Ingredients:

• 1/3 c Ketchup
• 1/4 c Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 1/2 Tsp Minced Garlic
• 1 3/4 Tsp Chile Garlic Paste

Stir together and refrigerate until ready to use. Only 38 calories per serving. Makes about 2/3 of a cup.

1. Drinking Hot Coffee Before A Run – Drinking coffee has been shown to help you run faster and work out longer, but the caffeine in coffee acts as a diuretic and may increase your chances of dehydration if you drink more than 5 cups. And, if you like your coffee hot, you could be hurting your performance. A study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that consuming an icy cold drink before a run could enhance performance.

2. Wearing Too Loose Clothing - Running in loose shorts can increase your chances of chafing. Add summer sweat to the mix and you’ll exacerbate the burn. If you’re prone to friction burns, invest in an anti-chafing spray or try wearing spandex underneath your running shorts. When picking out a pair, take a look at the seams to make sure that they’re not too rough or raised.

3. Forgetting to Hydrate at the Pool - Swimming in water isn’t the same as drinking it. “Because swimmers are in the water, it can be easy to overlook how much water the body loses through sweat as compared with exercise on land,” says Jeffrey Chu, a member of the USA Swimming National Committee for Safety Education. When you can’t feel your sweat, your body misses its cue to hydrate. Keep a water bottle at the end of the pool and drink often.

4. Not Eating After A Workout – A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who worked out in hotter temperatures (97°F) ate 300 fewer calories at their next meal than those who exercised in cooler temps (77°F). While cutting back on calories isn’t necessarily a bad thing, make sure to refuel properly after your workout. You should eat a snack within 30 minutes after your workout. If you really don’t want to eat, try drinking your snack in the form of a shake or protein drink.

5. Forgetting To Strength Train - It’s nice outside – who wants to spend the day lifting at the gym? Strength training is an integral part of getting fit and staying healthy. Try a portable workout system like TRX or The Human Trainer that can go to the park, trail, or backyard with you so you can get in a complete workout while enjoying the fresh air.

6. The advice to “Drink 8 Glasses of Water A Day” is FALSE – Now that the weather is warming up, it’s especially important to stay hydrated. Do you know how much liquid you really need?

CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW MUCH WATER YOU NEED DAILY

Members of the American Heart Association committee found that pet ownership appears to be associated with a reduction in heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, and obesity.

People with dogs may get more exercise because they take their dogs for walks. A study of more than 5,200 adults found that dog owners did more walking and physical activity than those who didn’t own dogs, and that dog owners were 54% more likely to get the recommended level of physical activity. The AHA went on to say that pets can also have a positive effect on the body’s reactions to stress.

The AHA stressed, however, that the studies they reviewed cannot prove that owning a pet directly reduces heart disease risk.

The AHA statement was published online May 9 in the journal, ‘Circulation’.

So how much water do you need?

For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. For women its 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

Remember that all fluids count.

Don’t get intimidated by the amount of liquid. All fluids count toward the total. So if you have a cup of grapefruit juice, it counts towards your daily requirements.

But what about the advice to drink eight glasses a day?

Everyone has heard the advice, “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.” That’s about 1.9 liters, which isn’t that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although this advice isn’t supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it’s easy to remember.

When do you need to drink extra water?

• Exercise – If you do short bursts of exercise, you’ll need an extra cup and a half of fluids. But if you exercise for an hour or longer, you’ll need to drink more.
• Heat & Humidity – If you’re in the sun or sweating more than usual.
• Illness – When you have fever, vomiting or diarrhea, your body loses additional fluids.
• Pregnancy & Breast Feeding – The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 2.3 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breast-feed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.

Source: Mayo Clinic, Water

So the question is, how much protein do you need per day?

So for example, an average male weighing 175 lbs goes to the gym 5 times a week and jogs for 30 minutes:

Recreational Endurance 0.36 x 175 lbs = 63 g protein per day.

Source: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1388.pdf

Although you can safely lose about 1 to 2 pounds of body fat a week, you can feel more confident by swimsuit season if you begin making changes today.

• STRENGTH TRAINING – If you want to feel good in your bathing suit, this is non-negotiable. Commit to a full-body strength-training program at least 3 X’s a week. Perform exercises that use multiple muscle groups such as squats, pushups, rows, and lunges to make your workouts more efficient.
• BUTT & BELLY – Your glutes are the biggest muscles in your body, so working them out is one of the best ways to burn calories. But everyone knows that the real key to looking great in a bathing suit is having a flat belly! Give both areas extra attention during workouts leading up to and during bathing suit season.
• WATER – Even mild dehydration can affect your performance and fat-burning potential. You should drink at least half your body weight in ounces each day (e.g., a 200-pound man should drink 100 oz. or about five 20 oz. bottled waters a day).
• LOSE THE BLOAT – Foods that increase the speed at which fluids pass through your body can help you de-bloat. Some tasty natural diuretics include cucumbers, asparagus, lemon, and green tea.
• ALCOHOL – If you’re used to having a glass of wine or pint of beer every night, try cutting back to 2-3 nights a week. You’ll reduce your total calorie intake and set yourself up for a better night’s sleep to energize you for your workout the next day.
• SAY NO TO PROCESSED FOODS – Most of these foods are loaded with extra sodium and preservatives that can contribute to water retention and bloating. If a packaged item’s ingredient list has anything you can’t pronounce, don’t eat it. Instead, opt for a serving of one of the many fresh fruits and veggies now in season, with lean protein to keep you satisfied.

When you bake, substitute half the amount of butter in your recipe for mashed avocado. This will not only lower the calorie content, but also yield a softer, chewier final product, where the taste of avocado is indistinguishable. To help you figure out how much you’ll need, it helps to know that one avocado yields about three-quarters of a cup. You’ll also need to reduce the baking temperature by 25 percent and increase the bake time.

Per quarter-cup serving, avocados have over 300 fewer calories than butter, as well as less saturated fat and cholesterol. This green fruit also has more protein, added fiber, and is rich in B vitamins, folate, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin K.

Reference: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18 (2005) and FDA Food Labeling Guidelines for Voluntary Nutrition Labeling of Raw Fruits, Vegetable and Fish (Vol. 71, No. 159); Appendix C to Part 101 – Nutrition Facts for Raw Fruits and Vegetables (2006).

Purchasing seasonal produce has several advantages. Usually stores will stock these fruits and vegetables from local growers – giving you a fresher product. The fresher the product, the more nutritious it is. Plus, seasonal veggies usually have more flavor and typically cost less too.

Spring Fruits:

• Apricots
• Avocados
• Carrots
• Cherries
• Grapefruit
• Kiwis
• Kumquats
• Lemons
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Navel oranges
• Strawberries

Spring Vegetables:

• Artichokes
• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Fava beans
• Fennel
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Peas
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Spinach
• Turnips

• Pre-Plan – Have a plan before you dine out. Know what you’ll order in advance by looking up the nutritional data. That way you don’t accidentally order something that will break your food plan, and you know exactly what you’re putting in your system. I listed some nutritional menus below to help.
• Don’t Wait – I know I make horrid choices when I’m starving. If I were super hungry and I passed a drive-thru, I might stop simply out of hunger desperation. And then once I get there, I’ll probably over-order and over-indulge. We can arm ourselves by keeping healthy snacks in the car. Or if that’s not available, when you stop at the restaurant, ask an associate to provide you with a menu nutritional chart before you order. It’ll add only minutes to your ordering process and it’ll give you piece of mind that you know what you’re getting.
• Lose The Sides – Is it really necessary to make your sandwich into a value meal? I mean, is it the burger you’re craving? Or is it the fries? Think about what will actually satisfy you and then maybe if you over-do it a little with the sandwich, at least you didn’t have the fries and coke.

In hopes of spreading some knowledge around, I’ve listed the nutritional menu charts for several popular fast food restaurants. I’m not encouraging anyone to indulge,…but if you have to, hopefully these links will help you make wiser choices.

Click the links below for nutritional information.

• Arby’s
• Baja Fresh
• Blimpie
• Burger King
• Chick-Fil-A
• Chipotle
• Dunkin Donuts
• Hardees
• Jimmy Johns’s
• KFC
• McDonald’s
• Quizno’s
• Starbucks
• Subway
• Taco Bell
• Wawa
• Wendy’s

Ingredients:

• 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Cut Into Strips
• 1 cup Low-fat Buttermilk
• 1 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• Large Zip-Lock Bag
• Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 450 Degrees. Put bread crumbs into zip lock bag.

Dip one chicken strip into the buttermilk to coat and then place it in the zip lock bag with the bread crumbs. Seal the bag and shake until the chicken is completely coated. Spray chicken with cooking spray on both sides and place on baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Cook for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

• KFC Fried Chicken Breast: 380 calories with 19g of fat per serving.
  
• Baked Chicken Breast Recipe: 277 calories with 6g of fat per serving.