Monday, March 16, 2009

Top 10 Myths About Diet & Nutrition from Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Step away from the French fries! Just because they are free from trans fat doesn’t mean they’re good for you. If you find that you're having a hard time staying in shape or losing weight, it could be due to poor eating habits. Here are the Top 10 Myths About Diet & Nutrition:

1. Avoid carbohydrate to lose weight When you start a low carb diet, You’ll begin to burn stored carbohydrates (glycogen) for energy. When your body starts burning glycogen, water is released. So, the initial drop of weight at the beginning is mostly the water that you lose as a result of burning glycogen. What makes low-carb diets work are that they are also designed as low-calorie. It makes more sense to eat a balanced diet with lower calories, than to starve your body of the energy and nutrients it needs!

2. Nuts are fattening Nuts are quite calorically dense; 15 cashews, for instance, deliver 180 kilocalories! On top of that, it is very tough not to overeat these tasty snacks. But, nuts are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (the good fats) as well as plant sterols which have all been shown to lower LDL cholesterol.

3. Sugar Causes Diabetes The most common nutrition myth is probably the misconception that sugar causes diabetes. If you don’t have diabetes, sugar intake will not cause diabetes. So far, a diet high in calories, being overweight and an inactive lifestyle are the main risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.

4. All Fats are bad Fats help nutrient absorption, nerve transmission and maintain cell membrane integrity just to name a few functions. The key is to replace bad fats (saturated fats and trans fats) with good fats (monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats) in our diet.

5. Brown Sugar is better than White Sugar The brown sugar sold at the stores is actually white granulated sugar with added molasses!

6. Brown Eggs are more nutritious than White Eggs The eggshell color only depends upon the breed of the hen. There is no difference in taste or nutrition content between white and brown colored eggs.

7. Avoid seafood to lower blood cholesterol The cholesterol found in seafood and other meats has little effect on blood cholesterol in most people. Saturated fats found in meat products and packaged foods, and trans fatty acids foun in packaged snack foods, deep-fried foods or firm margarine are the most important factors that raise blood cholesterol, not dietary cholesterol.

8. Eating for 2 is necessary during pregnancy An extra snack before bedtime consisting of a fruit, a serving of milk or yogurt and a few biscuits is often enough. In addition, a daily prenatal multivitamin supplement is often recommended during pregnancy.

9. Skipping meals can help lose weight If we skip a meal, our body will think that we are in starvation mode and therefore slow down the metabolism to compensate. We then tend to overeat at the next meal. A better approach is to eat smaller frequent healthy meals and snacks to keep our blood sugar balanced.

10. Red meat is bad for health Even chicken can contain as much saturated fat as lean cuts of beef or pork. Instead of excluding red meats, choose leaner cuts of beef and pork. For beef, choose eye of round, top round roast, top sirloin and flank; for pork, choose tenderloin and loin chops.

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Product Spotlight: Real Ryder ABF8 Spin Bike

Thinking of purchasing exercise equipment but not quite sure what you’re looking for? Check out what could be the best addition to your home fitness equipment lineup – The Real Ryder ABF8 Spin Bike from Fitness 4 Home Superstore.

It tilts, turns, and banks like an outdoor bike--works out the core, upper body, legs, cardio, and improves balance the way other indoor cycling bikes can’t.

  • Core Balance(patent pending) technology allows frame to move freely requiring constant body shifts that work core muscle groups.
  • Mobile frame helps absorb the stresses that wear out parts on conventional rigid-frame bikes.
  • Visual “WOW” factor attracts new customers.
  • Real-world feel increases customers retention by making classes more fun.

What makes the RealRyder ABF8 unique?
The RealRyder ABF8 vision began over 15 years ago when competitive cyclist and RealRyderTM International co-founder, Colin Irving, saw a need to improve the performance of the stationary bike to simulate the real bike experience. Colin shared his dream and teamed with industry experts Sean Harrington and Rich Hanson. With 60 plus years of combined industry experience, the RealRyder International team engineered a superior performance studio bike to meet the needs of the elite-cyclist for training and performance, inspire the indoor cyclist, and literally recast the indoor cycling workout from what was essentially a cardiorespiratory endurance exercise, to an overall fitness program. The Wellness, Senior Living, and Physical Therapy Markets have all recognized the potential benefits of the RealRyder ABF8 for their end-users.

The uniqueness of the RealRyder ABF8 originates from its innovative series of linkages and pivots known as the Articulating Bicycle Frame (ABF). This design allows the rider to move fluidly in the three planes of movement—CoreBalance™ Technology. With the body free to move in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes, riders can sustain a quick pedal cadence while controlling the bike’s sagittal, frontal, and longitudinal axes of rotation. The resulting three-dimensional movement requires the activation of more muscle groups than are used on a typical stationary bike. The large muscles of the lower body work in conjunction with the upper body and core musculature to provide a whole-body, high-calorie-burning workout. Furthermore, these complex moves also help improve the rider’s postural balance.

Benefits
Participants of all fitness levels and abilities can benefit from indoor cycling. Traditionally, the physical benefits included improved cardiorespiratory endurance, increased muscle strength and endurance, and improved body composition (i.e., decreased body fat and increased lean mass). Now, with the introduction of the RealRyder ABF8, riders can experience the advantages of enhanced core conditioning as well. Additionally, participation in a fun, social activity and stress relief are important psychological benefits of indoor cycling.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness
For those who enjoy riding a bike as a means of improving fitness, the benefits of indoor cycling cannot be overstated. The relative safety* and limited distractions provided by an indoor cycling program allow participants to focus on exercise intensity and technique, instead of worrying about cars, pollutants, and other road hazards. For those who cannot tolerate the impact stresses of running, or who have orthopedic limitations to weightbearing exercise, cycling has always been an excellent, alternative cardiorespiratory activity.

*A note regarding Safety while using the ABF8--A frequently asked question: “Can someone tip the bike(sic) over?” The ABF8 has the widest base of support (31”) of any Indoor Cycle in the fitness industry, and it is the heaviest (222 lbs), which makes it very stable and almost impossible to tip over. We have had users who are 6’7” and 270+ lbs attempt to intentionally tip the ABF8 over and they could not do it while they could intentionally tip over every other stationary bike in the commercial fitness industry—All of the other stationary models have a narrow base of support and lighter overall weight.

Muscular Fitness

Traditional indoor group cycling programs take place on rigid, stationary cycles. The RealRyder ABF8, however, introduces the rider to more functionally dynamic training, including movements that call into action the upper-body muscles. The handlebars on the RealRyder ABF8 allow the rider to produce an actual turning movement, or rotation through a longitudinal axis, similar to what is experienced on a road bike. The body of the bike also tilts side-to-side, or sways in the frontal plane through a sagittal axis. In addition, the rotation of the handlebars and the tilt of frame are resisted by the bike’s internal recoil mechanism, providing a challenge for the upper-body and core musculature.

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Monday, March 9, 2009

Fitness 4 Home Superstore introduces Advanced Water Filters

Fitness 4 Home Superstore is pleased to introduce you to a new friend in the industry: Advanced Water Filters. Advanced Water Filters has a wide variety of premium faucet, shower and whole house water filters.


Advanced Water Filters offers premium reverse osmosis systems, whole house water filters, water testing kits, faucets, shower filters and replacement filters for all systems on the market. They are also the exclusive distributor of the Tap Master Artesian, which is a state of the art reverse osmosis system. This unit balances the pH of the water as well as re-deposits the calcium and magnesium into the water for great taste.

Advanced Water Filters
7701 E. Gray Rd. Suite 110
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

www.advancedwaterfilters.com

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