Archive for August 25, 2011

Dine Right or Die

Posted: August 25, 2011 by williampower in Nutrition
0

Cooking Tips:
• Avoid the use of MSG.
• Always trim any excess fat and skins from meats and poultry if you are trying to reduce fat intake.
• Boil, bake, microwave, steam, and grill foods; this will reduce excess fat.
• Use spray cooking oils such as Pam rather than regular oils (1tbsp of oil is equivalent to 120 cal and 14g of fat).
• Use low fat cheese and skim milk instead of regular processed cheese and whole milk.
• Use non stick frying pans, pressure cooker, steamer baskets, roast racks to cook food. These tools aid in separating unnecessary fats from foods.

Eating Out Tips:

• Choose restaurants that offer a variety of foods included in your meal plan.
• In a restaurant, start your meal with a salad packed with veggies, to help control hunger and feel satisfied sooner.
• As a beverage choice, ask for water or order fat-free or low-fat milk, unsweetened tea, or other drinks without added sugars.
• Ask for whole wheat bread for sandwiches.
• Choose main dishes that include vegetables, such as stir fries, kebobs, or pasta with a tomato sauce.
• Order an item from the menu instead heading for the “all-you-can-eat” buffet.
• Ask to have sauces and dressings served on the side.

• Study your menu and look for broiled meats and fish. These tend to be the best healthy choices at most restaurants.
• Seafood restaurants offer low fat meals such as broiled sole, swordfish, etc.
• At steak houses, order a lean cut of meat such as a filet, ground steak, or grilled skinless chicken breast, preferably broiled.
• Order steamed, grilled, or broiled dishes instead of those that are fried or sautéed.
• Choose a “small” or “medium” portion. This includes main dishes, side dishes, and beverages.
• Remember restaurant servings tend to vary in size. Be aware of portion size.
• If main portions at a restaurant are larger than you want, try one of these strategies to keep from overeating:
• Order an appetizer or side dish instead of an entrée.
• Share a main dish with a friend.
• If you can chill the extra food right away, take leftovers home in a “doggy bag.”
• When your food is delivered, set aside or pack half of it to go immediately.
• Resign from the “clean your plate club” – when you’ve eaten enough, leave the rest.
• Don’t always feel that you have to clean your plate. Take it home for another meal.
• To keep your meal moderate in calories, fat, and sugars:
• Ask for salad dressing to be served “on the side” so you can add only as much as you want.
• Order foods that do not have creamy sauces or gravies
• Add little or no butter to your food.
• Choose fruits for dessert most often.
• For Chinese food, choose steamed vegetables with chicken or beef. Ask for no MSG or soy sauce.

General Tips:
• Plan to eat meals at approximately the same time everyday to increase the efficiency of the body’s digestive process.
• Eat fresh foods whenever possible.
• Keep a food diary to keep track of what you are eating.
• Try your very best to not eat in front of the TV or when reading the paper, etc. This will allow you to focus on enjoying the meal and concentrate on eating. There is a tendency to overeat and not chew food properly when distracted.
• TRY YOUR VERY BEST TO NOT SKIP MEALS.
• Plan meals ahead of time and stay on a consistent schedule. This will keep you from becoming uncontrollably hungry and will help the body’s digestive system work more efficiently.
• Use calorie free beverages, such as water, club soda, or flavored seltzer to maintain proper fluid intake.

Traveling Tips:
• Pack fruit, cereal, appropriate meal replacements, nuts, and other healthy foods.
• PREPARE LUNCH IF YOU KNOW YOU WILL BE ON THE ROAD. DONT PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION WHERE THERE IS NO HEALTHY FOOD AVAILABLE.
• On long commutes or shopping trips, pack some fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables, low-fat string cheese sticks, or a handful of unsalted nuts to help you avoid stopping for sweet or fatty snacks.
• Order special meals when making plane reservations if possible. Kosher food plates, fruit plates, and other meals may be available when pre-ordered through a travel agent.
• Bring bottled water with you to insure daily water intake requirement.

30-Second Sprints Build Endurance and Quickly Boost Performance

Posted: August 25, 2011 by williampower in Exercise
0

Get More Fit in Less Time
Pro athletes and weekend warriors know that you must train your cardiovascular system to improve your endurance and sports performance. Getting at least 20 or 30 minutes of exercise at least three times per week has become the foundation of cardiovascular fitness. However, there are other ways to get cardiovascular benefits. In fact, evidence supports the benefit of short, high intensity efforts as a means of improving aerobic capacity and endurance.
Sprint training is becoming a new way to train. Recent studies involving bicyclists showed great results in very little time. In fact, one study found that just six sessions of 4-7 all-out 30 second sprints (with four minutes of recovery) could be as effective in improving cardiovascular fitness as an hour of daily moderate activity.
The subjects in one study showed a full 100 percent increase in endurance capacity (from 26 minutes to 51 minutes) versus the control group who showed no change. In another study by the same researchers, subjects improved their time trial performance by nearly 10 percent in the two weeks.
These short bouts of intense exercise (similar to interval training) improved muscle health and performance comparable to several weeks of traditional endurance training. The muscles of the trained group also showed a significant increase in citrate synthase — an enzyme that is a marker of the tissue’s ability to utilize oxygen. Other findings have shown that short, high intensity exercise burns more calories.
Click Here To Learn The Workout!

6 ACSM Approved Tips for Working Out

Posted: August 25, 2011 by williampower in Exercise
0
  1. Get you body ready to exercise. Always warm up before you work out. Warming up properly ( i.e., doing enough to raise your body temperature) helps to ensure that your body is prepared to safely handle the stress of exercise.
  2. Don’t put yourself at risk. Don’t exercise if you’re ill or feeling unduly fatigued. Physical activity can exacerbate your illness if you are sick, and possibly expose you to increased risk of being injured if you’re extremely tired.
  3. Organize you workout environment. Keep your exercise area free of clutter. Rerack weights. Don’t allow your exercise area to become an obstacle course which can elevate odds of injury (tripping, falling).
  4. Proceed sensibly. Never try to do too much too soon. When you first begin to workout, start at a sensible level, and then progressively adjust how much you do as your body adapts to demands imposed on it.
  5. Use your lungs. Never hold your breath while exercising, particularly when you’re lifting weights. Holding your breath while exercising can cause a buildup of inner thoracic (inner rib cage) pressure, which can inhibit the return of blood to your heart. This action also can compromise the amount of blood flow (and subsequent oxygen) to your entire body.
  6. Listen up. Don’t argue what your body may be trying to tell you if you’re doing too much when you’re exercising. Always respond to such signals (e.g., sharp pain, dizziness, nausea, etc.) Having a “warrior” mindset will not protect you if you exceed your body’s capability to adapt to the amount of physical stress imposed on it.