Healthy Living - How Foods Affect Your Moods

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Did you know your eating habits have a huge effect on your state of mind? If you're like many people, you may find that you feel sleepy after lunch. Or, if you haven't eaten in awhile, you're impatient and angry. When it comes to the food-mood connection, we're just beginning to understand how the quality and quantity of the nutrients available in our food impact our emotional resiliency and stability. Yet, what we eat affects our production of neurotransmitters and hormones, as well as our overall eneregy levels, and the quality of our synaptic connections. Plus, stress boosts levels of epinephrine (adrenaline), and other stimulating neurotransmitters, while suppressing calming ones. Skipping meals, consuming caffeine and sugar for energy, and fast food meals make this effect worse.

How can you make sure that what you eat helps your moods in a postive way? Brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, regulate your moods. Serotonin and gamma aminobutyric acid (GAMA) calm us, while dopamine stimulate us. Keeping these in balace also balances our mood. And, certain foods can impact this balance. Proteins like those found in meats like chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, and legumes-these provide chemical units known as amino acids. Amino acids form the foundation of your neurotransmitters.

Serotonin: This keeps your mood upbeat. Fish, egs, chicken turkey, and other meats all contain the amino acid tryptophan, which your body makes serotonin from. Iron, zinc, and the vitamins B3, B6 and C help the enzyme reactions for this process.

GABA: This neurotransmitter keeps your mind calm and focused. Halibut, legumes, brown rice, and spinach contain the amino acid glutamine, which your body converts into GABA. Vitamins B3, B6 and B12 help the enzyme reactions for this process.

Dopamine: This is the neurotransmitter that makes you feel like you're full of energy. Your body converts the amino acid tyrosine (found in protein) to dopamine, and you can find extra tyrosine in almonds, avocados, dairy products, and pumpkin & sesame seeds. Vitamin B6, magnesium and zinc help the enzyme reactions for this process.

Norepinephrine: This is also a simulating neurotransmitter, which your body makes from dopamine with the help of the mineral copper, and vitamins B6 and C.

How to fuel your brain

First - eat whole foods that are rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

Second - eat a protein rich breakfast every day, such as eggs with whole-grain toast or fresh fruit.

Third - cook foods lightly (saute' or stir fry) - overcooking alters foods protein structure, making it harder for your body to process.

Fourth - avoid fast foods.

Fifth - eat regular meals and make sure you get good quality protein.

Lastly - add supplements to your diet. A good quality, high-potency multivitamin or B-complex vitamin. You want to look for 10 times the recommended daily value of vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. And, add fish oils (omega-3's) to your diet as well. Omega-3 fats also are essential for normal brain function. Your brain is about 70% fat, and needs omega-3's to help assist brain cells in communicating with each other. Plus, three different studies published in June 2006's issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry found that omega-3 fish oils can ease depression and mood disorders, and lower suicide risk. Just keep in mind that if your using blood thinners and other medications, omega-3 supplements might interfere, so you might want to talk to your doctor first.

Just remember - what you fuel your body with..also is what you're feeding your brain!

Healthy Protein Bars - Make Them At Home!

Protein Bars, aka Energy Bars. They end up making a great post workout snack, and are definitely much healthier than junk food for that quick energy boost.

But, not only are they expensive, but many of them make you feel like you're chewing on shoe leather! Here's an easy-t0-make protein bar recipe, which is much healther than the store-bought versions (as well as much more inexpensive). High protein, low fat, low carb, and the flaxmeal also gives you all important Omega 3's. And, a bonus - they also won't leave you feeling like your jaw got a workout eating them!

Ingredients
-6 scoops vanilla whey protein power
-6 egg whites (or, 1/2 of an 8oz. carton of egg whites)
-1 cup vanilla soy milk
-2 cups flax meal (you can find this in the natural foods isle)
-1 cup Splenda (or Stevia)
-1 tbs baking powder
-1 tbs vanilla extract
-Cinnamon to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except the soy milk, adding soy until the batter is the consistancy of pancake batter. Pour into greased baking pan, and bake for about 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool, and cut into bars. Keep cut bars refrigerated - and they'll keep for up to a week!

Nutritional Information (estimated)
Serving Size: 1 bar
Servings per recipe: 16

Fat: 14g
-Saturated Fat: 1g
-Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g
-Monounsaturated Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Protein: 29g
Fiber: 11g

Exercise - How To Guage If Your Workouts Are Making Progress

Sure, maybe you've been working out for a little while. But, how can you be sure you're making any progress? What are the signs that you're doing things "the right way"?

If you asses your progress exclusivly on the basis of lost pounds, or on inches, you might be missing out on other important signals that could be fueling your motivation. Here are a couple other measures to consider:

Pace - As your fitness improves, you should find that the time it takes to run a mile, either on the road, or on the treadmill, will gradually decrease, And, you should also find that you can maintain speeds that used to be a challenge, with less effort and heart rate than before.

Heart Rate Recovery - Remember your first workout? Remember that feeling that your heart was going to keep beating fast - forever? Well, as your workouts improve, you should find that your heart rate will now drop or return to normal much quicker than before. A good post workout heart rate recovery of 25 to 30 beats in one minute is considered good, and 50 to 60 beats per minute is excellent.

Strength and Endurance - If you can run three miles now, where before you could only run two, or lift a weight more easily than before, it's a sure sign your becoming fit.

Getting fit is more than just loosing weight, or loosing inches. It's about improving your endurance, your stamina, your strength. As you replace fat with muscle, your weight may not drop, but as muscle takes up less space than fat, you'll feel slimmer, toned, and stronger - and those are the measurements that truly help keep you motivated!

Exercise - Ignite Your Metabolism!

The harder you work out, and the closer you come to achieving the leanness you're looking for...the harder it seems to be to loose the last bit of fat you're looking to burn off. As frustrating as it is to try to loose weight, keep in mind that this is your body's way of self-preservation - your body is designed to protect your fuel reserves from running too low, just in case food becomes scarce. This was a nice biological feature in the past, but here in the 21st century, this "feature" is hardly necessary! How do you get around this problem? By igniting your metabolism! Here's some ways to make that happen!

1. Skip the long runs. Distance running doesn't enhance your fat-burning. It's much more effective to do short sprints of thirty seconds, interspersed with a slow jog.

2. As time goes on, the same amound of activity burns fewer calories - your body adapts to your level of work, causing you to keep "upping" the workout to achieve the results you were having before. For example, University of California at Berkley scientists found that to avoid age-related weight gain, runners needed to "up" their weekly mileage by 1.7 miles each year. So, think beyond your last workout - and think about what you can do on your next!

3 When weight training, do eight to 15 repititions of each set. This stimulates an increase in fat-burning hormones, compared to less or more rep's. Just make sure you use weights that challenge you. If you do eight repititions with a weight you could do 15 rep's with - you're not having an effective workout. Try to give 90 to 100 persent of your full effort for any given repitition range. If you struggle on your last repitition - you're in the zone!

4. Do two to four sets of each exercise. Yes, the more you do, the better...but only up to a point. Beyond 4 sets, you might be increasing your strength, but for fat burning, the extra sets above 4 don't really help! So, start with two sets as you start working out, and work up to four as your conditioning improves.

5. Keep your rest periods between sets no more than 75 seconds. Keeping your rest periods shorter builds lactate in your blodstream - and high lactate levels are associated with an increase in the release of fat-burning hormones. Resting too long lets your body process out the lactate in your bloodstream, negating the positive benefits.

6. Lift slow, not fast - and alternate between two exercises. Taking your time puts the stress on your muscles (which burn fuel) and off your tendons (which not only don't burn fat, but also can become injured from that stress). And, follow with a set that works a different muscle group. Not only does this help you limit your rest periods (keeping your lactate levels high), but also helps you offset fatigue!

7. Work your whole body. Work multiple muscles, rather than isolate specific muscle groups. And, the bigger / more muscles you work, the greater the benefit. For example - doing squats will elevate your metabolism far better than working your biceps - and working all your muscle groups in a workouut means more muscles burning fuel. And, as your muscles keep burning fuel even after a workout - up to 39 hours afterword! Plus, a University of Wisconsin study found that doing a full-body workout with just three big-muscle exercises (bench press, power clean, and squat) - you'll burn a greater percentage of calories from fat compared with only targeting a couple of small muscle groups.

Why You Should Purchase Fitness Equippment From Specialty Fitness Dealers

Specialty fitness dealers are always your best and safest way to shop for home exercise equipment regardless of how big or small the item or purchase may be. Specialty fitness dealers are just that (SPECIAL) in every positive term of the word.

· A specialty fitness dealer sells high quality exercise equipment and nothing else. Not sporting goods, shoes, tools, bikes or anything for that matter other than quality exercise equipment unlike the big box / department stores that are selling items based on a low price and an impulse purchase. Furthermore, they must sell equipment that will not only work right the first time, but also last a long time as well - otherwise, they wouldn't remain in business!

· Specialty fitness dealers offer a wide variety of different types of quality exercise equipment for all types shapes and sizes of people. Unlike big box / department stores that have maybe 2-3 choices of equipment in each category, specialty fitness equipment dealers stake their business reputation on providing the consumer with the products that not only meet their fitness requirements, but also will work for them both short and long term. Keep in mind that good quality fitness equipment also comes with longer term warranties than you'll find with equipment found at big-box stores. And, if you choose an extended warranty for equipment purchased at the big box stores (which, given the quality of the product, you should probably do), you've already brought the price for that equipment much closer to what you'd get from a specialty equipment store - minus the quality.

· Rather than trying to get help from a big-box store employee that may not have much knowledge of what works bests for your fitness goals, when you deal with a specialty fitness equipmnet dealer, you'll receive assistance from a professionally trained and experienced fitness consultant. When it comes to investing in home exercise equipment, you should work with someone who will not only be able to provide you will a plethora of knowledge about exercise and fitness but also point you into the right products that will be most effective in helping you to achieve your specific fitness goals. So, avoid the kids who work in the big box stores that are moved from one department to another on a daily basis, and choose a professional, experienced and knowledgeable fitness consultant.

Rest assured when making a purchase from a specialty fitness dealer, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that your purchase is a long term investment in high quality equipment that will last you for many enjoyable years to come. Rather than spend your money on disposable products of the type you'll find in the big box stores, it is actually less expensive to invest your money in fitness equipment that will help you successfully achieve your fitness goals. * Side note: More often than not, it seems that the people who purchase products from big box stores, have bought themselves a reason NOT to exercise. Buyer Beware!!!!

· Although the cost of purchase may be higher, one other potential advantage (depending on the specialty equipment dealer you purchase from) - may offer financing programs that are much more cost effective than you'll find at a big-box store. For example, Fitness 4 Home Superstore offers 0% financing on your purchases (see our website at www.fitness4homesuperstore.com for details) - which not only brings your monthly payment down to a rate that might approach what your family would pay for a monthly health club membership, but also saves you money over what you'd pay in interest on a big box store credit program - or what you' d pay on your credit card for interest.

Although there is a certain convenience factor when it comes to buying from the big-box stores, in the end, this is outweighed by the advantages you'll find in the professionalism, dedication, commitment, and quality you'll find both in the specialty store fitness consultants you'll talk to, and the equipment they recommend, at a specialty fitness equipment dealer. And, when you do the math, the cost savings at the big box stores...may not really be what it seems!

Health - What Is The Best Time To Hit The Gym?

by Bob Lachniet
Owner - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

We all know that working out is important. We also know people who insist that an early morning workout is the best time of day to exercise. Of course, there are others that feel that an evening workout works best for them. But, what is truly the best time to exercise?

Well, the answer is simple – it depends. What are you trying to get out of your workouts? The effectiveness of your gym time depends on what you’re trying to accomplish, combined with your own body rhythms.

The Advantages Of Evening Workouts – Trying to build muscle, or train for an event? Evenings may be a good time for your workouts. The afternoon may be a better time to engage in more explosive exercises, such as kickboxing or racquetball. Research has shown that the body's temperature tends to rise by a few degrees in the afternoon, warming the muscles and connective tissues and resulting in a slight improvement in your performance capabilities. If you're not putting in a longer warm-up, morning workouts can put you at a higher risk for injury. Plus, in the morning, your body hasn’t had fuel for almost 12 hours, which means there isn’t enough stored fuel (glycogen) to fuel an effective workout.

The Advantages Of Morning Workouts – Trying to loose weight?. Working out, doing cardio especially, on an empty stomach will burn more fat calories because your carb reserves are almost used up. That causes the body to turn to fat stores for energy first. (Many fitness experts warn, however, that running on empty isn't the most efficient way to work out.) Plus, evidence has shown that those that time their workouts for the mornings, are more likely to stick with their fitness routines.

Planning your weekly workouts – Whatever you do, you’re better off planning your workouts for frequent intervals during the week, rather than doing one or two long, hard workouts on the weekend. Even if you run the same number of miles in one day as you would have over three or four short sessions, you may burn the same amount of calories. But, doing shorter workouts spread out over the week gives you other health benefits as well, such as temporarily lowering your blood pressure and blood glucose levels, which provide cumulative benefits over the years. Plus, regular exercise can also help curb your appetite, further helping you to achieve your weight loss & fitness goals.

Diet – Eating Myths, and how to avoid them.

With all the food choice available to us, how do you tell the “good from the bad”? Well, based on what the top US nutrition experts have to say, here’s a number of ways that we make bad food choices, and how we can make better ones.

“If you ‘feel’ hungry – you must be hungry” - Truth is, if you don’t know when you’re hungry, you won’t know when you’re full…and you won’t know when to stop. Too many times, we “guess” we’re hungry, and go from there. A better solution is to rate how hungry you think you are (try a scale of something like 1 to 10) – then, eat slowly and as you eat, think about how your hunger changes. If you use a 1 to 10 scale, try to stay between 4 and 7. You don’t want to be too hungry when you start, nor too full when you stop.

“Supersize Me – is a value!”- We always seem to look for a “value” when we’re eating out, and that creates the false impression that if we supersize a restaurant meal, that we’re saving money. Yet, in doing so, we’re loosing our health. A better way to look at meal size is by judging with your palm, not your pocketbook. A good rule of thumb for serving size is, if it fits into the palm of your hand – that the right size. Make sure that your serving has one protein, one starch, one veggie, and one fruit, based on the serving that fits in the palm of your hand.

“Fat is Bad” - We have a mentality that fat is bad, which isn’t true. What is more important, according to the American Heart Association, is telling the difference between saturated and trans fats (the bad fats), and eat the good, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. You can find these fats in fish, nuts, avocados, soybean and canola oils. If you track total calories, you don’t have to worry about how much fat you eat, just what kind of fat.

“If it’s liquid, it has no calories” – Most sugared drinks – including soda’s and juices -have a high concentration of high-fructose corn syrup as it’s sweetener. But, fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and also interferes with the heart’s ability to use key minerals vital for a healthy heart. So, instead of sugared drinks, try drinking water or tea. Tea is calorie free, promotes heart health, strengthens bones & teeth, protects the skin – and may help you avoid several types of cancer!

“Frozen Entrees are healthy” – Many times, with our hectic schedules, it seems as though throwing a frozen entrée in the microwave seems the best way to take care of a meal. But, eating too many processed foods like the types you find in the frozen food isle of your nearby supermarket may leave you short on fiber and important antioxidants such as vitamin C. So, if you do find yourself in a situation where having a frozen meal is your only choice, compliment it with a green salad, a whole wheat roll, and some fruit for dessert.

Diet - Blackened Snapper with Mango Salsa

Looking for an easy, yet healthy recipe? Try this!

Ingredients:
-2 snapper, catfish, or tilipia filets - 4-5 oz. each
-1 mango (skin and seed removed), cut into cubes
-1 ripe avocado (skin and pit removed), cut into cubes
-1/4 cup minced onion
-1/2 cup chopped cilantro
-Salt & Pepper to taste
-Juice of of one lime
-1 Tbsp blackening spices (like Zatarain's)

Combine the mango, avocado, lime juice, onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Reheat a large saute or grill pan over high heast and add some olive oil to coat it. Rub the filets with enough of the blackening spice to thoroughly cover each side. When the oil is hot (almost smoking), carefully add the fillets to the pan and cood for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until a nice dark crust has developed. The fish is done when it flakes easily with light pressure with your finger.

Top each fillet with the mango salsa. Serve with brown rice and black beans.

Per serving: 430 calories. 40 grams (g) protein. 45 g carbohydrates. 8 g fat (2 g saturated). 7 g fiber. 590 milligrams sodium.

First published in the July / August 2006 issue of Men's Health.

Health - Carbohydrates and Fat Burning

With all the confusion out there about "carbs" vs. "no-carbs" - what works best for burning that fat off your wasteline?

No matter what you eat - if you eat more calories than you burn during the day, your body will convert it to fat - and store it. And, you'll burn more calories processing protein, than you will carbohydrates. And, everybody has heard about the Atkin's diet, and wondered if a low-carb diet is healthy.

Surprise! Cutting back on the carbs in your diet, may help you burn more fat during exercise! In a recent study done in Australia, researchers fed trained cyclists a low-carb diet for 5 out of 6 days. And, to compare, they fed another group of trained cyclists, a high carb diet for 6 days straight. On Day 7 - they exercised, and the cyclists that were on the low-carb diet burned 45 percent more fat than their low-carb bretheren.

Why? Well, the researchers found that the low-carb group's muscles had increased their ability to pull energy from fat stores in their body. And, another fringe benefit - a new review in the Journal of Nutrition found that since 2003, all 13 studies that compared low-fat and low-carb diets found that low carb eating was superior in reducing heart-disease risk factors!

And, what's the best way to make sure you stay on a low-carb diet? Let yourself have one "cheat-day". You'll keep burning the fat, and may be more likely to stay on your low-carb diet!

Exercise Equipment - Your First Step

So...you're thinking of purchasing fitness equipment. When choosing equipment, you should choose the type of equipment that matches what you like to do. For example, if you like cycling, you should choose a stationary exercise bicycle. Likewise, if you like to run, consider a treadmill. Sound overly simplistic...and obvious? Well, the surprising thing is that many people forget the simple rule of "buy what you like".

What if you're not sure what you like? Then, you should try out a few different types of equipment to see what you would like best. If you don't currently have a gym membership, many local gyms offer a free 2 week pass to let you try out their facilities - take advantage of this, and sample different types of equipment to see what works best for you.

The next thing you should look at when searching for exercise equipment is its quality/price balance. Think about the fact that you might want to use your equipment on a daily basis, or other members of your family might use it, so a decisive factor in choosing a equipment is making sure it’s made by a professional sports company and that you get a good warranty on it. Quality equipment can last for years of non-stop usage, while other poorly built ones can break apart after only a few weeks or months. Of course price is a big issue, but it’s best to dig a little deeper in your pocket than buy something cheap that will either cause you injuries or pains, or something that will break down after only a few uses. Remember the saying “you get what you pay for” fits perfectly.

Once you know what you want, then go shopping! And, if you have questions, visit one of Phoenix's three Fitness 4 Home Superstore locations, and let our team help you find what works best for your fitness needs!

Fitness - My Aching Lungs

If you've just started a running program, either out on the open road, in the gym, or at home on your treadmill, have you had a tight feeling in your chest? Sometimes, after a hard workout , your chest might feel sore, and there is a simple reason for this pain that is more than likely nothing to worry about.

What you're probably feeling is the result of oxygen dept. Your body, during your workout, isn't getting enough oxygen, which causes the muscles surrounding your lungs (especially your diaphram), to become flush with lactic acid.

Every time you exercise, your body produces lactic acid. Lactic acid is the waste product your muscles produce during a workout. Normally, much of the lactic acid is removed rapidly when the exercise session is done, usually with in 20-30 minutes, with your muscles and liver metabolizing it either as lactic acid or lactate.

Your lungs and diaphram work closely together. Your diaphram separates your chest from your abdominal region, and expands your lungs so that they fill with air. If you're not used to aerobic exercise, just like any other exercise, your diaphram might be out of shape for this type of exertion. And, like the rest of the muscles in your body - this muscle can be trained too!

How do you train your diaphram? Simple. Keep exercising! Just like any other exercise program - start slow, and build up to longer and harder workouts. Keep exercising to develop your aerobic conditioning - and the "burn" should dissapear. And, at any time you feel that you might be feeling something more than just "burning muscles" - seek medical care to make sure everthing is OK.

How to put together a training plan

So you have home gym equipment and/or a health club membership, and you may even be using them on a regular basis. But, how do you put together an exercise plan that not only helps you improve your body's health, but also do it in a way that fits the rest of your life?

1. Define what your goals are. Are you looking to loose weight? Gain muscle? Tone up what you already have? You'll need to decide what it is you want to accomplish before you can define what your plan is.

2. Understand that you need to start slowly. Your body will adjust quickly to the changes that will take place as you get into a regular exercise program - but overdoing things at the beginning will have the opposite effect you are looking for. Start with a simple program, and build onto it as your fitness improves.

3. Decide how much time you can spend per day. And, and decidate yourself to using that time for your fitness worlouts. Keep in mnd that commiting two percent of your day - will get you to where you need to be!

4. Write it down beforehand. Plan out your workouts, and keep track of your results. Pick your exercises, pick your weight for the exercise, pick your number of sets / number of reps, pick your time that you'll do cardio - and commit to it.

5. When doing your planning - break up your routine. For example - if you're doing weight training, don't try to train all your muscle groups in one session, Rather, schedule your chest and arm exercises for one session, back and shoulder exercises for the next, and legs & abdominals for the third. Keeping variety in your training will not only help keep you motivated, it also helps keep you from overtraining and getting hurt.

6. See your doctor. Before you put your plan into action, talk to your doctor, and make sure that what you've planned won't hurt you - only help you!

7. Learn about your body. Learn about what muscles make up your body, and what exercises work the muscle groups you'd like to concentrate on. Learn about what the difference is between "cardio efficiency" and "burning fat". For example, running on the treadmill at your peak speed - may build your cardiovascular system, but running at a much slower pace actually is better for training your body to burn fat.

Your plan is just that - yours. In the end, you'll only get out of your plan what you put into it. And, the best way to create a successful plan is to create something that you're not just comfortable with, but a plan that challenges you to push yourself just a little bit farther!