You bust your butt in the gym - and it's working. You lose weight, drop a few inches, and are feeling good. Then, suddenly, you stop seeing results. The plateau phase of any fat-loss program may be normal, but it can be frustrating. Fortunately, a little change in your diet can get you back on track: Simply stop eating foods from a bag or a box and start eating more fruits and vegetables.
Now I don't expect you to wake up tomorrow and completely change your eating habits. That wouldn't be realistic. It's best to make little changes every day. Start, today, with one new item from the produce aisle to help control your appetite, regulate your blood sugar, and burn body fat.
If you want to lose fat, live longer and healthier, and have more mental and physical energy to get through the day, you need to put premium fuel in your body's engine. Not grease. Not sugar. Not quick fixes. You have to plan ahead. But don't worry, it doesn't take much time.
Combine more fruits and veggies with short, convenient strength- and interval-training workouts and you'll feel (and look) like a million bucks.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
When Injured
It happens. You strain your shoulder, sprain your wrist, or even break an arm. Most people think that working out with an injury like that will be a waste of time. But that's plain wrong. In fact, by exercising your strong arm, you can actually maintain - or possibly even improve - the strength in your injured arm.
European researchers put 10 women on a two-month strength-training program for one arm only. At the end of the two months, though the women had done no additional activity with the other arm, they had increased strength in both arms.
Scientists call this the "cross-over" effect. When your brain sends instructions to one arm, the "untrained" arm receives the same instructions. The end result is that you build strength in the untrained arm because of the connection between your brain and your muscles.
So if you injure your arm or shoulder, there's no reason to stop exercising the good arm (provided your doctor clears you for exercise). Just make sure you avoid exercises that would further damage the injured side. You can, for example, continue to press and curl dumbbells with your good arm to keep both arms strong.
European researchers put 10 women on a two-month strength-training program for one arm only. At the end of the two months, though the women had done no additional activity with the other arm, they had increased strength in both arms.
Scientists call this the "cross-over" effect. When your brain sends instructions to one arm, the "untrained" arm receives the same instructions. The end result is that you build strength in the untrained arm because of the connection between your brain and your muscles.
So if you injure your arm or shoulder, there's no reason to stop exercising the good arm (provided your doctor clears you for exercise). Just make sure you avoid exercises that would further damage the injured side. You can, for example, continue to press and curl dumbbells with your good arm to keep both arms strong.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Fiber in a Shake?
There's no doubt about it - fiber is one of a few super-foods you should consume daily. In my article about my daily eating routine, I mentioned a super-high-fiber shake that I drink every day. In fact, I've calculated that my shake can provide me with as much as 95 grams of fiber.
Well, I didn't find it ready-made in a store. I make it myself. There are hundreds of recipes for fruit/vegetable shakes and smoothies. Some are savory and spicy, others sweet. The general recipe I use as part of my daily routine is a blend of vegetable juices, as well as a banana, some ginger, a little yogurt, and ice. The total amount of fiber in the shake depends on the amount of fiber in each of my ingredients. I don't stick with the exact same recipe every day, so the amount of fiber can range from 7 or 8 grams all the way up to 90 or more.
Try mixing your favorite fiber-rich ingredients - apples, berries, figs, carrots, spinach, green beans, etc. - to make your own healthy high-fiber drink.
Well, I didn't find it ready-made in a store. I make it myself. There are hundreds of recipes for fruit/vegetable shakes and smoothies. Some are savory and spicy, others sweet. The general recipe I use as part of my daily routine is a blend of vegetable juices, as well as a banana, some ginger, a little yogurt, and ice. The total amount of fiber in the shake depends on the amount of fiber in each of my ingredients. I don't stick with the exact same recipe every day, so the amount of fiber can range from 7 or 8 grams all the way up to 90 or more.
Try mixing your favorite fiber-rich ingredients - apples, berries, figs, carrots, spinach, green beans, etc. - to make your own healthy high-fiber drink.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Drop Blood Pressure
You've likely heard that the Mediterranean diet is good for your heart and your brain. Now new research indicates that the olive oil in the diet should get part of the credit due to its ability to lower blood pressure.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that 25 ml (4 teaspoons) of olive oil daily reduced blood pressure in men who were previously not eating a Mediterranean diet. In fact, among the 110 men in the study, blood pressure dropped an average of 3 percent over the nine-week study period.
Researchers believe a compound called oleic acid - a monounsaturated fat that makes up 55-85 percent of olive oil - is responsible for the benefit.
So go ahead and splurge on some good, organic extra virgin olive oil. You'll get the most health benefits when you use it cold - drizzled over salads, roasted veggies, and the like - instead of cooking with it.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that 25 ml (4 teaspoons) of olive oil daily reduced blood pressure in men who were previously not eating a Mediterranean diet. In fact, among the 110 men in the study, blood pressure dropped an average of 3 percent over the nine-week study period.
Researchers believe a compound called oleic acid - a monounsaturated fat that makes up 55-85 percent of olive oil - is responsible for the benefit.
So go ahead and splurge on some good, organic extra virgin olive oil. You'll get the most health benefits when you use it cold - drizzled over salads, roasted veggies, and the like - instead of cooking with it.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Cheap Thrills
Airport security wasn't always as tight as it is today - and that extended to the airlines' VIP lounges. When I was a senior in high school, a small group of us discovered Delta's Crown Room at O'Hare Airport. And every now and then, we would smile our way in to enjoy a free night out. Comfy chairs. Snacks and drinks. A big-screen (for the time) TV. And excellent people-watching opportunities.
It felt a little like being a guest at a rich uncle's private club.
There are plenty of well-publicized ways to have a good time without spending any money. Strolling through street fairs. Browsing in bookstores and libraries. Listening to free concerts. But it's the stuff you stumble across almost by accident that gives the most pleasure. The 99-cent breakfast special I took advantage of all summer long at a Florida beachfront cafe. (Okay. So it was served on a paper plate with a plastic fork. Who cares?) Hanging over the fence to watch polo ponies being exercised. Free preview performances by a semi-professional neighborhood drama club.
The fact that things like this cost nothing - or almost nothing - only adds to the enjoyment. But the real thrill is that most people don't know about them, making you feel like a member of an elite "in" crowd.
I'll bet you've had some "cheap thrills" of your own. Things you've found by word of mouth... or by checking out bulletin boards at local coffee shops... or just by being in the right place at the right time. And maybe you'd like to share one of your inside secrets with your fellow ETR readers - give them an idea to help them save money while doing something that most people would never even think of
It felt a little like being a guest at a rich uncle's private club.
There are plenty of well-publicized ways to have a good time without spending any money. Strolling through street fairs. Browsing in bookstores and libraries. Listening to free concerts. But it's the stuff you stumble across almost by accident that gives the most pleasure. The 99-cent breakfast special I took advantage of all summer long at a Florida beachfront cafe. (Okay. So it was served on a paper plate with a plastic fork. Who cares?) Hanging over the fence to watch polo ponies being exercised. Free preview performances by a semi-professional neighborhood drama club.
The fact that things like this cost nothing - or almost nothing - only adds to the enjoyment. But the real thrill is that most people don't know about them, making you feel like a member of an elite "in" crowd.
I'll bet you've had some "cheap thrills" of your own. Things you've found by word of mouth... or by checking out bulletin boards at local coffee shops... or just by being in the right place at the right time. And maybe you'd like to share one of your inside secrets with your fellow ETR readers - give them an idea to help them save money while doing something that most people would never even think of
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Protect Your DNA
When it comes to eating fruits and veggies, straying from the "same old, same old" may help you age less, according to new research.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that a diet with eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables representing 18 plant families was more effective in preventing DNA damage than one with the same number of servings from only eight plant families.
Beat tastebud boredom and slow the hands of time by stocking your freezer with a wide variety of organic, flash-frozen fruits and veggies. And vary your cuisine by making creative substitutions. Try hearts of palm in place of artichoke hearts, arugula instead of spinach, green mangoes instead of tomatoes. You'll pack more DNA-protecting power (and pleasure) into mealtime.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that a diet with eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables representing 18 plant families was more effective in preventing DNA damage than one with the same number of servings from only eight plant families.
Beat tastebud boredom and slow the hands of time by stocking your freezer with a wide variety of organic, flash-frozen fruits and veggies. And vary your cuisine by making creative substitutions. Try hearts of palm in place of artichoke hearts, arugula instead of spinach, green mangoes instead of tomatoes. You'll pack more DNA-protecting power (and pleasure) into mealtime.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
TV Makes Us Fat
One of clients grew up watching a lot of TV. In fact, he feels that he was practically raised by Cliff Huxtable (of the Cosby Show) and Meredith Baxter-Birney (from Family Ties). That's how much TV he watched.
He finished college and started a real job. But he still rounded out his day with a nightly television marathon. So we shouldn't be surprised that he "beefed up" to over 200 pounds. (He's 5'10".) Especially when we look at the results of a recent Australian study.
The researchers examined the connections between watching TV, eating, and exercising in young adults (aged 26-36). They found that the young woman who watched more than three hours per day of TV had a higher prevalence of severe abdominal obesity when compared to the women who watched less than one hour of TV. For the men, only moderate abdominal obesity was associated with watching more than three hours of TV per day. Not severe - but still worse than the men who watched less than an hour per day.
The researchers also found that taking into account the daily physical activity levels of these men and women did not entirely explain the differences. What seemed to be more relevant was that the men and women who watched more TV also tended to consume more food and drinks.
Once client eliminated sodas and foods from a bag or a box, he immediately started to lose weight. And fast. Plus, by adding three short strength-training and interval-training workouts per week, he got down well below his college weight, and is now as fit as he was more than 10 years ago.
The message for you? The same things we've been saying in ETR for years. Shut off the TV. Dump the soda. Eat fresh veggies and grass-fed meats instead of carbs. And get moving.
He finished college and started a real job. But he still rounded out his day with a nightly television marathon. So we shouldn't be surprised that he "beefed up" to over 200 pounds. (He's 5'10".) Especially when we look at the results of a recent Australian study.
The researchers examined the connections between watching TV, eating, and exercising in young adults (aged 26-36). They found that the young woman who watched more than three hours per day of TV had a higher prevalence of severe abdominal obesity when compared to the women who watched less than one hour of TV. For the men, only moderate abdominal obesity was associated with watching more than three hours of TV per day. Not severe - but still worse than the men who watched less than an hour per day.
The researchers also found that taking into account the daily physical activity levels of these men and women did not entirely explain the differences. What seemed to be more relevant was that the men and women who watched more TV also tended to consume more food and drinks.
Once client eliminated sodas and foods from a bag or a box, he immediately started to lose weight. And fast. Plus, by adding three short strength-training and interval-training workouts per week, he got down well below his college weight, and is now as fit as he was more than 10 years ago.
The message for you? The same things we've been saying in ETR for years. Shut off the TV. Dump the soda. Eat fresh veggies and grass-fed meats instead of carbs. And get moving.
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