Saturday, May 31, 2008

Best Workout Schedule

By Craig Ballantyne

What's the best time to work out? And how should you organize your training? Weights first, then cardio? Or vice versa? Read almost any fitness blog or magazine, and you'll find a different opinion.

Instead of worrying about the right time and order, you need to find the best exercise program for you - one that you can easily fit into your busy schedule.

I designed my workout system, for instance, to be done in 45 minutes, three times per week. It allows you to do both resistance training and fat-burning interval training in the same session. (And most people can even do this in the comfort of their own homes.)

Here's how you use this system to build a better body:

Start with a total-body warm-up using bodyweight exercises. Do the following bodyweight circuit twice without resting: bodyweight squat, push-ups or kneeling push-ups, plank. (Do two sets of each exercise for 10 repetitions.)

Follow the warm-up with resistance-training supersets (pairs of exercises done back to back without resting). In your first superset, do an exercise for your lower body and an upper-body pushing exercise (such as lunges and push-ups). Do this superset three times. Rest a minute between supersets, and do 8-15 repetitions per exercise.

In your second superset, do a lower-body exercise and an upper-body pulling exercise (such as step-ups and dumbbell rows). Again, do the superset three times. Rest a minute between supersets, and do 8-15 repetitions per exercise.

After resistance training, rest one or two minutes and then do a short interval-training session.

Finish with stretching.

A simple yet powerfully effective workout like this will take less than 45 minutes. And you only have to do it three times per week to sculpt your body and burn belly fat.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

A Calorie Is NOT a Calorie

By Kelley Herring

While losing weight isn't the easiest task for some, the equation is pretty simple: To drop pounds, you need to burn more calories than you consume.

Now what if I told you that certain foods come with their own built-in fat-burning mechanism? Well, it's true. These foods are thermogenic - meaning they produce heat and burn calories. Diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) is the latest promising trend in weight loss.

A recent study published in Metabolism evaluated the effects of a fat-rich meal and a protein-rich meal on lean and obese women. The meals contained the same number of calories and had the same volume.

The researchers found that diet-induced thermogenesis was significantly higher in all the women, by almost threefold, after the consumption of the protein-rich meal in comparison with the fat-rich meal.

Get more fat-burning power in your diet by eating lean protein at every meal. And be sure to choose protein-rich snacks like organic mozzarella cheese sticks, almonds, and boiled eggs to rev up your metabolism and stave off hunger.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Need another reason to go organic?

How about getting more disease-fighting nutrients per calorie?

The Organic Center recently evaluated the nutritional quality of organic foods versus those grown conventionally. In their review of 97 studies, the researchers found that organic, plant-based foods contain higher levels of 11 nutrients. That includes significantly greater concentrations of health-promoting polyphenols and antioxidants.

What's more, organically grown plant-based foods turned out to be 25 percent more nutrient dense. Which means you get more nutrition per serving or calories consumed.

So eat less and get more by choosing organic produce. Your body and our earth will thank you.

(Source: organic-center.org)

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Water Bottle With You When You Leave Your Car

You know that water bottle you carry with you everywhere? Or the bottles you use to feed your baby? If they're plastic, they could be making you or your baby very sick. Fortunately, there's one easy step you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones from the "toxic" effects of plastic.

The bottles you use may contain bisphenol A (BPA), an "endocrine disrupter" used to add strength to clear plastics. BPA can mimic, mask, or interfere with the effects of the body's natural hormones. It's been linked to prostate and breast cancer, and to neurological disorders in children.

The growing body of evidence was sufficient for the U.S. government to issue a warning: "the possibility that bisphenol A may alter human development cannot be dismissed." The Canadian government went further, listing BPA as a toxic substance, and banning the use of polycarbonate baby bottles. Children are exceptionally vulnerable to BPA because they are still growing and developing, but adults are also at risk.

But there's one simple thing you can do right now to safeguard your family's health. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati found high temperatures from exposure to boiling water produced a 40-fold increase in the rate of BPA release, regardless of the bottle's age.

So don't heat that plastic. Microwave your beverages and food in glass or ceramic dishes. Never heat plastic baby bottles, and wash your plastic containers by hand to avoid the high temperatures in your dishwasher.

And take that water bottle with you when you leave your car in the hot sun.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Out of the Folder and Into My Brain

Each night before I leave the office, I make up my task list for the following day. To make that list, I review any tasks from the previous day that did not get completed, as well as my weekly task list for tasks not yet assigned. I also take out the following day's documents from the daily folder (the one with 31 pockets), and look at each item to reacquaint myself with the project it refers to.

Sometimes a quick review is all I need to bring myself up to speed. Sometimes I have to schedule some time the next day to study it. (Thirty minutes to an hour is usually more than enough.) Then, when it comes time for the meeting, I am equipped not only with the original notes in hand but with some fresh ideas stimulated by my preparation.

I use this system to keep track of just about everything. Projects I delegate to other people, projects I take on myself, and even correspondence I intend to answer later on. When I come across (or have sent to me) articles of interest, I often put them in the daily folder and bring them out to read one at a time.

It's a very simple system, but it has been a big help to me. And it allows me to see, very plainly, when I can't take on any new projects - because the monthly folder is overstuffed!

I am sure there are plenty of computerized programs that approximate what I do with these two folders, but those I've tried so far have proved to be cumbersome and time consuming. I prefer to do it manually.

Friday, May 23, 2008

2 Eggs or a Pop Tart?

An egg has approximately 200 mg of cholesterol, and frying or scrambling it can up the cholesterol to approximately 245 mg. According to Kellogg's, a Blueberry Pop Tart contains no cholesterol, but it does have 39.8 g of carbohydrates - almost half of them from pure sugar. So which is a healthier breakfast - an egg or a Pop Tart?

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says you should eat less than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol each day. That's because "cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease." Not to mention "the higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk for developing heart disease or having a heart attack." So if the egg breakfast has more cholesterol, you might think it's the wrong choice. But you'd be wrong. The egg breakfast wins out over the Pop Tart.

You see, it's not the amount of cholesterol you have in your blood that puts you at risk, but the form in which it's found. Processed foods that are high in sugar can contribute to inflammation and increase the volume of free radical byproducts from metabolism. This can end up increasing the amount of blood cholesterol found in its "oxidized" form, the form your body can't use to build cells and create sex hormones. It's "oxidized" cholesterol that's deposited on the walls of your blood vessels and increases your risk of a heart attack.

It may be counterintuitive. But eating a food that's a little higher in dietary cholesterol but doesn't spike your blood sugar levels and create inflammation is sometimes actually healthier, even if you have "high cholesterol."

The Calm, Quiet Vitamin

Know what's super bad for your body? Inflammation. It’s thought to be at the core of problems like heart disease and heart attacks.

Know what's a great way to quiet inflammation? Get your fill of vitamin K. Good choices: just about anything leafy and green -- from spinach and kale to collards and turnip greens.

Inflammation is your body's response to injury or infection. And when it occurs in your blood vessels, inflammation can be a sign of bad things to come -- like ruptured arterial plaques, clot formation, heart attack, and stroke. Enter leafy greens. They pack a real vitamin K punch, and more and more research is linking high vitamin K intake to a lower bodywide inflammation index.

Bored with salads? The trick to getting more greens -- and more vitamin K -- into your diet may be learning to use them more creatively.

Simmer kale with chickpeas and exotic spices for this vegetarian Indian dish: Indian-Spiced Kale and Chickpeas.

Slip collard greens into your red sauces, like with this unique Italian dish: Pasta with Greens and Tomato Sauce.

Mix spinach with butternut squash and beans for this Brazilian soup: Amazon Bean Soup with Winter Squash and Greens.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Folks who've done "anti-aging" better than anyone else on the planet.

1. Move. Longevity all-stars engage in regular, low-intensity physical activity, whether it be hiking, shepherding, gardening, walking, yoga, or something else. The data suggest that moderate, even easy, activity done on a daily basis will extend your life.

2. "Hara hachi bu." This Okinawan saying means "Stop eating when your stomach is 80 percent full." Clear enough? Cutting calories by a mere 20 percent will extend your life.

3. Go heavy on the plants. While readers of ETR know that higher-protein diets can be really healthy, that doesn't rule out a diet that's also loaded with vegetables. All of the long-lived peoples investigated by Buettner ate a plant-based diet with almost no processed foods.

4. Drink some alcohol. In Sardinia, it's wine. In Okinawa, it's sake. Whatever you prefer, alcohol in moderation seems to reduce both stress and inflammation. But remember that women who drink need to be getting plenty of folic acid in their diets. (Even moderate drinking raises the risk of breast cancer - but only for women who are folic acid deficient.)

5. See the big picture. Okinawans call it ikigai. Nicoyans call it plan de vida. In both cultures, the phrase translates to "why I wake up in the morning." Develop a strong sense of purpose, connection to others, and community. It's the best anti-aging "medicine" you can find.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Interval Training

If a trainer tells you interval training must be done in 30-second... or one-minute... or five-minute increments, he's misinformed. Research shows that all types of intervals will help you burn belly fat better than slow cardio - and there's never been a "head-to-head" study comparing interval workouts of various lengths. But, based on my experience, I have an opinion: I like simple 30-second intervals for fat-loss workouts.

If you do intervals on a cardio machine, it's easy to stick to the 30-second interval timing, followed by a 60-90 second recovery at a much slower pace. If the intervals were any shorter, it would be tough to change the settings on the machine fast enough.

Any type of interval training for fat loss is going to be better than slow cardio - and it allows for faster workouts.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Lose Your Belly and Thighs

If you want to lose belly fat, you should do lots of crunches. And if you want to tone your thighs, you should reach for your ThighMaster. Right?

Wrong on both counts.

Instead, you should do a form of short-burst exercise.

In one study, Australian researchers from the University of New South Wales put three groups of women through a 15-week fat-loss exercise program. One group was a control group. Another group did three sessions of intervals per week (20 minutes per workout). And the third group did three sessions of long, slow, boring cardio (40 minutes per workout).

Forty-five women were in the study - and it is important to note that they were not all overweight. On average, they had a healthy body mass index of only 23.22 (well below the cut-off of 25 that signals overweight).

At the end of the 15 weeks, only the interval-training group showed significant weight loss and a decrease in body fat and trunk fat. The interval-training group also had a significant loss of fat from their legs. And the more overweight a subject was, the better the interval-training program worked for her.

Oh, and did I mention that the slow, boring cardio workouts did NOT result in a significant loss of body fat? Something we've been saying here at ETR for a long time now...

So if you want to burn your belly fat and lose a few inches from your thighs, get started on a short, 20-minute interval-training program done three times per week. That's all you need.

Monday, May 19, 2008

More Antioxidants

A recent comprehensive review of more than 97 studies evaluated the benefits of organics. In the report, "New Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Plant-Based Organic Foods," researchers found that organic, plant-based foods contain higher levels of eight out of 11 nutrients studied. That includes significantly greater concentrations of health-promoting antioxidants and polyphenols. But what's more, researchers concluded that organically grown plant foods are 25 percent more nutrient-dense. That means they deliver more nutrition - calorie for calorie - than their conventional counterparts.

Fill your plate with an organic superfood smorgasbord to maximize the health benefits of every bite. You can go green - without spending too much green - by choosing organic foods that are grown locally. Find a farmers' market near you by visiting localharvest.com and savor the best nutrition nature has to offer.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Neither a Health Food nor a Vegetable

Not only is cornbread extremely high on the glycemic index (105!!), but a single serving contains more than 56 grams of carbs and 22 grams of sugar. What's more, it's loaded with omega-6 fatty acids, which promote inflammation.

Cornbread is far from health food - and despite being classified as a "vegetable" in country diners, it's not. So double down on those fresh, steamed collard greens and keep the cornbread basket at bay if you don't want your health to go, well... South.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Smoke

Heating oils beyond their flash point - the point at which they oxidize and begin to smoke - gives rise to unpleasant flavors (and smells). More important, it creates lipid oxidation products (LOPs) - dangerous byproducts that cause free radical damage to cells.

To eliminate these cellular villains, use culinary oils cold. Drizzle them over fresh organic salads and roasted veggies to add rich, complex flavor and a healthy source of fat.

When you do choose to fry something, do it safely by using coconut oil. It's a heat-stable, naturally saturated oil that is primarily made up of medium-chain triglycerides. Not only is this "energy fat" metabolized and digested more efficiently than other fats, coconut oil is a significant source of lauric acid - an anti-microbial fatty acid that supports (not suppresses) immune function.

Other heat-stable oils to have on hand for cooking include organic grapeseed oil (which starts to smoke at 420 F), organic extra light olive oil (which starts to smoke at 468 F), organic cold-pressed canola oil (which starts to smoke at 464 F), and organic butter (which starts to smoke at 350 F).

And remember, when in doubt... drizzle.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Increase your brainpower

"Statistically, the most common form of memory loss occurs through natural aging," says Baddeley. "You become worse at encoding and retrieving new information, particularly arbitrary information, such as people's names." One way to battle this brain drain is by recruiting help from your sense of sight.

"Your visual sense takes up roughly 60 percent of your brain area," says Frank Felberbaum, a memory-training expert and the author of The Business of Memory. So if you want to remember someone's name, turn it into a visual image and link it to a prominent part of the person's appearance.

In Felberbaum's case, he says, picture falling (fel) beer (ber) bombs (baum) hitting him on the nose. The key is to pick a facial feature that's both distinctive and unlikely to change over time; results may vary with Hollywood starlets and members of the Jackson family.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Helps a Lot

In a review of 61 studies, Australian researchers found that modest weight loss resulted in a preferential loss of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). VAT is the fat that is most often found in those "hard beer bellies" of older men - the fat associated with a risk for heart disease.

As soon as you start a fat-loss program, the first fat to go tends to be that potentially deadly belly fat. So just by losing a few pounds, you can make a dramatic improvement in your overall health.

To get going on your fat-loss program, reduce the number of calories you eat each day by 10-20 percent and start doing resistance and interval training.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Boost Metabolism

The best way to boost your metabolism is not with an overpriced, full-of-caffeine pill from a bottle. No matter what the magazine ads say, these supplements will not have a lasting effect on your metabolism.

Why is it important to boost your metabolism anyway?

Your metabolism is the rate at which you burn fat and calories. If you don't do resistance-training exercise, your metabolism decreases with age as you lose muscle.

Oops, I just gave you the secret to boosting metabolism.

In a recent study, researchers divided subjects into three groups. One group changed only their diet, the second group changed their diet and added aerobic exercise, and the third group changed their diet and did resistance training. All three groups lost about 25 pounds.

However, the resistance-training group was the only one that maintained their lean muscle mass and, as a result, lost more fat (since they lost the same amount of weight as the two groups that weren't able to maintain their lean muscle mass).

Plus, with their metabolism still running high, the resistance-training group had a greater potential for even more fat loss down the road.

So if you want to lose fat, sculpt your body, and boost your metabolism, there is no better way than to add two or three resistance-training workouts to your weekly schedule.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Break From Exercise

If you are regularly training with weights or doing interval training (as you should for maximum health benefits and fat loss), consider taking off a week for recovery every three months.

For example, if you are currently doing resistance training and interval training three days per week, you could do only one normal workout during your recovery week. You should stay active every day, but for the rest of that week, you'd engage in low-intensity activities only, such as walking or bodyweight exercises.

Taking a week off will give your muscles and joints a rest, and help avoid overuse injuries. So schedule a week off before your body schedules one for you.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Push-Ups

If you're already doing full push-ups, here's how to improve your fitness score: Start by doing half the number of repetitions you can do, rest 30 seconds, repeat that same number of push-ups, rest 30 seconds again, and then repeat the push-ups.

Do this two or three times per week, decreasing the rest period by 10 seconds each week. Retest your max after three weeks.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Foods That Make You Happy

Ever wish there were a happy pill to spritz up your spirits when you're out of sorts? To make you laugh when you're feeling down? Or to calm your nerves when you're about to bite someone's head off? Well, get this: There are several things in your kitchen that might just do the trick, and they taste a lot better than any pill.

A Little Dessert: Sugar soothes us when we're stressed -- or at least it soothes stressed-out rats -- which are remarkably good models for stress in people. But before you race to the vending machine with a license to binge, know that while a little sugar may soothe rattled nerves, too much will re-rattle them by causing havoc with your blood sugar. Here are some treats that’ll give you just enough:

· A small slice of angel food cake with 1/2 cup of strawberries
· 2 Fig Newman cookies and a 6-ounce glass of juice
· Fast Fruit-and-Chocolate Fondue:

o 1 cup fresh strawberries
o 1 peeled, sliced kiwi
o 1/4 cup fat-free chocolate syrup

Dunk fruit into syrup, lean back, and smile!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

THE SECRETS FOR STAYING LEAN

Some tough love about fat loss:

"Real regrets only come from not doing your best. Expect half-hearted results from half-hearted efforts."

Here's how this applies to your fat-loss program: Who are the ones on the cardio confessional every Monday? The people who did not do their best on the weekend with their diet. Most of us fail to control ourselves and end up only with regrets. We trade minutes of pleasure (in the form of fast food) for days, months, and years of regret. Do not let this happen to you.

Focus on quality workouts, not quantity. Focus on planning ahead to overcome obstacles, rather than trying to "out-cardio" your bad diet. Finally, always hit a personal best in each workout-this guarantees progress.

Remember, in order to lose fat you must:

1. Plan and prepare your nutrition in advance.
2. Follow a workout routine that is more intense than anything you'd put together for yourself.
3. Get social support from others who have gone through the same trials and tribulations that you face.

This is your recipe for success.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Back's Best Time to Work Out

In general, there is no best time for a fat-loss workout. Training in the afternoon should get you the same results as training in the morning. Still, there are some important things to consider when determining when to work out:

Will you able to train at a proper intensity at that time, or will you be tired?
Will you be able to eat properly before and after the workout?
Will you stick to a workout program scheduled for that time?
Will exercising at that time be hard on your back?

Why do I bring up that last point? Because Dr. Stuart McGill, an expert in low-back disorders, recommends waiting at least an hour after waking up before engaging in any exercise that includes trunk flexion (i.e., traditional ab exercises like crunches). The reason behind his recommendation: Overnight, the discs between your vertebrae fill with fluid and are more susceptible to injury in the morning.

So don't roll out of bed and start doing sit-ups. (Most people should not be doing them anyway). And if you have soreness in the lower back, avoid bending over early in the morning. Use a position that is more back-friendly when putting on your socks and shoes, picking up dumbbells from the floor, etc. And no matter when you exercise, pay attention to your form and exercise selection.

Bottom line: You can still have a great workout in the morning, as long as you are extra careful of your back and lifting technique.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Sweet Tooth

The next time you get a chocolate craving, forgo the candy bar (or energy bar). Reach for a low-sugar, protein-rich chocolate smoothie instead. You'll balance your blood sugar, and may help reduce your risk of colon cancer as well.

In the Women's Health Study, researchers found that a high glycemic load significantly increased the risk of colon cancer in women. That's because foods that spike blood sugar and insulin levels contribute to an environment in your body that feeds tumor growth.

When you need a quick chocolate fix, try this: Mix 1 scoop Health FX Whey Advanced (an all-natural whey protein with no added sugar or artificial ingredients) with 1 tablespoon organic cocoa, 1/3 cup berries, and 1 1/2 cups water. Whirl in a blender and satisfy your sweet tooth... safely.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Delica-Sea

Do you eat crab legs? Crab is an excellent source of zinc - a powerful antioxidant mineral that supports a healthy immune system and is involved in DNA synthesis.

In a recent study published in Epidemiology, a lack of zinc combined with an excess of copper and a deficiency in magnesium increased the risk for both heart disease and cancer.

If you're not keen on crab, there are plenty of other excellent sources of zinc. Oysters, clams, and lobster are high on the list, as are grass-fed beef, nuts, peanut butter, beans, lentils, and yogurt.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Toxic Cosmetics!

Would you knowingly go out and buy mercury or lead and put it on your skin? No. You are certainly smarter than that. But the important word here is "knowingly " - because, believe it or not, there are still cosmetics and skin care products out there in the marketplace that are made with toxic ingredients. Fortunately, one website is pointing out the offenders so you can keep yourself safe.

A recent report published by the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research organization in Washington, DC, identifies these products on their sister website, SafeCosmetics.org. (Who knew that some companies put mercury in their mascara?)

We tend to forget that the skin is the largest organ of the body. Your skin literally drinks in what you put on it. So before you buy any cosmetics or skin care products, check the SafeCosmetics website.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Snacks to Fill You Up Fast

Most diet plans portray snacking as a failure. Think of snacking as exactly the opposite -- as a key to success! But the secret to effective snacking is doing so at the optimum time -- about 2 hours before you're scheduled to eat your next meal. That'll be enough time to head off hunger pangs and keep you full enough to avoid a meltdown at mealtime. You have a lot of flexibility in what you use to snack. You could have a portion of a leftover from dinner, a sandwich, a smoothie, or a combination of some of the Abs Diet Powerfoods. To make it easier, pick one food from column A and one from column B. That will ensure your satiety.


A
Protein

2 teaspoons reduced-fat peanut butter

1 ounce almonds

3 slices low-sodium deli turkey breast

3 slices deli roast beef



Dairy

8 ounces low-fat yogurt

1 cup 1% milk or chocolate milk

3/4 cup low-fat ice cream

1 1/2 slices fat-free cheese

1 stick string cheese




B
Fruit or Vegetable

1 ounce raisins

Raw vegetables (celery, baby carrots, broccoli), unlimited

1 1/2 cup berries

4 ounces cantaloupe

1 large orange

1 can (11.5 ounces) low-sodium V8 juice



Complex Carbohydrate

1 or 2 slices whole-grain bread

1 bowl oatmeal or high-fiber cereal

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Sunscreen Cause Skin Cancer?

When sunscreen lotion first came on the market, it was marketed as a way to prevent sunburn. Over the years, however, the marketing angle changed when manufacturers realized there is more money to be made by claiming their products protect against dreaded skin cancer.

Only problem is that while sunscreen can protect you against sunburn, there is no evidence it will protect you from skin cancer. In fact, the evidence suggests the opposite - that sunscreens have partially caused an increase in skin cancer!

One of the most common ingredients in commercial sunscreens is a chemical known as PABA or padimate-O, which is known to produce genetic mutations that can lead to cancer. Even more incredibly, PABA becomes aggressively carcinogenic only when it is illuminated by UV light. In other words, exposure to sunlight is what causes this chemical to attack your DNA.