Put That **** Out!

• One person dies every 5 minutes from smoking related diseases.
• Burning tobacco is the main source of indoor pollution in the developed world as it contains over 4,000 dangerous chemicals.
• Cigarette smoke contains two of the main gases related to the greenhouse effect, carbon dioxide and methane.
• Heart Disease - Nicotine raises blood pressure making the heart work harder therefore it needs more oxygen which is cut down by carbon monoxide from getting to the heart. This causes severe heart attacks.
• Lung Cancer - This starts with a smokers cough producing lots of phlegm. Chest infections and bronchitis begin causing the lungs to be destroyed.
• A broken leg of a smoker takes 80% longer to heal than a nonsmoker (276 days compared to 146)
• Secondhand smoke causes 3,000 cases of lung cancer in nonsmokers each year.
• Smoking ages the cells and the skin.
• If you smoked a packet of cigarettes a day, your habit would cost around $1800 per year. Wouldn't you rather do something fun with that money, like a trip to the beach?
• Smokers risk damage to almost all major organs in their bodies, according to the latest report by the surgeon general.
• Smoking is known to cause cancers of the kidneys, stomach, cervix, and pancreas as well as leukemia, cataracts, pneumonia, and gum disease.
• By current estimates, tobacco use causes 440,000 deaths per year and costs about $157 billion in health–related losses.
• Men who smoke cut their lives short by 13.2 years, and female smokers lose 14.5 years.
• Smoking effects your overall athletic performance.

What more can I say? Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Generalist vs.Specialist In Fitness

A generalist is described as a person whose knowledge, aptitudes and skills are applied to a field as a whole or to a variety of different fields. A specialist is a person who devotes himself or herself to one subject or to one particular branch of a subject or pursuit.

In my opinion, the mind of a generalist operates slightly differently than that of a specialist. The generalist's mind tends to focus on matching patterns across many disciplines, finding similarities, and combining these similar ideas to create something new. The generalist skims the top of many disciplines, returning over and over to dig a little deeper in each so that over a lifetime he or she may become capable in a number of specialities.

The specialist see differences and explores them to gain a comprehensive understanding of a specific discipline. The specialist's goal is to master one specific goal or discipline over their lifetime.

As it relates to fitness, both personality types have their place. While a generalist may be able to address many issues that relate to your health goals, a specialist may be better able to help you reach a specific goal. Likewise, while a specialist may have the knowledge and skills to help you complete one specific task, that specialization could mean that they lack the skills to support you with your other fitness related goals.

So how to you address this quandary? Start with examining your interest. Is it one that requires that you have knowledge in more than one field? For example, a triathlete's knowledge base would necessarily need to be more extensive than a power lifter's. After examining your interest, determine your objective. If you find that it is a singular objective, then maybe a specialist is the way to go.

For me, because of the diverse clientele that I service, it is important that my knowledge and capabilities cover a wide array of disciplines . So in that sense I am very much a generalist. You may find that you like one thing and that you want to master that one thing only. That's fine, I have found however that because the body is a singular unit, at some point we all become generalists even if we decide to specialize in one thing. In the end, the goal is to find something or somethings that you enjoy and make their examination and exploration your life's mission. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Beating The Holiday Bulge

It's that time of year again. When most people throw caution to the wind and celebrate the holidays by eating and eating and eating. While the holidays should be a time of celebration, over indulgence will only lead to remorse and excessive weight gain. The American Heart Association Reports that some people gain as much as 5-10 pounds over the holiday season, between Thanksgiving and New Years. Holiday foods can be tempting, but you don't have to fall victim to the holiday bulge. Making a few changes to your holiday menu will help you enjoy your meal and leave the guilt behind.

Tips On Holiday Eating

• Make sure that you are exercising leading up to the holiday. You'll be less likely to sabotage your program by over indulgence.
• Plan a physical activity for after the meal, so that you're less likely to want to overeat.
• Eat small meals throughout the day rather than one large feast. You'll likely make smarter decisions when choosing foods this way.
• Make sure you fill your plate with a variety of foods. Don't forget your vegetables and use proper portions when choosing meats.
• Change how you cook a dish, use healthy oils, bake instead of fry and use herbs instead of salt.
• Find new healthy recipes to introduce to your family. This will allow you to create your own holiday tradition.

With a little bit of planning you can defy the odds and beat those holiday pounds. Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink your water and exercise. Then when you decide to treat yourself, don't over indulge and you can leave the holiday guilt behind. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

The Nectar Of Gods

I have a secret passion that many people don't know about. I love juicing. Not the type of juicing that could get me in trouble with congress or an athlete commission. No, the type of juicing that you see on late night infomercials. Where the old guy (a legend) tells you how juicing has preserved his life and vitality. Diet is very important in treating and preventing disease. There are ailments that are prevalent in one area which have never been seen in other areas where the diet consists of mostly fruit and vegetables. I'm convinced that juicing is the key and after this article maybe you will be too.

There are many benefits to juicing. Lets review a few:

• Juicing is a great way to give your body the essential micro-nutrients and minerals needed to keep healthy. Often, by cooking and processing foods, the sensitive micro-nutrients found in fresh foods are destroyed. Juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables.
• Juicing allows you to consume an optimal amount of vegetables in an efficient manner. Ideally, the body requires one pound of vegetables per 50 pounds of body weight. The problem is that eating raw fruit and vegetables in such large doses can be very difficult. Juicing solves this problem.
• By eating a lot of the same fruits or vegetables, you are not getting enough of a mixture of the fruits and vegetables needed. Juicing allows you to add variety in your diet.
• Another benefit of juicing is that it makes foods easier to digest, so nutrients can be used by the body quicker than if they were just eaten.
• Juicing aids in weight loss.
• The concentration of antioxidants in juices combats the damaging effects that free radicals have on skin and muscle. Juicing can help keep skin free from wrinkles and muscles well toned. In addition, increasing the intake of antioxidants by juicing can slow the onset of age-related illnesses.
• Juicing is cost effective and convenient.
• Juicing is one of the first steps in preventative medicine, since staying healthy is so dependant on diet.

The health benefits of juicing are far too numerous for me to give you a completely comprehensive list, but here are some things you should remember when starting a juicing routine:

• Start by juicing fruits and vegetables that you like eating whole.
• Most fresh fruit and vegetable juices should be consumed right away. When they are stored, they can lose their nutritional value very quickly.
• The fruit and vegetables that can be stored, should be kept in an airtight glass container and filled right up to the top to make sure that there is the least amount of air inside the container as possible. Juice is sensitive to air.
• Drink stored juice within 24hrs to get all of the nutritional value.

Over the years, health experts have trumpeted the power of juicing. As an advocate and practitioner, I understand and completely agree. I enjoy juicing first thing in the morning, I can literally feel the energy that the enzymes and nutrients provide. Juicing is an inexpensive way to get the vitamins and nutrients that your body needs everyday. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

The Fad & The Fiction

I've heard of the all apple diet, the master cleanse diet, I've even heard of the molasses/cayenne pepper diet(ugh!!). It seems that at any given moment, millions of people are following some diet. Television, (tell lie vision) magazines, newspapers and other forms of mass media, all present ads that promise a "quick fix" to weight loss. Most fitness professional, nutritionist and weight loss professionals know and admit that traditional methods of dieting and cutting calories simply don't work for most people. People spend hundreds of dollars on fad diet programs, lose a few pounds only to gain it all back, plus some, when they stop the program.

There are several reasons why you should stay away from low calorie, fad diets:

• Very low calorie diets cause the body to become less efficient at burning fat. This causes more fat to be gained. After a few weeks on a low calorie diet, the basal metabolic rate (the rate at which the body burns up calories) drops. At this time, the body begins to use muscle as its energy resource. The body thinks that it is starving, so it converts to an energy(calorie) storing mode. This causes you to gain weight over time.
• Again, fad diets are temporary fixes not permanent solutions to your weight problems. The real problems are often eating habits and lack of activity. Until you begin eating healthier and exercising regularly, your weight will continue to go up and down.
• Fad diets tend to focus on food instead of exercise. You can cut calories and lose a few pounds, but without exercise you won't have a toned look. How many people have you seen that lose weight and still look flabby?
• Most of these diets concentrate on quick weight loss instead of gradual loss. The quicker you loss the weight, the quicker you gain it back. Most of the early weight that you lose is mostly water weight.
• Many fad diets limit carbohydrates, an important component in burning fat cells. The body extracts energy from fat with the help of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates from natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, actually help muscle use fat for energy. Natural carbohydrates are actually good for you even when you are trying to lose weight.

Healthy, permanent fat loss results come from following a balanced and nutritious diet, a regular exercise program and a consist desire to maintain a healthy lifestlye. With these three elements, you can be sure to achieve and maintain that perfect weight that you've always wanted. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

A Pinch Too Much

Most people consume too much salt. It's one of the main ingredients in cured meats, it's a huge feature in nearly all processed foods, and most folks simply put too much salt on their already salty foods. Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which is the main cause of strokes and a major cause of heart attacks. Too much sodium (salt) can lead to water retention and weight gain. Physicians often recommend keeping salt intake below 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day for most people. However, if you have any type of heart condition you should use even less. Since most salt intake comes from eating and drinking prepared and pre-packaged foods, reading food labels to determine how much sodium is in a food or beverage is a great way to start lowering sodium intake.

Tips On the Pinch

• Cook without salt.
• Avoid using seasonings that taste salty.
• Cook with low-salt seasonings like herbs or lemon juice.
• Use fresh or frozen vegetables in place of canned ones.
• Avoid canned and cured meats(buy water-packed or fresh instead).
• Avoid fast food.
• Limit snack foods (pretzels, potato chips, olives, cheeses, pickles).
• Avoid frozen dinners.
• Use low salt salad dressing.

Benefits of Low Sodium

• Lower blood pressure.
• Less water retention.
• Improved cardiovascular response.
• Reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.

One of the keys to healthy eating is choosing foods low in sodium. Lowering your salt intake is a first step in treating illnesses like high blood pressure and heart disease. Lowering the sodium in your diet will also aid you in your weight loss quest. A low salt diet doesn't have to mean a bland one. It's just about making the proper choices for your long-term health. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Energy To Burn - Pt. 2

Yesterday, we talked about energy drinks and how unhealthy they are. We saw evidence that helped us come to the conclusion that while these drinks provide minimal nutritional value, they've also been linked to high blood pressure, anxiety, irritable bowels and insomnia. We also saw how using these drinks in combination with alcohol increases the danger that they present to the body by increasing the risk of cardiopulmonary and cardiovascular failure.

Today, I am going to provide you with healthy energy boosting alternatives to these energy drinks. Having energy throughout the day is the primary goal of everyone, whether they work outside or behind a desk, sit in class all day or lounge at home. Whether struggling with energy ups and downs or worse, feeling tired all the time, a lack of energy is a real drain on your work and social life. There are many factors that affect your energy levels, but one of the most important is what type of food you put in to your body. For the most part, your diet should consist of minimally processed foods, fresh fruits and vegetables and lean proteins.

Foods For Seismic Energy

• Oatmeal or Brown Rice - In the morning or for lunch, these two foods are loaded with fiber to slow down carbohydrate absorption. "A fiber-packed whole grain cereal, oatmeal is your best breakfast choice for long-lasting energy," says William Evans, PhD, director of the nutrition, metabolism, and exercise laboratory at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
• Chicken, Beef or Fish - Adding protein to every meal is essential to keeping your energy levels up. Protein contains essential amino acids that help the body produce energy and enhances mental function.
• Melons - An exceptional energy food because of the combination of vitamin B6, dietary fiber, folate, and niacin (vitamin B3). The B vitamins (necessary for the body to process sugars and carbs) combined with fiber (which helps the sugars be distributed gradually) support energy production by keeping blood sugar levels stable.
• Almonds - These tasty nuts are rich in manganese and copper, both of which are essential cofactors of an enzyme called superoxide dismutase. This enzyme helps keep energy flowing by inhibiting free radicals inside cells' mitochondria (the energy-producing area of cells). Plus, they also contain riboflavin, another important component of energy production.
• Water - Of course it's not a food, but we have talked at length about it's importance to the body. It is the vehicle by which all bodily processes are carried out and energy production is no different.

There are also supplements that you can take to give you sustainable energy throughout the day.

Supplements For Energy

• B-complex vitamins - B vitamins are converted inside the body to substances called coenzymes, these coenzymes activate enzymes crucial to the production of energy from the breakdown of the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins we eat.
• L-carnitine - It increases the use of fat as an energy source by transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria, where they are ‘burned’ to release energy for body functions.
• Multi-Vitamin
• Ginseng - Ginseng is known as an adaptogen, which means it increases resistance to physical, chemical, and biological stress and builds energy and general vitality.
• Green Tea - Powerful antioxidant that boost metabolism and increases energy.
• CoQ10 - Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a compound found naturally in the energy-producing center of the cell known as the mitochondria. CoQ10 boosts energy, enhances the immune system, and acts as an antioxidant.

So, there you have it. When you feel that 10am nod coming on or that after lunch slump approaching, don't reach for that soda or that energy drink. Take a look at the list that I have provided above and do yourself and your body a big favor. Thanks for your ear and keep reading.

Energy To Burn - Pt. 1

Even though it was a few years ago, I still remember it like it was yesterday...semester midterms. Yep, that time of the year when late nights, pizza and cramming for tests become as common as bathroom breaks and breathing. It was probably during this time that most people developed that love for coffee"black please," first learned about doing the Dew, and popped that first No Doze. Well, that was then, nowadays there are things like Full Throttle, Red Bull(it gives you wings), Adrenaline Rush, and Rockstar(it promises a party) to keep us moving. We've come a long way baby! All these energy drinks seemingly provide that much needed energy boost that hard working folks want. But, according to the experts they actually do more harm than good.

Not only do such drinks fail to offer a special boost, they say, their high caffeine and sugar content causes dehydration and could be dangerous for the young and active. Bad news for anyone who has committed to living a healthy lifestyle. "These drinks are marketing ploys. I'm not aware of any scientific data that they do what they say they're going to do," said Mark Kantor, professor of family and consumer sciences and nutrition at the University of Maryland, who specializes in consumer education. "They don't give you more energy."

Energy drinks have high amounts of caffeine and while the high amounts of caffeine can provide the feeling of exuberance, that energized feeling is temporary and it's not a substitute for usable energy in the form of carbohydrate. Some athletes use these drinks before a sporting event to get an extra kick, but some doctors and medical experts say energy drinks not only don't help, they could actually hinder an athlete's performance. Hard play alone will dehydrate a person while these drinks can exacerbate the situation, forcing the muscles to work harder. These drinks have also been linked to an increase in anxiety and panic attacks, increase in blood pressure, bowel irritability, and insomnia.

Energy drinks are also now commonly used as mixers for alcoholic drinks in bars and nightclubs, and there are now new pre-mixed alcoholic energy drinks on the market. The dangerous combination of mixing energy drinks, a stimulant, with alcohol, a depressant, has proven deadly.
The resulting mix can lead to cardiopulmonary and cardiovascular failure. These harmful effects occur because the energy drinks masked much of the alcohol's intoxicating effects, which allow people to drink for longer periods.

As the evidence of the dangers that these drinks present to the body mounts, it seems like a simple cup of coffee is a safer bet than an energy drink for that energy boost. But don't be discouraged, I wouldn't leave you without any alternatives to that sluggish feeling. Tomorrow, I'll give you a list of foods and supplements that you can take that will provide you with a seismic energy boost. In the meantime, thanks for your ear and keep reading!

The Antioxidant Factor

There is really nothing negative to say about taking antioxidants. The powers of antioxidants are plentiful and far reaching. Antioxidants are phytochemicals, vitamins and other nutrients that protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants can be found in most fruits and vegetables but also culinary herbs and medicinal herbs can contain high levels of antioxidants.

Free radicals are formed as part of our natural metabolism but also by environmental factors, including smoking, pesticides, pollution and radiation. Free radicals are unstable molecules which react easily with essential molecules of our body, including DNA, fat and proteins. When a free radical attacks a molecule, it will then become a free radical itself, causing a chain reaction which can result in the destruction of a cell. Free radicals damage the cells in our bodies and the cells of our skin. Free radicals lead us to experience the downfalls of premature aging.

Antioxidants have the property to neutralize free radicals without becoming a free radicals themselves. Antioxidants are chemicals that offer up their own electrons to the free radicals, thus preventing cellular damage. However, when the antioxidant neutralizes a free radical it becomes inactive. Therefore we need to continuously supply our body with antioxidants. The action of free radicals could increase the risk of diseases such as cancer and hearth problems and could accelerate ageing. Antioxidants have the property to neutralize the free radicals and prevent damage. Examples of antioxidants are the vitamin C, E, alpha lipoic acid, green tea, beta carotene, lycopene and lutein.

Because oxidation is a ongoing process in the body, it is necessary to take antioxidant in high doses and in different varieties to effect free radicals. Antioxidants are synergistic, meaning they work best when combined.

There are so many reasons why taking antioxidants are beneficial to your health. Try to make sure you include them in your diet and as part of your healthy lifestyle. You will improve health both mentally and physically. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Infinite Intensity

For years I have been an advocate of high intensity training. It's the way that I train myself and my more advanced clients. For me, the benefits of shot burst, highly intense exercises are so obvious that I don't know why everyone doesn't train this way. This style of training is hardly new, for decades serious athletes have been using it to improve performance. It's seems that in recent years others have began to benefit from this style of training and the phenomena has caught on.

In general, low intensity exercises work your heart rate at around 60 percent of your maximum heart rate. A high intensity exercise works your heart rate at around 75 percent or more of your maximum heart rate. You can determine your maximum heart rate by taking your current age from 220. Don't let the term "maximum heart rate" fool or scare you. It isn't referred to as such because it's the maximum rate your heart can beat before damage occurs; it's simply the absolute maximum rate your heart will beat. The 220-age formula is only an estimate and, depending on your individual physiology, you may find yourself exceeding that number.

High intensity training is just more beneficial for your overall health. Besides burning more calories, these exercises increase muscle mass, help increase bone density, improve the heart function, increase endurance, and not to mention save time.

A 2005 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that after just two weeks of interval training, six of eight college-age men and women doubled their endurance, or the amount of time they could ride a bicycle at moderate intensity before exhaustion.

After interval training, the amount of fat burned in an hour of continuous moderate cycling increased by 36 percent, said Jason L. Talanian, the lead author of the study and an exercise scientist at the University of Guelph in Ontario. Cardiovascular fitness — the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to working muscles — improved by 13 percent.

It didn't matter how fit the subjects were before. Borderline sedentary subjects and the college athletes had similar increases in fitness and fat burning. “Even when interval training was added on top of other exercise they were doing, they still saw a significant improvement,” Mr. Talanian said.

There is no single accepted formula for hard work, moderate exercise, and rest. The guideline that I follow is to keep the high-intensity phase long and strenuous with the recovery periods short.(not allowing the pulse rate to return to normal) Also, I always suggest warming up before starting the training. For example, before interval training I generally have my clients run a mile.

The evidence is there, high intensity exercise will burn more calories, increase endurance, build muscle, increase bone density, the list goes on. So really, there is no reason to not begin a high intensity routine and rep greater benefits in less time. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

The Hands On Approach

I remember quite well how my mom would tell me to go wash my hand when I would come in from outside. Sometimes I would, and like most kids, sometimes I'd just pretend that I had. It turns out that telling me to wash my hands may have been more than just mom's way of pulling rank on her baby boy. It seems that keeping your hands clean is one of the first lines of defense in preventing the spread of disease. Way to go mom!

Hand washing is a simple habit, something most people do without thinking. This simple habit requires only soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer — a cleanser that doesn't require water. When done properly, hand washing is one of the best way to prevent getting sick.
Frequent hand washing has been shown to stop or limit the spread of infectious diseases like the common cold, flu and several gastrointestinal disorders, such as infectious diarrhea. Proper hand hygiene can also stop the spread of food related illnesses like salmonella and E. coli infection.

Despite the proven health benefits of hand washing, many people don't practice this habit as often as they should — even after using the toilet. Throughout the day you accumulate germs on your hands. If you don't wash your hands enough you can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth. You can infect others by touching them or touching a surface that they touch, like a door knob. You should always was your hands:

• After using the toilet.
• Before and after eating.
• After touching an animal.
• Before and after preparing food.
• After blowing your nose.
• After coughing or sneezing.
• Before holding a baby.
• Before and after touching a sick person.
• After handling garbage.
• After coming in from outside.

These are just a few instances when hand washing is a must, I'm sure everyone can think of more. The point is you should wash your hands often to prevent the spread of disease. Adopting this simple habit can play a major role in protecting your long-term health. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Top Of The Morning

I always cringe when I run into someone who says they don't eat breakfast. I ask why, but they never have a reasonable answer. I mean, if you think by not eating breakfast you'll lose weight, you are sadly mistaken. And don't give me the excuse of not having enough time, get up a few minutes earlier and fix yourself something to eat. Listen, the benefits of eating a sound breakfast out way any small perceived benefit you get from not eating one.

I know that you've heard it and it's true. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It sets the metabolic functions to work, helps the bowels start moving, and it gives you the energy to start your day off right. Most people tend to eat their biggest meal in the evening, this is a recipe for disaster. Or at least massive weight gain. The best advice is also the oldest advice on diet, "Eat like a king in the morning, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at dinner." Now I didn't come up with that adage, but it still rings as true today as it did when it was first spoken.

The morning meal usually breaks a fast (thus the name breakfast) that has lasted anywhere from 6 to 12 hours. Fasting puts your body in a catabolic state.(muscle wasting) To compensate for this effect, the body stores calories(fuel) as fat to prevent the body from shutting down due to lack of energy. This is why people who only eat one or two big meal a day tend to gain weight. The body stores the food(fuel) as fat(energy) because it doesn't know when more fuel is coming. So it's important to not only eat breakfast, but to also eat consistently throughout the day.

If that's not enough, studies show that kids who skip breakfast perform worse in school than kid who don't. Understanding the importance and function of foods will also help kids make better choices in determining what to eat.

A nutritious breakfast provides energy to face the day ahead, both physically and mentally. If you're in too much of a hurry to make breakfast some mornings, a breakfast shake is a good alternative. Breakfast doesn't have to be traditional. I often eat salmon and spinich for breakfast. So do yourself a favor and eat breakfast, your body will thank you for it. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Beating The Big Chill

The winter is quickly approaching and maintaining an effective cold weather fitness program can be a bit of a challenge. It doesn't have to stop you though, with a little bit of planning, knowledge and the proper equipment, you can make your winter training experience fun and fulfilling.

Tips For Winter Training

• Warm up properly - Cold weather can do a number on your muscles and joints if you don't properly prepare and warm up before working out. Go through a dynamic warm-up and stretching routine before training outdoors.
• Dress in Layers - Don't overdress though. As you begin to exercise your core temperature will heat up and you'll sweat, you don't want to exercise in wet and cold clothing. Which bring me to my next tip.
• Invest in Quick Dry Clothes - These are clothes made from fabrics that are designed to absorb moisture from the body keeping you dry. A must have in outdoor winter training.
• Keep your head covered - You can lose up to 25% of your body heat through your head. Keep your head covered and you'll keep your core warm.
• Drink water - Because it's cold, some people think that they need less water. Not true, drinking water during exercise is necessary, period.
• Plan your workouts ahead of time - Know what you are going to do and set a time goal. This will prevent you from having to overexpose yourself to the harsh elements.

The cold weather can present some interesting challenges to the outdoor fitness enthusiast. But a little knowledge and planning goes a long way in keeping you fit and active until spring and summer roll around again. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

C Your Way To Good Health

If it's good enough for a pirate, it's good enough for me. I am, of course, referring to vitamin C aka ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is one of the most popular nutritional supplements around. It has been used to address everything from the common cold to joint repair. It is an important water soluble anti-oxidant in the fight against free radicals it is safe and should be taken daily.

Sources of Vitamin C
Vitamin C is present in fresh fruits especially citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, pineapples, grapefruits and others. It can also be found in vegetables like lettuce(the darker the better), spinach, cabbage, broccoli and certain variety of beans. Papaya, strawberries, kiwi fruits and broccoli have a very high amount of vitamin C in them. More than oranges even.

Benefits of Vitamin C

• Aids in the healing of wounds
• Reduces cholesterol and helps prevent heart disease
• Essential for maintaining healthy teeth, tendons, and organs.
• A natural antihistamine and anti-oxidant.
• A cancer fighter.
• Helps maintain good vision.

Others who may need to take the supplement are those who suffer from lack of energy. Although it's a safe vitamin (considered non-toxic even at very high doses.), certain precaution must be taken when using vitamin C supplements. Always consults a physician before starting a supplement program. And as always thanks for your ear and keep reading!

The Early Bird....

I am very much a morning person and I must confess, I'm addicted to exercising in the morning. This revelation comes as no surprise to the people who have known and trained with me for a while. My passion (and it is a passion) for morning training has it's roots in my pragmatic approach to just about everything that I do. In other words, it's just easier for me to get it done in the morning as opposed to the evenings.

Now I understand that everyone isn't like me and that ultimately, the objective is to just exercise whether in the morning or evening, but there may be an added benefit to training earlier in the day.

Rob's Reasons for Morning Exercising

• Morning exercising jump starts your metabolism, helping your body to burn more fat and calories throughout the day. Provided you don't eat a burger and fries for lunch everyday.
• Exercising in the morning tends to energize you throughout the day.
• Consider this, if exercising is to be made a priority in your healthy lifestyle, what better way to ensure that it gets done than to do it in the morning?
• Exercising in the morning puts your body on a natural alarm clock schedule. Helping to regulating your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms.
• Research has shown that exercise itself increases mental acuity. Exercising in the morning helps you to harness that added brainpower earlier in the day.
• Studies show that people who exercise in the mornings, tend to make better food choices throughout the day.
• Morning exercise creates a sense of accomplishment. "I do more before 9am than most people........" Anyway, you know the rest.

So consider training in the morning. The gyms tend to be less crowded. Morning exercise allows you to start your day running and in my opinion, it just plain feels good. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Sleep On It

The best training program will be totally useless if proper rest is neglected. Without proper sleep, there is not enough rest for essential muscle growth and repair. It's a well known fact that muscles grow during rest not while working out. In fact, when you sleep, growth hormone is produced which enhances the bodies ability to grow muscle and burn fat. Sleep also affects performance during high intensity training.

Lack of sleep can also affect your mood and elevate hormonal stress levels which could affect your overall fitness. Researchers have shown a direct link between limited sleep and weight gain. We all sometime don't get enough sleep and probably aren't permanently affected, however, several days in a row or a few weeks of interrupted sleep can lead to symptoms similar to over-training syndrome.

Tips To A Good Night Sleep

• Exercise or work hard during the day. People who exercise tend to sleep better compared to those who don't.
• Sleep area should be comfortable and calm. A pleasant ambiance will make you sleep more restful. Calm music may also work to create a relaxing environment. Try sleeping without the t.v. or radio to give your subconscious a rest.
• Try not to exercise prior to sleeping. Try relaxing the body to create a state more conducive to sleep.

Your training, growth, and recovery can be seriously affected if you fail to get proper rest. So if you want to get the best results from your training, make sure you get enough sleep. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Join The Group

Bored with your routine? Finding it hard to motivate yourself to train? Or maybe you just want to try something a little different and more challenging. Consider group training. Group training is a great way to get all of the training you want in a fun and motivational environment.

I often encourage many of my clients who are new to fitness to join a class. It not only teaches them the proper way to perform exercises, it helps them to forget that they are actually exercising because they are enjoying it so much. Group training also builds camaraderie with other fitness enthusiast creating a positive social network. When it comes to getting results, many times that extra push that comes from being a part of a group is just want you need. No one wants to get left behind.

Group training lets you experience variety in your workouts with so many different classes to choose from. If time is a major concern for you, group training offers you flexibility with different times and availability. People who participate in group training often feel a sense of achievement, get stronger and have more confidence.

Group exercise is an excellent alternative to individual training or training at home. It offers many health benefits, physically as well as mentally. It also provides many social benefits. So the next time you see a class and think that it might be interesting, try it out, you might just like it. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

High Protein Diets - Fact vs Fiction

It seems that high protein, low carb diets are the hottest craze for weight loss. Dieters all over the place are scarfing down protein bars and shakes(with no carbs) in hopes of quick results with little effort. While we could all benefit from getting more protein, downing protein all day long is not the answer. Bodies need a modest amount of protein to function well. Extra protein doesn't give you extra strength.

When you eat lots of protein with few carbs, your metabolism changes to a state called ketosis. Ketosis means the body converts from burning carbs for fuel to burning its own fat. Once fat is broken down, bits of carbon called ketones are released into the bloodstream to be used as energy. Ketosis tends to suppress appetite, causing people to eat less, and also increase the body's elimination of fluids through urine. All benefits that sound great, right? But hold on, those short-term results may create long-term health consequences. One of the consequences is the release of ammonia in the body. The health effects of high amounts of ammonia in the body are still unknown. There is also evidence to suggest that people who eat high-protein diets typically excrete excess calcium in their urine. Too much calcium loss could lead to osteoporosis down the road.

From a nutritional perspective, carbohydrate foods shunned by some people on low-carb diets include fruits and vegetables, which are the best sources for vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants -- nutrients that help prevent disease.

That being said, protein diets have been shown to cause weight loss, increase satiety and decrease hunger and on average, produced an average weight loss that was about 4.5 lbs greater than that achieved on other diets after six months.

The type of protein that you eat definitely plays a role in your weight loss and overall health. Processed meats like hot dogs, deli meats and sausages, have been linked to several diseases including cancer. While supplementing your protein need with whey protein(we'll discuss in a later blog) can be beneficial, most of your protein should come from these sources.

• Fish
• Poultry
• Bean
• Nuts

Protein is essential for a healthy functioning body. It aids in cell repair, muscle repair, it serves as an energy source, and it helps many of the body's processes related to metabolism. Great benefits for anyone looking to lose weight just don't loss sight of the big picture. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

It's Not Me, It's The Baby!

"Obesity has been described as the new worldwide epidemic, and as the (rate) of obesity increases, so does the number of women of reproductive age who are becoming overweight and obese." So says Dr. Mostafa Metwally from the University of Sheffield in the UK. It appears that excessive weight gain or obesity has an effect on the mother and baby during the pregnancy.

A recent study of 40,000 U.S. women, found that mothers who gain more than 40 pounds during pregnancy are more likely to have a heavy baby. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, babies who weigh more than 9 pounds at birth are considered heavy. This is significant because studies suggest that heavy babies are programmed to become overweight or obese later in life. Excessive weight gain during pregnancies has become a growing problem and researchers speculate that this may be partly responsible for the epidemic of childhood obesity that we now face.

Excessive weight also appears to increase the chances of miscarriage, according to a review study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. The study showed that overweight or obese women were 67% more likely to have a miscarriage that their normal weight counterparts.

So, how do expecting mothers keep from gaining excessive weight during pregnancy? According to the experts, proper nutrition is the first step for both mother and child. Choosing the right foods is important because you will be able to loose weight more quickly after delivery if you manage your diet during pregnancy. Experts also recommend that expecting mothers drink more water. Drinking water helps flush toxins from your system and helps prevent excessive edema. Studies suggest that weight gain associated with edema(fluid retention) can be limited if you drink more water! Lastly, you should remain physically active. Physical activity has terrific benefits that are associated with a better pregnancy outcome and even shorter labors.

With the obesity epidemic reaching alarming proportions, it is important that all methods of curbing the problem are explored. Establishing a healthy lifestyle for children from the beginning creates the template that hopefully will shape how they continue to live. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!