Is Milk Healthy?

Some experts say that milk is a health hazard, saying that it’s loaded with cancer causing hormones that the dairy industry doesn’t want you to know about. Others say that it’s the most nutritious food you can find. Who’s correct?

Does Milk Build Muscle?

Yes - definitely. 80 percent of the protein in milk is whey protein, the other 20 percent of the protein is casein - both are high quality proteins. Whey protein is broken down quickly by your body into amino acids, which is great after a workout. The casein protein is digested much slower, which keeps your muscles supplied with a steady, smaller supply for that time between meals or when your sleeping. Overall, milk is a great combination of muscle-building protein!

Does the hormones that dairy cows are given affect your health?

In 1993, the FDA approved the use of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) - which makes the cow produce more milk at less cost to the dairy farmer. But rBGH also increases the milk’s concentration of IGF - a hormone that has been linked to cancer. But here’s the deal. When you drink milk, your stomach acid destroys these hormones, and passes the waste out of your system. So, unless you inject milk into your veins, milk is healthy.

Skim Milk or Whole Milk?

It depends on what you think tastes better. Although whole milk does increase your LDL cholesterol - you’d have to drink 6 - 8oz glasses to increase your LDL by just 6 points! And, funny thing is - whole milk during testing also DECREASED triglycerides by 22%! And, whether you drink whole or skim milk - British researchers found that drinking milk lowers the likelihood of heard attach and stroke. (One thing, though - if you’re looking to gain muscle - drink whole milk. Scientists at the University of Texas medical branch at Galveston found that drinking whole milk after lifting weights boosted muscle protein synthesis 2.8 times more than skim milk did!)

Diet – Chicken Spinach Pizza

Looking for a quick, easy power meal? Try this recipe for Chicken Spinach Pizza. It’s high protein, low carbohydrate, and healthy fat – is perfect for that big meal after your workout!

Chicken Spinach Pizza

3 tbsp Marinara sauce
1 ready made flat bread or pita
1/3 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and drained.
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
¾ cup chopped precooked chicken
1 tbsp sliced fresh basil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Spread the marinara sauce over the flatbread, then top with feta, spinach, chicken & basil, and finally season to taste with the salt & pepper. Bake it at 375
for 6 minutes.

Serving: 1 serving
Protein: 62g
Carbs: 24g
Fat: 21g (10 saturated)
4g fiber

Healthy Lifestyle–How To Get More Protein In Your Diet

We all know that your body needs protein. Every time you work out, you break down your muscles a little bit, and you gain muscle as your body rebuilds itself – and compensates for your newly increased activity level. Not to mention that your body also needs protein to maintain bone mass and your immune system. And, the main building block for all of this - is protein!

Yet, at the same time, the protein that you may be getting in your diet up until now, may not be enough to fuel the “rebuilding”. How, then, can you increase the amount of protein in your diet – in a healthy way?

Well, one way of increasing your diet’s protein is to look at how some vegetarians have done it! And, if you are a vegetarian, the following ideas are of even greater importance.

Eggs – That’s right – add an extra egg to your breakfast! And, if you’re worried about how healthy that might be, don’t. A quick and easy solution is to buy Egg Beaters (or their equivalent). These aren’t egg substitutes – they are 100% real eggs. Yet, they are low in cholesterol, easy to store & use, and allow you to truly measure the protein you’re adding to your diet. And, they don’t cost that much more – check Trader Joes or Costco for great deals on eggs!

Cottage Cheese – It seems that every time we try to improve our diets, one of the first things that gets cut out is cheese, due to the fat content. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pick up some non-fat cottage cheese! Cottage cheese actually has a full complement of amino acids – and is a great source of protein.

Legumes – This includes beans, peas, and lentils. These not only provide a good secondary source of protein, but also are a good source of fiber for your diet as well. And, they are nutrient-dense, which means you get a good source of nutrients without having to over-eat! For example, 1 cup of black beans gives you 15gm of protein, and if you really want to go high on the protein scale – try cooking up some soybeans! (Think edaname – simple, healthy, and tasty!) 1 cup of cooked soybeans can give you up to 31gm of protein – similar to what you would get from a small chicken breast – and they make for a great snack between meals!

Keep in mind that if you are a vegetarian, you can risk deficiencies in certain dietary minerals and vitamins, such as iron, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12, which is found only in animal products. Vitamin B, including B12 and folate, is found in green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals, grains and soy milk. Some experts recommend that vegetarians take a multivitamin to get enough B vitamins. Calcium can come through green leafy vegetables, including mustard and collard greens and broccoli. It's also found in soy milk and soy products. Iron-rich foods include dark green vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grain and fortified breads, and cereals.

Diet – Grilled Shrimp with Jalapeno-Cilantro Salsa

Here’s a hot & spicy recipe for shrimp – not only a great source of protein, but this recipe also gives you a little bit of healthy fat from the olive oil. Serve with your favorite steamed veggies!

2 lb. shrimp – peeled
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1c chopped garlic – peeled and lightly crushed
1 tbsp peeled and roughly chopped ginger
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed & seeded, and roughly chopped
1 tbsp Dried red pepper flakes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Fresh lime juice from one lime
Salt & Pepper to taste.

Mix the cilantro, garlic, ginger, pepper, red pepper flakes and oil in a blender – puree until smooth, adding oil to keep things from getting too gooped up. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides as needed. Move to a bowl, and add salt & pepper. Thin the mixture with the lime juice. You can either use immediately, or cover & store in the refrigerator for up to a day (but bring back to room temperature before serving).Grill the shrimp until done, serving immediately with the salsa.

Makes 4 servings.

Diet - Grilled Chicken with Tomato Avocado Salsa

A healthy diet includes at least a gram of protein per pound of body weight per day, and chicken is a wonderful source of that protein! Looking for a new way to cook that chicken? Try this recipe for Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salsa

Ingredients
4 ripe plum tomatoes,
chopped or 12 cherry tomatoes,
halved1/2 small red onion,
finely chopped1 jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 avocado
1/2 cup non-fat, plain yogurt
1/2 small red onion
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 to 6 ounces each
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

In a small food processor or blender, puree the yogurt, red onion, lime juice and cilantro to make a yogurt marinade, and transfer the marinade to a shallow bowl or a plastic bag. Drop the chicken in the bag, making sure that the chicken gets coated well with the marinade. Throw in the refrigerator for at least an hour, and up to 8 hours. To cook, preheat your grill to medium high. Pull the chicken out of the plastic bag and throw the bag with the remaining marinade away. Season the chicken with some salt & pepper, and grill the chicken on both sides until it is cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Serve the chicken with tomato-avocado salsa.

Tomato Avocado salsa:
In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, red onion, pepper and cilantro. Chop the avocado and sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons of lime juice to keep it from browning. Add the avocado and remaining lime juice to the bowl and toss to combine.

Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with salsa
Number of Servings: 4
Per Serving :Calories 283
Carbohydrate 16 g
Fat 6 g
Fiber 4 g
Protein 43 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Sodium 341 mg

Add Water To Your Diet With Water-Rich Veggies!

Even as we move into cooler temperatures this fall, those of us in Arizona still need to make sure we get enough water each day. Yet, drinking the recommended 8 16 oz servings of water each day, well, can not only be difficult, it can get quite boring as well! Yet, there are ways to get some of our water each day from the vegetables we eat each day!

Plus, it’s also good for your diet to keep up the amount of veggies you eat each day. Vegetables not only contain valuable vitamins and minerals and antioxidants, but special plant nutrients that can't be found elsewhere.

The vegetables with the highest water content are:

• Cucumbers (96 percent water)
• Lettuce (95 percent water)
• Green peppers (93 percent water)
• Cabbage (93 percent water)
• Asparagus (92 percent water)
• Cauliflower (92 percent water)
• Spinach (92 percent water)
• Broccoli (91 percent water)
• Beets (91 percent water)

Diet - Tailoring Your Sports Diet

We all know it’s important to eat healthy as part of a healthy lifestyle, and it seems pretty intuitive that the caloric requirement for an active person is greater than that for someone who is more sedentary. But, the diet for a runner or biker might be a little different than for a swimmer.

Susan Kleiner, sports nutritionist and author of "Power Eating" says that although technically there are differing needs between different types of athletes, it's very individualized. "While an endurance athlete does need less protein and more carbohydrates than a weightlifter, few athletes train purely in their own sport; most do some cross-training."

The first think you need to do is to determine how hard and how often you exercise. When you do low level exercises such as walking, your muscles burn fat (mostly) for energy. But as you increase the intensity level, stored fat might provide half (or less) of the fuel your muscles use, and also burn glycogen (carbohydrates your body stores). Glycogen gets converted by your body into glucose (energy) as you need it.

So, to burn fat and build muscle, you need carbohydrates. And, if you’re either planning a hard cardio workout, or competing in an event (like a running event or triathlon), you should eat carb-rich meals for two to three days prior to the event to load your muscles up with extra glycogen. And, also eat extra carbs just after the event to rebuild your depleted stores.

Most Americans eat 5 to 6 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per day (one kilogram translates into 2.2 pounds). Says Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, "If you eat a low-carbohydrate diet your muscles will feel chronically fatigued." Susan Kleiner, author of "Power Eating," offers the following rule of thumb for daily carbohydrate intake:

• Working out for one hour: 6 to 7 grams per kilogram
• For two hours: 8 grams per kilogram
• For three hours: 10 grams per kilogram
• For four or more hours: 12 to 13 grams per kilogram

Now, this doesn’t mean that you can cut back your protein requirements. Protein is essential for building and repairing muscles, and it can be used for energy if you've exhausted your carbohydrate supply. To make sure you’re keeping the right amount of protein in your diet:

• If you are training primarily to maintain muscle: you'll need 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram. That's about 70 grams for a 125-pound person.
• If your goal is to build muscle: you'll need 1.4 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram.
• To maintain or even build a little muscle and lose fat: you need to eat fewer calories while making sure you're getting 1.8 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram.

Note - to convert kilograms into ounces, mulitply the kilograms by 35.274.

Diet – Top 10 Nutrition Myths

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

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.

Healthy Lifestyle - Training Your Brain!

You want another reason to keep up with your workouts? How about this? Exercise trains your brain to stick to your diet!

University of Pittsburg researchers just did a study, where they kept track of 169 overweight adults for 2 years. Interestingly enough, those who followed their workout plan (which was only 3 hours per week of workouts) –well, they ate less than those who didn’t follow their workout plan. In fact, the ones that didn’t follow their program consistently ate beyond the 1,500 calories of food they were allowed to eat per day!

On top of this, the people that were not consistant with their workouts also had problems dealing with snack cravings. They would sneak snacks when they did actually workout, with further sabotaged their efforts.

According to John Jakicic, Ph.D. (the study’s author) – “One healthy behavior without the other will not work – you need to diet and exercise to maintain long-term weight loss”.

In other words, the more you workout – and stay on schedule with your workouts, the more likely you’ll also stick to your diet!

Diet – Foods You Really Should Be Eating!

You walk through the produce isle every time you go to the supermarket, yet how many times have you passed by the following superfoods without a second glance?

Cabbage – You don’t find this veggie in many American diets, but you do find it in many Asian and European ones. One cup has only 22 calories, and it’s loaded with sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is thought to reduce your risk of cancer, by increasing your body’s production of enzymes that get rid of free radicals that cause cell damage. And sulforaphane has been found to boost your levels of cancer-fighting enzymes better than any other plant chemical!

Cinnamon – OK…this doesn’t mean go and grab a Cinnabon! But the USDA has found that people with type-2 diabetes (the type most often associated with obesity) – if they consumed 1g of cinnamon per day for 6 weeks, they drop both their blood sugar, as well as their triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. That ¼ of teaspoon of cinnamon each day actually helps your body’s cells metabolize sugar by a factor of 20! Just sprinkle a little in morning coffee at Starbucks each day – and help decrease your risk of heart disease!

Pumpkin Seeds – So…come Halloween, all those seed you pull out and throw away – bet you didn’t know that roasting them in the oven gives you 150mg of magnesium per ounce! French researchers have found that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood had a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. The USDA recommends that you get about 420mg of magnesium in your diet daily – so the next time you’re in the snack or health food section of your grocery store, look for them!

Pomegranate Juice – Have high blood pressure? Well, Israeli scientists have found that drinking just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day decreased blood pressure by over 20% (systolic pressure – the top number in your blood pressure reading). And, it also improves blood flow to your heart! And, that 2 oz. also gives you 25% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Look for Pom Wonderful juice – no added sugars, either!

Beets – Sweeter than any other veggie (beet juice makes a great substitute sweetner in recipes), beets contain both folate and betaine. These nutrients do a wonderful job of lowering homocysteine – a compound that damages your arteries and increases your risk of heart disease. On top of that, the pigments in beets that give it that natural red color – well, they are a great cancer fighter as well! If you had beets as a kid (those picked ones in a jar) – well, avoid them, as cooked beets loose much of their antioxidant power. Instead, just wash and peel a beet, then grate it with the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil combined with the juice of one half a lemon! The leaves and stems are also loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals – just cut the stems below the point where the leaves start, and wash!

Diet – Looking for a quick breakfast recipe? Try a Tuna Egg Wrap!

Here’s a great, quick and easy recipe for when you’ve just finished your morning workout, and still have to rush to get to work!

Tuna Egg Wrap
1 serving

3/4 cup of egg substitutes (3 eggs worth)
1 oz. of Veggie Cheese (mozzarella)
1/3 a can of tuna (1 serving/3.oz)

Spray a pan with nonstick cooking spray, then add the eggs, allowing them to de-liquify on the top. Once the eggs have started to get solid on the bottom, fold about one third of it towards the center as if you were going to make a omlet. Mix up the tuna and the cheese, and spread evenly over the center of the form, partially covering the folded inward piece of the egg, and the unfolded as well. Now, fold it again, folding the cooked part of the egg over the unfolded part. Serve with a fresh fruit or whole-wheat toast!

Healthy Living – Take Your Omega-3s!

Omega-3s, also known as fish oil may very well be one of the most important nutrients that…most people never take. Omega-3s are a combination of docosahexaneoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EHA), and are found in fish and marine algae (where the fish get them from). There is a third type of omega-3s found in plants, seeds and nuts - alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Recent research has shown that the greatest benefits come from the combination of DHA and EPA. Studies have shown that these two acids may reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as possibly help prevent arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder, and autoimmune disorders.

Artemis P. Simopolus, M.D, a physician and the president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health in Washington D.C. feels that “They’re part of your body’s basic nutrition – they’re involved in the metabolism of each individual cell”. One example of how omega-3s can make a difference is in the case of Randall McCoy. Last year, after the underground coal mine explosion in Sago, West Virginia, Randall was the only survivor. His 12 oxygen-starved colleagues had died, and he was suffering from acute carbon monoxide poisoning. He was in a coma and in deep shock. One of his lungs had collapsed, his liver and kidneys had shut down. It was believed that he would be severely brain damaged if he ever came out of his coma. The carbon monoxide had stripped the protective myelin sheath from most of the neurons in his brain. While going through oxygen treatment in his hospital’s hyperbaric chamber, his doctor ordered that he also be given a daily dose of 15,000 milligrams of DHA and EPA. After several weeks, he emerged from his coma. And, he’s recovered most of his memory, is gradually regaining his ability to walk / talk / see.

Yes, this story sounds miraculous. And, no, fish oil is not a miracle cure. Yet, the omega-3s helped rebuild the damaged gray and white matter in his brain. But, why does fish oil have this impact on us this way?

One theory comes from the director of London’s Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition. Michael Crawford, PhD’s theory is that while many mammals evolved as meat-eaters, only humans developed our “megabrains”. Paleontologists have found evidence that early man lived on the coastlines of southern Africa. And, since it’s far easier to catch fish & collect shellfish than it is to hunt down four-legged prey, which fed early human’s brains with DHA.

But, how can you get omega-3’s into your diet? Simple – fish oil supplements! You can choose either fish oil capsules or liquid. They’re equally effective at getting omega-3s into your system, so it’s really a matter of choice. Here’s a couple of things to think about when finding fish oil supplements:

1. ConsumerLab.com tested 41 fish oil supplements, and none were found to contain unsafe levels of mercury, PCB’s or dioxins. (And this is another reason why you should take supplements – as you can’t guarantee that if you ate the quantity of fish you’ll need to get the right level of omega-3s in your diet, that your fish is free of these poisons). To be sure you’re getting “clean” fish oil capsules, look for them to have been “molecularly distilled”.
   
   
2. Dosage – Take a look at the label, and make sure the combination of DHA and EHA totals at least 500 milligrams. You want a 3:2 split as well of EPA to DHA – so you’re looking for at least 300 milligrams of EPA and 200 milligrams of DHA.
   
   
3. Antioxidants – Your body can quickly oxidize omega-3s – so take Vitamin E at the same time to keep this from happening.
   
   
4. Fish Burp – Yes…as your stomach dissolves the fish oil capsule, you can get “fish burp”. You can avoid this by either buying entric coated capsules – or, keep them in the freezer! This way, the fish oil will be released into your small intestine, rather than your stomach, and you’ll avoid the dreaded “fish burp”!

Diet - Ginger Salmon

Looking for something with a little more “exotic” taste, while also simple to make? Try this recipe for Ginger Salmon – and get some extra omega-3’s as well!

16 oz. Salmon fillet
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
¼ cup mirin (Japanese condiment available in the ethnic food isle of most supermarkets)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vodka
1 tbsp butter
2 scallions chopped (white part only)
3-4 sprigs cilantro
4-5 shitake mushrooms, sliced

Cut salmon into 1” squares. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add salmon, ginger, and mushrooms. Sear together for 1 minute, then pour in the mirin, soy sauce and vodka over the salmon. Turn the heat to medium – cook for about 3 minute, or until fish turns pale. Add butter and turn off the heat. Spoon the salmon onto a serving plate, top with scallion and cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Info (estimated)
Per serving – 359 calories. 24g protein. 6 g carbohydrates. 22g fat (5g saturated), 1g fiber.

Diet – What Are Healthy Foods?

A healthy lifestyle is more than just working out, it’s about eating right as well. But, it can be difficult at times to remember what foods out there are the best for you. And, even if you have a favorite group of “healthy” foods, sometimes aren’t as good for you as you first thought.

One criteria for a “healthy” food, is that the food should be “nutrient-dense”. This is a measure of the amount of nutrients a food has, compared to the number of calories it has. When the level of nutrients is high, compared to the caloric count, then that food is considered “nutrient” dense. Your goal should be to get the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, essential fatty acids, and fiber, for the least number of calories.

Another criteria is that the food should be a “whole food”. No, this doesn’t mean you have to shop Whole Foods, but it does mean that have not had all of their nutrients processed out of them. They shouldn’t contain synthetic, artificial, or irradiated ingredients either. Organic foods are a great way to help make sure the foods you are eating are “whole foods”.

Another way to find healthy foods is to keep in mind that most healthy foods are ones that you already know, but sometimes forget to think about. These include lean meats & fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts & seeds, olive oil, herbs and spices.

Finally, one last thing to remember, is that healthy foods taste good! Sometimes it’s hard to remember that - so when the temptation to eat food that isn’t on your nutrition plan comes along…remember that not only is eating healthy good for you, you’re not sacrificing taste for health!

Looking for a good resource for healthy eating choices? Visit http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

Make Sure You Eat Your Fruits and Veggies!

Are you eating your fruits & veggies? Researchers in Scotland have addtional proof that eating fruits and vegetables is good for you.

When they compared both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, they found that vegetarians have higher levels of salicylic acid in their blood than non-vegetarians. Salicylic acid may sound familiar - it's the active ingredient in asprin, which can also help prevent heart attaches due to it's ability to block blood clot formation. It's also a non-sterodial anti-inflammatory drug that is also present in fruits and vegatables!

What this means is, researchers now believe that the high concentration of salicylic acid in these foods, might help explain why other studies have also revealed low levels of heart disease among people who eat higher quantities of fruits and vegatables.

One thing to keep in mind - if you are a vegatarian, you should also supplement additional vitamin A and iron into your diet. Although many vegatarians do eat extra carrots, sweet potatos, and broccoli to meet their daily vitamin A requirement, your body may not be able to absorb any more than about 50% of vitamin A from these foods. Your body needs vitamin A for reducing the risk of birth defects and guaranteeing optimal vision. Non-vegatarians usually get enough vitamin A and iron in their diet from fish, meats and dairy products. So, if you are a vegatarian, you can make up for these potential deficiencies by eating extra dark-colored fruits and vegatables - and make sure that you get a total of 900 milligrams of vitamin A per day for men, and 700 milligrams per day for men.

Diet – Big Flavors Beats Big Proportions!

In the quest to lose weight, once of the secrets is to eat less. And it doesn’t help that when you eat out, the portions you get at most restaurants are much greater than you really need. Yet, there’s a surprising trend – small plates are on their way back! Whether it’s Chinese Dim Sum, or Spanish Tapas, taste-rich foods in smaller portions are the way to go if you wish to loose weight, yet still enjoy what you’re eating! And, since much of your eating satisfaction comes from the visual impact and flavor intensity – you’’ll find that you won’t miss those big portions! Try this recipe for Spicy Garlic Shrimp and see how good flavor can be in a small portion!

Spicy Garlic Shrimp

1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
16 oz shrimp, peeled & devained
1 tbsp cilantro1 tbsp red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a small sauté pan, add the pepper flakes & garlic and brown. Season the shrimp with salt & pepper, and add to the sauté pan, swirling the pan as you add them. Saute for 1 minute, then add the cilantro, and sauté for another 45 seconds. Remove from heat and serve!

Per serving: Approximately 250 calories, 22 grams protein, 15g fat (1 g saturated), 3g carbohydrates.

Diet – Watch out for those “Low Fat” labels

We’ve all been tempted to buy items labeled “low-fat”, thinking that they are better for us. And, they may very well be – but it’s how we eat them that can be a problem.

Cornell University did a study recently, and they used – of all things…M&M’s! They discovered that when overweight people thought they were eating low-fat M&M’s, they ate almost 50% more of them than the regular M&M’s – when in reality, there was no difference between them, other than the label on the package (as there is no such thing as a “low-fat M&M”).

What the researchers confirmed is that when we see the “low-fat” label, we underestimate the calories that the food really contains. Most people, in fact, think the product has on average 40% lower calories than the regular version – but in reality , the average of low-fat foods only contain 15% less calories than their full-fat counterpart.

Plus, there is that feeling out there (and more often than not, it’s justified) that the low-fat versions just don’t taste as good. So – what is the best type of product to buy – the low-fat or regular version?

Well – here’s a simple idea. Read the packages, and if the low-fat version isn’t that much lower in calories than the regular version – buy the one you like better – and eat a smaller portion of it! This way – you get the taste you like, while also getting the diet benefit you’re looking for as well!

Diet - Roasted Cod

Looking for a quick, easy recipe that's healthy too? Try our recipe for Roasted Cod!


-2 oz cod, halibut, or snapper filets
-1 pint cherry tomatos
-2 tbsp prepared olive tapenade
-1 tbsp prepared pesto
-1/2 bulb fennel or yellow onion, sliced thin
-1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-Salt & Pepper to taste
-1 cup prepared couscous or quinoa
-2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
-Chopped fresh basil

Preheat ovin to 400 degrees F. Lay the tomatos and fennel on a baking dish, and toss with olive oil, salt & peper, Slather 1 tbsp of the tapenade on each fish filet, and lay the fillets in the baking dish with the veggies. Place dish in the oven. Roast for 10-12 minutes, until tomatoes are soft and the fish flakes with gentle pressure from your finger. Serve fillet with 1/2 cup of couscous mixed with toasted pine nuts & basil. Makes 2 servings

Nutritional Information
370 calories
12 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
44 g protein
5 g fiber
830 milligrams sodium

Healthy Living - Why Is Drinking Water So Important?

by Bob Lachniet

President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Simply put – because you’re made up of water! Actually, between half and two thirds of the average person’s weight is made up of water. In a 150-pound person, that’s about 10 gallons of water. There are many reasons to drink water. Drinking water helps you burn fat. You can beat a fever with water. Your complexion improves when you drink water. Bet you didn’t know – without water…you can’t build muscle! It even improves your mood!

Additionally, in the Arizona heat, your body dehydrates far faster than it does in cooler weather, and for your body to operate at full efficiency during exercise, you need to be well hydrated. And, when it comes to exercise, remember the rule “Drink Before Your Thirsty”!

In Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj argues that the body can “misinterpret thirst signals as pain,” and that drinking more water can be helpful in curing everything from headaches and depression to asthma and arthritis. And, if you’re trying to loose weight, extra water with your meal is a great way to keep from over eating! Plus, when you drink water, you don’t consume other food or drink that might keep those pounds on – that extra couple ounces of water helps quench your hunger pains!

Here are a few tips to help incorporate more water in to your daily routine:

1. Carry water with you everywhere. You'll drink it if it is there.
2. Add lemons, limes, and even cucumbers to change it up.
3. Keep it cool/cold. You'll burn more calories as you body tries to warm it up.
4. Alternate every other glass of what you typically drink with a glass of water.
5. Try cutting your fruit juices with water. You won't even notice the change.
6. Drink an entire glass of water before every meal.

Happy training!

(Note - Iron Belle Fitness contributed to this article)

Nutrition - Loose That Sugar In Your Diet!

Over the last 25 years, our population has seen a significant increase in obesity. And, part of the reason for this was, amazingly enough…the “low-fat” obsession we’ve seen over the last few years. Food manufacturers, in their quest to squeeze as much oil out of processed foods as possible – replace that fat with sugar in order to make reduced-fat foods tastier. Unfortunately, the net result has been an increase in sugar consumption from an average of 123 pounds per year, to an astronomical 160 pounds of sugar annually!

And…it’s not stopping. Our consumption of sugar keeps growing at nearly 2 percent per year. The problem is, on the spectrum of dietary dangers, processed sugars are right up there with unhealthy fats. One of the primary causes of obesity in our culture is High-Frutcose Corn Syrup (HFCS), according to Elson Haas, MD, the author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition (Celestial Arts, 2006, New Edition). And the problem is, our bodies are built to process all the sugar we take in.

Most dietary sugars are simple carbohydrates, which means they are made of one or two sugar molecules stuck together. Your body can easily take those molecules, pull them apart and digest them. Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains, vegetables, and legumes, are made up of long chains of molecules which takes your body longer to process. This is why your energy levels can spike, then crash, when you ingest simple carbs, and why that doesn t happen when you have a plate full of veggies. The presence of naturally occurring fiber in complex carbs slows that sugar-release process even further.

So, replacing those “fast burning” sugars with “slow burning” ones…allows your body to deal with the sugar you ingest in a much more effective way. But, how can you avoid the craving for “sweets”, and avoid those refined carbs?

First, it’s OK to have a little sugar in your diet. The FDA recommends no more than 10 grams per day (which is what you find in one soft drink) – about 2 teaspoons worth. So, if you have a little sugar through the day, that’s OK. But if you feel the urge to eat something sweet, reach for some fruit. Fruits contain fructose – natural sugar, but also contain fiber and other nutrients that slow digestion.

Also, stay away from refined- carb breakfast cereals (even unsweetened cereals. Instead, start your morning with healthy proteins & fats, which leave you feeling full longer. Try peanut butter on whole grain English muffins. Maybe a fruit smoothie with protein powder.

Stay away from processed foods – especially fast foods. According to Jack Challen, a nutrition researcher and author of “The Inflammation Syndrome (John Wiley & Sons, 2003). “The only difference between a doughnut and a McDonald’s Cheesburger is a smattering of protein – both are a mixture of the worst things you can eat”.

Remember not to eat when your stressed. When you feel stressed, your natural “flight or fight” response causes your body to speed up the breakdown of sugars in your body, because your body is packing glucose into your muscles as fast as it can to help you flee the situation.
And, if you’re looking for an easy way to cut back – stop drinking soft drinks, the biggest source of sugar in the American diet today. Instead, try drinking tea – and if you want to sweeten it, try other, non-sugar sources such as Spendia or Stevia. (Stevia is a natural, calorie-free sweetener that comes from a South American shrub – you can find it at Trader Joe’s, or supplement stores in both powder and liquid forms).

By moving away from a sugar-rich diet, you are taking a major step in not only feeling healthier, but you’ll also reduce your body fat and loose weight. The sooner we break the addiction to sugar, the better off our bodies will be!