders), the chain should point the smoothie straw at
whichever executive came up with the cup-sizing structure. Sending
someone out the door with a 40-ounce cup should be a criminal offense.
Who really needs a third of a gallon of sweetened peanut butter blended
with grape juice, milk, and bananas? Sugar-and-fat-loaded smoothies
like this should be served from 12-ounce cups, not mini kegs.
1. Worst Beverage in America
Cold Stone PB&C (Gotta Have It size, 24 fl oz)
2,010 calories
131 g fat (68 g saturated)
153 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 30 Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies
In terms of saturated fat, drinking this Cold Stone catastrophe is like
slurping up 68 strips of bacon. Health experts recommend capping
your saturated fat intake at about 20 grams per day, yet this
beverage packs more than three times that into a cup the size of a
Chipotle burrito. But here’s what’s worse: No regular shake at Cold
Stone, no matter what the size, has fewer than 1,000 calories. If
you must drink your ice cream, make it one of the creamery’s
“Sinless” options. Otherwise you’d better plan on buying some
bigger pants on the way home.

New Beachbody Product: TurboFire®

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:00:00 +0000

How to Get Fit - P90X Video with Tony Horton!

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 01:58:00 +0000

Why you should exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:04:00 +0000

Any listing of the medical problems and health-related conditions that can be at least partially treated and controlled by exercise would be extensive. Among the most significant of these health concerns and the manner in which exercise is thought to help alleviate each condition are the following:

• Allergies. Exercise is one of the body's most efficient ways to control nasal congestion (and the accompanying discomfort of restricted nasal blood flow).

• Angina. Regular aerobic exercise dilates vessels, increasing blood flow— thereby improving your body's ability to extract oxygen from the bloodstream.

• Anxiety. Exercise triggers the release of mood-altering chemicals in the brain.

• Arthritis. By forcing a skeletal joint to move, exercise induces the manufacture of synovial fluid and helps to distribute it over the cartilage and to force it to circulate throughout the joint space.

• Back Pain. Exercise helps to both strengthen the abdominal muscles and the lower back extensor muscles and stretch the hamstring muscles.

• Bursitis and Tendonitis. Exercise can strengthen the tendons— enabling them to handle greater loads without being injured.

• Cancer. Exercise helps you maintain your ideal body weight and helps keep your level of body fat to a minimum.

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Exercise helps build up the muscles in your wrists and forearms— thereby reducing the stress on your arms, elbows, and hands.

• Cholesterol. Exercise will raise your level of HDL (the "good" cholesterol) in the blood and help lower your level of LDL— the undesirable lipoprotein.

• Constipation. Exercise helps strengthen the abdominal muscles, thereby making it easier to pass a stool.

• Depression. Exercise helps speed metabolism and deliver more oxygen to the brain; the improved level of circulation in the brain tends to enhance your mood.

• Diabetes. Exercise helps lower excess blood sugar levels, strengthen your muscles and heart, improve your circulation, and reduce stress.

• Fatigue. Exercise can help alleviate the fatigue-causing effects of stress, poor circulation and blood oxygenation, bad posture, and poor breathing habits.

• Glaucoma. Exercise helps relieve intraocular hypertension— the pressure buildup on the eyeball that heralds the onset of glaucoma.

• Headaches. Exercise helps force the brain to secrete more of the body's opiate-like, pain-dampening chemicals (e.g., endorphins and enkephalins).

• Heart Disease. Exercise helps promote many changes that collectively lower your risk of heart disease— a decrease in body fat, a decrease in LDL, an increase in the efficiency of the heart and lungs, a decrease in blood pressure, and a lowered heart rate.

• High Blood Pressure. Exercise reduces the level of stress-related chemicals in the bloodstream that constrict arteries and veins, increases the release of endorphins, raises the level of HDL in the bloodstream, lowers your resting heart rate (over time), improves the responsiveness of your blood vessels (over time), and helps reduce your blood pressure by keeping you leaner.

• Insomnia. Exercise helps reduce muscular tension and stress.

• Intermittent Claudication. Exercise helps improve peripheral circulation and increase your ability to tolerate pain.

• Knee Problems. Exercise helps strengthen the structures attendant to the knee— muscles, tendons, and ligaments— thereby facilitating the ability of the knee to withstand stress.

• Lung Disease. Exercise helps strengthen the muscles associated with breathing and helps boost the oxygen level in your blood.

• Memory Problems. Exercise helps to improve your cognitive ability by increasing the blood and oxygen flow to your brain.

• Menstrual Problems and PMS. Exercise helps to control the hormonal imbalances often associated with PMS by increasing the release of beta-endorphins.

• Osteoporosis. Exercise promotes bone density— thereby lowering an individual's risk of suffering a bone fracture.

• Overweight Problems. Exercise suppresses your appetite, increases your metabolic rate, burns fat, increases lean muscle mass, and improves your level of self-esteem.

• Varicose Veins. Exercise can help control the level of discomfort caused by existing varicose veins and help you prevent getting any additional varicose veins

Are the positive effects that result from exercising regularly worth the required effort? Absolutely. Should you make exercise an integral part of your daily regimen? Of course, you should.

Importance of Drinking Enough Water

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:27:00 +0000

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is
often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U-Washington study.

5. Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Mike Bachus

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:50:00 +0000

Your Metabolism

noreply@blogger.com (Blondie Bachus) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:13:00 +0000

Making the Most of your Metabolism

Metabolism -- what is it and why is it so important? Simply put, your metabolism is the total amount of energy your body needs and uses for all its daily activities. The faster your metabolism, the faster you'll burn calories. The more efficiently you burn calories, the easier it is to lose and maintain weight.

Okay, so how can you increase your metabolism?

Exercise. Working out is the best way to raise your metabolism! During activity, your body demands more energy. Therefore, your metabolism is temporarily increased to meet those demands. Cardio activities also help keep your metabolism elevated for several hours afterwards which also increases the number of calories burned.

Strength Train. Strength training helps increase the percentage of lean muscle mass. Building muscle will permanently increase your metabolic rate by helping your body work more efficiently. That means that you'll burn more calories in a shorter amount of time during any activity and at rest. Traditional weight training and Pilates are both great options.

Eat. This may sound contradictory, but it's true - you have to eat (healthy of course)! First of all, always eat breakfast. Eating breakfast helps jump start your metabolism for the day. Secondly, eat five to six smaller meals a day as opposed to a big breakfast, lunch and dinner. This will help your metabolism remain in constant working mode. Finally, no crash dieting! Skipping meals and crash dieting brings your metabolism to a screeching halt. When you greatly restrict calories, your body wants to conserve energy so it slows down your metabolism. This is why many crash dieters will see initial weight loss, but quickly regain the weight.

Unfortunately, there are some factors that you can not control. If you inherited a faster metabolism, you're in luck. If not, you'll need to work just a little harder. Also, your metabolism naturally slows as you age. Most studies report that between the ages of 25 and 30 your metabolism biologically begins to decrease.

But don't be discouraged. Boosting your metabolism isn't difficult. Just follow the simple tips above. You'll be on your way to a faster metabolism in no time!