DarkSiren's Fitness by Design

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Shakeology®!

2011-10-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

Put a little Halloween cheer into your Shakeology this season. In addition to all the amazing Shakeology ingredients, you'll also get the nutritional benefits of pumpkin, which contains lutein, fiber, and alpha and beta carotene. Plus the healthy polyphenols in cinnamon help regulate blood sugar levels. You'll get the yummy taste of pumpkin pie . . . without turning your butt into a pumpkin.

1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 cup rice, soy, almond, or low-fat milk (plain or vanilla)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin, unsweetened
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Ice (optional)

Combine all ingredients in blender and whirl until smooth. You can substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon and nutmeg, or add more pumpkin for a thicker shake. Makes 1 serving.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Nutritional Information (with low-fat [1%] milk):
Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
284	27 g	7 g	40 g	3.5 g	2 g

6 Tricks to Making Halloween a Healthy Treat

2011-10-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Omar Shamout

Ghouls and goblins and ghosts, oh my! That's right, folks—Halloween is just around the corner, and if you're not careful, you might have to add another "G" to that list: gastric bypass. Okay, maybe that's a little extreme, but we all know how tempting it is for you adults to gobble down those sweets before, during, and after All Hallow's Eve, which is nothing compared to the blitzkrieg of sugar your kids have in store for them. So take a minute to rethink some of your holiday traditions, learn some interesting ways to avoid the "scary" dietary pitfalls October brings, and rediscover what the spirit of Halloween is really all about! Trust me, the parents of the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood will thank you too! (Sugar tantrums are terrifying.)

Candy is candy, no matter how you sweeten it. Whether it’s dolled up with HFCS or agave syrup, candy will still rot your children’s teeth, mess with their blood sugar, and add to their waistlines. "Sweet" doesn't have to come from a factory, though. There are many tasty, less processed, more wholesome foods that will satisfy that sweet tooth just fine. Fruit can be made into a variety of delicious treats, and is loaded with vitamin C to help your immune system and fiber to aid your digestion, as well as a host of other nutritious vitamins and minerals. Many dried fruits, like raisins, come in small packets ideal for tossing into trick-or-treaters' bags. If you're willing to put in the effort, fresh fruit can be carved into many fun, devilish designs that will add more to the Halloween mood than the calorie count. Although safety dictates that not many trick-or-treaters accept fruit, particularly cut-up fruit, your ghoulish creations should be a hit at any Halloween party—even the grown-up ones.Think of all the possibilities with just these simple ideas: an orange as a mini-pumpkin, grapes as eyeballs, a melon as a brain, and either carrot sticks or string cheese as fingers. Okay, so string cheese isn't exactly a fruit, but you get the idea. Be creative!
Go nuts! If you don't have the time to indulge your inner artiste in the kitchen and create some spooky snacks, then consider handing out individually wrapped packs of almonds, pretzels, or trail mix to the kiddies. Pretzels are pretty low in calories, and almonds are chock-full of healthy fats and protein. Trail mix can be high in sodium, so keep an eye on the nutrition label, but all of these options are much healthier than candy.
Don't be scared of the dark. If you or your kids just can't live without a chocolate fix, opt for dark chocolate over milk chocolate, because it's far less sweet, has fewer calories, and contains more iron and antioxidants. And without milk as an ingredient, you'll be consuming less saturated fat. Dark-chocolate-covered almonds are a personal fave!
Become the Crypt Keeper. There was no better master of ceremonies than everyone's favorite cheeky little skeleton, so why not follow his lead, and host your own party or event for your friends or your kids' friends? That way, you'll know exactly what's going into their hungry mouths. Get those crafty-yet-healthy snacks ready, and continue the creativity by having a costume-making party, scavenger hunt, ghost story session, or scary movie night. Just pop in Adventures of Pluto Nash or Stop or My Mom Will Shoot! and the younguns will be terrified! No? Well, I suppose you know your kids better than I do, but I left the theater shaking . . . Getting back to the matter at hand, shouldn't Halloween be more of an activity (with an emphasis on active) than just an excuse to eat as much candy as possible? Besides, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and even Festivus will be here before you know it, all of which will provide plenty of time to celebrate the wonders of food. Keeping your kids occupied with fun things to do during Halloween is something they'll enjoy far more than a candy bar, one they'll be sure to look back on with a smile rather than the memory of an upset stomach.
Take a hike! No, really. If your kids are restless and insist on hitting the pavement to beg for candy, why not find a nice big hill for this year's trick-or-treating trip? This will really separate the truly dedicated costumed adventurers from the mildly amused. If your group manages to make it all the way up the hill, then at least they've gotten in some exercise to balance out the chocolate overflowing from their bags. On the other hand, if they poop out halfway up, all the better for you—and their blood sugar! Plus when they pass out early from exhaustion, you can toss out all the really bad stuff they acquired without their ever knowing!
Coins over candy. It's never a bad time to teach your children about compassion, so try cutting candy out of the equation altogether by convincing them to trick-or-treat for UNICEF. In addition to being able to get coin boxes from UNICEF through the mail, you can also pick them up at any Toys "R" Us^® or Babies "R" Us^® store. By participating, your kids can collect money to help children around the world receive clean water, healthy food, and life-saving immunizations. What better reason could there be to put on a costume?

The bottom line is, the last thing we need in life is another holiday dedicated to unhealthy food. (Plus with the amount of artificial ingredients, chemicals, and highly processed sweeteners in candy these days, most of it can barely even be classified as food.) The fun of Halloween has always been in the mood, the atmosphere, the thrill of the scare, and the excitement of planning and dressing up in a costume, so focus your attention on those things, and you're bound to create a memorable experience for everyone. And remember, keep it active!

Exercising To Relax

2011-08-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Steve Edwards

The therapeutic benefits of regular exercise are well documented. Study after study has shown that it increases health and general well being. It’s been said that if exercise were a drug, it would be the most powerful medication on earth. However, it still seems difficult to get people to workout on a regular basis. When life gets hectic, it’s generally the first thing that gets crossed off the “to do” list. In reality, it should be the last. It’s an industry standard to tell people that they should consult a physician before beginning an exercise program. Based on the scientific evidence, it would be more appropriate to consult a physician before parking yourself on the Laz-E-Boy for a session with the TV.

"Often times, my clients say they are too stressed to find time to work out, however the fact is, they are probably too stressed not to work out,” says triathlete and LA-based fitness trainer Erica Nemmers. “Exercise releases hormones into the body that allow people to bring balance into their lives and focus better on everything they do. It is the natural remedy that brings the body into homeostasis in a hectic world that constantly threatens to throw us out of that balance."

The evidence is clear; there's no doubt that physical exercise has a positive effect on stress and can calm the mind and relax the body. Exercise releases endorphins, the body’s “feel good hormones,” and in as little as 20 minutes a day, can change your entire outlook on life.

What type of exercise is best?

So, okay, exercise relieves stress, but what kind of exercise is the best? That depends on the individual. People have different environments that cause stress: work, home, traffic, etc. For example, if you work on your feet all day you might benefit more from a stretching-based workout, like Ho' Ala ke Kino, yoga, or Debbie’s Slim and Limber video, because you are constantly contracting your muscles, which makes you tense. But a person that is more sedentary and, say, sits in front of a computer all day might need more of a strength-based program to keep your muscles from atrophying. The bottom line, however, is that something, no matter what, is almost always better than nothing.

How long is long enough?

This is another variable situation but, again, any exercise at all is a million times better than none. After 20 minutes of exercise the brain starts releasing epinephrine and endorphins into the system, which lower tension and help stress stabilization. But even if you can’t take 20 minutes or more, you shouldn’t just throw in the towel. Even a 5 minutes stretch and breathing session can provide a calming effect that can last for hours.

Not sold yet? Here is a list of 10 ways that exercise will de-stress your life.

Detoxifying: During the stress response, nearly 1,500 biochemical reactions occur in the body. Neurotransmitters (also known as “brain signals”) are activated, hormones are released, and nutrients are metabolized. Some body systems, like the cardiovascular system, accelerate their functions while others, like the gastrointestinal system, slow down their operations in response to stress. This is commonly referred to as the fight or flight response, meaning that regular exercise allows the body to return to homeostasis faster and reduce the physical impact of psychosocial stress.
Anger Management: Research has documented the important role that expression or repression of anger and hostility plays in disease progression. Physical activity can be a healthy catharsis for this most caustic of emotions. It can provide a socially acceptable means of physically releasing negative energy. No matter what you do, be it kickboxing or yoga; the physical release of energy appears to dissipate feelings of anger in a positive way.
Moving Meditation: Certain exercises require a fairly consistent repetitive motion that can alter one's state of consciousness. Such as the Zen practice of walking meditation, the physiological effect is similar to what happens during meditation. Breathing and movement act as a mantra and may be responsible for the feelings of calmness and tranquility.
Introspection: Exercise can be a solitary escape from the daily toils and pressures of a stressful society. It can provide a mini vacation that allows one to recharge their energy levels to deal with conflicts when they return. Others use this time to self reflect on issues of importance, or to stimulate creative problem solving.
Reduction of Muscular Tension: During stress, muscles contract and lose their normal resting muscle tone. Bouts of physical activity allow muscles to work, thereby releasing stored energy and allowing muscle groups to return to their normal resting potential. This action also reduces discomfort associated with muscular tension, like tension headaches, arthritic joint pain, backaches, etc.
Endorphins: As stated before, endorphins have been shown to increase during physical activity of twenty minutes or more. Chemically similar to opiate compounds, this morphine-like substance has been shown to provide a pain relieving effect and promote a sense of euphoria – and it’s legal! The actual way endorphins work on the body is debated. Most of the controversy has to do with our inability to measure chemical changes that occur on the other side of the blood brain barrier. Regardless of the neuro-chemical reaction or other mechanisms that initiate changes in emotional status, this phenomenon does seem to exist. The positive mood states associated with frequent exercise are so significant that some have suggested that this is a more effective treatment for clinical depression than either psychotherapy or the use anti-depression drugs.
Increased Awareness: Physically fit individuals tend to develop an increased sense of somatic awareness, meaning that they become more in tune with their bodies. Thus, they are able to detect subtle changes in their physiology that they were previously unaware of, such as breathing patterns, reactions to diet and exercise, quality of sleep, etc. This new awareness allows people to be able to circumvent the physiological process of stress before it can cause problems.
Decreased Boredom: Too little stress in one's life can be just as upsetting as too much stress. It is natural for humans to seek out stimulation and excitement. For some, the opportunity for physical challenges is the most interesting part of life. At the far end of the scale are those who practice high-risk activities such as extreme skiing, skydiving, and rock climbing. By constantly testing themselves, individuals learn how to take on higher and higher loads of stress. The learning that ensues transfers over to stress that is experienced in daily life. All exercise accomplishes this to some degree.
Improvement in Sleep: A symptom of stress overload can be the inability to get adequate rest. A fatigued individual is less able to perform at a high level. Exercise has been shown to be very effective in helping some people fall asleep easily and sleep more soundly.
Stronger Immune System: The better shape you’re in, the stronger your immune system will be. When fit people become ill or injured, they will demonstrate more stamina and greater resiliency to fighting the discomfort. They will also recover more quickly.

Exercise Tip: The 2-minute De-Stressor

If you’re fed up and need to reduce your stress in an instant, here’s something you can do when you can't "press play." Take 2 minutes to bring your body into focus. This quick and simple stretch and breathing exercise may seem similar to how you start any Beachbody™ workout, but can be effective on its own to re-focus your mind and body.

Standing tall, lift your head up so that you stretch your neck. Take a deep slow breathe in through your nose, pulling it down deep into your lungs.
Slowly exhale while turning your head to the right and then to the left. Dip your head and return to looking straight ahead.
Keep breathing with this deep, slow pattern and slowly rotate your head in a clockwise and then counter-clockwise direction, keeping your chin to your chest and shoulders.
Take your shoulders back as far as they will go. Lift your left shoulder and relax it down again. Now swap and lift and relax your right shoulder.
Swing your right arm slowly in a full circular movement to free the shoulder. Swing your left arm in the same way.
Raise and relax both shoulders. Keep breathing slowly.
Put your right hand over your right shoulder and touch your left shoulder blade. Repeat with your left hand to your right shoulder.
Repeat 10 times, focusing solely on your breathing the entire time.

Could Those Extra Pounds Be Water Weight? Lose 'Em Fast!

2011-08-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Debra Pivko

Ever wonder how you gained 5 pounds overnight—even when you're cutting calories? The usual culprit is water weight.

If your stomach feels bloated, your face looks puffy, or your hands and feet swell, it's likely that your body is retaining water. And this may show up on the scale as a few extra pounds. Not fun.

Here's why it happens. Your body is constantly trying to rid itself of the salt you consume. When it can't purge all the extra salt, your tissues react by holding on to water, so the ratio of salt to water is always at a safe level.

But if you want to determine your real weight, see how close you are to your fitness goals, and button up those old jeans with ease, follow these quick tips to lose the extra water weight—fast.

Drink more water.

It may seem counterintuitive, but not drinking enough water every day can actually make you retain more water! Dehydration causes your body to go into panic mode, and it'll hold on to water the next time you take a drink. Diuretics like alcohol, tea, and caffeinated soda can actually have a dehydrating effect on your body since they flush water out of your system.

What to do? Drink at least eight to ten glasses of water each day so your body will maintain its fluid balance, and you won't gain those extra pounds. Water is the best diuretic you can give your body and it's all natural, and usually free! If looking thinner and feeling less bloated isn't enough motivation, here's some more. Drinking water before each meal has been shown to help promote weight loss and even to help keep your skin healthy, which is particularly useful if you don't want your skin to sag once you lose weight.

So keep a water bottle at your desk, send yourself "drink water" reminders if you have to, track your water intake for motivation, or do whatever it takes to remember to drink enough water. The extra hydration will prevent those false pounds from showing up on the scale.

Sweat it out with exercise.

When you sit in one place for a long period of time, your circulation slows down and your body can begin to swell. Exercise promotes blood flow and circulation (not to mention sweating). So when you get in some serious cardio, you'll literally sweat out excess fluids and pounds. Make sure to get your daily exercise to help rid your body of water weight.

The exercise program that leaves my workout clothes most drenched in sweat would have to be Chalene Johnson's TurboFire^®. When I eat too much salt or just too much food and feel extra bloated, Chalene's latest program is my savior that helps me get my stomach looking flat, fast. I just pop one of the high-intensity interval training or cardio kickboxing discs in the DVD player to work up a serious sweat and burn major calories. I think it's the awesome music remixes that keep me going through the intense cardio conditioning. After big holiday meals, like the annual Thanksgiving feast for example, I can expect to find my coworkers ready for some TurboFire to fire up our weight loss and sweat it all out.

Limit the sodium in your diet.

To give your body a break from retaining water and working hard to eliminate sodium in the first place, try to keep your sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day and avoid adding salt to foods.

Watch out for sneaky salt in boxed or packaged foods by reading nutrition labels carefully. Some of the foods where sodium is often hidden are canned soups, fast foods, pickled foods, processed/deli meats, cheeses, frozen meals, and soy sauce. Make sure to look for labels that say "reduced sodium" or "sodium free." You may also want to choose fresh vegetables over canned. While canned veggies can be a handy substitute for fresh, they're typically laden with preservatives or sauces and seasonings that add extra sodium. A cup of canned cream-style corn, for example, contains 730 milligrams of sodium.

Also, food at restaurants and fast food establishments often contains high amounts of sodium. Eliminate all table salt and try using pepper or other spices on your food instead. Or, maybe try nothing and remind yourself what the food actually tastes like.

Another great way to keep track of your sodium intake is by getting your own customized nutrition plan with Team Beachbody's My Meal Planner. It's an awesome new benefit of the Team Beachbody^® Club membership. You'll get a week's worth of recipes that include low-sodium options, or you can modify and make substitutions to the recipes for even lower sodium options. I use it to track my progress throughout the week so I know all my nutrition stats. You can even use the food analyzer to search any food and get the nutrition information for it. I'm obsessed.

Eat more protein.

Deficiencies in protein, along with vitamins B1, B5, and B6, can lead to water retention as these nutrients assist with fluid balance functioning. Some good sources of these nutrients include lean beef, legumes, and low-fat dairy products. You should try to eat two to three appropriate portions of lean protein per day.

Don't starve yourself.

Undereating can also cause you to gain water weight. Eating fewer than 1,200 calories a day may cause your body to retain water and, ironically enough, cause you to gain more weight.

Limit your sugar intake.

Having too much sugar in your body can cause your insulin levels to rise. High levels of insulin may make it harder for your body to get rid of sodium, which in turn causes water weight gain.

Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Fresh fruits and vegetables—especially those naturally rich in water, such as watermelon, onions, celery, and cucumbers—can make you urinate more frequently, reducing water retention. Fruits and vegetables also provide ample sources of potassium, which assists with fluid balance within body cells. I love going to the farmers' market on Sundays and picking up fresh fruits and veggies, but let's face it—making constant trips to buy fresh produce doesn't always fit into my lifestyle. Thank goodness for Shakeology^®. It's an easy way to get my fruits and veggies without having to set up shop in the produce section of the market. And that way, my veggies come in the form of a delicious chocolate-flavored treat. I sometimes toss a mini banana into my shake for some extra potassium, which also helps discourage water retention and keeps my muscles from cramping up during workouts.

Liquid Gold: A Beachbody® Look at Olive Oil

2011-08-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Sasha Papovich

The Greek poet Homer called it "liquid gold." It's mentioned in the Bible, the Talmud, and the Koran. Greek mythology includes the story of the goddess Athena winning great praise from Zeus for her useful invention of the olive tree. For millennia, the olive tree has been a symbol of peace, purification, and good health. And in recent years, we've all heard the good news that the high-fat oil of the olive fruit is actually good for you. Is it possible that olive oil merits the reverence of ancient Mediterranean culture and the respect of the medical establishment of the West? And if so, what's the real scoop on how to get the most benefit and enjoyment from it?

Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that is created simply by pressing the raw material—in this case, olives. Extra virgin is the best quality because it comes from the first pressing of the olives and is therefore the least processed, which matters to those of us interested in olive oil for its health benefits.

Recent research does indeed show that olive oil is a medicinal powerhouse. More than just an improvement over animal-fat-based oils, antioxidant-rich olive oil can actually protect against degenerative diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. The FDA has officially credited olive oil with decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease. Olive oil's role in the prevention of bone density loss, diabetes, and obesity is being explored.

And now a little more about those health benefits . . .

Olive oil is composed largely of monounsaturated fatty acids—sometimes called good fats. Monounsaturated fatty acids keep HDL—the so-called good cholesterol—levels up and LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol, levels down. LDL is the main source of cholesterol buildup in the arteries, and HDL actually works to clear cholesterol from the blood.

The nutrition community is somewhat divided right now as to whether saturated fat and its effect on cholesterol is truly an issue. If you happen to be on the pro-saturated-fat side, olive oil still offers you a host of benefits, primarily because it contains natural antioxidants—polyphenols—which prevent the formation of certain free radicals that cause cell destruction within the body. Free radicals are linked to heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and the general degenerative process of aging.

Recent studies show that olive oil's polyphenols also inhibit another one of the processes that contribute to heart disease. This means that not only do the monounsaturated fats in olive oil resist the plaque-forming process that leads to heart disease, but the antioxidants actually help to inhibit that process as well. When people with high cholesterol levels removed the saturated fat from their diets and replaced it with olive oil, their LDL cholesterol levels dropped by 18 percent. Another study reported that 2 tablespoons a day of olive oil added to an otherwise unchanged diet resulted in significant drops in total and LDL cholesterol. These impressive results can be understood as a by-product of the monounsaturated fats AND of the high levels of polyphenols that are present in olive oil.

But wait, there's more!

Research on olive oil and the symptoms of diabetes has also shown that a diet rich in olive oil helps to prevent belly-fat accumulation and the insulin resistance seen after the high-carbohydrate meals. Anti-inflammatory substances linked to the monounsaturated fats in olive oil can help reduce the severity of arthritis symptoms, and may be able to prevent or reduce the severity of asthma. And early studies reveal that the phenols in olive oil can lessen the inflammation-mediated bone loss involved in osteoporosis.

How much is enough?

So now that we're confident that olive oil is good for the heart and is likely good for many other degenerative or inflammatory conditions, we can look at how to go about adding this nutritional elixir to our diets. Experts agree that at least 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day is needed for any of these preventive purposes. While it's true that olive oil adds great benefit regardless of what else you're eating, you can benefit most by substituting olive oil for less healthy fats, rather than just adding more olive oil to your diet.

The most important point about usage, however, is not how much olive oil we consume a day, but what kind of olive oil we use and how we store it.

Olive oil shopping

All olive oil contains monounsaturated fat and phenols, but the amounts vary wildly depending upon the type of olive oil and how it is handled. Simply put: If you're interested in the health benefits of olive oil, don't buy anything less than extra virgin olive oil! All types of olive oil contain monounsaturated fat, but extra virgin olive oils are the least processed forms, which means that their phenol (antioxidant) content is the highest.

Just as important as the purity of the olive oil you buy is its storage both before and after you get it home. Olive oil can become rancid from exposure to light and heat, but even low levels of light and heat exposure that don't cause rancidity can cause the breakdown of phenols, thereby canceling out many of the health-enhancing benefits. Research has shown that consuming olive oil that has been degraded by light and heat is simply not as beneficial, so do your best to control for light and heat both before and after you buy the olive oil.

Look for olive oil that is sold in dark-tinted bottles, since the packaging will help protect the purity and nutritional value of the oil. (Research shows that after just 2 months' exposure to light, antioxidant levels had dropped so much the olive oil could no longer be classified as extra virgin.)

Ask your grocer how long the olive oil has been out; purchase olive oil that has spent the minimum time sitting on the shelf by checking the expiration date or by choosing the bottles at the back of the shelf, as the newest ones often reside there.

Buy your olive oil in smaller containers and store it in the dark.

How to care for and cook with your olive oil

Once you get it home, make sure the oil is stored in a cool area, away from any direct or indirect contact with heat. You can leave a small bottle out at room temperature, refrigerating the rest and refilling your daily-use bottle every week or so. (Refrigerated olive oil will solidify and turn slightly cloudy, but will become clear and liquid as it returns to room temperature.)

Add olive oil to foods immediately after cooking to get the most nutritional benefit. All cooking oils have a "smoke point" at which they begin to break down, thereby compromising taste and, in the case of olive oil, phenols. Although different sources report various grades of olive oil as having various smoke points, it's generally accepted that extra virgin olive oil has a much lower smoke point (anywhere from 200 degrees to the high 300s). If you do want to cook with olive oil (which is perfectly fine and, if done right, delicious), buy a separate bottle of regular or "light" oil, which has a much higher smoke point, upward of 400 degrees.

Instead of serving butter, fill a small condiment dish with extra virgin olive oil for use on bread, rolls, potatoes, or other vegetables. For more flavor, try adding a few drops of balsamic vinegar or a sprinkling of your favorite spices to the olive oil. You can also drizzle your daily serving of 2 tablespoons of olive oil over just about anything after it's been cooked: a morning frittata, your lunchtime salad (mixed with balsamic or a flavored vinegar), or your dinner vegetables, pasta, fish, or chicken.

Trendy superfoods may come and go, but olive oil has been here since the days of the ancient Greeks, and today's medical research validates its long-lived reputation. Whether you're primarily interested in cardiovascular health or protection against degenerative diseases, adding olive oil to your daily diet is delicious and healthful, so drizzle it into your nutrition plan today.

Crash Diets vs. Discipline, Motivations, and Lifestyle Change

2011-08-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Stephanie S. Saunders

Elvis Presley, the king of rock 'n' roll, pelvic thrusts, and peanut butter and bacon sandwiches, was rumored to have once heavily sedated himself for 2 weeks in an attempt to continually sleep and lose weight. While he might have removed the bags from under his eyes, Elvis' crash diet did nothing to help him cram into that jumpsuit, and he ended up gaining 10 pounds. As far back as the binge-and-purge bacchanalias of ancient Rome, people have been trying to lose weight in the fastest and sometimes strangest ways. With tactics ranging from subsisting on baby food to ingesting live tapeworms, crash diets promise quick and efficient weight loss, but at what price?

What is a crash diet?

A crash diet is any nutritional plan that severely reduces calories, is nutritionally restrictive, and is supposed to promote quick weight loss. Often the diet focuses on one food group or type, and is not usually intended for long-term use. Any diet that goes below 1,000 calories a day is considered extremely dangerous, and just one step away from starvation.

What is the benefit?

Do crash diets actually work? According to Dr. Susan Roberts, a professor of nutrition and psychiatry at Tufts University, crash diets are (at least temporarily) effective for "disinhibited eaters," or those who are easily tempted by food. (That's all of us, isn't it?) According to her study, by dropping weight quickly, those who are easily discouraged by slow and steady weight loss get instant gratification, and therefore, results. The problem, of course, is that you can't maintain a crash diet forever. Donald Hensrud, chairman of preventive medicine at Mayo Clinic, said: "People could eat nothing but jelly beans and if they were eating just a small amount, they would lose weight. You might be able to get away with it for a period of time, but the more restrictive the diet is—and the longer you follow it—the greater the risks."

What are those risks?

The first issue is usually nutrient deficiency, as one cannot get all of the nutrients he or she needs from a bowl of cabbage soup. It is difficult to get a sufficient amount of calcium, vitamin D, or iron on a very low-calorie diet. You can do permanent damage to your organs by not providing them with their required fuel. If you lose too much fluid, you can damage your electrolyte level, and become easily dehydrated. We know low levels of potassium and sodium can cause cramping, fainting, and even heart failure.

The next thing you're looking at is a slower metabolism. Your body is an extremely efficient machine and will slow down its resting metabolic rate in order to survive longer. This is how our ancestors made it through famine, floods, and sometimes, just winter. Over time, you will lose lean muscle without the proper nutrients to maintain it, which will lower your metabolism even further. With that slower metabolism comes decreased energy. Not only will that affect your home and work life, it will destroy your workouts.

Should you continue on the super low-cal path, you are likely to suffer catabolic reactions. You would expect to lose weight as long as your metabolism uses up more chemicals and energy than it is replacing, right? In fact, weight loss may occur for a short period resulting not from fat loss, but from breakdown of cell structures, organ tissue, bone, and muscle. The body then uses up structural proteins in order to survive. So, yes, your body will begin to consume itself.

Your emotional state will usually alter with the lower number on the scale, which is not quite low enough to compensate for how yucky you feel. Irritability, depression, and lack of patience are very common with calorie restriction. Your sleep state will be affected, as severe caloric restriction often disrupts sleep patterns and can cause insomnia. Lack of sleep, in turn, will not assist in muscle recovery, your mood, or your energy. And eventually when you return to a rational eating plan, your body will be all the more likely to store everything you eat, as it thinks it has been starving for the last few weeks.

Why, why, why?

So, why on earth would anyone do this to themselves, especially if it means only drinking lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper? The quick fix. We are a drive-thru nation that believes instant gratification is our birthright. If we can get it in a pill or hire someone to do it for us, we will. We also live in a culture obsessed with thinness, and we seldom take into consideration how much lean muscle can actually do for us, and how much better it looks than "skinny fat." So we torture ourselves with the "path of least resistance" and end up right back where we started, often before that high school reunion or Christmas party actually happens. And we still can't fit into that darn dress.

What is the answer?

The answer is, as it has been for centuries, to make a decision to change your life, and then to have the motivation and discipline to stick with it. Eat a clean diet, somewhere between 1,500 and 3,000 calories depending on your needs, split up over 5 to 6 meals a day with an appropriate balance of protein, carbs, and fats. Perform intense exercise that burns 500 to 800 calories a day, creating a greater caloric deficit, and speeding up your metabolism. Drink lots of water; get 8 hours of sleep; and try to avoid alcohol, refined sugar, and processed foods. Losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is not really hard to figure out, but it does take hard work and commitment to a plan.

Conclusion

Cyril Connolly, the famous writer and critic, once said, "The one way to get thin is to reestablish a purpose in life." And truly, that is the kind of commitment it takes. If weight loss were easy, everyone in the world would pop a pill, subsist on only bananas, and walk for just 30 minutes a day. If weight loss were easy, we would not be inundated with Jenny Craig® commercials and weight loss-based reality shows. If weight loss were easy, all of those New Year's resolutions would have come to fruition. But diets alone, especially the crash variety, do not work. So stay off the diet merry-go-round and stay committed to the control of your health and your appearance. Just because Elvis couldn't lose weight without extreme means doesn't mean you can't. Of course, you probably can't get paid thousands to wear a rhinestoned spandex jumpsuit, so it evens out.

10 Ways to Break Bad Health Habits

2011-08-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Amy Ludwig

Choosing a healthy lifestyle is not, unfortunately, one of those "set it and forget it" decisions. Don't we all wish it were? Instead, it's a result of many smaller choices we make every day—with every meal. Every snack. And every workout.

You always start the day with the best intentions. You eat a thoughtful breakfast. You pack a sensible lunch, and even remember to bring it with you to work. But then comes mid-afternoon, a dip in energy, and lowered self-control. If you're already in that weakened state and you hear that there are cupcakes in the office for someone's birthday, well, in the words of Donnie Brasco, "Fuhgeddaboudit."

Healthy habits only become habits when you do them more than once.

Instead of setting yourself up to fail, you can set yourself up to make good choices by planning ahead. That will give you a fighting chance to succeed. So where do you begin?

Identifying your weaknesses is the first step. Figure out where you're likely to slip up, and you can take action to prevent it. Here are 10 common problems that derail many of us, and suggestions for how to fight back.

Avoid eating late at night. Your metabolism slows down when you sleep, so late-night calories are harder to burn off.

Fight back: Eat small meals or snacks every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day. Time your meals so that you stop 2 to 3 hours before you go to bed.
Don't grab fast food on impulse. You're already on your way to avoiding this one if you're eating regular small meals and snacks. You'll keep your brain fed, so it doesn't shut down.

Fight back: Pack healthy snacks and bring them with you. These can be simple—a small handful of raw almonds is a better choice than a greasy burger.
If you shouldn't eat it, don't put it in your shopping cart. Seriously. If you put it in your shopping cart, it comes home with you. And you know it's there.

Fight back: It's much harder to eat junk food in a moment of stress or weakness if it's not in your house.
If you're tempted by junk food, look in the mirror. Think it through—those calories will go somewhere. And probably somewhere you've spent hours in the gym trying to slim and shape. So a bad choice now will just mean more effort later.

Fight back: Reach for a piece of fruit instead.
Don't eat for comfort. If something gets you stressed or upset, take a breath, not a bite. Knowing that you're taking good care of yourself, even when you're down, will help you to feel better more quickly.

Fight back: Try calling a friend, taking a 10-minute walk around the block, or playing with your pet. Or working out.
Find healthy versions of your favorite guilty pleasures. Stock your kitchen with those instead.

Fight back: Craving ice cream? A creamy low-fat yogurt could hit the spot. Want the crunch of chips? Try snacking on fresh red peppers, sliced jicama, or baked kale chips (they're easy to make, and astonishingly tasty).
Pay attention to portion size. You don't need to eat heaping helpings.

Fight back: If you absolutely must have ice cream, grab a teacup instead of a bowl. You'll get the taste you crave, but in a much smaller serving.
Make exercise a priority. It's easy to let it feel optional and get lost in the shuffle.

Fight back: Plan your workout schedule for the week and stick to it. If that feels too daunting, start by committing to 1 day. Then try planning for 2 days, and build from there. When you start seeing results, you won't want to stop.
Just work out—don't ask yourself if you want to. Most people (myself included) would answer "No."

Fight back: Just commit, get in your workout clothes, and Push Play. You'll be sweating, happy, and proud of yourself before you know it.
Must have chocolate? Reach for chocolate Shakeology^®. It's made with real cocoa, so it hits that chocolate nerve—as well as providing essential vitamins and minerals to nourish your body, and cleansing prebiotics to gently eliminate built-up toxins from eating processed foods.

Overall, keep your larger goal in mind: to live a healthy, fulfilling life. Let that aim inform your individual choices. They'll transform from problems into stepping stones on your path to success.

A great way to remind yourself to make good choices throughout the day is to start it off with Shakeology for breakfast. Not only is it a nutritious, healthy meal, it will help curb your cravings and increase your energy.

11 Tips to Get Fit at 40

2011-08-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Jeanine Natale

When I turned 40 this past February, one of the pledges I made was to look and feel much better than I had at 39, or at 38, 37, or 36, for that matter. I'd become pudgy and very out of shape through a combination of a badly broken toe that stranded me on crutches for months, terrible eating habits, and, of course, no exercise other than stumping around on those sticks.

Even after I got off the crutches, it was several more months before I could really walk and move around normally again. Sick of how I was feeling and looking, I made up my mind that by the Big 4-0, I was going to be fabulous! Here are 11 tips that have helped get me to where I want to be.

Favorite sports, new activities. My big transformation happened over summer, which meant I got to surf free of my wetsuit! Even without the effort of struggling into a suit, it takes good overall fitness, especially solid core strength, to carry that longboard over long stretches of sand, paddle, and master the all-important pop-up maneuver. If surfing isn't your thing, think about the kinds of activities and workouts that you loved doing when you were younger, or perhaps always wanted to do and never got around to. And if you've got kids, take a look at the kinds of things they like to do for fun. Okay, maybe learning to skateboard at 40 isn't such a bright idea, but playing basketball or soccer are both great workouts, as are ballet and martial arts.
Solid workout. While trying new activities is always a thrill, it's also a good idea to have a solid, regular workout program for developing overall fitness. Programs like Power 90^®, Slim in 6^®, and Turbo Jam^® provide an excellent system to get yourself back in shape if you've let yourself go, so you can get back to those activities you love to do without the frustration of struggling to catch your breath in the middle of a game, when everyone else around you is raring to go. Then, too, the workouts are challenging—and fun—in their own right! Remember, you're as young as you feel, and as aging causes us to start losing muscle mass and bone density, getting back in shape doing something you love is a great way to fight back.
Take a hike and do some yoga. Getting back on my feet, I found that doing a daily low-impact walk was a great way to get rid of specific sore spots in my feet and knees from limping around on crutches. And warming up before and after any kind of walk or run is a good way to avoid undoing your efforts at exercise by just being stiff and sore for days after. There are several studies showing yoga to be one of the best stretch exercises around at any age, but especially for those of us 40 and over. Even my own mom and dad, who have NEVER been fitness buffs, have discovered yoga and stretching at the ages of 70 and 80 respectively. I've seen the positive changes especially in my dad, who suffers from osteoporosis, peripheral neuropathy, and now Parkinson's disease. My mom, recently recovered from a broken hip, makes a great yoga buddy for my dad, and as the two of them have been at it for the last 6 months, I see my dad up and taking walks now, and eating healthy (something he also never did before!). And my mom isn't limping anymore or getting stiff knees. They're smiling more, too. I took an informal poll, and I found that at least 85 percent of people I know over the age of 20 who are in good health and good shape do yoga on a regular basis.
Get a little color in those cheeks (but not too much!). Taking a walk on a sunny day is one way to do that. However, it is crucial to be safe and smart about it. That baking-sheet-style, lie-out-roasting tan isn't good for your skin at any age! Wear sunglasses with UV protection and carry sunscreen with you at all times when you are out in the sun. Apply it liberally and often! If you are working up a sweat, or you're walking on the beach splashing in the waves, sunscreen washes off—even the waterproof kind. Also, if you're taking a calcium supplement such as Beachbody's Core Cal-Mag^™, a moderate amount of sunshine is one good way to get the vitamin D necessary to help your body absorb calcium. But I repeat, do NOT forget sunscreen!
Moisturize! No matter what time of year it is, I'm finding that my skin really is more sensitive to humidity levels, and dries out much more quickly. Do some research and find the products that are suited to your skin type—you'll be able to tell pretty quickly which lip balms and lotions are right for you—and use 'em! For summer especially, make sure they contain a strong enough sunscreen. Keep a little sample-size bottle in your car, another in your backpack or purse, and don't leave home without it!
Truly healthy juices, truly healthy shakes. And I mean serious juice—the kind with dark leafy greens, beets, ginger, carrots, etc. I do love my juicer. Why? Because it leaves all the fibery goodness in my cocktail and I can get a heaping plateful of summer-fresh fruits and veggies in one glass—I always replace at least one meal, if not two, with a big 16-ounce glass of juice. But if dealing with a juicer and prepping veggies and fruits sounds too time consuming to you, check out Shakeology^®, the Healthiest Meal of the Day^®. This is a new discovery for me, and it contains everything I love about my juices, plus so much more.
Vitamins, minerals, herbs, supplements. Feel free to explore the vast world of supplements, vitamins, and minerals. I tend to have a very sensitive stomach when it comes to taking the pill form of some vitamins and herbal remedies, but recently a 46-year-old friend of mine, who is an excellent massage therapist and yoga buff, made me a juice with the following supplements: echinacea, goldenseal, ginseng, gingko, biotin, spirulina, chlorella, blue-green algae, yerba santa, grapefruit seed extract, acidophilus, 5-HTP amino acid complex, and bee pollen. I washed down a handful of probably 20 pills and capsules with that juice, and was very pleasantly surprised that it gave me no trouble whatsoever and had me feeling good all day. Do your research and find the mix that works for you.
Be nice to your body—it needs you. Pulling all-nighters, eating junk food, and hunching over the computer for hours moving nothing but your fingertips: Ahhh, the good old days! If you still love doing this and you've been out of college for more than a decade, at least trade in the junk food for a healthier choice. And your body will thank you profusely if you just stand up every half hour to move around and stretch, even for a couple of minutes. In all honesty, recovering from those late nights—whether you're out partying or fervidly working on an important project—becomes much harder to do as our bodies age. If you have to be at work in the morning after a rough night, it shows up under your eyes, in your back, in your knees, in the heavy fog coating your brain—you get the picture. You can't always be on an optimal stress-free schedule, but being mindful of your body really does help.
Avoid late-night meals and midnight snacks. If you've been active on a beautiful long summer day, you'll be good and ready for bed. If you want the experience to be a restful one, avoid eating a heavy late-night meal. While there are many studies and opinions on the actual long-term health effects of this, the general consensus is that if you do eat just before bed, keep it light and simple. As Chris Idzikowski, Director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, says, "A heavy meal can sometimes lead to heartburn-type or reflux symptoms as you're lying down with a full stomach."
Get a good night's sleep. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sleep needs change over a person's lifetime, and older adults may produce and secrete less melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. Being active during the day and getting enough exercise goes a long way to not only keeping you healthy, but leaving you feeling more relaxed and, well, ready for bed.
Be proactive and be proud of your active self! Whether you've always been in shape and are now beginning to feel the effects of aging, or were out of shape and reached 40 with more of a beginner's outlook on fitness, the fact that you are taking steps to get fit and get healthy both inside and outside is a major achievement that takes time, commitment, sweat, and effort. The payoffs are many, including less time feeling out of sorts and less time in the doctor’s office. With all the science and knowledge we have so readily available today, there's no reason to despair about old age. Age truly is just a number. In fact, a recent 2010 study by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research showed that, overall, people aged 70 and older who had a positive mental attitude about aging and who were physically active reported feeling much younger than their years. Conversely, those who had a more negative attitude about getting older tended to be less active; and reported feeling at least their age, if not older; and reporting more health problems than the younger group did.

Way back when, a friend of mine commented that he just couldn't keep up like he used to on the volleyball court—that he was perhaps getting too old to do that sort of thing anymore. We were only 27 years old! It was probably the first time I had heard anyone my age mention something like that, and then—as now—I simply refused to accept it. Don't get me wrong, there is always the (unwelcome) possibility that some underlying health issue is a contributing factor, in which case serious medical attention must be sought. Fortunately, it wasn't so in this instance. But I remember being surprised by my friend's statement. He was in great shape—probably in better shape than I was—and at the time, I was riding at least 20 miles a day on my bike and was, indeed, quite healthy! Now at the ripe old age of 40, having "let myself go" only to make some much-needed and welcome improvements, I believe there's a lot to be said for being and feeling as young as you think you are, and there's no time like the present to be your best.

5 Cheap and Cheerful Ways to Stay Fit While Dating

2011-08-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Omar Shamout

While dating is technically supposed to be fun, in reality, it's kinda hard work. In the early phases, the stress of waiting for phone calls, the anxiety over what to wear or how to do your hair, the tension of awkward silences during the calamari appetizer—all can be brutal on the ol' ticker. Later on, trying to find fresh ways to keep the bloom of love alive can often seem like equally hard work. Plus all that wining and dining can be your wallet's worst enemy, not to mention your waistline's. With all this in mind, we'd like to suggest a few fun, healthy—and inexpensive—ways to incorporate fitness into your efforts at romance, whether with someone new you're trying to woo, or someone with whom you'd like to continually keep rekindling the fires of desire.

The Sand-in-the-Toes Date. Yup, everyone's favorite romantic cliché is actually quite good exercise. Since we're used to wearing shoes, we generally don't engage most of the muscles in our feet for everyday use. Walking barefoot on sand will force you to use all the muscles in your feet, making it a surprisingly challenging workout that'll help prevent injuries in other activities. (And if you want to take things up a notch, running on sand burns 30 percent more calories than running on pavement does. Start out on wet sand—it'll help better acclimate your feet to the surface.) So after you've had your lovely candlelit dinner, you can walk off that dessert on the beach. If you get tired, stop, sit under the moon, listen to the waves and, well . . . you get the picture.
The Check–out-Your-Town-on-Foot Date. Now that you've built up those foot muscles, use them to explore your city! Be it New York, where commuting on foot is a given, or Los Angeles, where walking is practically verboten, there are a plethora of walking tours designed to cater to a variety of different interests—gastronomic, historical, and everything in between. Whether you live in a sprawling metropolis or in Smalltown, USA, in this virtual age, it's important to remember that we live in actual physical spaces, each with a story all its own.
The Great Outdoors Date. Next time you feel the urge for a romantic weekend getaway, consider sleeping under the stars instead of under the roof of a five-star resort. Sure, we all love room service, but sometimes it takes the vastness of wide-open spaces to create true intimacy. Guys, go from ordinary Joe to knight in shining armor as you protect your lady from lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!). Gals, impress your beau with some dazzling tree-climbing skills, or with your ability to start a fire with a couple of sticks. Resourcefulness is very sexy!
The Nine-Hole Date. Not only is walking (no cart, please!) nine or 18 holes of golf great cardio, it's also a good way to add some competitive spirit to a relationship. Public courses won't overtax your bank account, and you can usually rent clubs for a reasonable price, too. If the prospect of an actual round of golf seems too daunting, a driving range is also a great way to have some fun while being active. If things are a little tense between you and your significant other, it might actually be therapeutic! And if even a driving range seems beyond your skill set, there's always mini-golf. You heard it here first: chasing a ball down before it enters the wrong windmill door and falls in the moat counts as exercise.
The Water Date. It's the end of summer, and chances are it's still pretty warm where you live. Too hot for a lot of clothes. So why not take your P90X^®-toned bodies down to the local watering hole and go for a swim? It's a great full-body, low-impact cardio workout that's easy on the joints. Because you use more muscles 'n' limbs to move your body when you swim, you'll also be burning more calories. If you live near a beach, lake, or river, make a whole day of it and lounge on the shore as you discover new ways to get sand in places you didn't think it was possible for sand to even go. If you're feeling extra-festive, bring a portable BBQ and grill up some lean protein (ideally fish, maybe even fish you caught yourself!) and a few fresh veggies. Exercise and heart-healthy food—they just seem to go together, don't they?

If you put your mind to it, there are countless ways to have fun-filled adventures with your loved (or soon-to-be-loved, if you play your cards right) one that are good for your body, easy on your wallet, and conducive to helping you learn about each other in a setting that's slightly more imaginative than a dinner table or a movie theater. And from a wooing perspective, the further outside the box you think, the more it'll seem like you're really trying to make your time together special, which is never a bad thing. So give these suggestions a try, or use them as springboards for something that works better for you and the object of your affections. Remember, fitness can have a place in all aspects of your life—including your love life!

Test Your Produce-Related Military Lore IQ!

2011-07-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Elizabeth Brion

When you think, in a general sense, of fruit, what image comes to mind? A still life? A farmers' market? An orchard? The produce section at your supermarket? Probably not war, though. Or tanks. Or generals. I've done a lot of historical research over the last year or so, though, and guess what kept turning up? Wars. Tanks. Yep—even generals. See if you can guess which fruit is responsible for which colorful story.

Apricot – Its mere presence is treacherous to military vehicles. It seems that in World War II, the Marines noticed that every time a tank broke down, Ration-C apricots were in the vicinity. You obviously don't want your military transport giving out on you, so a foolproof protection plan was put in place—to this day, you can neither possess nor mention apricots in or near an armored vehicle. I found a story of one WWII vet who flouted this rule and snacked on apricots constantly; other men refused to ride with him, considering him reckless. I consider him a genius; I imagine it's not easy to get any privacy when you're fighting a war.
Cherry – Without this fruit, life simply isn't worth living. The Roman general Lucullus has gone down in history as a foodie as well as a military man. It's said that he spent the last decade of his life in madness and decadence, which is a robust environment in which to plant the legend that he committed suicide when he realized he was running out of cherries. I don't wish to downplay the obvious point here, which is that cherries are completely awesome, but do keep in mind that Roman generals were, as a group, much more gung-ho about suicide than we are today. This might have qualified as a wholly sensible reason.
Rhubarb – Could the threat of its absence have prevented an entire war? Chinese Commissioner Lin Tse-Hsu, in his famous open letter to Queen Victoria regarding England's export of opium to China, contrasted England's addictive wares with China's wholesome ones with the dubious claim that the English could not survive a single day without tea and rhubarb. Unfortunately, it appears that the Queen never read his letter; had she been apprised of this threat to her people's existence, she certainly would have acted to avoid The First Opium War, avoiding many fatalities from both combat and (I assume) the rhubarb shortage that resulted.
Watermelon – Makes an excellent weapon—and an excellent defense. Roman Governor Demosthenes was widely considered one of the greatest—if not the greatest—orators of his time. Indeed, you'd have to be pretty quick on your elocutionary feet to handle having a watermelon hurled at you during a political debate with such grace; Demosthenes placed the watermelon hull upon his head and thanked the thrower for giving him a helmet to wear into battle against Phillip II of Macedonia (a foe he seems to have regarded much as Snoopy did the Red Baron).

Test Your Surprise Demise IQ!

2011-07-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

By DeLane McDuffie

Don't you hate it when things don't go your way? Or when the weather forecast calls for sunshine, but it rains instead? That may have been on the minds of the people mentioned below, ranging from fitness/health icons to regular Joes. One minute, you could be shaking hands with Life, and then the next minute, it could be slapping you in the face. Wear a helmet. The following individuals got a taste of Life's ironic side. Match the man with the characteristic that best befits his unplanned exit strategy.

Jim Fixx – Cholesterol roadblock. James F. Fixx was a key figure in America's jogging movement of the late 1970s. He authored the best-selling book The Complete Book of Running in 1977 and championed healthy dieting for living a long life. One morning in 1984, he suffered a heart attack while on his daily morning jog. His autopsy revealed that he had severe blocking in three coronary arteries.
Jerome Moody – Premature celebration. Near the end of the summer of 1985, the New Orleans Recreation Department held a huge pool party to commemorate its first summer in memory without a single drowning. Two hundred people were in attendance, with more than half of them being certified lifeguards. There were also four lifeguards on duty. As the party began to wind down, the lifeguards checked the premises. To everyone's shock, there was a fully clothed man, Jerome Moody, lying at the bottom of the deep end. Moody, a party guest, drowned while surrounded by lifeguards.
Jerome Irving Rodale – Bored to death. The other Jerome on this list is credited with establishing the organic food movement. He also was the publisher/founder of the Rodale Press, home of many wellness magazines, like Men's Health, Women's Health, and Prevention. During a guest appearance on The Dick Cavett Show in 1971, Rodale boasted to Cavett during the interview, "I'm going to live to be 100, unless I'm run down by some sugar-crazed taxi driver." Within minutes, the 72-year-old slumped over in his chair, dead from a heart attack. In the original story, Cavett thought that Rodale was asleep and asked him, "Are we boring you, Mr. Rodale?" However, Cavett later rejected this account, and the show never aired.
Sir Francis Bacon – Frozen dinner. An English Renaissance Man, Bacon was a philosopher, politician, writer, lawyer, and a scientist. His style of scientific investigation later led to the scientific method, and he's even been rumored to have penned some of Shakespeare's plays. In 1626, the man with the delicious surname wondered if snow could preserve meat. Unable to keep his curiosity at bay, he killed a chicken, stepped outside into a snowstorm, and spent several hours trying to jam snow into the chicken. He almost froze to death and later died from pneumonia.
Tycho Brahe – Table manners. This 16th-century Danish astronomer and alchemist was instrumental in establishing the early theories of planetary motion, and also worked alongside German astronomer Johannes Kepler. It is said that during a banquet in Prague, after some serious drinking, the Dane continued to sit at the table and refused to go to the restroom to relieve himself. Back then, it was impolite to excuse oneself from a feast before the meal was concluded. Because of his steadfast dining etiquette, his bladder popped like a balloon, and he suffered unimaginable pain, meeting his maker about a week and a half later. Other theories have developed about his death, including mercury poisoning and murder.

Test Your Food Slang IQ!

2011-07-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Chris Shinkus

Food has worked its way into bakers' dozens of everyday sayings and folksy colloquialisms, and most of us likely never give a second thought to being happy as a clam or comparing apples to oranges. But let's get down to the meat of the matter. There must be stories behind these expressions, right? Turns out there are. Some of these backstories are charming anecdotes, providing little glimpses into past times; others are fascinating explanations, full of details, which in reality have proven to be only myths. The truth is, finding the real origin of slang terms and expressions like these can be a tough nut to crack, but here are several common terms and their accompanying tales—some true, some not. Lettuce begin . . .

True: "Piece of cake" refers to contest for fanciest ambulation around centrally placed dessert. This is thought to be an offspring of "cakewalk"—itself slang for a promenade common to the American south in the late 1800s. Couples would stroll in a circle around a cake, which was offered as a prize to the pair displaying the most elegant walk. (Not exactly the most arduous competition ever created.) Over time, "piece of cake" came to be used figuratively for anything that was stylish yet easily done, and first appeared in print in 1936 in Ogden Nash's book The Primrose Path: "Her picture's in the papers now, And life's a piece of cake." Clearly pre-paparazzi.
True: "The apple of my eye" refers to the pupil of the vision-orb. Far and away the oldest expression in this list—and one of the oldest in general—this one shows up in the King James Bible and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, but actually pre-dates them both. In fact, it's nearly as old as the English language itself, with its first recorded use dating back to the works of King Alfred in the ninth century. In those pre-Google days, what we know now as the pupil of the eye was believed to be a solid object, and likely due to its shape, it was actually called the "apple." As a result, the phrase "apple of one's eye" at first was quite literally a reference to the pupil. Because sight was considered so precious, it followed that someone considered equally precious could be the "apple of your eye." Romantic to the core.
False: "Bring home the bacon" refers to hanging valuable meat in the parlor to show off opulence. I wish this were true, because it's a good story. It goes that in Merry Olde England in the 16th century, pork was a luxury that was hard to come by and considered a sign of wealth. So when a man managed to score some for his family, some bacon would be hung on a special rack in the parlor when company was coming—a not-too-subtle sign that the man of the house could, in fact, "bring home the bacon." Sadly, this was one of many clever but false stories spread via an email titled "Life in the 1500s" that made its way around in 1999, and was subsequently debunked by the party poopers at Snopes.com.
True: "Humble pie" refers to disparity in quality between dishes served to rich and poor. Yeah, we all have a slice from time to time, but what's the story behind the term? Well, let's go back across the pond, to medieval England once more. It was common practice during that time to serve a pie made of deer parts to servants and others sitting at the lower tables in a lord's hall (what we now know as the "kids' table" at Thanksgiving, but I digress). The term of the time for those deer innards—liver, heart, intestines, and other leftovers—was umble. See where this is going? Take the umble pie served to lower ranks, combine it with humble (from the Latin humilem, from which came humility), add a liberal helping of medieval English pronunciation, and you've got a play on words fit for a king.
False: "Spill the beans" refers to voting system involving different-colored legumes. Another one that's totally legit-sounding. According to the story, in Ancient Greece the voting system consisted of a basket or jar, into which each voter placed a "secret ballot" of either a white or a black bean. White was a positive vote, black was a negative vote, and the results were required to be anonymous. But sooner or later, "that" guy would show up to vote and manage to knock over the basket—"spilling the beans," exposing the results of the secret vote, and pretty much ruining everyone's day. The problem is there's one small fact that creates some doubt about this story: The earliest use of "spill the beans" as a term for giving up a secret is from an article in The Stevens Point Journal, June 1908, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, good ol' U.S. of A. But, hey, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

3 Cool Soups for Summer

2011-07-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

It's summer and the mercury is rising. The last thing any of us is in the mood for is a hot, steaming bowl of chicken noodle or miso soup—which is too bad, because for those of us who are keeping an eye on our calories, soup can be filling, nutritious, delicious, and most importantly, low in calories and fat. But cheer up, soup lovers—we don't have to wait for the first cold winds of autumn to bust out the soup bowls. By borrowing a couple of pages from the cookbooks of our friends across the Atlantic, we can keep a fridge full of refreshingly cool, healthy, soupy goodness.

Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a traditional soup from the Andalusian area of Spain. It is generally made with a tomato base and can include onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and stale bread to thicken it. It was served memorably in the Spanish film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, where the suicidal heroine blended her gazpacho with a bottle of sleeping pills and accidentally served it with hilarious results. Gazpacho can be made in a blender (though we recommend omitting the sleeping pills), or for those with knife skills, it can be made chunky-style, with the vegetables diced into small pieces. The ingredient list can be as varied as both your imagination and your produce department allow. Try steering toward fresh vegetables and low-calorie ingredients. If you want to give yourself a protein boost, you can garnish the soup with some chopped boiled egg whites or diced lean ham.

4 cups tomato juice
6 whole tomatoes, fresh or canned, peeled and finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup jicama, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Tabasco^® Sauce (to taste)
Worcestershire sauce (a dash, to taste)
Chives, parsley, and/or cilantro, coarsely chopped (for garnish)
Bowl or pitcher
Blender (optional)

Combine all ingredients in bowl or pitcher, or whirl in blender first to desired consistency. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Serve with chives, parsley, and/or cilantro as a garnish. Makes 8 servings.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Refrigeration Time: Overnight

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
91	3 g	3 g	14 g	3 g	< 1 g

Borscht

Borscht was a staple in my Russian grandmother's house. When I was a child, I was a little skeeved out by the fluorescent purple-white liquid with bits of egg floating in it, but as I got older, I learned to appreciate the great flavors and the health benefits of the soup. Now, you'll always find a pitcher in my fridge and a couple of bowls in my freezer filled with this tasty concoction. Borscht comes from Russia, Poland, and the Ukraine, and as with Spain's gazpacho, there are as many different ways to make it as there are cooks. Borscht generally uses beets as its base, and you can also add vegetables like onions, cabbage, and tomatoes to the mix. Beef broth makes for a heartier stock, and many chefs choose to garnish the soup with chopped egg. The coup de grace is usually a generous dollop of sour cream swirled into the dark violet broth, but come on—this is a Beachbody newsletter. We'll be swapping the sour cream out for nonfat or low-fat yogurt.

5 to 6 medium-sized beets, julienned
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 carrot, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
16 cups low-sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
1 head cabbage, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (for garnish)
Fresh dill, chopped (for garnish)
3/4 cup nonfat or low-fat yogurt, preferably Greek style (for garnish)
Large frying pan
Large stockpot

In large frying pan, heat olive oil, then sauté onion, carrot, and beets until softened. Stir in tomato paste and set aside. In large stockpot, bring broth to a simmer, then add cabbage and potatoes. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the beet/onion/carrot mixture. Add bell pepper, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper, and simmer for 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Place each serving in soup bowl or mug; top each with half a chopped boiled egg, a pinch of dill, and a tablespoon of yogurt. Makes 12 servings.

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 to 35 minutes

Refrigeration Time: Overnight

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
154	10 g	4 g	20 g	3 g	1 g

Vichyssoise

This rich, creamy soup made with potatoes, leeks, onions, and heavy cream is considered by many to be a French classic. Although some trace the soup's provenance to the Ritz Hotel in New York, where a French chef created a creamy, blended, cold version of his peasant mother's potato-leek soup, which he named after his hometown of Vichy, France. Wherever it comes from, it is the soup that renowned chef, Kitchen Confidential author, and Top Chef judge and haranguer Anthony Bourdain credits with launching his love for food. And it is the favorite cold soup for many a gourmand. Usually, it's off limits for those watching the bathroom scale, as the traditional incarnation contains loads of heavy cream. However, with a few adjustments and substitutions, a delicious variation can be made that is satisfying without being ruinous for your healthy diet. In fact, one of the main ingredients, the leek, is the vegetable that Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don't Get Fat, credits as an important part of her slimming regimen.

4 large leeks, white and light-green parts
1 large onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 medium potatoes (Yukon Golds are good), peeled and finely diced
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups evaporated skim milk
Salt (to taste)
Ground white pepper (to taste)
Chopped chives (for garnish)
Food processor or blender
Large saucepan

Rinse leeks well, removing all sand and grit. In a food processor or blender, chop the leeks and onions finely. In a large saucepan, sauté the leek and onion mixture in olive oil until vegetables appear translucent. Add potatoes and chicken broth and simmer until potatoes are soft, to the point of dissolving. Pour contents of saucepan into food processor or blender and puree. Pour into bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove chilled soup from refrigerator, stir in evaporated milk, and add salt and pepper to taste (we specify white pepper because it makes for a more appealing-looking dish). Ladle each serving into bowl or mug, top each with a tablespoon of chopped chives and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 to 25 minutes

Refrigeration Time: Overnight

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
238	13 g	4 g	43 g	2 g	< 1 g

Everything You Need to Know about the Glycemic Index

2011-07-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Steve Edwards

Those of you who pay attention to your diet probably hear a lot about something called the glycemic index (GI) these days. It's become another in a growing list of misunderstood buzzwords in the nutrition world. Today, we'll take a look at everything you need to know about the GI, which is going to take a lot less of your time than reading through the entire GI diet book.

That's not to ding these books, by the way. If you're bored you'll probably learn something by reading any one of them. But in my experience, the glycemic index is not the be-all and end-all of your diet concerns. So I take the opposite approach and say that if you learn to eat properly, you can strike the phrase from your vocabulary entirely.

Simply put, the glycemic index is a way to measure how carbohydrates react in your blood. It's measured on a scale from 1 to 100+, where products with a GI of 55 or under are classified as low GI, those with a GI between 56 and 69 are classified as medium GI, and those with GI of 70 and above are classified as high GI. A high GI number means that a food is quickly converted to glucose in the blood (in layman's terms, a "sugar rush"). The lower the number, the slower the food is converted to glucose. The scale was invented for people with diabetes, but the advent of processed foods becoming a cornerstone of the American diet and the rise of type 2 diabetes have given the average person a good reason to pay attention to the GI index of foods.

Essentially, if we ate nothing but natural whole foods, the GI scale would have little meaning for anyone who didn't have diabetes. Even then, the highest GI foods have low numbers in their natural state. It's the cooking and processing of food that alters it so it breaks down much more rapidly. Eating too much food that is converted to glucose rapidly can lead to type 2 diabetes over time. Pretty much the highest of high GI foods are processed junk foods. There are a few exceptions, which we'll get to, but essentially if we eat a balanced healthy diet with very little junk food, the GI index is far less important to us.

Sugar is the big villain in the GI world. In nature, sugar comes from plants, where it's surrounded by fiber. Fiber in foods slows digestion, lowering the GI number of even foods that are high in sugar, like bananas. Processing, as well as some types of cooking, break down or strip these plants of their fiber. This makes them sweeter to the taste, but it also makes them less healthy. And along with the fiber, processing usually removes a lot of the vitamins and minerals.

The main problem in the American, as stated above, is that we're eating too many processed foods. Although we seem to understand that desserts are mainly sugar, crafty advertisers have been pulling the wool over our eyes by hiding the fact that most American processed foods are not much better for us than sugary desserts are. Breads, cereals, some potatoes and pastas, some rice, crackers, chips, fruit juices, sodas, and condiments, plus almost anything that's ever received a "no fat" label or comes in a box or bag, is high in sugar and probably low in fiber and nutrients. When these processed, packaged foods are all you're eating, you cause your body's insulin response to work overtime. Do this enough, especially without exercise (the great equalizer in the sugar game), and you can wind up with type 2 diabetes.

Of course not every food in the categories I listed above is bad. There are companies that make healthy versions of pretty much everything. But marketers can be tricky. As a consumer, it can be hard to know what you're getting. Even reading food labels can be misleading, which is why every diet that comes with a Beachbody^® program consists mainly of whole, natural foods.

So the very simple rule is to make sure your diet consists mainly of whole, natural foods and you will no longer have to pay attention to the GI index. There are some variables worth mentioning, especially since eating nothing but natural foods can be challenging in today's hectic world. Here are ten quick tips to help you understand the GI index:

Desserts. These tend to be mainly sugar and/or fat, and as such, they generally don't try to fool anyone with health claims. If we could keep our desserts small and make them a once-a-day indulgence, we'd have no problems. My tip is to do just that: with desserts, keep a close eye on portion size and frequency. Also, fatty desserts lower the GI influence of the sugar, meaning that, especially if you're insulin sensitive, a richer, fattier dessert might actually be preferable to a "no fat" dessert that's all sugar. But either way, unless you're diabetic or borderline, if indulging in desserts is the only way you stray from your diet, it's not going to cause much harm in the big picture.
Sports. When you're active, and especially when you're operating at your physical limit, your body burns up its stored carbohydrates (known as blood sugar) very rapidly. During and after hard or long bouts of exercise, sugar isn't bad for you—in fact, it's actually good for you. This is the only time this is true. Unfortunately, we often like to eat sugary stuff at the opposite times, like when we're watching TV, and no Wii Fit^® game has yet been designed that'll burn off blood sugar unless you do it all day long. When you're not active, you should severely limit your sugar intake.
Sports drinks are for sports. This may seem redundant, but Gator/Power/Acceler-ades et al are only good when you're playing sports that make you sweat. This is also true for things like P90X^® Results and Recovery Formula^®. These are not your standard foods. They're formulated for when you're playing sports vigorously. The difference between the "-ades" and Results and Recovery Formula is that the former only give you sugar and a small amount of electrolytes you lose when you sweat, whereas the latter uses its sugar (which gets absorbed rapidly when you're out of blood sugar) to transport all sorts of other nutrients to help repair your body after exercise. Oh, and also that the "-ades" market themselves as things you might want to drink all day long, exercising or not.
Salads are your friend. Not only are they loaded with fiber, but many of the things we tend to put on salads, including vinegar, lemon juice, and lime juice, as well as pickled vegetables, etc., tend to have acids that lower the GI index of other foods.
Add protein to all your meals. Like fats, proteins slow absorption rates of high GI foods.
Use semolina or whole wheat pastas. These have a much lower GI number (around 30 to 55) than pasta made from refined, enriched white flour.
Use long-grain or brown rice. All rice is fairly high in the GI index, but long-grain rice can be fairly low (50 to 60), whereas white short-grain rice can be as high as 130.
Eat crisp fruit. Fruit is not a real concern unless your diet has an inordinate amount of it. If so, the mushier—and sweeter—a fruit becomes, the higher its GI number. But even the sweetest fruits, like ripe papaya, are only around 60.
Beware of fluff. Fluffy and puffy foods tend to have a high GI number. Cereals are a good example. When a cereal is chewy, that generally means it has more fiber and is less processed, as opposed to soft, fluffy cereals that have been excessively processed and injected with air (and sugar). Potatoes, especially white, fluffy ones, can have extremely high GI numbers, often in the 90s. Fortunately, we tend not to eat potatoes plain, and, as stated above, adding meats, fats, and acidic ingredients will bring the number way down. Oddly enough, sweet potatoes, despite the deceptive name, have a very low GI number. Yams, too.
Some sugar can be OK. If you see a trend here, it's that sugar speeds itself into your system, and if this is your primary mode of eating, it's bad. However, sugars can also speed other nutrients into your system, so you'll sometimes see sugar as an ingredient alongside a lot of healthy nutrients to serve this purpose. A good example is Beachbody's Shakeology^® meal replacement shake. It has around 10 grams of sugar (40 calories) in a serving that also contains a lot of protein and 70 other healthy ingredients. In lab tests, Shakeology scored a 24* on the glycemic index, as low as a lot of vegetables. So while sugar is generally the GI villain, you need to look at the entire profile of the foods you're eating before you pass judgment.

*Shakeology was tested by Glycemic Index Laboratories, Inc., a premier facility for testing the metabolic responses to foods and ingredients. GI Labs is the only lab in North America recommended by the Glycemic Index Foundation. GI Labs follows a Determination Standard protocol of testing in vivo with ten human subjects. GI Labs' protocol exceeds the standards set by the World Health Organization.

Test Your Brain Transplant IQ!

2011-07-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Valerie Watson

There are days when I wish I could transplant my brain, with its rich history of experience, memories, thoughts, and feelings, into a fresh, new body, with less back pain, fewer knee tweaks, and a lack of assorted other issues that may or may not be associated with aging. (I kinda don't want to think about it . . . or perhaps my brain is having memory issues.) However, the brain transplant remains a hypothetical procedure rife with bioethical concerns. Fortunately, the realm of pop culture has presented us with a variety of brain transplant scenarios to enjoy. Your job? Match the brain-transplant-related plot with the book, movie, or TV show in which it was featured.

Original Star Trek – Ship's officer has brain removed and stolen by gang of hot, none-too-bright female aliens to serve as an organic computer to run their planet. In the ST:TOS episode "Spock's Brain," Leonard Nimoy suffers the indignity of first having his brain stolen, then of having his brainless body forced to walk around by Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) operating a primitive handheld remote control. Almost universally declared to be the worst Star Trek episode ever. Most memorable quote? "Brain and brain . . . what is brain?"
I Will Fear No Evil by Robert A. Heinlein – Super-elderly billionaire whose body is on its last legs has his brain transplanted into the body of his beautiful young secretary. When wealthy industrialist Johann Sebastian Bach Smith arranges to find a younger body in which to transplant his brain, he never dreams that the body will be that of his beloved secretary Eunice, who is killed in an assault. Written in 1970, the book uses this plot as an opportunity to explore the differences between young and old, male and female, cranky and cheerful, chaste and promiscuous. (Especially promiscuous.)
Friends – In show-within-a-show storyline, actor plays character who's the result of a scheming diva's brain being transplanted into the body of a male neurosurgeon. Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) has an up-and-down history as an actor on the soap Days of Our Lives. He gets cast in and then loses the role of neurosurgeon Dr. Drake Ramoray, and is later brought back to the show to play a composite of Dr. Ramoray's body and the brain of prima donna–ish Jessica Lockhart, who was formerly played by fictional actress Cecilia Monroe (Susan Sarandon). While soap operas have a history of way-out-there storylines, including much reanimation of dead characters, this story may have either achieved new highs or sunk to new lows . . . depending on your perspective.
Young Frankenstein – In classic horror film spoof, mad scientist's grandson finds old man's journals and recreates his attempts to reanimate dead body with transplanted brain. This classic Mel Brooks comedy wrings ample humor from the oft-told tale of the doctor obsessed with both brain transplantation and reanimation. Plus it uses period-appropriate black-and-white cinematography and many sets and props from the original 1931 film Frankenstein, and features an amazing cast headed by Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, which he insists must be pronounced "FRAHNKensteen." As the monster, Peter Boyle does more with a few grunts and sidelong glances into the camera than most actors achieve with pages of dialog.
The Thing with Two Heads – Wealthy, ailing racist has head transplanted onto new body—the body of an African-American death row inmate. With the original head still attached. Ray Milland: classic actor in classic films like The Lost Weekend and Dial M for Murder. Rosey Grier: football legend of the L.A. Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" and author of the 1973 book Needlepoint for Men. Put them together (surgically!) and you've got one of the most truly awful (and most unintentionally funny) movies ever. Perhaps more presciently than one would expect, the trailer begins with the line "It seemed like a good idea at the time . . . "

Test Your "This Is Your Rock Star Brain on Booze" IQ!

2011-07-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Valerie Watson

In this issue of the Beachbody newsletter, we've discussed some of the ways you can make smart choices about your liquor consumption so as not to derail your progress with P90X^®, TurboFire^®, INSANITY^®, Slim in 6^®, or whatever your Beachbody program of choice may be.

In the world of rock 'n' roll, however, there have been a plethora of individuals whose actions, while immensely entertaining, have not been quite so, shall we say, brilliant.

Your job? Match the rock 'n' roll legend with the outrageous activity that helped him achieve legendary status.

Keith Moon – Blew up hotel toilets with explosives. Moon, the notoriously outrageous and hard-living drummer for the Who, started with cherry bombs, then graduated to stronger stuff—first M80s, then actual dynamite. Perhaps his most infamous porcelain-kablooie-ing incident involved driving an American luxury car (accounts differ as to whether it was a Cadillac^® or a Lincoln^® Continental^®) into a Midwestern hotel pool, blowing up the toilet in his room, and then jumping out the window to avoid the ceramic shrapnel. Mind you, this was when he was only 21.
Ozzy Osbourne – Bit the head off a dove in his record company's office. Was it just another in a series of drunken misbehaviors? Was it an attempt to get the record company to take him "seriously" as a solo artist after he left Black Sabbath? Mostly, it was icky. And somebody took pictures, which I wish they hadn't.
John Bonham – Relieved himself in his airplane seat and made a roadie switch seats with him for the rest of the flight. Really, what more is there to say? The Led Zeppelin drummer was in a class by himself. (First class, actually . . . then he moved to coach.)
Peter Buck – Wrestled with a flight attendant on a plane until both were covered with yogurt. Yes, Peter Buck. Yes, R.E.M. Yes, sensitive alterna-rock. Yes, the guy who plays the groovy Rickenbacker guitars and the mandolin. Such are the evil powers of too much . . . red wine? At one point, Buck was so soused he tried to put a CD into a food cart, thinking it was a CD player. "Losing My Religion," indeed.
John Lennon – Performed entire concert in underwear with toilet seat around neck. The much-loved and much-respected Beatles cofounder, who with Paul McCartney wrote the lion's share of the hits for the most popular rock band in history, once played an early Beatles show in Hamburg, Germany, sloshed out of his mind, stripped down to his skivvies, and sporting the aforementioned piece of bathroom furniture resting on his shoulders. To give things a little perspective, the show was the band's fourth in a row—on the same night. And he was still probably more coherent than Ozzy Osbourne sober.

Test Your Blueberry IQ!

2011-07-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

Did you know that July is National Blueberry Month? How much do you know about these tiny nutritional powerhouses?

What did early American colonists make by boiling blueberries and milk? Grey paint. As anyone who has had to wash a child after a blueberry-picking outing can attest, blueberry stains are quite powerful. They don't use them in those denture commercials for nothing.
Blueberries are the second most popular berry in America. What's #1? Strawberries are the most popular berry, but blueberries are gaining popularity all the time. Over 200 million pounds of blueberries are grown commercially each year, and North America produces 90 percent of them—with Maine responsible for 25 percent.
How many berries can one bush produce in a year? Over 6,000 blueberries, making the blueberry a real price performer for farmers. They have only been commercially cultivated since the early 20th century, though. Before that, you had to collect them in the wild to make blueberry muffins (or paint).
How long will fresh blueberries last in the refrigerator? Blueberries have a pretty good shelf life. They will last in the refrigerator for 10 days. Blueberries ripen on the tree and do not ripen further when picked, so when you buy fresh blueberries, what you see is what you get. Blueberries also freeze well.
What vitamins are blueberries particularly high in? Blueberries have high levels of vitamins B6, C, and K. They also contain high levels of manganese and dietary fiber. Studies have shown that blueberries may lower blood cholesterol levels, prevent urinary tract infections, and lessen the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

The ABCs of IBS

2011-07-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Omar Shamout

As many as 20 percent of Americans suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). While this painful condition technically just affects the digestive tract, its impact can reach far beyond simple discomfort, actually forcing people to change the way they live. IBS is a condition that's hard to diagnose, and because the frequency and intensity of IBS symptoms can fluctuate, many sufferers aren't even aware they have it. Fortunately, if you do suffer from IBS, changing the way you live can be easier than you think. It might even lead to a healthier and more active lifestyle overall.

What is IBS and how is it diagnosed?

IBS is a disorder of the intestines that's diagnosed more by what it isn't than by what it is. Although IBS shares symptoms with a variety of other conditions, including pain, bloating, cramping, diarrhea, and/or constipation, the good news is that IBS doesn't worsen over time, nor does it contribute to more serious diseases of the digestive tract, like cancer or inflammatory bowel disease.

As with so many types of diseases and disorders that result in chronic pain, for sufferers of IBS just getting a proper diagnosis can be a huge hurdle. Many patients have described having had their symptoms dismissed as nothing to worry about. This is due in part to IBS's being a condition that's functional, rather than structural, biochemical, or infectious. What this means is that it's difficult for doctors to identify IBS via a test, X-ray, or surgery in the same way they can identify an injury, inflammation, or infection. While this is problematic for diagnoses, it's good news in the sense that IBS is less serious than conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or inflammatory bowel disease, which cause physical damage to the body's organs. The only real way to diagnose IBS properly is by describing the symptoms to your doctor. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common symptoms of IBS are:

Abdominal pain or cramping
Bloating
Gas (flatulence)
Diarrhea or constipation—sometimes alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea
Mucus in the stool

These symptoms have to be present for 12 weeks or more in order for a medical professional to make an accurate diagnosis of IBS. And if they don't, it's up to you to be an advocate for your own health care, and speak up if you feel something is wrong.

Trigger foods

IBS is a very personal problem. No two people have identical trigger foods that cause symptoms to start. While specific foods vary, the most common offenders are high-fat foods and insoluble (or high-residue) fiber. This means meat (especially red meat), dairy products, leafy green vegetables, fruit skins, whole wheat, and anything fried. Caffeine and carbonated drinks are also dangerous. Nicotine and alcohol wreak havoc on the digestive tract, so IBS sufferers should be wary of these, particularly in social situations. Unfortunately, insoluble fiber is a key component of a heart-healthy diet, so the trick is learning how to manage your intake. Luckily, many of the same techniques that aid digestion for IBS sufferers are also highly recommended methods to regulating your metabolism and keeping your blood sugar in check.

Digestion tips

Eat small portions often throughout the day. This way, your digestive tract won't be overwhelmed. The emptier your stomach is, the less likely it is to get irritated.
Start meals off with soluble fiber. This includes foods like rice, pasta, oatmeal, quinoa, potatoes, carrots, yams, beets, and barley. Soluble-fiber foods dissolve in water and are naturally easier to digest, because they pass through the system more quickly. This is especially important if you know you'll be eating a trigger food with your meal.
Take your time while eating. Chew your food thoroughly and enjoy your meal. The faster you eat, the more air you swallow, which can cause bloating and make symptoms worse.
Drink plenty of water. Drinking lots of water is important for a variety of reasons, in addition to aiding digestion.
Try veggie-based products to replace meat and dairy in your diet. If you've discovered that a certain type of meat triggers your IBS more than others, try switching to a vegetarian version of it. If your store doesn't carry a large enough variety of veggie-based products, you can seek out a specialty store to find some great-tasting veggie versions of your favorite foods. There's also a plentiful variety of veggie dairy products available, which should aid your digestion considerably.
Supplements. Calcium is essential for strong bones, but it's also useful in preventing muscle contractions like those caused by IBS. Magnesium is also important because it can help to relax the colon. You can find both in Beachbody^® Core Cal-Mag^™ supplements. Multivitamins like Beachbody's ActiVit^® can help maintain digestive regularity.

If you're looking for more information about what and how to eat when you have IBS, there are a variety of manuals and cookbooks available to provide you with tips and instructions at your local library, your neighborhood bookstore, or online.

Stress and IBS

Stress and anxiety play a huge role in the onset of IBS symptoms for a great many people. Dr. Rodger H. Murphree, author of Treating and Beating Anxiety and Depression, writes:

"Research suggests that IBS patients have extra-sensitive pain receptors in the gastrointestinal tract, which may be related to low levels of serotonin. Decreased levels of serotonin may help explain why people with IBS are likely to be anxious or depressed. Studies show that 54 to 94 percent of IBS patients meet the diagnostic criteria for depression, anxiety, or panic disorder."

The type of stress that contributes to IBS can increase with major life changes like starting college or starting a new job, so it's important for IBS sufferers to seek treatment from a counselor or other medical professional who can help identify and treat psychological factors that trigger your symptoms.

Stay active

Apart from the obvious benefit to heart health and general well-being, exercise is a great way to increase serotonin levels, and help prevent IBS attacks from occurring. Try to fit in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day. Yoga and meditation classes are also proven ways to relieve stress, thus helping alleviate IBS symptoms.

Other options

If you follow these guidelines and still experience symptoms of IBS, you may want to discuss medications with your physician. A variety of medications are prescribed for IBS; your doctor will be able to decide which, if any, is best for you.

There's no denying that IBS can be a real game-changer in anyone's life, but if you follow a few simple tips and guidelines, you can help keep your symptoms in check. Just ask questions, eat healthily, and take care of your physical and mental well-being, and you'll be able to deal with your condition without letting it control your life.

9 Ways to Eat Healthily (and Cheaply)

2011-07-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

By now, most of us know what we should be eating—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and fish, among other foods. But anyone heading off to the supermarket with a shopping list of the best recommendations for a healthy diet is in for a bit of sticker shock. Over a two-year period, a recent University of Washington study tracked the costs of "nutrient-dense" foods (foods high in vitamins and minerals and low in calories) and "energy-dense" foods (foods high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals—a.k.a. junk).* The nutrient-dense foods rose in cost by almost 20 percent while the cost of junk food declined. The study found that getting your average day's worth of 2,000 calories from the junk side cost $3.52 while getting your 2,000-calories' worth from nutrient-dense cuisine would cost $36.32. Since the average American spends about $7.00 a day on food, you can see where the rise in obesity might come from.

Other studies have shown similar findings. While the income percentage that Americans spend on food has decreased dramatically over the last few years, the obesity rate has risen even more dramatically, as has the incidence of type 2 diabetes, an obesity-related disease. And the obesity rate has grown the most in the most impoverished sectors of society, further emphasizing the connection between the rising costs of nutrient-dense foods, declining junk-food costs, and rising obesity rates. If you've priced out what a nice piece of Chilean sea bass with a side of asparagus costs compared to the latest offering from your local fast food joint's dollar menu, it's easy to be tempted to go to the dark side—especially if your budget is shrinking more than your waistline.

It is possible, however, to eat healthily and still have some money left over. Even on the tightest budget, you can do a little legwork and research to make the most nutritious choices for you and your family. And even if you're fortunate enough to have the cash to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, as my grandfather would say, "There's no point putting your paycheck through your stomach." (And he lived to be almost 100 . . . but that was before the advent of dollar menus.) Here are nine tips for getting the most nutritional bang for your buck.

'Tis the season. Eating seasonally is the best way to get the most delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. When harvest time comes around for your favorite fruit or veggie, the market is usually glutted, and following the time-honored supply-and-demand curve, the prices of those fruits and veggies plummet. And not only is it cheap to eat fruits and veggies that are in season, it's the best time to get the most flavor for your money. Most fresh fruits and veggies sold in the off-season are either shipped from faraway lands or produced in greenhouse factories and don't have nearly the richness of flavors produced by Mother Nature. It's a good time to stock up, eat what you can, and freeze or can the rest for a rainy day. If you're fortunate enough to live in a community with a decent farmers' market, it pays to get to know the men and women who are selling the produce. They can let you know when the best time to buy the best stuff is and give you a preview of what's coming up harvest-wise, so you can plan your menu accordingly.
The big freeze. Speaking of freezing and canning, these are great ways to save money and still have your nutritional needs met. Not only are frozen and canned foods way cheaper than fresh foods, but in many cases, they're more nutritious. Fruits and vegetables are usually preserved within hours of harvest, when they have their maximum vitamins and minerals. Fresh fruits and vegetables can take days, or even weeks, to make the journey from the field to your table. Add that to any time spent lingering on supermarket shelves and then your fridge's crisper drawer, and suddenly, fresh doesn't seem so fresh anymore. And for many recipes, frozen or canned might even be better than fresh. A pint of fresh off-season blueberries can cost more than $5.00 while a one-pound bag of frozen blueberries can cost less than $3.00. And the frozen berries will be a lot better in your morning smoothie. Any chef will tell you about the virtues of canned tomatoes over fresh ones when making your favorite pasta sauce. The only thing to be wary of is the sodium and sugar content in canned goods or frozen veggies that contain high-calorie sauces or other not-so-healthy ingredients in not-so-healthy amounts.
Shop around. Smokey Robinson was right. It does pay to shop around. Check out those supermarket circulars that are stuffed into your mailbox every week. Each week, your supermarket advertises "loss leaders," including fruits, veggies, lean meats, and fish. Their hope is to lure you into the store with these bargains that they don't make so much money on and tempt you to buy extra high-profit stuff while you're there. But if you stick to your list, you can fill your cart with the loss leaders and save a ton of money. They'll usually be items that are in season as well, since they're cheaper for the store to buy anyway. Also, signing up for their club or rewards cards can help save you money, too. It's better to monitor sales and promotions rather than clipping coupons, as coupons are generally for processed, less healthy foods—although you can sometimes find good coupons for canned and frozen produce.
Get to know your grocer. And your butcher, your produce manager, etc. Find out what day produce is delivered to the store so you get maximum freshness for your dollar. Find out from the butcher when meat goes into the half-off section as its expiration date approaches. The meat isn't spoiled yet, and if you cook or freeze it that day or the next, it's no different from buying full-priced cuts and leaving them in your refrigerator for a couple of days. Only your pocketbook knows the difference. Also, many butchers will custom-grind for you without charge. If a package of factory-ground turkey breast costs $6.00 a pound and a whole turkey breast costs $2.00 a pound, why not buy the whole breast and ask your butcher to grind it for you? You'll save a lot of money, and you'll actually know what went into the turkey burger you're eating.
Think outside the big box. Instead of always going to the big-box supermarket chains, investigate if there are farmers' markets or food co-ops in your area. The food will be fresher, cheaper, and hopefully, not as coated with pesticides, waxes, or other unsavory elements. It's a good way to save money and support your local community at the same time. You can get organic produce for the same price or cheaper than traditionally grown produce this way as well. (It's also worth checking out what your state defines as organic.) Organic food is great, but if you're trying to save money, traditionally grown food isn't essentially less nutritious than organic; it just may require a little more scrubbing.
Start your own farm. If you have a yard, start your own vegetable and/or herb garden. With a little online research, you can find out what grows well and easily in your neck of the woods. And if you're an apartment dweller like me, you can get a lot out of a container garden. I have big pots on my balcony that keep me in tomatoes, peppers, and fresh herbs all summer long. And if you don't have a balcony, you can grow small pots of herbs in your kitchen—decorative, tasty, and economical!
Plan ahead. Take some time on Sunday to plan out your menu for the week for all your meals and snacks. Find out what's in season and on sale in your area. If you can only make one shopping trip for the week, front-load your menu with fresh ingredients and stock up on canned and frozen items for the latter half of the week. One of the areas where my budget always falls apart is not having the ingredients that I'll need or a plan for dinner; I end up grabbing takeout or having food delivered—both unhealthy and expensive. Just by planning ahead and not wasting money on unplanned restaurant meals, you'll find that you have a lot more money to spend at the grocery store so you won't have to cut as many corners for the meals you prepare.
Tap into tap water. Not your wallet. If you're going to spend money on your beverages, invest in a decent water filter to improve the taste of your tap water. As we've discussed in other articles, tap water is subject to a lot more regulations than bottled water, which is good for you, and it's not shipped in from Fiji or Norway, which is good for the environment. And it's practically free! It's a lot better for your waistline and your wallet than multiple trips to the soda machine.
Take your vitamins. Here's the easiest, most economical way to ensure that you always get a base level of proper nutrition. Taking a good multivitamin and a fish oil supplement will help you get the benefits of a diet that would otherwise cost a whole lot more to get you the same nutrients you'd get from food sources—and fish oil supplements are especially good for those who don't care for fish.

Test Your Muscle Beach IQ!

2011-07-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Elizabeth Brion

Summer's in full swing, and the thoughts of many fitness-minded people turn to working out on the beach. Sure, you could do dune sprints or that walking-backwards-in-the-sand thing—or you could hit Southern California's Muscle Beach and enjoy many of the amenities your gym has, except outside in the summer sun. Some consider Muscle Beach the birthplace of the fitness industry. Let's see how much you know about this legendary shrine to rippedness.

False: Muscle Beach has been a landmark on Venice Beach since the 1930s. The original Muscle Beach was opened in Santa Monica in 1934 as a WPA project, but the scene got to be a little out of control and local vendors were not pleased by all the free entertainment competing with their for-profit wares. The city closed it down in 1959, at which point the bodybuilding scene relocated to Venice, where apparently vendors are more chill. The Venice location was renovated rather lavishly in 1990 and now has a giant concrete dumbbell on the roof and bleachers to hold observers, along with extensive weight lifting facilities.
False: The original Muscle Beach is now a parking lot. That was the intention, but it escaped that fate long enough for people to become nostalgic for it, and in 1989 it was rededicated as the original Muscle Beach. Today, it's a more family-friendly attraction, featuring plentiful gymnastics training equipment and a jungle gym for the smaller kids to work out on.
True: Muscle Beach has been much loved by Hollywood celebrities as well as fitness legends. You'll hear of Muscle Beach in conjunction with people like Jack LaLanne, Steve Reeves, Vic Tanny, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it was also a popular hangout for movie stars, including Clark Gable, Kirk Douglas, Jayne Mansfield, and Mae West. (I like to think that it was when Mae turned up that the scene got too steamy for the locals, but of course, I totally just made that up.) While it doesn't have the same pull for today's Hollywood A-list (and considering their recent behavior, I think we're all glad for that), you can still spot famous bodybuilders—and even the occasional Beachbody icon!
True: Hulk Hogan once worked out there on an episode of Baywatch. I realize this is not the most useful fact to have in your mental library, but like many other people who went to high school in the 1980s, I can't pass up the opportunity to reference Hulk Hogan and Baywatch in one sentence. Because we love them both. Ironically or something. It's hard to tell the difference sometimes.

10 Ways to Avoid Injury When Resistance Training

2011-07-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Stephanie S. Saunders

You may have noticed at your local gym that weight lifting is becoming tres a la mode among the spandex and sweatband set. Unfortunately, this upswing in resistance training also means an upswing in injuries. An article in the New York Times recently reviewed a study of weight lifting injuries over an 18-year period, which showed there were almost one million Americans who visited an emergency room, injured, as the result of weight lifting. Ninety percent of those injuries were attributed to free weights. While women were more likely to drop the weights, resulting in fractures, men were more apt to create strains or sprains. Either way, as fantastic as it is that people are realizing how much they can alter their bodies with a couple of dumbbells, it makes you feel like a dumbbell when you drop one on your foot.

So let's look at 10 ways to avoid upping your insurance premium while still obtaining the physique of your dreams:

Warm up. Yes, you've heard "warm up before exercising" since junior-high PE class, although most of us looked at it as a way for lazy instructors to burn up class time. But are we really aware of the benefits of warming up before resistance training? Increased muscle and body temperature reduces the risk of strains and sprains, and also allows the muscle to contract more forcefully. Warming up creates less overall stress on the heart and activates your body's natural cooling system, a.k.a. sweat, to prevent overheating. Warming up creates greater range of motion around a joint and helps us get mentally prepared for the task at hand. So take 5 minutes, jump on a treadmill, and give your muscles a chance to wake up.
Use your thumbs. What gives us greater dexterity than most animals on the planet? Yes, it's our opposable thumbs. And yet, a great number of people do not include this strongest of digits in their weight lifting routines. It's similar to the way the British upper class sips their tea, only no one needs their pinky to stabilize a teacup. Without your thumb, your fingers cannot create a complete circle, which in turn means a dumbbell could go flying. So stop trying to look pristine and actually grip the weight with all five digits.
Get by with a little help from your friend. Asking for help in the gym, or even from someone you live with, is often as painful as asking for directions on a road trip. Yes, you want to appear like the superman or superwoman who's strong enough to handle it alone, but sometimes a spotter can make all the difference between success and a squished pinky toe. They don't need to spend all day with you, and in fact, you can politely thank them and offer to return the favor if needed, while simultaneously walking away. But asking for 30 seconds of their time could save you a lot more time in an emergency room.
Record your progress. If you've done P90X^®, Tony has drilled into your head the importance of recording your weights and repetitions, every time you work out. This is extremely important not only to create consistent change in your physique, but also as a safety measure to keep you from overdoing it. Since most of us cannot remember our mother's phone number, how do we expect to recall every single weight of dumbbell we used over the last several days, weeks, or months? And if we aren't sure where we left off, how are we to know where we are going? It's pretty common for someone to confuse the number, try to go too heavy, and end up knocking themselves in the head with a dumbbell. (At least I would like to think it common, since I once gave myself a concussion.) Start where you left off, and make small increases according to your workout plan.
Have lighter weights/bands available. Yes, you can use those 20-pound dumbbells for bicep curls, and yes, you can get through 6 repetitions very effectively. But as your form starts to fail, an injury is more likely to occur. So, as opposed to throwing in the towel and watching that TurboFire^® video from your couch like it's an episode of One Life to Live, have lighter weights or resistance bands available to continue your set. Or consider investing in dialing weights like the Bowflex^® SelectTech^® Dumbbells, where making the weight lighter or heavier is one click away. Whatever the case, do not assume that one pair of dumbbells is going to be enough to work your entire body safely.
Consistently check your range of motion and momentum. It's really easy to go a little bit farther than we should, which can cause all kinds of problems. This is the original intention for mirrors lining the walls of gymnasiums. Yes, it was actually to check your form, and not just to stare at your big, beautiful biceps. But since most of us don't have mirrors lining our living rooms, make sure you are using the appropriate range of motion for every exercise you do. In other words, don't let your elbows go beneath you in a chest press, don't let your knees go out over your toes in a squat, and don't hyperextend your back in a lat pull. Should you be unaware of the proper range of motion for an exercise, ask for some assistance.
Slow down, Turbo. Be slow and controlled about every movement. This is not an exercise in momentum. And although there are amazing cardiovascular benefits to weightlifting, it's not like you are trying to sprint around the track with a vampire bat chasing you. You can keep a good pace without letting momentum take over. Not only is it much safer, but much more beneficial to your overall progress.
Accessorize appropriately. This isn't a suggestion to wear a rhinestone weight lifting belt—although that'd be kind of cool—but to use some basic innovations in resistance training equipment in order to stay safe. Weight lifting gloves can be an inexpensive and invaluable tool in helping maintain grip on free weights, barbells, and pull-up bars. Tony Horton's PowerStands^® can take strain off wrists, forearms, and elbows when doing push-ups. The P90X Chin-Up Bar can change your grip to accommodate a more comfortable or versatile pull-up. Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells can take strain off your upper extremities and back by only requiring you to use one set of dumbbells to do everything, and not bending over to pick up 10 different sets. A plyometrics mat can take strain off your knees, ankles, and hips by creating extra cushion while jumping. And using a Beachbody Balance Ball or Squishy Ball to assist in core work can make your spine more comfortable, while working your abs. Using the right tools can sometimes make a huge difference in results—and safety.
Assume the position. One of the most horrifying things to observe as a fitness professional is how people actually get into position with their dumbbells. Lying down to do a bench press and reaching down with your arm behind you to pick up 30 pounds is way too common—and dangerous. Or how about the diving forward, as if you were entering a pool, to pick up dumbbells for a set of squats? From my perspective, watching that is scarier than Friday the 13th falling on Halloween. So to avoid strains as the result of bad pick-ups, use the following rules:
- When picking up dumbbells for a standing exercise, try to start with them on a rack or chair at waist height. If they are already on the floor, pick them up one at a time, with bent knees, and put them someplace higher.
- When using dumbbells for a seated exercise, or lying-down exercise, put one on each knee to begin. As you lean back, lift each knee one at a time to help you get the weight into place.
- If you are using dumbbells for a prone or kneeling-on-one-knee exercise, make sure the weight is already within arm's reach and maintain a flat spine as you lift it up.
Clean up after yourself. Not to sound like your nagging mother, but don't be a slob, even in your own home. Many injuries happen as the result of someone tripping over that weight or medicine ball someone left lying on the floor. As my mother used to say, it takes just as long to put it where it belongs as to throw it on the floor. We know this isn't really true, but if it keeps you from slamming into the ground, a couple extra seconds is worth it.

If you've spent any time with P90X or ChaLEAN Extreme^®, you know the transformative power of resistance training. And with a bit of preparation and thoughtfulness, it can be an injury-free endeavor as well. Just remember that getting injured will derail your training faster than a visit to Hometown Buffet^®. It's worth a little extra energy to avoid it.

Test Your Top Animal Land Speed (Sort of Including Cows) IQ!

2011-07-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Valerie Watson

When I set out to write this week's quiz, I took a look at the two main articles and thought, "OK. Turbo. Beef. Cows that move fast!" Sadly, a brief spate of Interwebs research proved this to be a lean topic indeed.

Cowboys will tell you that trying to get cattle to move at high speeds is counterproductive. Their job when bringing grass-fed cattle down from the grazing lands is to get the dogies to move just fast enough to get where they're going without having them sweat off any of the valuable beef weight they've put on while they've been fattening up. I found mention of a one-mile cow race in which a top bovine speed of roughly 8 miles per hour was achieved, and some anecdotal evidence of cows traveling anywhere from 5 to 20 miles per hour, but I found nothing concrete and scientific, with the levels of trustworthiness we usually demand of the reference materials we use for our newsletter quizzes.

Still, this got me thinking: what animals move the fastest, and where do cows fit in that hierarchy? I know the top speed my two cats can achieve while running across my living room floor is only limited by the speed at which I move the laser pointer they're chasing. (And, of course, the nearness of the wall.) Recent news stories about the British cat with the bionic legs aside, there are measurable land speeds for a variety of the earth's critters. Your job? Rank them from fastest to slowest.

Cheetah – When sprinting, a cheetah can achieve land speeds from 65 to 70 miles per hour. (This is when they're not distracted by activities like lounging, wearing sunglasses, and snacking on cheese puffs.)
Ostrich – At its fastest, an ostrich can run 45 to 50 miles per hour. You'd probably run that fast, too, if people were trying to make purses and burgers out of you. Poor gawky long-legged bird-beasts.
Bison (the most cowlike creature on the list!) – A bison's top speed has been clocked at 30 to 35 miles per hour. Why they couldn't satisfy my curiosity and also test a cow I may never be privileged to know, but I'll have to be satisfied by this cow-adjacent data.
Usain Bolt – The human sprint champion's top measured speed works out to 27.3 miles per hour. No jokes necessary; the dude is just fast. (As long as he's not racing against, say, a non-cheese-puff distracted cheetah. OK, one joke.)
Squirrel – A squirrel can run 10 to 12 miles per hour at top speed. Sadly, during peak squirrel season, I've seen abundant evidence that this is not always fast enough to outrun the cars on my street. Squirrels also aren't always fast enough to get away from (political correctness alert! I do not condone this behavior in any way) my dad's BB gun.

Test Your Yoga IQ!

2011-07-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Stan Malihee

Yoga is gaining popularity across the country, but especially in Southern California. When I first moved out here, people would ask me if I did yoga, and I would always reply with a favorite joke: "I'd try yoga, but I'm afraid I would levitate into a ceiling fan." Then one day Tony Horton stopped by Beachbody Headquarters and offered a free yoga class to all interested employees. Ninety minutes and 40 gallons of sweat later, I was totally converted, and now I truly believe in the tremendous powers of this ancient practice. How much do you know about yoga?

False: Yoga is approximately 3,000 years old. Although the specific year the practice began is under debate, the Yoga Sutras—a Sanskrit collection of works written by Patanjali—date back to more than 5,000 years ago. To give you a perspective on how far into history that is, back then America wasn't even the best country on Earth yet.
True: Yoga consists of what are referred to as "the eight limbs." Yoga is believed to be made up of eight limbs: the asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), dharana (concentration), dhyani (meditation), yamas (restraints), prayahara (withdrawal of senses), niyamas (observances), and samadhi (absorption). Hmmm . . . eight limbs, postures, breathing, concentration, meditation, restraints, withdrawal of senses, observances, absorption . . . sounds like my prom night!
True: Basketball superstar LeBron James does yoga. The star forward has had a highly successful and predominantly injury-free career in the NBA thus far, and James himself attributes some of that to his practice of yoga. Additionally, 11-time NBA champion head coach Phil Jackson is a proponent of the practice. And that's saying something. This is a dude who, when he wants to wear all of his championship rings at once, has one for every finger on both hands, and has to wear one on his toe. (Or at least I hope that's where he wears it!)
False: Yoga is risk free. I have a friend who hurt her back while transitioning out of the "upward dog" position, and her doctor told her that many of the injuries he sees are from yoga. So, like anything else, if it has the power to strengthen you, it also has the power to hurt you if done improperly. But everything in life involves risk, so don't let that stop you. Yoga is a wonderful exercise that can have enormous benefits. After all, if it's good enough for Tony Horton, LeBron James, and more than 5,000 years of avid practitioners, it's good enough for anyone who takes his or her health seriously. And that's no joke.

Osteoporosis: 5 Ways to Keep a Healthy Skeleton

2011-07-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Stephanie S. Saunders

When I reached the venerable age of 18, my mother handed me a Costco®-sized bottle of calcium and told me if I didn't take them daily, I'd end up looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I shrugged off the advice; although I knew osteoporosis ran in my family, I also knew athleticism did not. I was the super athlete who had an incredibly healthy diet. I believed I was immune from all degenerative diseases, regardless of my family history. The funny thing was, we were both wrong. Osteoporosis can affect anyone. However, taking a pill isn't the only way to keep it from affecting you. So what is osteoporosis, who is at risk for it, and what can we do to avoid it? Let's have a look.

Osteoporosis is a loss of bone tissue and structure, which can lead to fracture. Your bones get so weak and porous that a simple fall, or even a sneeze, can cause a break. Any bone can be affected, but osteoporosis seems to cause more hip, spine, and wrist fractures than anything else. It is believed that 10 million people today have osteoporosis, many of whom are unaware they have it, as the disease shows no signs of existing before a break. Once the break occurs, not only is hospitalization fairly certain, but an average of 24 percent of hip-fracture patients over the age of 50 die in the year following their break.

Certain people are more likely to develop osteoporosis than others. Being a woman is the number one risk factor (just 20 percent of the people affected are men). Other risk factors include age, family history of the disease, being small and thin, low estrogen levels, smoking, heavy alcohol use, inactive lifestyle, overactive lifestyle, use of steroids and some anticonvulsants, certain diseases including anorexia and rheumatoid arthritis, and dietary concerns such as low calcium and vitamin D intake as well as excessive intake of protein, sodium, and caffeine.

To find out if you have osteoporosis, you will take bone mineral density tests (BMD) using a central DXA, which stands for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. These fancy X-rays can tell if a person has low bone density as well as the rate of deterioration. They can also predict the chances of fracture in the future. This can help the health care provider decide if treatment is necessary. Unfortunately, these tests are usually done after the age of 50, when the damage is already done. So how do we prevent getting there?

Ways to avoid osteoporosis:

Start early. If you are under the age of 20 and are reading this, start taking care of your bones now. Eighty-five to ninety percent of all adult bone mass is acquired by the age of 20. Yes, 20. Unfortunately, many of us oldies were more concerned about how we looked in a bathing suit than about bone loss. So if you are young, start focusing on it now.
Get your calcium and vitamin D. The appropriate intake of calcium, 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams a day, is extremely important. And if you think that Starbucks^® latte has you covered, you are not quite hitting the mark. Eight ounces of milk only provides about 30 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA)*. Eight ounces of plain yogurt provides 42 percent of what you require, while 8 ounces of calcium-fortified orange juice gives you about 25 percent. The FDA has also stated that you can get your daily requirement of calcium through certain vegetables, but you will be eating A LOT of broccoli. The secret is to consume all of the above and consider a supplement like Beachbody's Core Cal-Mag^™. The body absorbs smaller quantities of calcium much more effectively, so splitting that 1,000 milligrams into two doses is your best bet. Also, intake of vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and for bone regrowth. Most people require between 5 and 10 micrograms daily and can easily attain this as many foods are fortified with vitamin D. But if you're really worried, one teaspoon of cod liver oil will nail your recommended daily allowance, and it's delicious to boot. Not!
Exercise. Engaging in regular weight-bearing and muscle-building exercise is your next defense in avoiding fractures. Yes, all your hours of P90X can actually help your bones in addition to your abs. Studies over the last 10 years indicate both aerobic and resistance training have an effect on bone density, with resistance training being more beneficial. The National Osteoporosis Foundation suggests weight-bearing exercises be done for at least 30 minutes a day (these include dancing, running, jumping rope, stair climbing, etc.) and resistance training 2 to 3 times a week with the focus on 8 to 12 different exercises. If you are already doing INSANITY^®, P90X^®, or TurboFire^®, you're working far beyond the requirements. If you haven't quite begun your program, and you might be at risk for fracture, make sure you seek the advice of a health care professional before beginning.
Avoid the bad stuff. Avoiding smoking, alcohol, and excessive amounts of protein might assist in preventing osteoporosis. Significant bone loss has been found in older men and women who smoke, and women smokers create less estrogen and experience menopause sooner. Smokers who suffer fractures take longer to heal. While there are studies showing the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, drinking as few as 2 to 3 standard drinks a day can interfere with the absorption of calcium and vitamin D. Excessive alcohol consumption also interrupts normal hormone function, which in turn reduces estrogen and testosterone levels, and increases the risk of osteoporosis. And consumption of excessive animal protein might actually affect bone density adversely, in the absence of calcium. While the kidneys can handle high-protein diets in short bursts, getting more than 40 percent of your calories from animal protein can create a higher excretion of calcium in urine and fecal matter, but there are different schools of thought as to where the calcium is coming from. Keeping your protein consumption to a more moderate level, or increasing your calcium intake, might help your bones in the long run.
Get tested. If you are over 50, it is definitely time to talk to your doctor. If you're under 50, but have any of the risk factors stated above, a bone density test could save you years of pain and a vast amount of money. There is presently no cure for osteoporosis; there are only treatment options. There are several medications that help in prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates, antiresorptive medications, and anabolic bone-forming medications have all been approved by the FDA and can certainly help in the war against fracture.

Osteoporosis isn't necessarily a life-threatening disease, but it is something that will truly affect your quality of life if you are faced with it. Prevention can begin now, and a few alterations in lifestyle might be all that's required. You can choose to ignore it at 20, but at 60 and 70, do you really want to be paying for your mistakes? Personally, I'd prefer to be scuba diving in Bora Bora, spending my children's inheritance instead of hobbling around on a weak hip. So be dense in your bones, not your brains, and start thinking about it. Your skeleton will thank you someday.

Test Your Accidental Food IQ!

2011-07-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

By DeLane McDuffie

Over the course of history, many inventions have come about by complete accident. Vulcanized rubber, the pacemaker, plastic, and penicillin are just a few of these discoveries. But it doesn't stop at the inedible. Frank Epperson accidentally left his drink outside in the cold (Popsicles^®), and Constantin Fahlberg spilled a chemical on his hands in his lab, forgot to wash it off, and later ate an unusually sweet dinner roll (saccharin). See if you can guess which of the following statements are truths and lies.

True: Many people claim to have invented the ice-cream cone. Nick Kabbaz, Abe Doumar, David Avayou, and Charles Menches all claimed to be the king of the ice-cream cone. In 1902, England's Antonio Valvona received a patent for an "Apparatus for Baking Biscuit Cups for Ice Cream." The following year, Italo Marchiony acquired a patent for a "molding apparatus for forming ice-cream cups and the like." However, the International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers (IAICM) throws its support behind Ernest Hamwi, a pastry maker at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair who gave a fellow vendor a hand. The vendor had run out of ice cream dishes, and Hamwi rolled up some of his pastries into cones, a sweet and tasty substitution.
False: Potato chips were created out of sadness. They were created out of anger. In the early 1850s, you didn't want to mess around with Saratoga Springs' chef George "Speck" Crum. Criticize his cooking and you would be sorry. Cornelius Vanderbilt didn't get the memo. While dining at the Moon's Lake House, he sent back his fried potatoes because they weren't crispy and crunchy enough. Chef Crum, incensed over the customer's lack of gratitude, sliced the batch of potatoes as thin as he could, refried them in hot grease, and dumped on a ton of salt. But Vanderbilt loved the "sabotaged" dish, and potato chips were soon a national sensation.
False: Teabags were invented by the British. Tea seller Thomas Sullivan needed to keep his costs down. So rather than send out loose tea to his clientele, the New Yorker saved money by sending out small silk sachets of tea. Ironically, many of his customers misunderstood his intentions. Instead of cutting the sachets to brew the loose tea, they dunked the whole sachets into their teacups. It caught on, and the silk teabags were later replaced with gauze. The British didn't accept the teabag for almost 50 years.
True: Cheese puffs were made by accident in Beloit, Wisconsin. It's only right that cheese puffs were invented in a state known for its cheese. To ensure that its animal feed didn't have any sharp hulls in it, The Flakall Company developed a grain-grinding machine. So that the machine wouldn't clog up, moist corn kernels were poured into it. Edward Wilson noticed that the machine would get insanely hot when left running, and the damp corn kernels would exit the machine in puffy strips—immediately hardening when exposed to air. Wilson took the strips home, threw on some oil and flavoring, and became the daddy of the original cheese curls, or puffs, or whatever you want to call them.
True: The Graham cracker was developed to curb people's sexual urges. Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham's theology was simple; he preached that everyone should have clean diets and practice "clean" living (regular bathing, exercise, 7 hours of sleep nightly, daily toothbrushing, fresh air, etc.). During the 1820s, he believed meat, spices, and alcohol fueled sexual lust, leading to human suffering, indigestion, poor circulation, spinal diseases, insanity, epilepsy, and other unpleasant issues. He was an advocate for unprocessed foods and detested refined white flour, which was stripped of dietary fiber. Therefore, he made Graham flour from unbleached whole wheat, from which the Graham cracker sprang forth. During that time, most people wrote him off as a nutcase (mainly because of his views on sexuality), but a lot of his philosophy would be later adopted by vegetarians and the health-minded. Graham had a great strategy, though. There is nothing sexy about a Graham cracker.

Facts on Fiber

2011-07-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Omar Shamout

When I was very young, my mother implored me to eat my bran flakes or else I wouldn't get enough fiber. I don't know about you, but from the age of four on, anything my mother told me to do automatically became worth avoiding at all costs. Plus, the word "bran" sounded like "bland," so my mind decided I was going to dislike it before even trying it. But in hindsight, perhaps my mother knew what she was talking about. Fiber is essential to maintaining a healthy digestive system, while also having positive effects on your heart, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

What is fiber? Fiber is a complex carbohydrate found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. It is so complex, in fact, that the body can't digest it.

Note that I wrote whole grains. When it comes to grains, you'll find the fiber in the outer shell, or bran (there's that word again). The problem that many of us face in getting fiber from breads, pasta, rice, or cereal is that the processed foods we know and love are made from refined grains that have been stripped of the bran and therefore contain very little fiber. And just because it says "wheat" somewhere on the bag or box doesn't mean it has fiber in it. Wonder^® Bread is made from wheat. If you want the whole deal, you need to verify that the ingredients list whole wheat or another kind of whole grain. And even then, check the fiber listing on the nutrition facts panel to see how much you're getting.

What does fiber do? There are two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber goes through your system "as is," and helps to regulate bowel movements. As insoluble fiber moves through the digestive tract and colon, it takes other things along with it, thus beefing up your stool and making it easier to pass. This is a simple and easy way to aid in weight loss because you're eliminating more waste from your body.

Because it dissolves in water, soluble fiber takes on a gel-like consistency in the stomach, slowing digestion and lowering blood sugar levels by slowing the rate at which sugar is released into the blood. Soluble fiber also regulates cholesterol by binding with fatty acids. If these benefits aren't enough to convince you, fiber has also been shown to reduce the risk of coronary artery (heart) disease and type 2 diabetes. Here is a chart that breaks down how much fiber is recommended by the USDA in order to accomplish the aforementioned benefits and maintain a healthy diet:

	Age 50 and younger	Age 51 and older
Men	38 g	30 g
Women	25 g	21 g

But I don't like the way fiber-rich foods taste! We get it, and food manufacturers do, too. They are realizing that consumers have gotten increasingly savvy about what goes into their food (and subsequently, into their bodies), and are offering more and more whole-grain options of popular brands. Taste preference is all about what you know. Obviously, refined flour-based foods are appealing because they taste good, but a large part of their dominance is based simply on the fact that we are used to them. If you make a commitment to buying whole-grain products, your taste buds will adapt, and you will learn to prepare whole-grain foods in a way that works for you, and combine them with other foods that will leave you happy and healthy.

It's also important to realize that you don't need to change everything about the way you eat overnight. Small changes can add up. If you don't like whole-grain bread, start with adding more apples or beans to your diet. Have fun and experiment. Don't get frustrated because you don't like eating bran muffins and proclaim that fiber isn't worth the trouble. There are always solutions to a problem if you're patient enough to find them. For a great source of gourmet, high-fiber recipes, check out The High-Fiber Cookbook by Bryanna Clark Grogan.

Supplements, you say? If you change your diet and you're still not getting all the fiber you need, supplements are a great way to boost your fiber intake. The main drawback to fiber supplements is that you deprive your body of the other vitamins and minerals that you would be consuming along with the fiber you get from foods. If a food is high in fiber, it's probably high in many other things that are good for you too, and you end up killing eight essential birds (or vitamins) with one stone (or bowl of lentil soup). Keeping this in mind, let's explore four popular forms of fiber supplements:

Apple pectin. Pectin is a compound found primarily in apples, but also in plums, peaches, and other fruits. It's useful in easing ongoing conditions such as diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. It acts as an antioxidant, which has been shown to have a positive effect in reducing the risk of certain cancers and lowering cholesterol in the bloodstream. As a result, it is especially recommended for those who eat a high-fat diet.
Psyllium husk. The dried covering of plant seeds, psyllium husk contains a whopping 71 grams of fiber in only one-third of a cup. Some people are very allergic to psyllium husk, so always consult a doctor before adding this or any other supplement to your diet.

One side effect to psyllium husk powder, and high-fiber diets in general, is that it can give you gas. A lot of gas. The best way to deal with this unfortunate problem is to increase your daily fiber intake slowly. A sudden increase of 20 grams of fiber or more per day will cause a lot of discomfort, so allow your body to get comfortable with a new diet, and don't rush into it. Also, popular fiber supplements such as Metamucil^® merely combine psyllium husk with sugar, so you're better off skipping the sweetness and going for the real thing.
Flaxseed. Flaxseed is a wonderful plant food because it contains not only soluble and insoluble fiber, but also high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which greatly reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and fight different types of cancers, specifically of the colon, prostate, and breast. Lignans found in flaxseed have also been proven to prevent the incidence and growth rate of tumors in cancers that are sensitive to hormones. One or two tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily is the suggested dose, and it can be easily added to foods like yogurt, cereal, soup, etc. However, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are advised not to supplement their diet with flaxseed until further studies examining its effect on them are concluded, and again, it's important to consult with your physician about adding any supplements to your diet.
Wheat germ. Wheat germ is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, but is more known for its high quantities of B vitamins, which aid in regulating metabolism and stress levels, and vitamin E, which benefits the skin.

Whether you do it because Beachbody told you to, or simply because you think it's about time to heed some of your mother's advice, figure out a way to get the recommended amount of fiber in your diet, and it may help you achieve a smaller waistline as a result, whi

8 Foods to Boost Your Metabolism

2011-07-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

If you spend any time perusing the fashion mags and tabloid rags in the supermarket checkout line, you'll see a wide array of articles claiming to have discovered the latest "miracle food" that will burn off the pounds while you sit on your butt and eat. Well, sadly, the news isn't quite that good. Without regular exercise, a decent night's sleep, and a thought-out meal plan, your metabolic rate is going to be dragging. However, there are some things you can eat that will move the needle favorably into the fat-burning zone. And most of these foods are delicious and nutritious anyway, so why not? Here are eight of the best ones.

Fish. Most of us have read about the benefits of fish oil, which is full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Found in many common oily fish like mackerel, trout, sardines, herring, tuna, and salmon, it can also be taken in capsules (at least 300 milligrams/day) by those who are averse to seafood. Fish consumption has been found to boost your calorie burn by as much as 400 calories a day. Fish is also full of great, low-fat, muscle-building protein (which requires your body to burn more calories to digest).
Dark green leafy vegetables. These include arugula, chard, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, and spinach. They are full of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and lots of fiber. While the vitamins are great antioxidants and very healthy for you, the fiber is where the rubber really meets the road as far as metabolism goes. Your body expends a lot more calories digesting fiber and protein than it does simply digesting carbohydrates. This is called the thermic effect—the amount of calories required to digest the food can sometimes be almost as much as the number of calories in the food itself. Dark leafies also contain many B vitamins, which are necessary to produce the enzymes for metabolism. Most other vegetables are high in fiber and low in calories and can boost your burn, but the cream of the crop, nutritionally speaking, are the dark green leafy vegetables. So listen to Popeye, and eat your spinach!
Tomatoes. Tomatoes have gotten a lot of good press lately, as they contain high levels of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been proven to have several anti-carcinogenic properties. And like the dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes are also a good source of fiber. But tomatoes can also work overtime to flush fat, as they also contain citric, malic, and oxalic acids, which support your body's kidney functions, which helps your body eliminate more waste and fat from your system.
Blueberries and other whole fruits. Whole fruits contain lots of fiber, and many contain so much, they can be said to have "negative calories," meaning your body burns more calories digesting the food than it stores. One cup of blueberries only has about 80 calories, but 4 grams of fiber. Your body will expend much of those 80 calories digesting the 4 grams of fiber. Blueberries also contain lots of antioxidants, and are believed to lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. And they taste great! Try adding them to a high-fiber unsweetened cereal or oatmeal in the morning to get your metabolism up and running at the start of your day.
Whole grains. Well, if you've read this far, you've probably gotten that fiber is key to keeping the metabolic fires burning. Whole grains are one of the best sources of dietary fiber. This is where careful label reading comes in. Lots of items purporting to contain whole grains may only contain enough to make the claim truthful, and may in fact be full of insulin-spiking carbohydrates or sugars, which will take your metabolism in the wrong direction. Check the ingredient list of your breads and cereals carefully and make sure the preponderance of the ingredients is whole grain.
Chilies, curries, and other spices. Ever eaten a particularly spicy meal and felt your heart race a bit faster and your forehead start to perspire? The capsaicin found in many hot peppers and other spices can fire up your metabolism while it fires up your mouth. In fact, some studies have shown a 50 percent increase in metabolism for 3 hours after eating capsaicin. So it helps to keep a bottle of hot sauce on hand at mealtimes. You can use spices to add flavor to recipes instead of salty or fatty ingredients, which will also help kick your metabolism into a higher gear.
Green tea. Researchers have found that green tea consumption can increase calorie burning by up to four percent. It is believed to accomplish this by increasing metabolic rates as well as fat oxidation. Studies have also shown that green tea can reduce sugar cravings and can inhibit enzymes that slow digestion, thus raising metabolic rates. Its thermogenetic properties were convincing enough that Beachbody^® includes it in its ActiVit^® Metabolism Formula Multivitamins. Besides the metabolic properties, green tea is loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols, making it one of the most healthful beverage choices around.
Ice water. Almost every nutritionist will recommend drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day, but did you know that if you drink ice water versus room-temperature water, your body will burn an extra 9 calories per glass? Drinking room-temperature water can burn about 16 calories per glass—that's 25 calories per glass for ice water. So, eight glasses of cool water a day can be responsible for burning 200 calories! Plus, water is necessary for all of your bodily processes, including the ones that control your metabolism. If you're underhydrated, your body will underperform. Water also flushes out fat deposits and toxins, which can hamper your energy.

And remember, a good night's sleep and smaller, evenly spaced meals can be your best metabolic friends. And the best thing to really get your metabolism going is exercise. You can burn almost 700 calories in one 45-minute Turbo Jam^® workout alone. Also, stress has been found to produce cortisol, a metabolism-inhibiting steroid, so try and relax—have a blueberry. Or a fish!

Test Your BBQ IQ!

2011-07-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

False: If you can hold your hand over the charcoal for 10 seconds, your grill is ready for cooking. After 10 seconds, your hand may be ready for the burn unit. Actually, if you can hold your hand above the coals for 3 seconds, the grill should be ready for cooking. If the grill is hotter than that, you run the risk of your food being burned on the outside and raw on the inside. A common misconception is that searing meat over a hot flame seals in the juices. In fact, cooking meat more slowly over lower heat produces juicier results.
True: Julius Caesar introduced pork sausages to Rome. Around 48 BC, Julius Caesar returned from Gaul, bringing the latest in sausage-making technology with him. While the early French may have been responsible for inventing the sausage, many would argue the Italians perfected it.
False: Hot dogs are the most popular grill item. Actually, hamburgers are number one. Hot dogs come in at a lowly number four, according to the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association. Steak is number two and chicken clucks in at number three.
False: Barbecuing and grilling mean the same thing. Americans, especially northerners, often use these terms interchangeably. But anyone who's had real 'cue from the Southern U.S. knows that barbecue is something totally different. Grilling means cooking quickly over high heat. Barbecued meat is cooked or smoked for hours until the juicy meat practically melts in your mouth. And true barbecue artists don't rely on sugary sauces to mask the flavor of the meat. Most purists prefer a good dry rub of peppers and spices for the best barbecue—and it's healthier, too!
False: Drumsticks (for drums, not from chicken) are made from mesquite wood. Drumsticks are actually made from hickory wood, which is also the most popular hardwood for smoking in barbecue cuisine, according to the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association. Mesquite is the runner-up, though as far as we can tell, it has no musical applications.

Night Becomes Morning: A Beachbody® FAQ for the Dreaded Hangover

2011-06-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Omar Shamout

"Dear God, if you'll only get me through this day, I promise to NEVER drink again." Many of you out there have uttered this phrase at some point in your lives. Depending on when you're reading this, maybe you said it this morning. Unfortunately, giving up everyone's favorite social lubricant for good might not be realistic for you, and once the pain, nausea, and vomiting go away, you're more likely to remember the good times you had out with your friends than the time you spent praying to the porcelain altar. Contrary to popular belief, fitness enthusiasts are, in fact, only mortal, and even some of us have succumbed to a hangover, or thirty, at some point. We feel your pain, and are here to provide a little insight into the science behind the booze and its effect on the body, as well as to uncover the truths and myths behind some so-called remedies.

What is a hangover exactly? Believe it or not, no one really knows. The science is still unclear, but a prominent theory held by many scientists is that the main trigger for hangovers are chemicals called congeners. A Brown University study noted that congeners can "interfere with cell function and leave some lasting physical marks." The same study identified that darker drinks have more concentrated levels of congeners, and can therefore lead to more severe hangovers, so it's probably best to avoid spirits such as brandy, red wine, and rum. Alcohol also blocks the release of an antidiuretic hormone in our bodies, which causes us to urinate more and lose water—hence the dehydration. It also prevents kidneys from absorbing water effectively.

We know for a fact that symptoms such as headaches, dry mouth, nausea, sleep abnormalities, and dizziness are signs that you are doing actual physical damage to your brain, stomach, liver, and kidneys through the consumption of alcohol, but the actual culprit for the hangover has not been identified to a satisfactory degree of medical certainty. As we get older, our liver also produces lower amounts of an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, which is used by the body to break down alcohol into a harmless chemical as it enters the bloodstream. This is what leaves many feeling like their hangovers worsen with age.

What can I do to prevent a hangover? There is a lot of confusion out there about what so-called miracle hangover cures actually do. While genetics do play a part in some people's resistance to hangovers, the truth is, the only 100 percent effective way to avoid a hangover is to abstain from drinking in the first place. You can't prevent alcohol from being absorbed by your body in much the same way that there is no cure for the common cold, so all you can hope to do is lessen the symptoms. Compare alcohol to a cold virus invading your bloodstream. You can take medicine to ease the cough and congestion it causes, but not to kill the virus directly. Only time can do that.

Another cause of hangovers is low blood sugar; eating a large meal before drinking will raise your levels, and cause the alcohol you're about to consume to be absorbed at a slower rate. Many people believe that eating a large meal while already drunk will prevent a hangover the next morning, but at this point, the alcohol is already in your system, and the damage has been done.

As we've discussed, dehydration is a side effect of alcohol consumption, so interspersing your drinks with glasses of water will slow down the rate at which this occurs. It might also be prudent to drink a glass of orange juice before bed to raise your blood sugar, and give your immune system an extra boost of vitamin C to battle the onslaught of toxins it's just received. If you're prone to headaches, popping an ibuprofen before you crash could be beneficial. Unfortunately, if you damage your body with enough toxins, you're going to get a hangover, no matter how many measures you take to lessen the blow.

Oops! I already have a hangover. What do I do? Alcohol is a drug, and as with any other narcotic, your body goes through withdrawal symptoms when that drug leaves your system. This phenomenon is what leads many people to the conclusion that a Bloody Mary is the only thing that will set you straight the morning after a big night out. While giving your body more of the drug that damaged it in the first place will provide a temporary "fix," you wouldn't tell a heroin addict that the best solution to his withdrawal is to take another hit, now would you? Obviously, this is a drastic comparison, but the logic holds up. So let's look at four steps you should take to get your body back to feeling its best:

Hydrate – Dehydration is the reason behind pretty much all of the worst hangover symptoms. Although alcohol makes us sleepy, it is often short and unrestful sleep, because your body wakes you up as a way of telling you to give it water and/or release it. A lack of proper REM sleep means you don't produce enough serotonin, leaving you cranky and irritable. Drink as much water as you can.
Rest – After you drink said water, go back to bed. As with any form of sickness, your body needs rest more than anything to restore your energy levels. If you must get up, avoid strenuous activity in the morning, and give your body the chance to recover.
Eat – Many people believe that a big plate of fried food is the best way to get rid of a hangover. The truth is, your body never needs unhealthy things, and you would be far better off eating a balanced meal of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats without the grease, because that might just irritate your stomach even further.
Combine 1 and 3, the Beachbody way – As always, we've got you covered. If eating is the last thing on your mind, you can hydrate your body and restore vital nutrients at the same time with Results and Recovery Formula^™. Designed for use after workouts, it works just as well during a hangover to replenish your body with electrolytes and nutrients to get you back to your best. It tastes great, too!

Moderation is the key to enjoying your night out, and the day after. A little bit of foresight and self-control will go a long way toward helping you enjoy alcohol in a safe and healthy way.

Summer Readin', Had Me a Blast! Three New Book Reviews

2011-06-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Denis Faye

Summer is upon us. Presumably, you've got your "beachified" body all in shape, and you're ready to hit the sand, relax on your towel, and do a little summer reading. Sure, you'll be poring through the latest Janet Evanovich novel, but between potboilers, why not take the opportunity to educate yourself on nutrition a little bit? There's a huge, healthy world out there beyond Michi's Ladder. Here are three new reads that mix recipes and education to help you explore the food you eat every day.

The 10 Things You Need to Eat by Dave Lieberman and Anahad O'Connor (William Morrow, $19.99)

Spoiler alert! The ten foods are tomatoes, avocados, beets, spinach, quinoa, lentils, cabbage, "super fish," nuts, and berries.

If you're thinking I just saved you 20 bucks, you're wrong. Any dope knows those foods are good for you, but do you know why? What I like about this book is the way the authors take each food and completely explore it. You'll learn about the cultural significance of each item as well as the what, how, and why of its nutritional value. For example, we all know the value of spinach, or "the captain of leafy greens," as the Spanish call it. But did you know that a 2007 study by the National Cancer Institute on half a million people showed that spinach may prevent cancer? Or are you aware that spinach has two to three times the antioxidant value of most veggies? Take that, cauliflower!

After fully briefing you on each food, the book lists several delicious recipes interspersed with practical preparation and storage hints. And while the recipes are largely healthy, they don't skimp on taste. True, the Baked Kale and Mushroom Ragout with Parmesan Bread Crumbs includes sugar, bacon, Parmesan cheese, and a baguette among the ingredients. At first glance, that may seem a little decadent, but you're getting a whole heap o' kale for a relatively small amount of indulgence, so it's not such a bad thing.

So if you're looking for a few tasty recipes and a lot of food knowledge, this book is a great investment.

I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander (Broadway Books, $19.99)

Less informative but equally appetizing is The Biggest Loser^® chef Devin Alexander's latest book. While everything here sounds delicious, I'm not as crazy about this cookbook. It's less about being healthy and more about being quick and not fattening. But admittedly, a book like this fills an important role in many people's lives. Some of us may be Food Nazis, but most of America isn't, so they need tools to help them to get to where they want to be. To me, the Kick-Butt Kahlua Sundae may be an aberration with its fat-free ice cream, chocolate syrup, and "whipped topping," but at 155 calories, 4 grams of protein, 33 grams of carbs, and no fat, it's a huge step up from the mini-tub of Chunky Monkey^® some people might normally polish off for dessert.

And, to her credit, Alexander does specify which recipes are "all-natural." The book also includes a chart explaining how to substitute organic or natural foods for some of her more decadent ingredient choices, but it's fairly useless. (Don't want to use chocolate chips? Substitute organic chocolate chips!)

So if you're scrambling to lose weight and figure out how to eat, this might be a good book for you, but if you're a seasoned P90Xer steeped in extreme fitness, I say pass it by.

Drink This, Not That! by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding (Rodale, $19.99)

I have a Love This, Hate This relationship with the Eat This, Not That! series. On one hand, they offer unparalleled intel about the increasing convoluted array of "foods" Americans find at their local restaurant and grocery store chains. On the other hand, although you'll find solid nutritional advice in the fine print, the bulk of the guidance falls along the lines of, "Cutting off your whole hand is a bad idea. Why don't you try cutting off your thumb instead?" Drink This, Not That! is no exception.

For example, the 11th worst drink in America is Starbucks^® Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream, checking in at 660 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 95 grams of sugar. The book compares the beverage to 8-1/2 scoops of coffee ice cream, and if you read the tiny print at the top of the page, you'll see, "If you want a caffeine buzz, stick to the regular joe, an Americano or a cappuccino."

But you're probably not going to read that 8-point type. Instead, your eyes will be drawn to the bright yellow circle in the bottom right-hand corner suggesting you swap it out for a 260-calorie Cinnamon Dolce Latte with Sugar Free Syrup. (Several pages later, and in a much less sexy font, the book does discuss the evils of artificial sweeteners, but that doesn't stop it from recommending them repeatedly.)

That said, this book lists absolutely everything you've ever wanted to know about every drink ever, including coffee, beer, wine, and spirits. It also offers several great drink recipes, including The Caffeinated Banana, which sounds great to me except for the pointless tablespoon of agave syrup, which also rears its prickly head in the Margarita recipe. News flash, boys: There's no need to add any kind of syrup to a real Margarita. It's tequila, lime juice, and triple sec or Cointreau^®, end of story. I don't care if you're the editor of Men's Health, Zinczenko. I'm going to have Hemingway come back from the grave and give you a good slapping.

So I do think the book is worth investing in, but I'd disregard most of the Drink This! advice. Much like I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening!, this book may serve as a bridge to healthy eating, but I don't think it quite crosses the chasm. Liquid calories are a huge reason for America's weight problem, so stick to water, coffee, and tea—iced or hot—and you'll be fine.

Test Your Tomato IQ!

2011-06-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Elizabeth Brion

It's summertime! For people like me, there's no need to look for an upside—it's all good news. But even if you hate the heat and sunshine makes you snappish, surely you're at least a little optimistic about the season's glorious tomato crop. Friends have waxed rhapsodic about the joy of heading out into the garden with a salt shaker and just chowing down; I'm a city mouse myself and never had that opportunity, but my lower-Manhattan roommates and I did once hold a BYOTAS party (Bring Your Own Tomatoes and Salt, obviously). I can't imagine why that trend never caught on. Let's find out how much you know about tomatoes.

False: The largest tomato ever grown weighed nearly 5 pounds. The Guinness Book record-holder, grown by Gordon Graham of Oklahoma in 1986, actually weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces.
True: The tomato is a vegetable. You thought you had this one, right? In a twist on the twist to this story, the biologically-a-fruit tomato was ruled to be a vegetable by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Nix v. Hedden, 1893. I'm not 100 percent sure about this, but I believe that as a U.S. citizen I am required to abide by that ruling in all public correspondence.
False: The tomato loses much of its nutritional value when cooked. While this is true for many foods, the tomato's nutritional value actually increases significantly—specifically, the level of the crucial antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is fat soluble, so cooking the tomatoes with some oil will increase the nutrient's bioavailability. Don't you love when the healthiest option is also a fun option?
False: The scientific name of the tomato translates to "apple of love." Close—that's its Italian name, pomodoro. Its scientific name, lycopersicum, translates to "wolf peach." Which is such a cool name I'm not sure why we don't just call it that. Want to start?
True: Tomatoes were once considered poisonous. Like the rest of the nightshade family, tomatoes had a bad reputation—some other nightshades came by that rep honestly, but the tomato just has a teensy bit of poison and clearly wants to serve humankind honorably. In 1820, a gentleman named Robert Gibbon Johnson decided he'd had enough of our nonsense and stood on the courthouse steps of Salem, NJ, eating tomato after tomato without dying until the townspeople had to admit it was safe. And he did this without even the faintest possibility of YouTube^® stardom. That's dedication.

5 Ways to Beat the Worktime Snack Attack

2011-06-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Omar Shamout

I recall an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm a few years back where Larry David was arguing with someone (as he's wont to do) over the proper time to eat dinner. He was adamant that dinner is traditionally eaten between the hours of 5 PM and 8 PM. Not before. Not after. Since the majority of Americans don't have the luxury of living off Seinfeld residuals, we have to go to work, and sometimes that means we can't eat at normal hours, or in any sort of regular intervals. A constantly rotating work schedule or very long shifts present a challenge to eating right, but can certainly be overcome with proper planning and a positive outlook.

Your body is a creature of habit. It gets used to routines, and the chemical processes that go on inside of it are on a set schedule. Consequently, if you do something to throw those off, like drastically altering your eating habits, it tends to react poorly. The best way to fix this is to outsmart your body, and get it on a schedule that works for the both of you.

Here are some tips on how to do that:

If you don't get enough sleep, you're busted no matter what. Therefore, the first order of business is to adjust your sleep schedule. Cutting out crucial hours of sleep will affect the results you see from not only your diet, but your workout as well. Not getting enough sleep is detrimental to your health and metabolism, even if you eat during "optimal" periods. Want more proof? Check out this recent newsletter article that offers a rather stark warning. (See "The Sleep Solution: 4 Ways to Get the Rest You Need to Boost Results!" in the Related Articles section below.) The point here is that if working late causes you to lose sleep, you will be doing damage to your body no matter how well you eat, and all the subsequent tips mentioned below will be for naught.
Late-night eating. We've always heard that eating right before bed is bad because the body doesn't get a chance to burn those calories off, and instead converts the food into fat. At the same time, depriving your body of nutrients isn't healthy either, so what's the answer?

In a recent study at Northwestern University, scientists discovered that a group of mice who were only allowed to eat a high-fat diet during an non-optimal eating period (nighttime) gained over twice as much weight as mice only allowed to eat during an optimal eating period (daytime). In other words, mice that ate before bed got fat. While researchers are as yet unable to pinpoint a single reason for this discrepancy, "the interplay between body temperature, metabolic hormones such as leptin, and the sleep-wake cycle" were determined to be the biggest contributing factors.

So if you can avoid eating before bed, do. But if you're hard pressed, keep it small and try to space it as far away from sleep as possible.
Eat moderately throughout the day. This is the best solution to avoid getting those deep hunger pangs at night when you get home, and to set your body's metabolism on an effective rhythm. This is especially true for people whose jobs force them to be immobile, and prevent them from getting enough natural exercise throughout the day to allow them to burn off a few of the calories from a heavy lunch. If you're working a double shift and find yourself awake for 20 plus hours, try taking a portion block from one of your meals and using it as a snack later on instead. If you're on your feet most of the time and have an active job, adding an extra 200 to 300 balanced calories to your diet shouldn't be a problem. Either way, try to eat every 3 hours, and avoid eating 2 to 3 hours before bed.
Skipping meals is not the answer. You may be tempted to fast and skip meals altogether, reducing your daily caloric intake in the hopes that consuming fewer calories will lead to weight loss. The problem with this logic is that drastically reducing your caloric intake can also cause your body's metabolism to slow down and stop converting food into energy. In order to lose weight, your body needs fuel. Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume, not simply by eating less. It may be counterintuitive, but eating less without exercising is very unhealthy, and will leave you feeling tired and listless, due to a dip in blood sugar. If you want to be super-fit and lean, you have to eat and exercise to turn your body into a fat-burning machine rather than a fat-storing machine.

"Cyprindon" from the Beachbody® Message Boards elaborates on the potentially harmful side effects of allowing your body to become acclimated to fewer daily calories over the long term and enter what is referred to as starvation mode:

"You are putting less calories toward body heat production and toward activity than you would at a higher calorie level. You may or may not notice that you feel colder than you did at a higher calorie intake. You may or may not notice that you simply move slower and you move less all day long through your activities. You may even be sleeping more than before. You may also be putting less calories toward egg production, immune system function, tissue repair, and other things."
Plan ahead. Don't let your work schedule be an excuse for living an unhealthy lifestyle. If you know you'll be working at dinnertime, find a time to eat healthy snacks and small meals while on the job. It may be difficult at first, and you might need to try out a few schedules, but being smart and proactive will usually supply an answer. Still don't think it's possible? Take it from Beachbody Message Boards contributor "PrimaBallerina." She writes:

"I don't get home from work until 10 or 10:30 at night. I didn't think I had the option of eating at work. I teach dance, and I have classes back to back to back. I don't even have time to go to the bathroom. I had to make time to eat. I teach ballet 95% of the time, and I teach a certain method where they do the same thing to the same music, so I take the opportunity to eat a dinner that I pack while they're doing the stuff they know well. I'm still watching and working, but I'm taking care of myself too! I agree with everybody else, pack a dinner!"

Shakeology^® is an excellent way to give your body the nutrition it needs in a quick and easy way, and is very conducive to an on-the-go lifestyle. Other quick, portable, and healthy snacks include fresh fruit, chopped-up veggies, or raw nuts.

The bottom line is that you are the only person who can take control of your health. If you're not really committed to taking the necessary steps to losing weight and getting fit, then there are any number of excuses you could make to explain why it's just not possible for you. Don't be lured by the temptation of the drive-thru, and avoid putting yourself in situations where the temptation to eat poorly is the easiest option. As soon as you start making excuses for yourself, you've lost. In truth, successful people are always the ones who persisted despite any obstacles or challenges that stood before them. Life will always get in the way, so make being healthy a necessity, not a choice. If you can schedule a time to work out every day, then you can certainly coordinate an appropriate eating schedule as well.

Can Zigzag Dieting Work for You?

2011-06-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Steve Edwards

One of the most effective dieting techniques we've found is zigzagging. Not to be confused with yo-yo dieting, zigzag is a technique that should be used anytime you want to increase or decrease your daily caloric intake, and can be used to find out what your caloric intake should be. Instead of moving straight to a new daily caloric number, you move in smaller increments on a staggered schedule. You hear the phrase "listen to your body" all the time. Can Zigzag Dieting Work for You? actually teaches your body how to have a conversation with you.

Here's an example of how it works:

Say you're eating 1,500 calories a day and have been for a period of time during which you've lost weight. Now your weight loss has stagnated. This is a common scenario because the new, fitter you has a different body composition than the former you. You have more muscle and a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR). In order to continue your weight loss, you need to eat more, because 1,500 calories isn't enough—even though it once was—and now your body is reacting by slowing its metabolism and releasing cortisol in a protective response (often called starvation mode because this is how your body would respond to being starved).

It's possible this could be a lot more calories, depending on one's size. A large person who should be eating, say, 2,500 calories to maintain his or her optimal weight could lose weight by massively undereating when he or she is deconditioned. As this person's body composition changes, he or she will need more calories to continue to lose weight. So let's say this individual figures to need 2,500 calories a day.

Weight times 10, plus 10 percent to 30 percent for daily activity depending on how active you are, plus the estimated caloric burn of your exercise, or just click here to calculate your caloric needs at TeamBeachbody.com.

You don't want to jump straight to 2,500 calories. First, it would create a shock to your system, and second, it may be wrong, as those calculators only give ballpark figures. The most effective thing to do is to zigzag your caloric intake. In this instance, I would recommend eating 2,000 calories per day for 3 to 4 days a week and 1,500 calories on the other days. Then, you note how your body responds, which I would expect to be positively on the higher caloric days and by feeling famished on the low-cal days.

You want to be energized but not hungry, so after a week or two of this, I would bump up to around 2,200 calories a day for 4 or 5 days, and 1,500 calories a day for 2 days for maybe one week. If you're still starving on the low days, try bumping them up to 2,000 calories a day and see how you respond. Use this tactic until you regulate, which means that you're energized but not hungry, and also not full. You can tell when you're eating too many calories because you'll begin to feel full, you won't digest your food between meals, and you'll feel more lethargic at the beginning of workouts.

Zigzag dieting works whether you need to reduce or increase your caloric intake, and whether you need a subtle change or a dramatic change. There is no numbers formula except to increase/decrease in small increments between 200 and 500 calories a day, and to zigzag your caloric intake 2 to 4 times per week. Then, you just listen and let your body tell you how much you should eat.

Recipe: Frozen Shakeology® Pops

2011-06-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Sandy Carter (and her daughter)

Ready for a frosty treat that's as healthy as it is delicious? Try this recipe for frozen Shakeology pops. They're simple to mix up and freeze, and best of all, there's no guilt—just icy-cold choco-peanutty refreshment!

1 serving Chocolate Shakeology
3/4 cup nonfat milk
1-1/2 Tbsp. peanut butter (all-natural is best)
1 cup ice (more or less to taste)

Place ingredients in blender and blend until thoroughly mixed and creamy. Pour into 4-oz. pop molds and freeze until solid. Makes 4 pops.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
91	8 g	1 g	8 g	3 g	<1 g

Make Mine Melon!

2011-06-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Denis Faye

There's nothing bad about melons. They're yummy, they're super good for you, and they're one of the most social foods around. No self-respecting summer picnic would be complete without a big ol' watermelon. In fact, Americans purchase 3 billion pounds of the big green yum-balls annually. Everything else on the checkered tablecloth might be a nutritional nightmare, but nestled between the ambrosia and the macaroni salad you'll always find those big slices of sweet pink vitamin C-packed goodness, secretly supplying hungry partygoers with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.

In truth, I probably don't need to explain why you should be eating everyone's favorite summer fruit, 'cause you're gonna eat it either way, but we're all food nerds here, right? So let's take moment and learn a little more about melons.

Melonology 101

You can buy melons in the grocery store year-round, but they're in season in America in the summer, so save your consumption for that season, and make sure you buy local. There are a couple of reasons to do this. First, once a piece of fruit is picked, it starts to lose nutrients, so not only do melons shipped from Central America tend to be mealier in texture, they're also less nutritious. Second, imported melons are more expensive.

You can store a melon at room temperature for a few days. Refrigerating it will help the nutrients last longer, but you lose flavor, particularly with cantaloupes. Once you've cut it open, all bets are off. Seal that melon and store it in the fridge. It should last about a week.

And even though you're probably not going to eat the rind, give your melon a good washing before cutting it up, so you can avoid any dirt, residues, or pesticides (if it's not organic) that might get into the flesh when you cut it.

While the watermelon is arguably the rock star of the melon world, having recently been rated the second healthiest fruit around by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (behind guava), it's just one of dozens of melon varieties. Let's discuss a few.

Watermelon

Actually, the watermelon is the only melon that's not a member of the Cucumis genus. It's a member of the genus Citrullus, which totally matters, right? Anyway, why did the CSPI go nuts for watermelons? They're loaded with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, A, B6, and B1, as well as potassium and magnesium. More importantly, they're loaded with carotenoids, pigments existing in plants that give them their vibrant colors. Carotenoids also have beneficial effects on those who eat them, including protecting cell walls from free radicals, improving your immune system, and helping to maintain reproductive health.

One of the most prominent carotenoids in watermelon is cardiovascular-system-enhancing lycopene, which is usually associated with tomatoes, even though watermelon contains a much higher concentration by volume.

Haters sometimes criticize the watermelon for its lack of fiber. While this is true, it's fairly irrelevant. This fruit is incredibly water- and nutrient-dense, meaning you get a lot of vitamins and minerals for very few calories. One cup, which works out to about a pound of fruit, is only 49 calories.

Furthermore, I defy you to show me anyone who's ever gotten fat from eating watermelon.

Picking a good watermelon is easy. As is the case with all melons, once it's been plucked from the vine, it stops ripening, so don't buy it hoping it'll improve. According to The World's Healthiest Foods by George Mateljan, there are two tricks to identifying a ripe watermelon. First, the "ground spot," where it rested in the dirt, should be yellow. If it's green or white, it's probably not ready. Seedless watermelons sometimes don't have ground spots, so this doesn't apply to them. Second, give it a thump. If it responds with a dull thud, that's good. It if sounds hollow, put it back.

On a final note, if you're concerned about the genetic modification factor when it comes to seedless watermelon varieties, don't be. They're hybrids, meaning they're a cross between two types of melon. No genes are manipulated in the making of this summer treat.

Cantaloupe

My grandmother used to say, "Cantaloupe—'cause we're already married!"

Bwahahahahaha! [Wipes tear from eye.]

Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's talk about the fruit the CSPI ranked as the eighth healthiest fruit. The cantaloupe, as we know it, is actually a muskmelon. Real cantaloupes are grown in France and rarely make it to the states. Whatever you want to call them, they're packed with vitamins C, A, B3, B6, and B9, as well as potassium. Unlike watermelons, they have a little fiber, a little over 1 gram for a 56-calorie, 1-cup serving.

They're also a good source of carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, which you'll also find in carrots. Are you seeing the pattern here? Remember how I said carotenoids are pigments? Cantaloupes and carrots are both orange. Watermelons and tomatoes, with their lycopene, are both red.

Cool, huh?

Cantaloupes stop ripening when picked, but unlike watermelons, the tap test should sound hollow. They should have a subtle, fruity smell. If a cantaloupe smells too strong, it's probably overripe. Also, the side opposite the stem should be slightly soft. Other than that, there should be no bruises or odd spots.

The only real downside to cantaloupe—and it's a weird one—is that people with latex allergies sometimes react poorly to them, so look out for that. Who knew?

Honeydew

Although they're still yummy, honeydew melons fare poorly from a nutritional standpoint when compared to their pink and orange brethren. That 1 cup of cubes has 61 calories and 1 gram of fiber, but the vitamin C is only about half that of cantaloupe, and there are also much lower amounts of other micronutrients, although there's still a pretty good amount of potassium.

The carotenoid that gives honeydew its green hue is zeaxanthin, which promotes eye health. You'll find even more impressive amounts of zeaxanthin in almost all leafy greens.

You determine whether a honeydew's ripe the same way you find a good cantaloupe. Hollow tap, fruity smell, and no soft spots.

Casaba

Although it's less well known, I thought I'd mention the casaba, because of the special role it plays in the melon world. While nowhere near as nutritionally dense as the melons we've discussed previously, the casaba still features a nice little hit of vitamins C and B6, plus some potassium. Casabas also tend to have slightly more protein and fiber and less sugar than other melons, which gives them less of a glycemic load. In other words, they might be considered a "low-carb" fruit.

Though not as flavorful as some other melons, casabas have a long shelf life, which is convenient. The ripeness smell test doesn't really apply here, as they have no aroma, so look for color instead. The outer skin on a ripe casaba will be bright yellow.

Which melon is right for you?

The answer? Any of them. However, if after reading all this, you're stuck as to which melon to pick for your next BBQ, I have an idea: Buy one of each! Chop them up, mix them up, and you have a colorful, nutrient-rich fruit salad that'll kick that picnic into overdrive. With any luck, Cousin Millie and Grandma Bertie will finally get the message that you don't need mayo and refined sugar to make food delicious.

8 Ways to Avoid a Tropical Resort Pork-Out

2011-06-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

By G.D. Rossen

As the summer vacation season approaches and millions of people start planning trips, among the most popular ways the recreation-starved choose to spend their hard-earned vacation time and harder-earned cash is on cruise ships or at all-inclusive tropical resorts. The cruise industry alone saw more than 10 million passengers depart from U.S. ports last year, while tropical über-resorts with names like Sandals^®, Breezes, and Couples beckon with enticing promises of warm sands and days of leisure. (We won't touch on what Hedonism Resorts^® beckons with.) What these vacation destinations all have in common is cocoon-like protection in a safe, microcosmic version of the locale you're visiting, committed to relaxation and fun. But they share something else too. As all-inclusive vacations, they offer near-continuous access to all the food you can eat, which makes them appeal to instincts honed by our famine-fearing ancestors—instincts that tell us that if there's food available, it's time to chow down. Cruise ships in particular have gained notoriety as being fat factories on the seas. Like the average American waistline, every year, the ships grow larger and larger, adding more and more dining rooms and buffets, each enticing travelers to gorge as they lounge in the tropical sunshine.

And while in this era of shrinking paychecks and cost-conscious consuming the idea of all-inclusive vacations sounds like a smart vacation shopper's dream come true, this all-you-can-consume kind of vacation carries with it risks for the health-minded vacationer. So if your goal is to keep from overindulging while at an all-inclusive resort or on a cruise, and you can't depend solely on your willpower to keep you on the straight and narrow, here are eight ways you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest without derailing your healthy eating and exercise plan.

The opposite of mountain climbing (or beware the buffet). Mountain climbers have been known to explain their passionate need to tackle a given peak by saying "because it's there"; vacationers at an all-inclusive often defend their face-first dives into mountainous buffets with the same motto. Just because something is there doesn't mean you have to have it. That said, we're all human, and something that seems "free" or "paid for" is enticing and alluring . . . especially when it's bathed in cream, salt, sugar, cheese, etc. So when mealtime rolls around and a buffet sprawls before you like pirate booty waiting to be plundered, make sure you start with the salad. That's right, a simple green salad, and while you're at it, try light dressing or no dressing at all. Salad fills up space in your stomach while it provides you with vitamins and roughage, the latter of which is noticeably lacking in many buffet-style foods. Just remember, the more salad you eat (at, say, 50 calories for a cup and a half of salad without dressing, or 100 calories for a cup and a half with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette), the less room you'll have for starchy, fatty, salty Fettuccine Alfredo (which can weigh in at 700 calories per serving and up—often way up). The result is that in addition to keeping your arteries clearer, you're gonna feel a lot better in your swimsuit when you're lounging on the Lido deck.
Be the captain of your table. While cruise ships and all-inclusive resorts have embraced the "more is better" philosophy, offering sometimes a dozen restaurant options to their captive diners, the tourism industry has also been among the most responsive to working "heart-healthy" and lower-calorie options into their menus. You just have to use them. Vegetarian choices are usually available at every meal, as are sugar-free desserts and low-salt options. On cruises in particular, many ship kitchens pride themselves on accommodating guests' special dietary requests. And since both cruise ships and beachside resorts boast waterfront settings and nautical themes, fish dishes are virtually always available on the menu, which can make for healthier dining choices, especially when grilled.
Beware the pink parasols. Okay, let's not go overboard. If you drink alcohol, your vacation most likely won't be the time you choose to cut it out of your diet. But the amount of calories in some alcoholic drinks can be truly astounding. Daiquiris, margaritas, mai tais—resort favorites all—generally carry high-calorie loads, and basically any drink sweetened with syrups or sugar is getting into Candyland as far as calorie count goes. Also, alcohol has that special ability to lower your resistance, impeding your better judgment. The bottom line is that drinking can make you consume a surplus of empty calories, both directly (the alcohol itself) and indirectly (the poolside French fries or grande platter of nachos you order when the alcohol obliterates your resolve). So before you find yourself paddling over toward the swim-up bar (because hey, how cool is that, having a swim-up bar?), have a strategy in place. Maybe your strategy will involve using low-cal mixers (i.e., rum and Diet Coke^®) or alternating between an alcoholic drink and a nonalcoholic low-cal or no-cal drink (i.e., sparkling water on ice with some lemon or lime). Or if a cold beer is more to your liking, enjoy a light beer instead.
Then again, it is vacation! So eat . . . then hit the gym. Sure there's temptation on vacation. That's why it's a vacation. And you don't want to be so mindful of your menu that you don't have fun. (After all, would you go to Switzerland and not try the chocolate, or visit New Orleans and not have beignets?) So if you embrace the dining options to their fullest, or feel you're deserving of your vacation drinks (especially since someone else is driving [the ship]), you should also embrace the many, many exercise options that are available. Fully outfitted gyms are de rigueur in all major resorts and ships, and the hour you spend on an elliptical machine could see you burn off 600 calories. The hardest part is incorporating the workout regimen you embrace at home to this new environment where hedonism is encouraged and rewarded. (Few gyms are emptier than those on cruise ships.) So here are a few exercise options.
Exercise easy . . . Opportunities for easy, "I've got a hangover and can't get too out of breath"-type exercise are plentiful at resorts and on cruise ships. Sure, they may not be challenging enough to be featured on the cover of an outdoorsy-lifestyle magazine, but remember that embracing the many slower-paced vacation-style exercise options around you is better than not moving at all. For instance, you might want to take a morning walk before camping out on the nearest chaise lounge for the day. Walking on an even surface at 3 miles per hour will consume around 220 calories an hour, and even a modest (or stumbling) 2-mile-per-hour walk burns around 170 calories. So the paths around the resort, or even off-property if that's both safe and viable, provide for strolls that let you enjoy the warmth, soak in the atmosphere, and not atrophy on a poolside lounge chair. Likewise, most cruise ships boast tracks around the upper decks where passengers can walk or jog to their heart's delight (jogging can burn 360 calories and up an hour). Even the much-maligned game of shuffleboard can burn 150 or 200 calories an hour. Yes, it's a ridiculous pastime. Yes, it is associated with Miami Beach in the 1970s. But the idea is to move, rather than only bake in the sun while downing nachos and beers.
Or exercise hard core . . . Rock-climbing walls are now present on many ships and at some resorts, and provide an extremely calorie-intensive workout due to the intense physical demands of clinging to a faux-rock face with feet and fingers (burning as much as 100 calories in a brief 10-minute climb). Never rappelled down a climbing wall before? No problem. Whether you have or not, if your resort has a rock wall, they have staff on hand to teach you how to use it, generally offering courses geared for climbers of different experience levels. Climbing walls involve intense use of muscles and balance, and you'll certainly feel it the next day. Likewise, many cruise ships, when they pull into port, offer challenging onshore athletic activities, like kayaking, which can burn 340 or more calories per hour.
Sleep with the fishes—or just exercise with them. Nowhere are water sports more readily available than at beachside resorts and on cruise ships. Snorkeling burns around 350 calories an hour, and provides a calm and calming view of the world you may not normally get. Surfing is another activity that's perfect to try on your resort-bound vacation (some megaships also offer surf pools or surf parks to let passengers surf while still on board), and surfing can burn 200 calories an hour. Of course, swimming is one of the most effective exercises around, and swimming around ocean or pool for an hour could easily burn 400 calories or more.
Dancing (does the limbo count)? Yes, cruise ships and resorts are romantic places where music fills the warm night air, so embrace the music and dance! Dancing is one of the best forms of cardio exercise, so whether you prefer to slow dance in the moonlight (a gentle waltz burns 120 calories or more an hour) or party down to some disco (while burning more than 270 calories an hour), rest assured that what you're doing is good for you. Dancing also has the distinction of being one of the more enjoyable forms of exercise—just one of the reasons that Hip Hop Abs^® and Turbo Jam^® have helped so many people improve their health and conditioning. The point with all these exercise options is to move, and whenever possible, to embrace the concept of Muscle Confusion^™, which forms the basis of the P90X^® fitness regimen. Keeping your body moving in a variety of ways, continually forcing it to adapt, results in effective muscle toning and fat-burning.

Test Your Getting-Back-in-Shape IQ!

2011-06-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Valerie Watson

For somebody who works at a company that focuses on fitness, I am alarmingly unfit. So I know how tough it can be when you're feeling like an out-of-shape pink monkey stuck in the middle of a . . . flock? Herd? Pack? What's a bunch of brown monkeys called, anyway? No matter; I work in an office where everybody else uses their lunch hour to Bring It!^® by doing a P90X^® workout while I surf the Web or work on writing the next great American screenplay—both noble pursuits, but they're not making my tummy any flatter.

So I decided to look into which Beachbody^® workout program would be best for someone who's just dipping her toe back into the pool of fitness after an exteeeeeeeended dry spell. And how do y'all get to participate? Why, by deciding which of the following statements are true and which are false.

True AND False: Slim in 6^® is a super-easy way to get started. Slim in 6 is an excellent way to reimmerse yourself in regular physical exercise after you've been away from it for a while, but the compound adjective "super-easy" should be sending up some red flags for the thinking person. Make no mistake: even though Slim in 6 is listed in the Getting Started section of Beachbody.com, YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL IT. Always remember that returning to physical activity after a long layoff is going to require some work, and it's best to consult with your doctor to make sure you're up to the rigors of what's going to be asked of you. Then once you get the all-clear, go ahead and take the plunge—you'll be glad you did!
True: P90X should be reserved for those who've already built up some strength and stamina. While some daring souls have plunged straight into P90X—and had some amazing results doing it—folks who've been sedentary for a considerable amount of time (like yours truly) might want to start a little lower on the Beachbody workout food chain. Tony's Power 90^® is a good way to prepare for P90X. So are Slim in 6, Turbo Jam^®, and Shaun T's Rockin' Body^®.
False: Yoga Booty Ballet^® Pure & Simple Yoga is so easy, it feels almost like cheating. Don't let the soothing music or yoga's reputation as the prime road to relaxation fool you—yoga works all your major muscle groups and helps strengthen your core. So while it's a great way to get started, stretching your muscles and increasing your lung capacity, remember that it has three different levels of difficulty so you can keep challenging yourself as you learn and grow stronger.
False: Beachbody programs created by women, like Debbie Siebers and Chalene Johnson, are much easier than ones created by men, like Tony Horton and Shaun T. While most people rightfully think of programs like Tony's P90X Plus and Shaun T's INSANITY^® as being among the toughest we offer, you'd be foolish to sell the female contingent short. Chalene's Turbo Jam^® Fat Burning Elite and Debbie's Slim Series^® Express will both kick your butt six ways from Sunday.

10 Tips to Not Gain Weight While Dating

2011-06-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Stephanie S. Saunders

Falling in love. Perhaps the most extraordinary feeling a person can experience without psychotropic drugs. It's an all-consuming state of being that takes us to our highest highs and lowest lows. But in the whirlwind of meeting the person of your dreams, sometimes you focus on your heart and lose sight of your waistline. Yes, the dreaded dating dozen is the sister of the freshman fifteen, but hopefully with higher-quality food involved. Are you someone who tends to put on a few as soon as you start seeing someone new? Why does this happen, and how can we avoid it? What about those of us who save the weight gain for the demise of the relationship, also known as Ben and Jerry Therapy? Let's take a look at dating on a diet.

It is fairly traditional to go out to dinner and a movie when you first start spending time with someone. You don't want to look like the "weirdo who only eats salad" so you let loose a little bit. Perhaps you have a drink or five to continue on the loosening process. If this was for only one night, besides the imminent hangover, it'd be just fine. But when you really like someone, and you're happy, you might shed your eating inhibitions for quite some time. He or she might like you for who you are, and not care about a few extra pounds, which is not really a bad thing. But as we all know, if the cycle continues, you can lose sight of your fitness goals and end up feeling like you just finished your first year in college, only this time with a few added wrinkles.

Let's look at some ways to keep the love alive, without damage to your thighs.

Talk about it. Communication is one of the pillars of any great relationship. This doesn't mean you need to go into a diatribe about your bad habits with food on the very first date. Again, being the crazy person who spends 20 minutes discussing carbohydrate vs. fat grams upon first meeting might leave your future phone calls unanswered. But if this is Mr. or Ms. Right, talk to them about your diet and fitness goals. Explain why you are working out like crazy and that the trip through the Jack in the Box^® drive-through might not be your best date option. If they can't be supportive of your healthy choices, this is probably not who you want to spend forever with.
Plan activity dates. Why does a date have to be dinner and drinks? The answer is, it doesn't. With a bit of creativity, you can take the focus off food, and do something that might help the two of you get to know each other while you're not inebriated. Plan dates that have activities as the focus, and simply eat before you leave the house. Try hiking, bowling, mini-golf, dog walking, visiting museums, playing a board game, getting a massage, playing on a playground, making pottery, throwing a Frisbee®, or sitting together and thinking of more fun, creative ideas. You will learn a lot about the person you are with, like if they get really upset when you cream them at mini-golf. And, more importantly, you will stick to your eating plan.
Cook meals at home. Again, this is not a suggestion for a first date, because having someone in your home that you do not know is never wise. But if you begin to spend a lot of time together, cooking together can be a fun, sexy activity that can save you a lot of money and calories. Grilling up some chicken or fish and steaming some veggies and brown rice is incredibly simple, and it tastes fantastic. Throw in some candlelight and soft music, and it's as if you were in a 5-star restaurant, only you don't need to be concerned about public displays of affection. And if you can talk your significant other into doing the dishes, it is a perfect date.
Picnics. For those of us who prefer getting out of the house, a picnic is always a fun alternative, unless you live in Alaska and it's January. In that case, we suggest you enjoy the picnic on the rug, inside a building. With a picnic, you have control over what goes into the basket, and into your mouth. Pack a bunch of different cut-up fruits, vegetables, low-fat cheese, and whole wheat crackers. Bring either low-fat dressing or hummus to dip the veggies in. A lovely tablecloth, some music—you have a date to remember.
Choose wisely. So your date has been dying to try the latest hot spot for dinner. Don't rain on the parade, but be very smart when attending. Remember that steamed, broiled, or grilled items are usually healthier than fried, sautéed, or baked-in-cheese-sauce ones. Look for lean cuts of meat, dressings on the side, and avoid the bread basket. If you want to be very prepared, see if the restaurant has a Web site, which will usually have a menu, and decide what will be healthiest in advance. There are a ton of Web sites with calorie counters that can help you make your choices. If the restaurant doesn't have a Web site, call and ask them to fax a copy of the menu. Sometimes preparedness is the best defense.
Avoid the snack bar. Movie theaters, sporting events, and concerts all have one horrible thing in common. No, it's not bad parking. It's concession stands. Whoever originally chose the menu for snack bars must be eight years old, as elsewhere, most adults hardly ever eat nachos, hot dogs, fat-infused popcorn, greasy little pizzas, and pretzels larger than their heads. The best possible choice in situations where you will be faced with a concession stand is to eat first. There's usually nothing of great nutritional value at these places, and even a seemingly innocent small popcorn with butter can pack 630 calories and 50 grams of fat! Grab a cup of water and run for your seat!
Buy date clothes. We all want to look attractive for our special someone. Oftentimes, a new, flattering, and slightly sexy outfit can transform you into an irresistible creature that makes your date desire you all the more. I'm not suggesting you wear a Speedo^® with a sports coat, but more formfitting clothing has the ability to keep you aware of your waistline. I was once told that if I wanted to eat ice cream, I should do it while wearing a bikini. I stopped after three bites.
Work out first/on the date. It has been repeatedly proven that we tend to eat less and store less fat when we have a rigorous workout before a meal. Before a date, exercise can give us the added endorphins to feel fantastic and make us look our very best in the moment. Also, consider exercising with your new partner. Watching them try to conquer an INSANITY^® plyometrics workout will give you a good gauge of their persistence and a good indication of what they look like with no makeup and messed-up hair.
Make alcohol less of a focus. Limiting the amount of alcohol we consume on a date can be challenging. Having cocktails is fun, and it lowers our inhibitions, so getting to know someone becomes much easier. On the other side of the coin, alcohol packs on a lot of excess calories, and might make us get to know someone too quickly. One margarita or cosmopolitan can add 400 calories to an evening. Try to plan dates that are not "bar focused" (see #2), but if you end up somewhere celebrating, lean toward wine, light beer, champagne, and anything not mixed with a ton of sugar.
If he/she is all wrong. Relationships can be incredibly complicated, and sometimes they just fall apart. If this unfortunate experience occurs for you, try not to let your sorrows drown in a vat of ice cream. Comfort food can be, well, comforting, but can also do residual damage that will make you feel even worse in the long run. It is pretty awful to work your tail off for months to reach a certain level of fitness, and have it all slip away because some jerk could not see what an incredible catch you are. Take all of that excess frustration and go on a run or a hike, lift weights, or do a P90X^® workout.

Emotional eating is usually considered a negative reaction to a stressful or sad experience, which dating can sometimes be. But often, we eat in celebration of life, and the amazing person we have finally met. In all of the new emotions we encounter, in both the beginning and sometimes ending of a relationship, make sure you never lose sight of yourself—you, who has worked your tail off to get where you are. Keep up all of the good work, and remember that finding and keeping that perfect person is so much easier to do when you feel good about yourself.

7 Substitutes for Picnic Diet Killers

2011-06-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

It's almost summertime, which brings the incongruous collision of picnic season and swimsuit season. The weather's perfect for hiking, camping, barbecuing, and days at the beach—lots of opportunities for outdoor exercise, but just as many opportunities to pig out at pool parties, luaus, outdoor festivals, and county fairs. Here are some foods to try avoiding during the dog days of summer and some ideas for substitutions for picnic favorites.

Fried chicken. It's not the K or the C in KFC^® that's the problem. It's the F for fried. And if you have any hope of staying slim this summer, it's time to tell the Colonel you're kicking the bucket. One extra-crispy breast will run you 460 calories and 28 grams of fat, 8 of them saturated. That's almost three times the calories of a grilled, skinless breast and almost ten times as much fat. So clearly, you're better off cooking the chicken yourself. But if you're grabbing something on the run, you might want to visit the rotisserie case at your local supermarket. Try picking a chicken that's not slathered in sugary barbecue sauce. And if you throw away the skin, you'll save yourself from eating most of the fat and calories.
Sandwiches. A picnic without sandwiches is like a picnic without ants. It just wouldn't be the same. But of course, the sandwich is only as good as the sum of its ingredients. If you're using white bread, you're just eating empty carbohydrates. Make sure you buy whole-grain bread, and that it has the word "whole" in the ingredient list. Wheat bread is essentially the same as white bread, only with a little molasses added for brown coloring. It's nutritionally the same, if not worse. Whole wheat bread, on the other hand, contains the fiber and the vitamins you're looking for. For lunch meat, try avoiding processed meats like bologna and salami. They're packed with extra fat and sodium. And when buying unprocessed meats like turkey or roast beef, make sure they really are unprocessed. The makers of some brands of turkey grind up the skin and dark meat and then press it into lunch meat form, so you're really getting as much fat and sodium as you'd get from bologna. Watch out for flavored turkey as well. Most of the time the secret ingredient is salt. If you want to be really healthy, buy a whole turkey breast from your poultry section and roast it yourself, so you can control how much salt is added.
Brats and burgers. It's always great to fire up the grill and start cooking up a mess of meat. And the good news is that grilling is one of the healthiest ways to cook food. It adds tons of flavor and doesn't add fat. Of course, the best thing to grill would be skinless chicken, fish, or vegetables. But if you're craving a juicy burger or brat and a portobello burger just won't do, there are still some decisions you can make to keep it on the lean side. For burgers, consider a leaner option than beef, such as ground turkey or buffalo. But as always, check the label. Some grinds of turkey have as much fat as a fatty grind of beef. Ground turkey breast is usually much leaner than ground turkey. If you're going to make beef burgers, try to find a grind that is under 5 percent fat. Ground sirloin is usually pretty close. If you can't find a grind that's low enough in fat, ask your butcher to grind a lean piece of chuck roast or top sirloin for you. In addition to being leaner, this will also reduce your chances of picking up foodborne illnesses like E. coli, since only one cow is involved in producing a steak, as opposed to potentially hundreds in ground beef. In fact, if you're someone who likes to eat your burger rare, having the butcher grind a piece of meat for you is a must do. Bratwurst is another delicious summer fave, but watch the fat and sodium content in those as well. The chicken, turkey, and even veggie versions of sausage sound like they'd be lighter, but they're often just as fatty as the pork versions.
Potato or macaroni salad. Mayonnaise is the culprit in these dishes. At 50 calories a tablespoon with 5 grams of fat, these side dishes can turn deadly for your diet in a hurry. But you can mitigate the damage somewhat. Instead of mayonnaise, consider using nonfat yogurt, food-processed nonfat cottage cheese, or nonfat ricotta cheese instead. You'll get fewer calories, less fat, and lessen the risk of salmonella poisoning by going eggless. One way to make potato salad healthier is to leave the skins on the potatoes, as they have the fiber and most of the vitamins in the spud. For macaroni salad, use a whole-grain pasta to get extra fiber. Better yet, make a pasta salad with heart-healthy olive oil, vinegar, and lots of veggies.
Baked beans. Beans, beans, the musical fruit . . . well, you know the rest. Full of fiber and low in fat, beans are a great side dish that will keep you full. What you want to watch out for is the sugar that is added to most baked beans—sometimes as much as 3 teaspoons in a cup. Try plain pinto beans, or my favorite, beans canned with jalapeños. Replace high-calorie sweet with low-calorie fire, and you won't even miss the sugar. Three-bean salad is another flavorful way to consume your legumes without a lot of added fat or sugar.
Trail mix. Summer's a great time for checking out nature, and it's always great to bring along a healthy snack. But check the trail mix ingredients. Some, especially those containing granola, can be loaded with super-unhealthy hydrogenated oils and fat. There are trail mixes on the market that have more fat than a large order of fries, so it's definitely a buyer-beware situation. Also check out how much sugar is in the trail mix or granola bars you're taking backpacking. Some bars aren't much healthier than a Snickers^®. If ingredients in your trail mix include chocolate chips and marshmallows, you may not have made the healthiest choice. Try making your own trail mix with healthy unsweetened oats, nuts, and dried fruit. Or take along a couple of P90X^® Peak Performance Protein Bars.
Ice cream. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. And we'll really be screaming when we try to stuff ourselves into our swimsuits after eating everyone's favorite fatty, frosty indulgence. It's hard to resist a cool ice cream cone on a hot summer day, and the tinkling of the ice cream truck bell can still send me bolting into the street. But that scoop of vanilla can have up to 400 calories and 25 grams of fat, 15 of them saturated. If you're culinarily gifted, you might consider making your own sorbet. If not, check out some of the ones available on the market. Sorbets are usually low fat or nonfat, although they can still have tons of sugar. Try to find some that are mostly fruit. Speaking of fruit, for a healthy frozen treat, how about sticking some fruit in the freezer? Most fruits, especially berries, grapes, and bananas, freeze quite well. They'll last longer and popping a few frozen grapes in your mouth can cool you off on a hot day; and you'll still get all the vitamins, fiber, and health benefits that a Creamsicle^™ just can't provide.

Recipe: Blueberry Buckle

2011-06-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Team Beachbody

Here's a delicious, guilt-free dessert that combines the healthy goodness of steel-cut oats with sweet, antioxidant–rich blueberries. Enjoy!

2/3 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp. slivered almonds
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup water
Optional: Honey, stevia, or raw sugar (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a small glass baking dish. Mix well. Bake for 20 minutes. (Or you can microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes.) Allow to cool slightly before serving. Makes 2 servings.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes (including mixing, baking, and cooling)

Nutritional Information (per serving without optional sweetener):
Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
153	5 g	26 g	5 g	5 g	<1 g

Could Getting Moving Be Your Muse?

2011-06-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Denis Faye

For the first couple decades of my life, I looked at exercise as a "need-to-do" activity, as opposed to a "want-to-do" activity. Then, one fateful night around my 25th birthday, a disheveled Australian showed up at my door with an ancient surfboard and announced that at dawn, like it or not, I was going to learn to surf.

The next morning, exercise became my muse. My life changed forever.

In high school, my sports life was typical. Football, track, swim team. I have the unfortunate combination of being fiercely competitive and deeply lacking in physical aptitude, so these activities were overwhelmingly frustrating. I tried hard and rarely succeeded, a constant disappointment to the crowds, the coaches, and myself. On graduation day, I vowed never again to know the feeling of a missed tackle as my entire school looked on. I walked away from organized sports.

In college, I continued to jog a little because I knew I "needed" to. Also, it's hard to screw up when you're jogging. Yet I loathed it. It hurt my knees and it bored me. Eventually that petered out and 4 years later, I entered the workforce at a stout, dumpy 220 pounds. Sure, I hit the gym occasionally, typically around New Year's, with the belief that this was going to be the year I turned things around, but it never happened. A few weeks of early-morning elliptical trainer workouts were all I needed to become bored out of my mind and return to the chubby security of my snooze button.

Meanwhile, my career prospered. As I said, I'm competitive and therefore somewhat ambitious. White-collar opportunities and white-collar money presented themselves, not that I'd expected them. As a film studies major, I'd spent my college years surrounded by creative people, and I assumed I'd follow in their bohemian footsteps. But by age 25, I was deskbound 5 days a week, making more money than any of my friends thanks to my lucrative job in advertising. And one more thing: I was miserable. My career had become just like exercise. A "need-to-do" 50-plus hours of weekly drudgework.

To keep my spirit from breaking completely, I took on some pro-bono clients, including the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to cleaning up the oceans. I had yet to surf at that point, but I've always loved the ocean, so it was a good fit. I took to the volunteer work like, well, a fish to water. Weekdays were for my "real" job. Nights and weekends were spent helping an itinerant band of wave-riders save the planet.

Then a problem cropped up. I couldn't surf. That meant that I wasn't part of "the tribe," and that wouldn't float. It was then that I decided I needed to learn how. George, a grizzled Aussie longboarder who had taken a particular liking to me, retrieved a dilapidated old plank from the depths of his storage shed and brought it over, at about 11:00 PM, as I recall. The next morning, at 5:00 AM, George and a minivan full of surf bums showed up at my door. At 6:00 AM, I had my first saltwater baptism.

Surfing didn't come naturally to me, but my companions were unrelenting, and so was I. Yet all that time, there was no pressure. We all had fun whether I shredded it up or not. One of the beauties of surfing was that for the first time in my life, I had found a fun, exciting physical activity I could learn at my own pace, with only one person to compete against: myself. No one hassled me to "win" out in the water. We were just there for a good time and a little exercise. Eventually, I got the hang of it.

Soon, I started participating in other sports with my band of weekend warriors. Rock climbing, mountain biking, sailing, camping. I was becoming an outdoor sports junkie and it felt great. Exercise inspired better eating and soon I was a svelte 170 pounds—the thinnest I'd been since junior high.

On our many surf trips down the coast, work would eventually factor into conversation. For all my action-figure ways, I was still primarily a desk jockey. None of my sports buddies made the money I did, but they were all happy in their professional lives. Some were small-business owners. Others were teachers. Some worked construction. Ambition meant something to a few of them, but intuition meant more to all of them. When it came to careers (or anticareers), they did what they wanted to do.

Surfing had taught me who I really was. I had become fit and comfortable in my own skin. I knew I needed to be comfortable in my job too. I resigned my corporate position and began the career I'd always wanted to do: journalism. In time, that career folded into what I do today: writing about and helping people with fitness and nutrition.

Today, I don't make the money I made scaling the corporate ladder, but I'm happy. Exercise helped me find that path. I'm not criticizing white-collar work; I'm just admitting that it wasn't right for me. Furthermore, I'm also not telling you that you need to take up an extreme sport to find your bliss, but if exercise is something you do because you "need" to—or if you don't do it at all-find an activity that excites you, be it volleyball, yoga, aerobics, or weightlifting. Embrace it. Let it motivate and inspire you. It'll take you to good places, and if you're lucky, it might turn your life around.

I could write about it all day, but I just got a call from George. If you'll excuse me, the surf's up.

See you in the lineup.

Seasonal Summer Produce

2011-06-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Cecilia H. Lee

Ah, summer! The word conjures up images of warm, lazy days sunning on the beach, running through sprinklers, and reclining in a hammock in the shade catching up on a good book. The start of summer is also good news for those of us who want to be able to squeeze into our bathing suits by eating all the fresh fruits and vegetables that are available during the season.

No matter where you live, these hot days are good for some delicious foods—which also happen to be good for you. Here's a list of some of the things you'll find in the produce aisle of your grocery store, or in your local farmers' market.

Apples. Different varieties come in season starting in mid-to late summer and right on through autumn. Be sure to eat them skin and all to get the best health benefits.
Apricots. Originally from China, apricots are not only delicious, but they're also a great source of vitamins A and C, as well as potassium. Look for fruits that are plump, firm, and uniform in color.
Avocados. Though their seasons vary, summer is a good time to find ripe avocados in your local stores. High in monounsaturated fats, they also contain vitamins A, C, D, E, and K, plus a couple of those B vitamins.
Basil. Summer is the best season to enjoy this aromatic herb—a great ingredient to liven up pastas, sandwiches, or salads.
Blueberries. Rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients, a handful of these babies are great when you toss them into a low-fat smoothie or on top of some yogurt for a nutritious snack.
Carrots. Not only are carrots good road-trip snacks, they also have pro-vitamin A carotenes that can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Chard. Like spinach, chard is low in calories and contains phytonutrients including syringic acid, which inhibits carbs from breaking down into simple sugars, thus warding off issues like diabetes by keeping blood sugar steady.
Cherries. Cherries are high in vitamin C and potassium, and if you go pick them yourself, you'll get the additional benefit of some good old-fashioned exercise.
Corn. A summer BBQ staple, its folate and B vitamins can contribute to improved cardiovascular health.
Cucumbers. Cucumbers are great for your skin, muscles, and connective tissue, plus they're chock-full of water, fiber, and vitamin C.
Eggplant. The beautiful purple skin found on these late-summer vegetables is good food for your brain.
Fennel. This Mediterranean bulb is rich in vitamin C and phytonutrients, especially anethole, which a 2000 University of Texas study showed to have some anti-cancer effects.
Figs. Fresh figs available during the hot months are a great source of potassium, which can help lower blood pressure.
Garlic. Volumes have been written on the benefits of this stinky bulb, which include how good it is for heart health and how its antiviral properties may be able to help keep us from getting sick.
Grapes. Great for snacking, they're low in calories and contain the heart disease-fighting phytonutrient resveratrol, normally associated with red wine.
Green beans. Steam these crisp vegetables for a healthy side dish that's filled with carotenoids, which are great for your heart and more.
Lemongrass. Used in Thai and Southeast Asian cooking, this citrusy herb is high in folic acid and has been shown to have antioxidant and disease-preventing properties.
Lettuce. Not all greens are equal, so go for the mixed greens, romaine, or red leaf lettuce for the best benefits in your salads.
Mangos. Though higher in calories, one cup of diced mango can provide 75 percent of your daily vitamin C recommendation.
Melons. Cantaloupes and honeydews should be heavy for their size and give off a sweet, melony smell. And watermelons aren't just refreshing, they help hydrate you and give you antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Nectarines. Look for firm fruits with smooth skin, and enjoy them for their delicious flavor and vitamin C.
Okra. Delicious grilled or in gumbo, this summer vegetable has an abundance of dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, and folates.
Onions. Onions are high in polyphenols and flavonoids, which means good news for your cardiovascular system.
Oregano. Found in cuisines from the Mediterranean to Mexico, this herb is great for its antibacterial and antioxidant qualities.
Peas. These delicious and easy-to-eat legumes help support blood sugar regulation.
Peppers. Originally native to Central and South America, these spicy and sweet beauties contain lots of natural antioxidants.
Plums. Related to other stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, and apricots, these antioxidant-rich fruits are also great for helping with iron and vitamin C absorption.
Rhubarb. Rhubarb is good for more than just pie—it's a high source of potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Spinach. As Popeye can attest, spinach is one of the most nutritious vegetables in the world, rich in lots of vitamins, and especially in iron and calcium.
Strawberries. Most strawberries are grown in California and Florida, where the peak growing season is April through June. Most other places will see local berries in July, just in time for an Independence Day celebration. Grab a bowlful and get ready for off-the-chart levels of vitamin C and fiber.
Summer squash and zucchini. Usually in season between May and July, these relatives of the melon are great for your heart.
Tarragon. This culinary herb has been used in medicine throughout history for such things as stimulating appetite and alleviating insomnia. It's also great for calcium, manganese, iron, and a bunch of vitamins.
Tomatillos. Little green cousins of gooseberries, these summer vegetables are high in niacin, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin C.
Tomatoes. Vine-ripened varieties of tomatoes are in season from July through September. They're high in lycopene, a great antioxidant.

Cecilia H. Lee is a food and travel writer, an artist, and a chef. A James Beard Award nominee, she has authored several books. Her latest, Quick & Easy Mexican Cooking, includes delicious, nutritious Mexican recipes you can make in just 30 minutes or less. When she's not climbing a mountain somewhere, Cecilia writes, eats, and gardens in Los Angeles.

Test Your Cleanse IQ!

2011-06-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

By D. V. Donatelli

A week ago, I was walking past the Shakeology^® fountain here at Beachbody^® Headquarters, and I started thinking—after reading so many articles about the benefits of fasts and cleanses—that maybe I should give a cleanse a try. I just happened to be entering the recovery week of my second round of P90X^®, and that was the clincher—I would skip a few days' workouts and do a cleanse instead. I would do something unthinkable in my family: not eat for a while. Yes, it would be tough, but I was determined to set upon the path to inner cleanliness. Below are some true/false statements about my experience.

False: My hunger only got worse and worse throughout. I couldn't believe it, either, until I thought about it. While normally we associate hunger with crankiness and discomfort, I found that after approximately 36 hours, I had returned to a "normal" feeling in my stomach. No longer were virulent hunger pangs viciously flapping the sheets of my digestive system; instead, it was almost like a cranky child who slowly realized his tantrum wasn't going to work this time. And it makes sense: when we were cavepeople, we probably went very long stretches without eating, and our bodies needed to be able to enter a noncranky-yet-still-hungry mode. I was happy to find that, despite the trappings of modernity and the rampant fatness of my genetics, that mechanism still exists within me. I think my roommate, who had started to cartoonishly look like a box of pizza to me, was happy about it, too.
False: Despite being hungry, my body felt fine the whole time. I could definitely tell that I was at a calorie deficit. It wasn't bad; it was just noticeable. For instance, my movements were slower and more (lazily) calculated. Additionally, sometimes when I would stand up from my desk, I would get a mild lightheadedness—a lightheadedness that was actually rather enjoyable. I have an alcohol allergy, so I haven't had a drink in years, and the lightheaded feeling kind of reminded me of being mildly tipsy, which was actually kind of fun until I started hitting on a coat rack.
False: I didn't eat anything. In my 60 hours of cleansing, the only calories I put into my body came from Greenberry Shakeology, some strawberries, and two bananas. I also guzzled water like I was at the world's lamest frat party. Let me tell you, when you are at a caveperson-like calorie deficit, three strawberries blended with water, ice, and Greenberry Shakeology will send you to your knees, praising the name of chemistry or the Creator in appreciation of the sweet glories of merciful, transcendent satiety.
True: I loved it and would do it again. Again, after the first 36 hours, I felt like I could continue with the cleanse indefinitely. After I ate and had my energy levels return to normal, I felt better than I've felt in years. And the benefits must be aesthetic, too, because just yesterday my coworker Jeff told me he overheard a female coworker tell her friend that she thought I was cute. Unfortunately, Jeff didn't get a chance to actually see who said it. So, basically, Jeff gave me a treasure map without an X on it. Oh well—to mix my metaphor, I'm just happy to be nominated.

The Rub on Massage: 8 Great Ways to Relax and Rejuvenate

2011-06-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Denise Michelle Nix

Part of being fit and healthy is being kind to your body—listening to it when it tells you it’s hurt and caring for it. Sure, if you twist your ankle doing Slim in 6^® or pull a muscle pushing yourself to your limits during an INSANITY^® workout, you'll go see a doctor. But sometimes, your body talks to you in a much quieter voice, yearning for care and attention that you didn't even know it needed or could benefit from. This is when a massage becomes a valuable recovery tool. Whether you're seeking to relieve an injury, focus your mind, or work on flexibility, there is a type of massage suited for you.

Not only do massages feel great, studies show that massages can help bring stress relief, manage anxiety and depression, reduce pain and stiffness, control blood pressure and boost the immunity. Massage therapy goes a long way toward preventing pain and injury, too. According to a 2003 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, subjects who received 20 minutes of massage therapy 2 hours after exercising had significantly less soreness 48 hours later than subjects who did not.

The different kinds of massages, and their benefits, are not always so obvious just from what's on a therapist's shingle or the menu at the most luxurious day spa in town. We’ve asked Los Angeles-based acupuncturists and massage therapists Tanja Degen and Hillary Wollman to break down the eight most popular kinds of massages and to demystify what can sometimes be described only as a mystical experience!

Swedish: In Western massage practice, the experts agree that the Swedish massage is the basis for all others. It's meant as a relaxation massage, says Degen, an instructor at the California Healing Arts College. "It's your most common type, and it can be firm, moderate, or light pressure," she adds. Long, gliding strokes on the skin, usually with the aid of massage oil, promote circulation and bring stress relief not only to tired muscles, but to the busy mind.
Deep Tissue/Sports: A deep tissue (or sports) massage builds on the techniques of the Swedish massage but takes it further. "It's more of a focused, individualized discipline targeting different areas for deeper relief," Degen explains. While Swedish is relaxing, it does not have any therapeutic effect on the muscles like a deep tissue or sports massage does, she added. The slow stroke technique, usually with a bit less oil, is designed to increase range of motion and loosen up tight muscles.
Chair: You've probably seen this form of on-the-go massage therapy at the mall or street fairs. Clients sit, fully clothed, facing the back of a special chair as hands, fists, and elbows work their backs, necks, shoulders, and heads. "It's therapeutic and convenient for someone who doesn't have a lot of time, but still wants the benefits for what [a] massage can provide," says Wollman, owner and operator of Bliss Acupuncture. While a therapist performing a chair massage is more limited in terms of range of motion and depth, the convenience of it makes it popular. Wollman often performs chair massages in the business setting for companies that want to give their employees a nice way to de-stress.
Shiatsu/Acupressure: Shiatsu massage, commonly referred to as Acupressure, is the basis for traditional Eastern medicine that dates back to ancient times. "It actually works with the body's meridians and energy flow," says Degen, explaining that meridians are the channels through which energy flows in the body. Where there's a block in a meridian, a therapist applies deep pressure, promoting circulation, relaxation, and lymphatic and hormonal health benefits.
Reiki: Also a part of Eastern practice, Reiki also concentrates on the body's energy, but can be done either deeply or more subtly, says Wollman. In Reiki, the therapist places hands on the different energetic systems of the body, including the crown of the head, brow, heart center, and abdomen area. It's gentle touching that allows an exchange of energy between the practitioner and the patient. Reiki may not always involve massaging. Wollman incorporates it into the end of her practice. "It helps close the session, almost like saying goodbye to the body without just leaving. It seals in the benefits of what just happened," she added.
Stone: Incorporating warm, smooth stones into the practice is a great way to loosen up sore or tight muscles and heal injuries, Wollman says. "It is so delicious. It's very sensual, and the heat of the stones is very penetrating." The therapist either places the stones on key points of the body, allowing their weight and heat to penetrate, or uses them to go deeper with strokes and penetration. It increases circulation and has calming and sedating effects. "For someone who is fitness oriented and on the go, it is great," Wollman adds.
Reflexology: In Reflexology, the hands and feet are the focus based on the idea that all the body's systems are juxtaposed there. "You can activate different points on the foot that then help the body's ability to function better," Wollman says. For example, people who have problems with their digestion or intestines can often find relief through Reflexology. Another benefit is that it is a convenient therapy with no oils or lotions needed, and the patient can stay clothed if he or she chooses.
Thai: Thai massage is the ultimate combination of Swedish, or deep tissue massage, with some yoga-like qualities added in. In a Thai massage, the therapist uses practically his or her entire body to massage and stretch the patient. "It's a very active approach to getting things healed in the body," says Wollman, "It's active, but relaxing." Thai massage, for athletes especially, helps with flexibility and range of motion. "You have to kind of know that you're gonna be almost thrown all over the place and have the practitioner on top of you," she adds.

Wollman and Degen agree that everyone can find the massage therapy that works best for them. The key, Degen explains, is to communicate with the therapist before the session begins, discussing problem areas and the level of firmness desired. Both note that some people may be hesitant because massage therapy can be such a personal experience, especially when your clothes are off. Most therapists, they said, will accommodate their practice to fit a client's comfort level.

The health benefits of this type of holistic medicine are bountiful, and it's an easy way to care for your body. "There are no [bad] side effects," Degen says. "And it feels great." Wollman adds that, especially for fitness buffs, the strengthening and focus that a massage brings can have far-reaching effects. "It can calm the mind in a way that can enhance better focus," she says. "It's something passive, but it helps support your game."

Test Your Fruit and Veggie IQ!

2011-06-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

False: Apples are the most popular fruit in America. Bananas have apples beat hands down. Americans consume about 33 pounds of bananas a year per person. Which is not a bad thing, as they contain high amounts of vitamin C, fiber, and potassium.
True: The artichoke is a member of the sunflower family. Artichokes and sunflowers are both members of the thistle family. The artichoke is native to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands. Its Latin name, Cynara scolymus, comes from a legend of a young girl, Cynara, discovered by the god Zeus, who in typical fashion, seduced her; moved her into a Mt. Olympus-adjacent home (for easy cheating access when his wife was out of town); and when, homesick, she snuck back to Earth, turned her into what we now call an artichoke in a fit of rage. Zeus could be a real jerk.
False: Ladyfingers is another name for Jerusalem artichokes. Actually, it is a slang term for the humble okra. A staple in African cuisine, it is rarely eaten in America except in Cajun and Creole cuisine. It is the okra that gives gumbo its unique gelatinous texture. It is high in fiber and has lots of vitamins.
True: In ancient Greece, if a man threw an apple at a woman, it meant he wanted to marry her. Today, the prospective groom would just be booked for assault. But back in the day, you could throw assorted produce at a woman and it meant all kinds of good things. In other apple history, the ancient unmarried Celts started the practice of bobbing for apples. The superstition was that whoever got the first apple would be the next to be married.
False: Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, was allergic to carrots. An urban myth has long circulated that he was allergic, but in fact he just didn't like them. He tried eating other vegetables like celery, when voicing the cartoon hare, but nothing had that distinctive carrot-y crunch. So he would eat the carrot, say Bugs' line, then spit the carrot in the garbage while they stopped tape.

16 Pantry Essentials

2011-06-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

In Los Angeles, we're often reminded to have a well-stocked pantry in case of an earthquake, but it's the day-to-day diet emergencies where having a full larder can really help out. The best-case scenario is that you've been to the farmers' market and stocked up on fresh fruit and veggies, lean meat and fish, and other healthy staples. But when someone's polished off the last chicken breast, the Shakeology^® bag is empty, the fresh blueberries have sprouted green fuzz, and that head of romaine is now a brown puddle at the bottom of the crisper, it's time for Plan B. And hopefully, Plan B isn't that folder of delivery menus you've been collecting. You can save money and your diet by storing up some nonperishable items for a rainy day. Here's a list of items a healthy pantry shouldn't be without.

Canned tuna. This is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids—120 calories and 30 grams of protein in one 6-ounce can. Try to buy tuna packed in water instead of oil to reduce fat and calories. And look for preparation methods that aren't mayonnaise based. Other good fish choices include canned salmon, sardines, or anchovies (although you might want to watch the sodium content in these). Note: Consuming large amounts of fish, including tuna, can expose you to unhealthful levels of metal contamination (especially mercury). Generally, the benefits of eating fish far outweigh the risks, but it's worth mentioning to your physician to determine whether you need to limit your fish intake.
Instant oatmeal. Oatmeal you prepare on the stove is OK, too. But for those of us who are culinarily or time-challenged, instant is the way to go. Low in fat and high in fiber, oatmeal is a great filling breakfast or snack. Try to skip the presweetened, flavored oatmeals though. You're better off adding your own sugar, maple syrup, or honey, as you're more likely to add less than the manufacturer. Better yet, try to accustom your palate to eating it plain. The first few times might have a higher yuck factor, but before long, you'll wonder how you ever ate it so sweet. There are also a lot of oatmeals on the market with added ingredients like soy and flaxseed—even healthier!
Energy bars and shakes. When all else fails, I say, hit the bar. Actually, I'm usually talking about the other kind of bar, but energy bars are great, too, and far more nutritious. I know several people who are short on time (and also the love of cooking) who practically live on them. But, to repeat our tired refrain yet again, it is important to read the label. Some brands are little more than glorified candy bars that have an oat or two mixed in. Try to find bars and shakes that offer a balanced mix of protein, carbs, and healthy fats, such as Beachbody's P90X^® Peak Performance Protein Bars and Meal Replacement Shake, and of course, Shakeology^®, the Healthiest Meal of the Day^®.
Peanut butter. The best peanut butter will be preservative free and contain only peanuts, and will have to be refrigerated after being opened. Two tablespoons will give you 8 grams of protein (although don't go "nuts"—those tablespoons also have 16 total grams of fat). If you get bored with peanut butter, you might give almond or soy nut butter a try. Nut butters are also great additions to smoothies.
Canned vegetables. Fresh vegetables are usually better, and organic better still, but the downside of getting rid of nasty preservatives in your veggies is that they tend to spoil faster. Believe me, ask my crisper. Enter frozen and canned vegetables. In my opinion, frozen tastes better, but thawing adds another step to the preparation process and real estate is at a higher premium in the freezer than the cupboard, so canned vegetables win for their convenience. The only downside besides a mushier texture is the sodium that some brands load their veggies with. Read the label to make sure you're getting the veggies with the least salt.
Canned fruit. Similar to the veggies, canned fruit is another easy option. Just make sure to avoid fruit that has been packed in heavy syrup. Even light syrup is the wrong direction diet-wise. Try to find fruit packed in its own juice.
Legumes. Canned or dried, it's great to have a supply of lentils, pinto beans, kidney beans, low-fat refried beans, and/or garbanzos on hand. As with other vegetables, watch the sodium content in the canned beans. Dried beans won't be as mushy as canned, but can require soaking overnight to achieve a non-tooth-breaking consistency. The lentil is a wonderful dried food that tastes great, has lots of fiber, and does not require soaking.
Broth and soup. Every good cook should have several cans of chicken, beef, or vegetarian broth on hand—preferably reduced fat and low sodium. Bouillon cubes add a prep step, and can be saltier, but work in a pinch. Broth is a great way to flavor rice, vegetables, and pasta, and can be used instead of oil or butter to sauté foods. Some cooks recommend filling an ice cube tray with broth and using a cube at a time—although make sure everyone in the household knows this system, as I've seen many a cocktail hour ruined this way. Low-sodium soups are also great, but check the labels carefully. And if the name of the soup begins with "cream of", it probably isn't the best diet choice.
Whole-grain pasta. There has been an encouraging trend in the pasta market, with brands now offering whole-grain versions of the old white-flour standbys. Some brands also include flaxseed, protein, and other healthy stuff. Grant you, some brands of adulterated pasta also taste like feet. Some sampling may be required before you find the one that's right for you.
Tomato sauce. Tomatoes are full of the antioxidant lycopene, and cooked tomatoes have even more of it than raw tomatoes, so using canned and cooked tomatoes is actually a potentially healthier choice than the farmers' market tomatoes. Canned tomatoes, sauce, and paste are all great ways to get all the nutrition the tomato packs in, but with all due respect to former President Reagan, ketchup is barely a vegetable. It's mostly salt and corn syrup. As with all canned food, watch the sodium.
Brown rice. Rice has an incredibly long shelf life and is easy to prepare, and brown rice and wild rice have lots of fiber. And now, there are even microwavable versions available!
Nuts. Nuts are a great snack. They're filling and high in omega-3s. They're also high in fat, though, so portion control is a must. I like buying the nuts with the shells on. Having to shell them myself slows me down a little, so by the time my stomach finally tells my brain it's full, I haven't powered through an entire bag.
Flaxseed. This usually has to be refrigerated after it's been opened, but having ground flaxseed on hand is a great way to add a little fiber and some heart-healthy omega-3s into your diet. It's very versatile and has a mild, nutty flavor that goes with almost anything. You can add a couple of teaspoons to a smoothie, a bowl of soup, or a salad.
Tea. The best tea, health-wise, is probably green tea. But black tea has some healthy properties as well, and herbal teas offer a whole range of benefits. Recently, I was forced to confess to being a compulsive tea buyer. I had about 30 boxes of different teas packed in my cupboard, some boxes containing only one or two bags. I solved the storage problem by buying a "tea box" and dumping the individually wrapped bags into it. It's a real space saver and impresses company after dinner.
Condiments. Sometimes the healthiest food is not always the tastiest. Instead of resorting to salt and fats to make a meal more savory, it's good to keep a small army of healthy, flavorful condiments on hand. Vinegars, mustards, and hot sauces are among the many available flavor-izers that can perk up a drab dish without adding additional fat or calories.
Protein powder. Needless to say, in our unbiased opinion, the tastiest, healthiest protein powder on the market is Beachbody's Whey Protein Powder. Protein powder has a pretty long shelf life, and adding a scoop to your morning oatmeal or smoothie is a great way to pack in some protein when your eggs and cottage cheese are a little past their prime.

Recipe: Tuscan Bean Salad

2011-06-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Team Beachbody

Looking for something healthy to take to a summer potluck or BBQ that's not going to bum everyone out? Check out this delicious, nutritious bean salad that's rich in fiber and low in fat—and looks as good as it tastes.

Vinaigrette Dressing:

1/2 cup water
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Salad:

2-1/4 cups cups raw green beans, chopped
2 cups cannellini beans, home-cooked or canned, drained
2 cups red beans, home-cooked or canned, drained
1 cup new potatoes, boiled until tender and chopped
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, julienned
1/2 cup roasted yellow bell peppers, julienned
1/4 cup red Bermuda onions, sliced, quartered, and separated into segments
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper (to taste)

To make vinaigrette, combine water and cornstarch in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk until the cornstarch dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in remaining ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss all salad ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Add dressing, toss to coat vegetables, and chill. Makes 8 servings.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes (plus 80 minutes of cooling/chilling time)

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
195	10 g	38 g	10 g	2 g	<1 g

5 Ways to Make Over Your Veggies

2011-06-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

We'd like to take a look at a significant study that touts the benefits of adding more servings of vegetables to your diet. This study finds there may be parallels between eating vegetables and keeping the brain young; of 2,000 older Chicagoans, those having two or more servings of vegetables every day showed significantly less mental decline over 5 years than those who didn't. Here at Beachbody^®, for years now we've been recommending that you eat your vegetables. In fact, the "pious tier" on Michi's Ladder, Beachbody's nutrition guide, includes most of the vegetables that are cited in the study as being especially beneficial. Veggies are loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, and most have practically no calories. So what's not to like? Well, for many, it's the taste.

We can all agree that eating veggies is a good thing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that you eat five to nine servings each day. The question is how do you choke down those five to nine servings if you don't care for vegetables? And how can you get your friends and family, especially kids, to "veg out" with you at mealtime without the aid of cheese sauce or a deep fryer? While the best way to consume most vegetables is either raw or lightly steamed, some of us may need to get a little more creative to get all those servings down the hatch. Here are some ideas.

Heal your inner vegetarian. Many of us are nursing vegetable traumas from childhood. When I was a young boy, my grandmother scarred me gustatorily by serving up numerous culinary atrocities, many involving canned or pickled beets. Soaked in sugar and vinegar until any structural integrity had dissolved into fluorescent purple mush, those beets and their sickly taste have been forever seared in my memory. It wasn't until years later that I was served a fresh roasted beet salad, with beautiful ribbons of gold, red, and violet that bore little resemblance to those horrible vegetables I politely gagged into my dinner napkin every family holiday. Now I love hitting the farmers' market, finding multihued heirloom tomatoes, purple cauliflower, exotic Asian vegetables, and all the fresh versions of the creamed, boiled, or pickled monstrosities I was force-fed as a kid (and swore I would never eat as an adult). It's well worth revisiting the vegetables you hated as a child, as well as trying new vegetables for the first time. Often, you might find that it was the preparation you hated and not the food itself.
Spice up your life. It's been suggested that many warmer cultures began cooking with spices to help camouflage the flavor of meat that was a bit past its prime. Why not experiment with herbs and spices to give some of the blander veggies a flavor boost, or to help out veggies that have too strong a flavor? For example, many find brussels sprouts to be less than enchanting in both appearance (they look like the alien brains from Mars Attacks!) and flavor (I've heard it remarked that they taste like dirt). Try cutting them in half lengthwise and roasting or sautéing them with some chicken broth and curry powder. You'll alter the flavor, color, and texture of the sprouts without losing any of the nutritive value.

Mix and match spices, herbs, and condiments like basil, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cilantro, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, horseradish, mustard, oregano, rosemary, soy sauce, and more to add flavor without significantly adding calories. Be creative and experiment with spices that might not immediately come to mind when you think of certain vegetables. For example, a friend of mine, a master of microwave cuisine, sprinkles frozen cauliflower with nutmeg before she nukes it, with delicious results.
Soup up your veggies. One great way to eat veggies whose appearance or texture might not be the most appealing is to puree them and make soup. Cauliflower is a prime candidate for the food processor. People who are put off by its rough appearance and strong flavor can get most of the nutritional value by having it in soup form. Sauté some cauliflower florets and other vegetables in some low-fat, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, then blend the cauliflower and broth in a blender or food processor until smooth. Make sure to include the broth you sautéed the cauliflower in, as it will include many of the nutrients. For thicker soup, blend a boiled potato into the mix. Or add some nonfat yogurt for a creamier texture. Add other veggies from Michi's pious tier, like onions, leeks, shallots, or garlic, for extra flavor, or throw in a little nonfat Parmesan cheese.
Don't be bitter. Among the healthiest of all vegetables are some of the ones that are the least commonly eaten: the dark, leafy greens. These veggies, which include kale, chard, and rabe, as well as beet, collard, mustard, and turnip greens, contain more nutrients and fiber than almost any other vegetable, but their bitter, chalky taste often puts people off. Also, when you buy them in bunches, it seems almost impossible to get the grit and sand off the leaves, which doesn't add much to the experience. To clean your greens, start by removing the stems. You can do this easily by folding the leaf in half lengthwise, which should help you tear the leaf halves off the stem cleanly. Let the leaves soak in a sink full of cold water, changing the water several times until there's no grit or dirt left. Or check your produce section; for a little extra money, you can buy bagged, precut greens that are marketed as being washed and ready to cook. We still recommend that you give your greens a thorough rinse before you prepare them. (You can dry damp greens quickly with a salad spinner.)

As for the bitter taste, a common mistake that people make is to steam greens. This can actually seal in the bitter taste, making the greens taste even worse. The best way to cook greens is to sauté them in a nonstick pan with a bit of broth. The bitterness will disperse in the broth, leaving your greens tasting sweeter. Adding something acidic like lemon juice, vinegar, or white wine while the greens are cooking will also cut the bitterness. You can add onion, garlic, or spices to your sauté, which can improve the flavor and add their own nutritional benefits.

Greens are also terrific additions to soups or casseroles, but you should blanch the greens for 1 minute in boiling water before adding them to the main dish to remove most of the bitterness. Like coffee, greens can be an acquired taste, but the more you eat them, the more your palate will become accustomed to and even enjoy their unique flavor.
Hit the sauce. Okay, you've tried steaming, sautéing, and pureeing your vegetables, and you're still facing silence or worse when you serve them up. It's time to bring out the heavy artillery: sauce. Now, we're not talking "heavy" as in old standbys like cheese sauce or hollandaise—they're delicious, yes, but they're loaded with fat and calories, which kind of defeats the purpose of eating vegetables for your health. (It's like taking your cholesterol pill wrapped in bacon.) But a quick glance at the top two tiers of Michi's Ladder shows that there is hope! There are plenty of healthy ingredients that can be combined to make some sauces that are delicious and can add to the nutritional value of your vegetable dish.

Nonfat yogurt is a great base for healthy sauces. Try mixing some yogurt with mustard to taste for a faux hollandaise sauce for asparagus or broccoli. Tofu is another exceptionally healthy sauce base. My brother gave me a recipe for pureeing soft tofu with garlic, black pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard to make a thick and creamy Caesar dressing. (This helps solve another dietary dilemma: how to make heart-healthy tofu taste good.) You can double up your daily veggie servings by using vegetables to make sauce for your other vegetables. Make a Spanish romesco sauce out of pureed tomatoes, red bell peppers, garlic, almonds, and olive oil—all ingredients from Michi's top two tiers, which combine to make a delicious topping for green beans, kale, or spinach. And if you don't have time to make an elaborate sauce, just keep some soy sauce, flavored vinegar, lemon juice, Tabasco^®, and olive oil on hand, and dress your veggies with a couple of dashes of whatever you're in the mood for.

Hopefully, you'll be creatively inspired to try out some new vegetables and some new methods for preparing them. And if you still can't manage to eat enough vegetables, at least try to take a decent multivitamin every day.

Food Trucks: Navigating Your Way to Healthy Roadside Eats

2011-06-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Stephanie S. Saunders

Rule one of avoiding fast food may be to drive right by, but what happens when the fast food restaurants start driving to you? The food truck has become the newest culinary craze, announcing their scheduled appearances via Web sites, Facebook^®, and Twitter^®, which results in thousands of people cyberstalking their whereabouts every day. In most major cities around the United States, chefs and entrepreneurs alike have been taking these "meals on wheels" to a whole new level. You want samosas, tacos, pad thai, sausage, cupcakes, falafel, or sushi? There's a truck out there that'll sell it to you. But what if you've been diligently following your nutrition plan and everyone in your department decides to "graze at the curb" for lunch? The easy answer would be to submit and go back to your old ways, wallowing in grilled cheeses and cupcakes. But you're better than that. Instead, let's look at some healthier options for food truck feasting. (Note: Specific nutritional information for each dish will vary from truck to truck.)

Mexican

Tacos have been traditional street food for generations. In their authentic form, a corn tortilla, a couple of tablespoons of chopped meat, and some cilantro aren't actually too much to be concerned about. Unfortunately, gourmet food trucks tend to deviate quite a bit. Most trucks offer tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, many topped with fancy crème sauces, loaded with four types of cheese, and accompanied by a slew of fried tortilla chips. Whatever your local food trucks are offering up, the rule with Mexican food is this: the fewer the ingredients, the better. The traditional taco I just described has about 150 calories, whereas a fully loaded burrito can have 800 or more! Stick to corn tortillas, lean protein, and veggies, and leave your chips for the pigeons.

Wraps

Many people, myself included, have been led to believe that a tortilla must be better for you than a slice (or two) of bread. Unfortunately, we were all wrong. Your average wrap-sized tortilla has about 300 calories, and up to 6 grams of fat. This is before you stuff it with yummy fillings. And just because the wrap is spinach- or sundried tomato-flavored doesn't seem to make all that much difference. They're still high in calories and carbs, and not so low in fat. So even if you fill your wrap with chicken or turkey and cram it full of veggies, you're looking at a sandwich that's got a minimum of 400 calories. So how do you survive the wrap truck? Ask if they'll make the filling ingredients into a salad, or just dissect the tortilla and eat the insides. This might cause your cool factor to drop among your colleagues, but really, this isn't Spago®, so who cares?

BBQ

How they get that big smoky flavor out of a truck is anyone's guess. But yummy meat dripping in sauce seems to be a food truck staple. And although chicken, tri-tip, and smoked ham are okay calorically, every tablespoon of barbeque sauce can add 70 calories of sugar to your entrée. And I think the likelihood of their stopping at 1 tablespoon is about as likely as we all are to win the lottery. Then there are the sides: baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, and Texas toast (also known as pork fat [beans], mayo fat ["salads"], and butterfat [toast]). Yes, several trips to the BBQ truck could lead to a trip to the cardiologist. Try ordering the chicken with no sauce and some unbuttered toast. If they have collard greens or corn on the cob, again avoid the butter and eat it plain.

Chinese

Chinese cuisine seems to follow the yin and yang of ancient Chinese philosophy. It's either relatively healthy or horrible for you. Both can exist side by side in the same food truck and comingle in your to-go container. An order of mu shu pork at 800 calories a pop, a side of eggplant in garlic sauce for another 300, and a serving of white rice and a single egg roll at 200 each adds up to a day's worth of calories and a week's worth of sodium. If the East is calling your taste buds, ask the chef on wheels if there's a steamer on board. A few ounces of steamed tofu or chicken, steamed veggies, and a half-cup of brown rice could save you upwards of 1,000 calories. For some added flavor, ask for the sauce on the side and use chopsticks to drizzle it on.

Hot dogs

Most people who work hard doing an hour of intense exercise daily are probably not going to be lining up outside a hot dog truck. Most of the population would not construe any type of frankfurter as a health food. Especially when you order the gourmet bacon, guacamole, onion, and bean monstrosity that could clog an artery if you look at it. Your average dog sans toppings is between 200 and 300 calories; the bun adds an additional 100. The biggest problem is that most of those calories come from fat. Your best bet is to ask if they have a turkey or tofu version, a whole wheat bun, and more traditional toppings like mustard and onions. Or walk to the next truck in line.

Sushi

Nutritionally, sushi is probably the least scary of food truck options. Until you do anything fun with it. At around 40 calories a pop, a piece of fish on a tablespoon of rice isn't going to affect you adversely. But the minute you stir in some spicy mayo, roll it in more rice, and top it with tempura, you're looking at hundreds of calories. Stick to fish and rice, with perhaps some edamame if they're available. If you need flavor, add some wasabi and low-sodium soy sauce. And most importantly, if it tastes and smells overly "fishy," use caution. You always have a greater danger of bacterial issues with raw meat or fish.

Dessert

People have been peddling dessert to us off trucks for decades. Summer wouldn't seem like summer without the ubiquitous ice cream man. Yet what's peddled in trucks today isn't a Big Stick^® or a Sno-Cone. Think about homemade ice cream piled between two fresh-baked cookies. Warm crepes filled with Nutella^® and sliced banana and drizzled in Godiva^® chocolate. Warm chocolate bread pudding with vanilla custard. Crème fraiche cheesecake with a blueberry compote. Yeah, just reading it could send you into a diabetic coma. If you must indulge in something, try a single scoop of ice cream. Or split something with four other people. Or run.

The "roach coach" has been around forever, and especially with this latest gourmet reinvention, it looks as if it'll hang around at least as long as the critters it's named after. Visiting a food truck is essentially the same as going to a fast food restaurant, except the food's slightly more expensive and there are no plastic tables to sit at. Use them the same way you would Subway^® or Taco Bell^®, which is rarely and judiciously. And if you need to cyberstalk something, use Twitter and Facebook for their original intentions: finding ex-boyfriends/girlfriends and flaunting how hot you are after 60 days of INSANITY^®.

10 Foods You Should Eat

2011-06-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Steve Edwards

We've all heard about superfoods—consumables with mystical powers to cure whatever it is that ails you that will help you live forever. This list will be different. Today, we'll look at some common items that should be on your menu, even though you probably haven't heard them touted as the next great miracle cure. In fact, some of these you probably thought were bad for you.

I begin this list with a caveat; we're all different. One person's superfood is another's trip to the emergency room (soy comes to mind here). There are some nutritional factors we all share, such as the need to eat a certain amount of calories that come from fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to keep our bodies functioning as they should. Beyond this, our exact dietary needs begin to diverge.

There are some obvious reasons for this. Lifestyle and activity level are pretty easy to understand. That someone who is pregnant or training for an Ironman® needs more calories than a computer programmer who sits for 14 hours a day isn't difficult to fathom. Neither is the fact that a 90-pound ballerina uses less fuel than a 350-pound lineman. That we all eat a different number of calories and a different percentage of fats, proteins, and especially carbs is obvious, or at least should be, since the bigger you are and the harder you work, the more fuel your body needs to recharge itself.

What's more subtle are body type differences. These can be difficult to understand, and many people never figure them out. Blood type, heredity, and other factors come into play and make each of us unique individuals. When it comes to eating, most of us spend a fair portion of our lives figuring out just what we should be eating to maximize our life experience (which doesn't necessarily mean we choose the healthiest options). For this reason, there is no true "superfood." There are, however, helpful foods that are specific to each of us. By experimenting with our diets, we will all find a course of eating that makes us feel better than anything else.

To help you begin your self-experiment, here's a list of common foods that you'll want to try. Most of these are very healthy for almost everyone, even though some have been vilified by society. This doesn't mean that they'll transform you into an epitome of health, but they're certainly worth a try.

Peanut butter. I'm leading with this because I'm fairly certain peanut butter single-handedly kept me from getting chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) during the no-fat 1990s. In the early 1990s, the average amount of fat in our daily diets plummeted while the incidence of CFS skyrocketed (CFS is the colloquial veil for debilitating disorders marked by chronic mental and physical exhaustion.). This was particularly true among the otherwise healthy endurance sports sect. In the early 1990s, my body fat was once recorded at 2 percent. Sure, I was ripped. Healthy? Not so much. I'm pretty sure that only my adherence to peanut butter as a healthy fat source kept my athletic obsession intact.

A bevy of modern studies now vindicates my opinion with science. Peanuts are high in both fat and calories, but their fat has been associated with decreased total cholesterol and lower LDL and triglyceride levels. It's also high on the satiation meter, meaning that a little can fill you up.
Cabbage. Every Asian culture, as well as European, eats more cabbage than we do, and it's time we thought about it more often than when we happen to splurge on P.F. Chang's^®. Cabbage is absurdly low in calories and very high in nutrients. Among these is sulforaphane, which a Stanford University study showed as boosting cancer-fighting enzymes more than any other plant chemical.
Quinoa. This "grain" isn't technically a grain at all. It just tastes like one. It's actually a relative of spinach, beets, and Swiss chard. All of these are extremely healthy from a nutrient point of view, but quinoa is the only one that can fool you into thinking you're eating a starch. It's high in protein, minerals, vitamins, and fiber.
Spelt. This one is actually a grain, but its origin is slightly mysterious. Some claim it comes from wheat while others say it's a different species. Regardless, it has a high nutritional profile and can be eaten by many people with gluten intolerance, making it a good alternative to wheat products. Spelt can be found in many products, but as it's still considered a "health food," it's off the major processing radar. Unlike wheat, if spelt is on the ingredients list, it's probably good for you.
Walnuts. All nuts, really, but walnuts seem to be the king of the nut family. Used in Chinese medicine for centuries, walnuts are becoming more associated with Western health than ever before. A 2006 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that eating walnuts after a meal high in bad fat could reduce the damaging effects of the meal.
Avocado. Another villain in the old no-fat movement, avocados are now thought to be one of the healthiest fat sources available. Beyond this, they have very high amounts of cancer-fighting antioxidants, and recent research seems to indicate that avocados' phytonutrients may also help with the absorption of nutrients from other sources.
Mushrooms. The more we learn about phytonutrients—those that come in a small enough quantity to be missed on a food label (this is a layman's definition only)—the more we should admire ancient cultures. These culinary delights have been feuded over for decades until, for some reason, we'd decided they were pretty much empty calories. The study of phytonutrients has taught us that warring over fungi may have held some rationale after all. Mushrooms are loaded with antioxidants and are thought to boost the immune system, help ward off some cancers, and have high amounts of potassium. Furthermore, researchers at Penn State University have found that mushrooms may be the only food to contain an antioxidant called L-ergothioneine.
Tea. Despite a ton of positive press over the last, oh, century, tea and coffee are still the devil's brew in some circles. Perhaps even worse is how many coffee and tea restaurants have bastardized these natural brews into sugar- and fat-filled dessert items. Both tea and coffee, in their basic states, have no calories and many healthy benefits. Between the two, coffee is arguably more popular, most likely due to its higher caffeine content. But tea is probably healthier. Both have a high amount of antioxidants but stats on tea are almost off the charts. A recent study on calcium supplementation in elderly women, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that bone mineral density at the hip was 2.8 percent greater in tea drinkers than in non-tea drinkers.
Cinnamon. Maybe the novel Dune was more prescient than we've given it credit for. After all, the plot revolves around an entire solar system at war over a cinnamon-like spice. Nowadays, we think of this as little but the flavoring in a 1,100-calorie gut bomb we find at the mall. But Frank Herbert knew a thing or two about history, and cinnamon has long been the prized possession of the spice world. It has a host of benefits, but perhaps none more important than this one: USDA researchers recently found that people with type 2 diabetes who consumed one gram of cinnamon a day for 6 weeks significantly reduced their blood sugar, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol. "He who controls the spice controls the universe!"
Natto. This is on the list because, for one, it's one of the few foods I've eaten that I truly don't like. But mainly, it's here because we've really messed up the way we eat soy. Natto is fermented soybeans and very popular in Japan, which is where I had it. It's becoming more popular here, and this is most likely due to its health benefits. Nearly all the soy options we're offered in the U.S. are non-fermented. The list of health benefits of fermented soy is a mile long. It's associated with reducing the risk of cancer, minimizing the likelihood of blood clotting, aiding digestion, increasing blood circulation, an improved immune system, improving bone density, lessening the likelihood of heart attacks, more vibrant skin, and reducing the chance of balding. It also has strong antibiotic properties, among other things. So you might want to ditch the soy crisps, soy ice cream, and your iced soy mochas, and add some natto to your diet.

Test Your Field Day IQ!

2011-06-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

By DeLane McDuffie

Some called it Sports Day. Others called it Intramural Day. We called it Field Day. It was the big springtime, end-of-the-school-year sporting event that stamped home the fact that soon there'd be "no more pencils, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks." But if you were a competitive kid like I was (am), you dreamt of standing on top of that wobbly makeshift platform and getting pinned with that first-place blue ribbon (no fancy medals at my school). Relive those glory days, and match the Field Day event with the pair of learned skills/qualities that best fits.

Sack/wheelbarrow relay race – Trust and coordination. Hopping around in a burlap sack or running on your hands while the class klutz holds your ankles could be seen as a kid's ultimate display of trust—as long as the kid doing the steering isn't holding any grudges from preschool and doesn't steer you into an anthill. Good: Youngsters can learn to help and depend on one another. Bad: It could also enhance a kid's ability to juke and hurdle over obstacles . . . while evading the police during a chase.
Dodgeball – Space awareness and maneuverability. There are several versions of this game out there, but most of them maintain a singular rule: Don't get hit! Good: This game can give your child a greater understanding of his or her body in relation to surrounding objects. It also sharpens a child's agility and alertness. Bad: Your little angel's (or as you may say when you're upset, "that little #$%+&*!!") chances of giving you the slip in the grocery store or even in the living room have just improved tremendously.
Hula-hoop^® pass – Flexibility and speed. Locking hands with your classmates and trying to pass a Hula-hoop from one end of the line to the next was always one of the more electric and energetic Field Day events. Even the most inflexible boy in class had to become the rubber band man by the time the hoop got to him, which was always fun to watch. Good: Kids work on being more limber and upgrading their celerity. Bad: These skills can also perfect one's technique of sliding through holes in chain-link fences and other barriers, thus increasing the number of breaking-and-entering cases in your community, not to mention trespassing.
Egg and spoon race – Balance and control. Tightrope walking meets protein. Maintaining your equilibrium as you carry Humpty Dumpty on a spoon can be tricky. Good: Go get the balance beam! Your kid could make the next Olympic gymnastics team! Bad: Your 6-year-old enjoys watching heist movies and Cirque de Soleil shows, comes home with sacks of cash, and dresses up as a cat burglar for Halloween . . . and every other day of the year.
Tug-of-war – Strength and teamwork. No fighting over oil in this war. The only liquids you'll see here are blood (some kids play rough), sweat (it's hot outside), and tears (maybe, if your team loses). This test of a team's will, power, and tenacity is a legendary Field Day classic. Good: Your offspring's biceps, triceps, calves, and dorsal muscles make Popeye and He-Man want to kill themselves. Bad: Your kid is now the playground mob's muscle—honing his or her skills in witness/juror intimidation, swiping others' lunch money, and extortion tactics—and wears a fedora and pinstripe suit, declaring that "the coppers will never take me alive."

Sweating the House Work(out)

2011-06-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Mark Nelson

Being a domestic god or goddess isn't easy. You want windows that let all the sun in. Floors that gleam. Toilets that sparkle. But you still want to stay in bathing-suit shape for those days by the pool on Mount Olympus.

So what do you do? Try the Housework Workout.

A recent British study revealed that the average Brit burned over 50,000 calories a year doing housework. That's equal to burning almost 15 pounds of fat.

Now, I'm not saying that housework should replace workouts. But if you take the right approach to keeping your house clean, you can really burn fat and tone muscle. And who doesn't want to do that?

So how do you start firming and cleaning? Before you work out, be sure to warm up to keep from pulling a muscle. Turn on some lively music to help you keep an upbeat pace. Take deep breaths to stay energized. And have your cleaning supplies ready to go.

The Housework Workout includes eight exercises that will help you get in shape from head to toe, while making your home look great. So let's start:

Tone your triceps—shine your windows. Grab a towel, spray the window, and do 10 circles to the right, then 10 to the left. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Then use the same moves to polish your tables, countertops, and anything else that's gathering dust. Keep a brisk pace and you'll definitely feel the burn in your shoulders and triceps. (30 minutes = 107 calories)
Work your thighs with a vacuum. But don't just vacuum—lunge! Tense your muscles as far as you can while pushing the vacuum back and forth. As you lunge, keep your toes pointed forward, and bend your knees. Go slowly so you'll get a good stretch, and you'll work the backs of your legs and buttocks. Vacuum your couches and pillows, and you'll really feel the burn. (60 minutes = 238 calories)
Lift your iron for a curvier butt. While ironing, squeeze your butt cheeks together for 10 seconds. Do this 10 times every couple of minutes, and you'll notice a difference in your muscle tone. Your bottom will hold in a semi-flexed position for up to 20 minutes after working the muscle. And don't forget to flex and stretch your shoulders and arms. (30 minutes = 80 calories)
Get your thighs burning while cleaning clothes. Squat slowly as you pick up dirty laundry, while keeping your back straight and heels on the floor. Include one squat for every piece of laundry you put into the basket. And just watch your legs, buttocks, and thighs firm up. (15 minutes = 71 calories)
Step up for clean shelves and great legs. Climb up and down a short stepladder (three or four steps) 10 times, alternating your feet. While you're up there, organize your shelves. By stepping up and working with your arms held high, you'll not only work out your legs, but your arms and shoulders, too. (60 minutes = 214 calories)
Scrub your floors for sexy arms and abs. Drop the mop and get on your hands to scrub the floor. Cleaning your sink or bathroom by hand will also firm your arms and core. The harder you work, the better. And remember to push yourself by extending and exaggerating your arm movements. (60 minutes = 258 calories)
Use that broom to work your shoulders and core. Don't vacuum the kitchen floor—sweep it. And get outside to sweep your patio, sidewalk, and driveway. When sweeping, be sure to work your obliques by pivoting at your waist. And when you bend down with the dust pan, do a few squats. Your thighs will thank you. (60 minutes = 272 calories)
Make the bed for better upper-body tone. Take off the sheets, turn the mattress, pull the sheets straight, and plump those pillows—and you'll burn lots of calories. Stretch across the bed, and you'll also work your core and upper back. (30 minutes = 68 calories)

Add extra moves to burn more calories.

When you're mopping and sweeping to your music, include the boxer's bounce—that rhythmic bobbing and weaving boxers do—to your tasks. You'll add strength training to your workout without using weights. You may also find yourself finishing each job in less time. And since you're adding moves, why not drop and do a few push-ups or crunches? All this can really make a difference by helping you burn fat and add muscle.
Aim to burn 500 calories per day.

If you can do that each day, you'll burn a pound of fat per week. Of course, don't forget that you're burning calories when you walk the dog (30 minutes = 150 calories), go shopping (30 minutes = 122 calories), and the list goes on.

Whatever you do, the idea is to set a fast pace, and look for ways to add resistance to each move. When you do, you'll become a calorie-burning machine.

As helpful as it is, the Housework Workout won't replace a good Beachbody^® workout. But by making simple changes to your housekeeping routine, you can achieve sensational weight loss results. Your house will be cleaner than ever. And that can only elevate your status as a domestic god or goddess.

Surviving the Desk Job: How to Stay Healthy at Work

2011-06-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Stephanie S. Saunders

When we started school, oh so many years ago, no one had to explain to us that the human body was not designed to sit in a chair for 8 hours at a time. Somehow, we inherently knew that we needed recess, physical education, lunch, and even naptime. Even that walk uphill, both ways, in the snow, barefoot, was just part of what we needed to do. So we worked all of those years, graduated to our dream job, and ended up sitting in a cubicle for 8 hours without moving. Sure, we use the facilities, maybe go out to lunch, but mostly we sit on our backsides with horrible posture and stare at a computer screen. At around 4 PM, we begin to search for a pick-me-up, and end up eating candy and soda from the break room. Sure, at age 12, we thought free junk food was like winning the lottery. But as adults, we end up feeling flat-out yucky. We vow that tomorrow will be different, but we are so exhausted from a sedentary lifestyle, that change seems impossible.

The good news is that a desk job does not have to be so stagnant. If something in motion stays in motion, then we need to find ways to keep moving. And with a bit of food preparation, we can actually avoid the Snickers® bar. Let's look at some ways to stay healthy at work.

Get Out of that Chair

Sometimes it seems impossible to step away from your desk. People in Hollywood get fired for missing a call, an email, or taking too long a lunch. Here is the deal: They cannot fire you for standing up, going to the bathroom, or getting more water from the cooler. If your workplace is not completely rigid, switching your chair out for a Swiss ball a few times a day can make a huge difference in your posture. Even just standing up next to your desk can give your back the break from compressing that it desperately needs. So stand up, roll your shoulders back a few times, and breathe deeply. Go fill up a water bottle, which will give you even more reasons to stand up, as you will need the restroom. And set a timer to go off once an hour, so that you remember to do it. Sometimes that Excel^® spreadsheet is so fascinating, we forget about everything else. (Yeah, right.)

Speaker or Tweaker?

Did you realize your phone can be dangerous? No, this is not a lecture on driving with cell phones. Cradling a phone to your shoulder for extended periods of time can actually lead to misalignment, strains, and slipped discs. They still make fancy phones with a cradle for your shoulder, but they don't extend quite high enough. Try a wireless or corded variety of headset, which sometimes can be less expensive than their Bluetooth^® cousins. Forty bucks on a headset is better than multiple trips to the chiropractor. Or if what you are discussing is not sensitive, put the person on speakerphone. The coworker next to you might not appreciate it, but your neck will.

Stretch

You can stretch your entire body in a cubicle—a lot of it while sitting down. Here are some stretching options, which will release lactic acid buildup and help with structural alignment.

Neck: Lean right ear to right shoulder until you feel a stretch along the left side of your neck, hold for 10 seconds, switch to the other side. Lower chin to chest until you feel a stretch along the back of your neck, hold for 10 seconds. Lift chin toward ceiling, until you feel a stretch along the front of your throat, hold for 10 seconds. Look over your right shoulder, hold for 10 seconds and then over your left.
Shoulders: Extend both arms over head, interlace fingers, turn palms, and push up. Then interlace fingers with palms up behind back, lean forward slightly from waist, and lift arms away from your body.
Arms: Extend arm straight across your body, grasp forearm, and pull extended arm toward your body. Repeat with other arm. Then sit up in your chair, open your knees, and place your palms flat on the chair between them, with your fingertips facing you, and thumbs toward your knees. Push down on your flat palms.
Chest: Lift both arms out to the side, creating a "T" with them. Bend at the elbows, so your hands are going straight up to the ceiling, and you resemble a football goalpost. Pull your elbows back and hold.
Back: Sit up as tall as you can, and pull in your stomach muscles to your spine. Extend one arm across to the opposite arm of the chair, and twist. Hold for 10 seconds, and switch to the other side.
Quadriceps/Hamstrings: Stand at your desk. Bend one knee behind you, lifting your foot off the floor and catching it with the same hand. Don't lock your supporting leg; hips tucked under, and both knees together. Switch to other leg. Then place one foot on the desk in front of you, keeping the foot flexed and the knee straight. Put fingertips on leg, or desk, and with a flat spine, lean forward. If that isn't possible, flex one foot on floor in front of you, and lean forward with a flat spine.
Calves: Stand arms' length away from your desk, both toes facing the desk. Step forward with one foot, and bending the knee, keeping the back knee straight and pushing down in the heel. Switch.
Feet: Remove shoes if possible. Stand in front of desk. Form a "V" with your feet, heels together and toes pointed out at slight angles. Bend knees first, then lift up your heels, and hold for 5 seconds. Straighten knees and lower heels. Repeat 5 times.

Exercise Your Options

The following office exercise options are chair-based exercises for our more modest readers. If you are less aware of the stare, try adding some push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, dips, and squats to this routine. If you have an office with a door that closes, get yourself INSANITY^® right now and skip this entire section. For the following exercises, you'll need an exercise band, like the flat Thera-Band^® variety, which can easily be stored in your desk. And if your chair wheels easily, put the brake on now.

Chest press: Place band around back of chair, looping the ends of the band in each hand. Sit on the edge of your chair with abs pulled in tight, and straight posture. Press arms straight out in front of you, keeping them parallel to the ground. Hold for 2 counts. Fold elbows in and bring back of hands to chest. Repeat 10 times. Can also be used as chest fly, by slightly bending elbows and bringing hands together in front of you, like you are hugging a tree.
Row: Wrap resistance band around the leg of your desk. Sit facing it, both feet on ground, and abs pulled in. Grab one end of band in each hand; bend your arms and slide your elbows back, grazing the sides of your body. Hold for 2 counts, and return your arms to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.
Lateral raises: Sit on the edge of your chair, place both feet on the center of the band, and take an end of the band in each hand. Keeping a very slight bend in the elbow joint, bring both arms out to your sides creating a "T" with them. Hold for 2 counts, and lower your arms back to the sides of your legs. Repeat 10 times.
Posterior deltoid exercise: Hold band, hands 9 to 12 inches apart. Extend arms straight out in front of you, chest level, rolling shoulders back and down, keeping elbows as straight as possible. Open up arms to your sides, hold for 2 counts, and return your arms to the straight position. Repeat 10 times.
Curls: Sit on edge of chair and place both feet in center of band, or wrap band under the legs of the chair. Grab one end of band in each hand. Keeping elbows glued to your sides, bend both elbows and bring hands up toward shoulders. Hold for 2 counts, and lower your hands. Repeat 10 times.
Tricep extensions: Wrap band low around desk leg, and face away from it. Reach behind you, grab ends of band in each hand, and extend both hands to ceiling, with thumbs facing behind you. Hold for 2 counts. Keeping your elbows exactly where they are, let elbows bend slowly until hands reach ears. Extend arms straight toward ceiling again. Repeat 10 times.
Knee abs: Sit on edge of chair, tuck pelvis under slightly, and draw abs deeply into your spine. Lift your heels off the ground, and lift one knee at a time. For a super challenge, lift both knees at the same time, making sure to maintain a C-curve in your spine (keep your abs firmly tucked in). Repeat 10 times.
Leg extensions: Tie one end of band around the base of your chair. Tie the opposing end around your ankle. Sit firmly on chair, keeping backs of legs pressed into the chair. Extend wrapped leg out in front of you until knee is straight. Hold for 2 counts, and lower your leg. Repeat 10 times for each leg.
Hamstring curl: Wrap one end of band under leg of desk, up as high as it can go with other end of band tied to your ankle. Sit facing desk, on edge of chair, and extend leg toward desk. Bend knee and pull foot underneath you. Hold for 2 counts, and return to straight leg position. Repeat 10 times, and switch to other leg.

Chew on This

An ounce of prevention might be a pound of cure, but 4 ounces of carrot sticks will never be as tempting as that bowl of M&M's^® on your coworker's desk. So how do we avoid it? A handful of nuts, a protein bar, or some low-fat trail mix might not remove the craving, but they'll make your hunger dissipate until your next meal, and they don't require refrigeration. You can keep them in your desk at all times. So instead of the bowl, five M&M's might be enough.

Keep Water on Desk

Besides the previously mentioned reason to drink water (getting you out of your chair), hydration in an office setting is sorely overlooked. Your body requires a lot of water, even if you're stuck in a chair. Being well hydrated keeps you mentally alert, flushes out toxins from air conditioning, and will sometimes help with food cravings. So drink up.

Get out

This next tip totally depends on your employer. Most offices have at least a few smokers in them. How come they get to go outside and talk about their weekend, in the sunshine, several times a day? Just because you don't spend 8 dollars a day on cigarettes doesn't mean you can't take a moment and get some fresh air in your lungs. If your boss complains, scream discrimination against nonsmokers. Or you could pick up some candy cigarettes and pretend, as long as you avoid eating them.

It is no surprise that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 67 percent of the population as being unhappy with their career choices. Is this because we all have chosen the wrong careers? Or is it simply that most office workers would rather be outside playing tetherball? As you are well aware, it's difficult to pay the mortgage unless you go to work. But there are many things you can do, while remaining at work, that will keep you feeling better than a Snickers will. Maybe if we all take a few minutes a day to take care of ourselves, that workplace contentment statistic might drop a little. And if that doesn't work, at least we can avoid the horizontal spread of our back ends. Now that is something to be happy about.

Test Your Movie Theater Cuisine IQ!

2011-06-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Monica Nuñez

If you're like me (sadly), you may have indulged a bit in movie theater cuisine (okay, maybe not "cuisine" so much as "nicely packaged gut bombs"). Buttered popcorn, nachos, pizza . . . You can do some serious damage before you've even traveled back to 1986 in a hot tub or seen some serious Titan clashing. These calorie counts can be even more entertaining—or scarier, really—than anything on the screen. Match each treat with its calorie count, ranking from highest to lowest calorie count.

Reese's Pieces^® (8 ounces) – 1,200 calories. Other interesting nutritional information: 57.2 grams total fat (45.7 grams saturated fat); 486 milligrams of sodium; 148.6 grams of carbs (5.7 grams of dietary fiber and 137.2 grams of sugar); 28.6 grams of protein; and 114.3 milligrams of calcium.
Medium Buttered Popcorn (11 cups) – 900 calories. Other interesting nutritional information: 50 grams total fat (30 grams saturated fat) and 87 grams of carbs (15 grams of dietary fiber).
Skittles^® (6.75 ounces) – 776 calories. Other interesting nutritional information: 7.8 grams total fat (all saturated fat); 31 milligrams of sodium; 174.2 grams of carbs (146.2 grams of sugar); and 46.7 milligrams of calcium.
Peanut M&M's^® (5.3 ounces) – 762 calories. Other interesting nutritional information: 39.6 grams total fat (15.2 grams saturated fat); 15 milligrams of cholesterol; 91.5 grams of carbs (6.1 grams dietary fiber and 76.2 grams of sugar); 15.2 grams of protein; and 121.9 milligrams of calcium.
Large Minute Maid^® Lemonade (44 ounces) – 605 calories. Other interesting nutritional information: 82 milligrams of sodium; 148.5 grams of carbs (132 grams of sugar); 11 grams of protein; 110 milligrams of calcium; and 2,474.6 milligrams of potassium.

Recipe: Parmesan Fish Fillets

2011-06-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Team Beachbody

Here's a light, high-protein dish that's super-easy to prepare and will work with almost any kind of fish that's in season. And most of the ingredients are things you might already have in your pantry. Fast, delicious, and nutritious!

1 lb. white fish fillets (cod, flounder, turbot, sole, etc.)
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt (to taste; optional)
1/4 cup low-fat Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1/8 tsp. paprika

Preheat a large nonstick skillet. Wash fish fillets and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine basil, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt (if using). Sprinkle onto both sides of fish and cook for 5 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle fillets with cheese, parsley, and paprika, and cover pan. Cook for another 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
181	26 g	<1 g	1 g	6 g	4 g

Takeout Tips and Traps

2011-05-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

In a perfect world, we'd all be able to spend each morning browsing the farmers' market for the ideal seasonal produce, then spend the afternoon making a nutritious meal that would bring a tear to Martha Stewart's eye with its flawless presentation. But in reality, sometimes you don't even have time to make do with what's in the fridge. You might even have to resort to what's hanging on your doorknob or stuck in your windshield wiper, the scourge of diets everywhere: the delivery menu.

Ah, the delivery menu. A full meal (or more) brought to your door in 30 minutes or less. No cooking. No cleaning. It's like going to a fine restaurant—in your underpants. A dream come true. But it can be a nightmare for your figure if you succumb to some of the common pitfalls of deliverable cuisine. Here are some things to keep in mind so you can order your dinner in without having to let your pants out.

What to watch out for

Good things come in small packages. Unfortunately, most delivery food comes in large packages. It's rare that you can get someone to bring you one or two slices of pizza. You usually get the whole pie. And Chinese and Thai food come in those top-heavy tapered white boxes, so while it may seem you've only eaten half a container, you've actually gone through most of it. Before you dig into your freshly arrived repast, get a plate from your kitchen. (Come on, someone else cooked the dinner, you can wash one plate!) Put a serving on your plate and put the rest in the refrigerator for another time. By removing the extra food, you'll significantly reduce the chance that you'll power-eat your way through two or three meals' worth of calories straight out of the container.
Don't eat the "minimum." One problem with delivery, especially for single people, is that there's usually a $10.00 or $12.00 minimum. If the entrée you order doesn't meet the minimum delivery cost, don't be lured into loading up your order with fatty appetizers or extra desserts just to ensure free delivery. Instead, order two individual-sized entrées and put one in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch or dinner. You'll save money on the delivery fee, plus that's two nights in a row you don't have to cook. You win!
Watch your sides. Your diet's already in trouble since you have to order a banquet's worth of food just to get the delivery guy to show up at your door. Don't get talked into the add-ons like egg rolls, breadsticks, or chicken wings. Don't let a craving, a zealous phone order-taker, or just plain habit talk you into indulging in these unnecessary extras. Your pizza's already going to run you roughly 300 calories a slice (and do you honestly expect to stop at just one?); do you really want to add 300 calories' worth of wings to that?
Read the fine print. The best thing about Chinese, Thai, and other ethnic menus is that since the dish is in a foreign tongue, they usually have to add a couple of sentences about what's in the item and how it's prepared. Look for words and phrases like "steamed," "boiled," "all white meat," etc. Stay away from words like "fried," "crispy," "cheese-filled," "creamy," etc. Also, some menus include heart icons next to the healthier items—keep an eye out for those!
Spice it up. If you can take the heat, sprinkle some hot peppers on your pizza or order your food extra spicy! While some claims that spicy food will boost your metabolism are overexaggerated, there are some other benefits to eating the hot stuff. First off, peppers and curries add a lot of flavor without adding sodium, so pick dishes that emphasize spice over salt. Secondly, if your mouth is on fire, you might be encouraged to drink more water to cool you off. In addition to its myriad other benefits, water will help keep you feeling full, which helps a lot with portion control. (Avoid drinking high-calorie sodas, beers, or Thai iced tea [200 calories a serving] to put out the fire, though.)

What to order

Most of the restaurants that deliver are local eateries, not national chains, so we can't give you specific nutritional information for all of them, but here are some tips for good things to order and bad things to avoid for three of the most popular categories of restaurant.

Chinese

Get steamed. Order steamed rice, not fried, and go with brown rice if they have it—it has extra fiber.
Veg out. Look for the dishes that are mostly vegetables and are steamed rather than fried. If you order dishes like beef and broccoli, ask them for extra broccoli.
Soup it up. Egg-drop, wonton, and hot-and-sour soups are good low-cal, low-fat options (although they usually have plenty of sodium, so no extra soy sauce!). Fill up on some soup and put away half your entrée for later.
Grease: not the word. Stay away from deep-fried dishes like egg rolls, crispy orange chicken, General Tso's chicken, sweet-and-sour pork, etc.
Lay off the sauce. Watch out for sauces made with corn syrup or oil. Request low sauce or no sauce. An order of kung pao chicken seems healthy but it's sautéed in enough oil that it can have up to 76 grams of fat—more than an entire day's worth. If possible, ask how it's prepared.
Pass up the salt. Ask for low-salt options. Don't use the full-sodium soy sauce packets that come with your meal. Instead, invest in your own bottle of low-sodium soy sauce. Also, make sure your restaurant is one of the many that no longer use monosodium glutamate (MSG) in their dishes.
Switch it up. For dinner combos, see if you can substitute healthier options for the normal items. For example, at my Panda Express^®, they'll give me an extra serving of steamed vegetables instead of the side of starchy chow mein or fried rice that it typically comes with.
The future is bright, and light! A fortune cookie has only 30 calories and no fat, and potentially brings good news or a daily affirmation—treat yourself!

Pizza

Don't pick up that phone. It's hard to find healthy pizza and it's far better to make your own. If delivery's the only option, however, read on . . .
More veggies. Load up on veggie toppings like peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, fresh garlic, jalapeños, etc.
Less fat and/or less cheese. Ask for low-fat cheese, or ask them to use half the cheese.
Defeat the meat. Try to stay away from fatty meat toppings like pepperoni, meatballs, and sausage. Instead, try leaner options like Canadian bacon, chicken, or shrimp.
Bust the crust. Not all pizzas are created equal, and neither are their crusts. Most pizza chains list nutrition info on their Web sites, so make sure you take a look before ordering to ensure the smartest choice.

Thai

Lighten up. Many of the same tips for Chinese food apply to Thai food as well. Try to get steamed brown rice and lots of vegetables and stay away from heavy sauces and high-sodium dishes.
Don't get saucy. Satay is a good option, but try not to use too much of the peanut dipping sauce, if any; that's where your calories will start to add up.
Don't go (coco)nuts. Watch the coconut milk. It's delicious, but usually extremely fattening. Try to look for dishes flavored with ginger, citrus, curry, or chilies instead. Or ask if they can prepare your dish with low-fat coconut milk.
Hold the milk. Thai restaurants offer a lot of delicious low-fat soups that you can fill up on. They also have some soups that are high in fat because of coconut milk. Try and order soups that don't include it. And as with all soups, keep an eye on the sodium.
Green and lean. Thai cuisine includes many salads that are a meal in themselves, such as Yum Nuah (beef salad) or Pla Goong (grilled shrimp salad). Many of these have simple lime juice dressings that are low in fat. But, as with American salads, caveat emptor, and ask the restaurant what's in the dressing.
Go fish (or tofu). Check out the fish and tofu options. Even more than their Chinese counterparts, Thai restaurants have lots of dishes that feature seafood and tofu. And if you don't care for either, the Thai spices might just help you overcome your aversion.

So while it's unlikely you'll lose much weight on a takeout diet, there are still a lot of ways you can minimize the damage. But if you're still afraid that takeout temptation will take out your resolve, try filling that "30 minutes or less" with a quick P90X or P90X+^® workout like Ab Ripper X or Abs/Core Plus while you're waiting for your food to arrive. Then you can enjoy that Szechwan chicken with a side of virtuousness.

Seafood Done Smart

2011-05-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Andrew Rice

My wife and I fight about fish.

Other couples may fight over the remote control, about whose in-laws will get a holiday visit, or about who left the toilet seat up (again). We don't, but sometimes we do fight about the relative merits of mariculture (fish farming) vs. wild-caught fish. My wife recoils at the thought of eating farm-raised Atlantic salmon as if it were pen-raised veal. I'm troubled by the overfishing of wild stocks of fish all over the world. At other times, we squabble about whether we should let our son eat yellowfin tuna, which we all love, but which also contains high levels of mercury.

Our various struggles are just a microcosm of the larger debates about eating fish. The fact is, there's no one easy answer when it comes to picking fish that is healthy, environmentally sustainable, affordable, and delicious. But don't worry; with a little research, it's possible to find the right fish to grace your dinner table. Here are some tips.

Fish fat: fabulous for you!

There wouldn't be much point in eating fish if it were bad for us. To begin with, seafood is a great source of protein, generally low in fat and reasonably low in cholesterol. But it has other benefits too. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which runs America's national marine sanctuaries, says research has shown that eating seafood may reduce our risk for a number of unhealthy conditions, including stroke, hypertension, and heart disease.

Why is it seafood that has these benefits rather than, say, a giant cheeseburger? Because seafood is rich in certain polyunsaturated fatty acids commonly known as omega-3 fatty acids whereas the cheeseburger is just rich in fat. Not all fish are made equally when it comes to their omega-3 content. The best are cold-water fish, like wild salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, and herring. Studies by the Washington State Department of Fisheries have found that wild and farmed salmon both have roughly the same amounts of omega-3s per portion. Sardines and other small fish are also excellent sources.

Malevolent mercury

Of course, the flip side of the health equation is the concern about levels of methylmercury in fish. This heavy trace metal is the fallout of industrial pollution of the atmosphere, largely from the burning of coal, and has been linked to brain damage and birth defects. All fish contain some mercury, but the health benefits of most fish species generally outweigh the downside. The best rule of thumb is to avoid large fish that live a long time, as they accumulate the most mercury in their flesh. The EPA advises that consumers avoid shark, swordfish, and king mackerel. Smaller fish like sardines, anchovies, and herring tend to have the lowest mercury levels, as do shellfish like shrimp, lobster, and scallops. Larger fish like halibut, tuna, and salmon have higher levels but not dangerously so, unless you eat them in very large quantities.

o keep your mercury levels in the safe zone, the Natural Resources Defense Council advises eating unlimited quantities of low-mercury species like tilapia, anchovies, catfish, and freshwater trout. You should limit your intake of moderate-mercury species like halibut, lobster, and mahi-mahi to less than six servings per month. Eat no more than three servings per month of high-mercury species like tuna, albacore, and sea bass. And, as mentioned earlier, entirely avoid species like shark, swordfish, and king mackerel.

Is seafood safe for kids?

The verdict on whether or not to feed my 9-year-old son the yellowfin tuna sushi he loves so much (aka maguro, at your local sushi joint) turned out to be a hung jury. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council Web page about mercury levels in fish, both children under 6 years of age and pregnant women should avoid high-mercury species entirely. According to the NRDC, at 9, my son can safely eat tuna, albacore, and other varieties in the high-mercury category, but he should limit his intake to less than 1 ounce of tuna per 12 pounds of body weight per week (in his case, about 6 ounces per week), which is a pretty good portion of sushi.

If you think you or your loved ones might already be suffering from elevated mercury levels, the Sierra Club offers mercury testing for $20.00 per person. You simply download and print out the brochure here, fill it out, and mail it in to the address provided with a sample of hair cut according to the instructions. They'll test it and mail the results back to you in about a month.

The impact on our oceans

Finally, there are a lot of valid concerns about the environmental impact of our fish-eating habits, whether it's the depletion of wild tuna stocks by industrial fishing fleets or the localized pollution caused by pens of farm-raised salmon. Even more complicated, a fish that's okay to eat from one ocean or area, like California halibut, might be overfished or endangered in another, like Atlantic halibut.

The best single resource I've found for navigating the environmental questions around any species of fish or shellfish is the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Web site and downloadable buyer's guide. A PDF of the guide, customized for various regions, is available at http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx.

I also downloaded the Seafood Watch app from the iTunes^® store, which is great for checking whether or not you should buy that delicious-looking monkfish fillet on sale at your favorite grocery store. (The answer? No, because it's caught by trawlers that also catch endangered sea turtles.)

A short list of common species that are both mercury safe and environmentally sustainable includes domestically farmed freshwater fish like tilapia, catfish, and trout; wild-caught Alaskan salmon; Pacific halibut; sardines; and mahi-mahi.

Maybe now my wife and I can start fighting about something really important, like who's going to clean up after our seafood dinner.

Is It Time to Eat?

2011-05-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Mark Nelson

It probably is. Because if you're like many people, you don't eat often enough. According to Turbo Jam^® trainer Chalene Johnson, you should eat at least five times a day. That includes three meals and two snacks. So why eat so often?

It helps prevent your body from storing fat.

I kid you not. Our bodies are actually programmed to store fat, and this trait has helped us humans keep going over the eons. At many stages during our existence, it was critical to our survival. If you look back in time with me, I'll show you why.

Picture yourself wearing an animal skin or scratchy woolen toga, a few smears of mud and no hair product. (Don't feel bad—no one else looked good, either.) If you look in your hand, you'll see that you're carrying a spear that you made yourself. The reason for making it is that you're hungry.

If you throw well, you eat. If you miss, you don't. So being able to store energy in the form of fat will hopefully sustain you until your throwing improves.

This same survival tool remains part of our makeup today.

So the best way to avoid slipping into this fat-storing mode is to keep your metabolism going with small meals and snacks. Eating frequently prompts your body to efficiently keep working and burning the calories.

And if that weren't enough by itself, there's another good reason to avoid long waits between meals.

Eating regularly tames wild cravings.

By eating smaller meals on a regular schedule, you'll help your body work comfortably on fewer calories, and stay in an energy (fat)-burning mode. This will help you feel more energetic, and keep your blood sugar stable, which will reduce carb cravings before your next meal.

Now let's say you need even more help controlling your cravings for the wrong stuff. What do you do?

Start your day with the right stuff.

Chances are, you don't eat in your sleep. So when you wake up, your cells are ready to absorb essential nutrients and, in particular, protein.

Throughout the night, your body uses excess or circulating proteins to replenish your muscles, hair, skin, and nails. In addition, your body uses proteins to create millions of antibodies for defense against bacteria, which often attacks while you sleep. That's why eating a healthy breakfast packed with protein is good for you.

Starting your day with eggs, nonfat cottage cheese, a P90X^® Peak Performance Protein Bar, or Shakeology^® can help you get a good serving of the protein and nutrients you need.

And a good rule of thumb for the timing of this meal is within an hour of waking up. If that's not possible, have a meal or snack as early as possible to get your metabolism revving. So what about the rest of your day?

Lift weights, then lift plates.

Another smart time to eat is about 30 to 45 minutes after a workout. At this time, the enzymes responsible for energy production are in high gear, and the energy-storing hormones within our blood are suppressed.

This means less energy will be stored as fat. Carbs will be immediately taken up to replenish the low glycogen stores caused through exercising. Protein will be used for the recovery and growth of new calorie-burning muscle tissue. And the best news is, your body will burn most of the nutrients from the meal to fuel these reactions. That's why eating after a workout is a good idea.

Having protein late in the day, for perhaps your last meal or snack, will also provide your body with the protein it will use overnight to revitalize your muscles, hair, nails, and antibodies.

Of course, remember portion size. If you're not sure how much that might be, use the palm of your hand as a guideline. It's a good trick, since you probably have your hands with you.

As with most things in life, timing is everything. So when you're trying to drop lbs., don't just think about what you eat—think about when. This will enable you to get more nutrients from fewer calories. Of course, the fewer calories you eat, the easier it is to lose weight. So eat right. On time. On schedule.

How I Overcame Compulsive Overeating

2011-05-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Debbie Siebers, creator of Slim in 6^®

My biggest challenge in life so far has been conquering my compulsive eating habit. I remember so clearly the hopelessness I felt because I had no control over my impulses. I would literally sit down to a pint of Häagen-Daz^® every day and swear that tomorrow I would start my diet. There are also vivid memories of me downing an entire bag of Chips Ahoy!^® chocolate chip cookies and an entire big bag of Doritos^®! I had those moments of sitting in my car, opening a jar of peanut butter, and polishing off almost half of it, and then driving to a fast food place for a burger and fries. And let's not forget the CHEESE! I am a Cheesehead, after all, and I would eat blocks of it at a time.

When I think of that now, it truly makes me sick to my stomach. How could my poor body handle that? No wonder my digestion was so screwed up and I have cellulite so bad—even now. You can't possibly expect to abuse your body like that and put such demands on your digestive system and not have major issues. I remember jogging around my block at 4:00 AM, desperate to burn off those calories, and then dropping down to the ground into a heap of tears praying for control and the strength to get my life on track. I do know that I was eating out of emotion—not knowing how to cope with certain feelings I was having.

I knew I had to confront my demons head on and figure it out. I'm not sure of the exact moment I decided to change. It was an accumulation of emotion and just being fed up with feeling and looking bad. Enough was enough! So, I joined a support group and through that program I learned how to eat properly. I learned about portion control.

Growing up, I was never taught any of those things. My mother had been severely overweight when I was growing up, and she loved to bake. And I mean BAKE EVERYTHING you can possibly think of. I would wake up every Saturday morning to hot chocolate chip cookies, gooey brownies, pies, homemade bread, you name it. I would stuff myself until I couldn't eat another bite. Having that support group made me accountable and got me on track. The first 12 pounds came off pretty easily. Then, it was a bit slower, but because I stuck with the program, it consistently came off.

When I moved to Los Angeles at 21, I was on my way to better health and felt more in control. I was a secretary at that time, so I sat most of the day. I definitely had bumps and challenges along the way, but I was determined to get the once lean, fit body back that I had when I was in high school as a cheerleader, gymnast, and sprinter! It was when I joined a gym and began working out with weights that I really started to see the changes. Unfortunately, I made a lot of the mistakes that many women do when they don't really understand how to exercise properly. I worked with heavy weights and didn't do enough cardio. So I got really strong, but I was very bulky! Also, I still was in the bad habit of eating three big meals a day instead of small little mini-meals throughout the day. It really wasn't until I was in my late thirties that I figured it out.

The last thing I needed to get control of was my love for sweets, and it wasn't easy . . . I decided to just starve myself of all carbs and sugars for about 2 weeks. It was truly amazing what happened. I sincerely didn't crave them anymore! I would never have believed in a million years that I would actually desire a delicious piece of fish with vegetables over a pizza!

I think having so much energy and feeling my body toned and lean also gave me extra incentive. Then, when I became a personal trainer at the gym I was working out at, I was literally exercising with my clients all day long doing ab and midsection routines with them. Before I knew it, my waist was tiny and my abs were ripped. I had a six-pack for the first time, and I was pumped!

Now if I really want to have a chocolate chip cookie, I'll have one . . . but only one. And sometimes, I don't even eat the whole thing. I am satisfied with a bite or two. For me, it was a major shift in the way I associated and looked at food. Also, the more educated and aware I became, the easier it was to treat my body with respect. I got into "right-thinking" mode and didn't want to sabotage myself anymore. Some of the tools that helped me along the way were thought-provoking, motivational, and inspirational books and tapes that would put me in the present moment. Now, there is such a wealth of extra support at your fingertips. Beachbody^® has developed such an amazing community that you're crazy if you don't take advantage of it.

Get involved in the live chats and the Message Boards. Join the WOWY SuperGym^®. Keep that journal every day to help you stay accountable. Empower yourself with knowledge and invest in YOU! You deserve it. You deserve to be happy and healthy! I know if I could do it, you can, too . . . we are all here to help cheer you on and support you to live your best life!

Now . . . GO PUSH PLAY!!

XXOO,
Debbie

Test Your Sugar IQ!

2011-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

Which has more calories, brown sugar or white sugar? White sugar actually has more calories than brown sugar. But not many more—only about two calories an ounce. Traditional brown sugar almost always comes from the sugar beet. The extracted beet sugar is mixed with molasses (the by-product of the sugar extraction), which is what gives brown sugar its distinct color and flavor. Cane sugar is light brown in its natural state.
How much sugar typically makes kids hyperactive? Amazingly, none. Science has yet to establish any conclusive link between sugar and increases in hyperactivity in children. It is suspected that sugar may be taking a bad rap for caffeine, which, along with sugar, is present in many sodas and chocolaty snacks, and has been proven to hype up the rugrats.
How is powdered sugar, or confectioner's sugar, made? Powdered sugar is ground 10 times as fine as regular sugar and mixed with a small amount of cornstarch to prevent caking. So if you're ever cooking at home and run out of powdered sugar, just grind up some regular sugar in a blender with a pinch of cornstarch.
How many gallons of maple sap are needed to make one gallon of maple syrup? It takes 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup. But the syrup isn't too bad of a sweetener. As maple sugar, it contains seven fewer calories per ounce than sugar, but contains many more essential minerals. Not quite a health food, but better than the white stuff.
Who played Sugar Kane in the 1959 film Some Like It Hot? Marilyn Monroe.

6 Foods with Hidden Sugar

2011-05-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Joe Wilkes

The average American eats approximately 1,500 pounds of food every year. Of that, 160 pounds are primarily sugar. Of course, sugar is delicious, and I know I'm happier for its existence, but of all the things we consume, it has the least nutritive value. In fact, except for the energy in its calories, there's not much to recommend about sugar. It's a prime source of empty calories, and for those of us who are trying to lose weight, sugar's the first thing we should start trimming from our diets. But here's the problem—despite our best intentions to remove excess sugar from our diet, the food industry has found more and more devious ways of slipping us the sweet stuff. Whether the food industry calls sugar by another name or adds it to foods we never thought would have needed it, our sweet tooth is constantly being bombarded. Fortunately, with stricter labeling laws, we have a fighting chance at cutting back on sugar.

Why does the food industry want to fill us so full of sugar?

It's basically the same as any other industry. For the oil industry to make more money, it needs us to use more of its product by driving more miles. The food industry needs us to use more of its product by eating more calories. The problem is that the American food industry is already producing around 3,900 calories per person per day, which is way more than we need. One solution to this surplus is to sell the food cheaply overseas, which the industry does. The other solution is for Americans to eat more calories. And sugar and its corn-sweetener brethren are great calorie delivery systems, as they pack a huge caloric punch without causing much satiety or feeling of fullness. Most people would probably stop eating steak after they reached 1,000 calories, because they'd be stuffed, but after you drank 1,000 calories from your Big Gulp® cup, there'd still be room for dinner. The other reason the industry pushes sugar so hard is that it's cheap to produce, and the cheaper the calorie, the larger the profit margin.

Sugar in labels—hiding in plain sight.

One of the best ways to disguise the amount of sugar in a product is something the government already requires—printing the information in grams. Most Americans only have the foggiest idea of how much a gram is, because we're unaccustomed to the metric system. So when we pick up a can of soda that contains 40 grams of sugar, we pretty much shrug our shoulders and pop the top. And that attitude is all right with the soda industry! But what if the label said that it contained over 10 teaspoons of sugar? If you saw someone ladling 10 teaspoons of sugar into their morning coffee, you'd think they were crazy, but that's how much people consume in a typical 12-ounce can. A 64-ounce fountain drink you'd get at a movie theater or a convenience store contains more than 53 teaspoons of sugar—almost two cups! Naturally, people would probably think twice if the nutritional information on products was given in measurements that were meaningful to them. But until our heavily food industry–subsidized government decides to change its policy, it's a metric world, we just live in it. But we can take note that four grams equals one teaspoon. So when you check out the label, divide the grams of sugar by four, and that's how many teaspoons you're consuming.

Sugar, by any other name, would taste just as sweet.

Another strategy the sugar pushers use to get us to consume more calories is to rename the offending ingredient. We know to stay away from sugar, but how about molasses, honey, sorghum, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (HCFS), glucose, fructose, lactose, dextrose, sucrose, galactose, maltose, or concentrated juices like grape or apple? Another path to profit that the food industry has discovered is that instead of harvesting relatively more expensive sugar cane and beets, they can produce sweeteners in a laboratory more cheaply and with just as many calories as beet and cane sugar. And with some sweeteners, especially the popular HCFS, it is believed that your body will be less likely to reach satiety than with sugar, so you can consume more. Mo' calories, mo' money. Another advantage to these doses of -oses is that, aside from the fact that many people won't guess they're just different forms of sugar, they can be spread out in the ingredient list required by law, so it won't be as obvious that what you're consuming is pretty much all sugar. When you look at a list of ingredients on a product, the manufacturer is required to list them in order of amount, from highest to lowest. So they can bury a quarter cup of fructose, a quarter cup of sucrose, a quarter cup of dextrose, and a quarter cup of corn syrup in the middle of the list, so you won't be as likely to notice that when you add them all up, the main ingredient in the product is sugar.

Hide and seek. You're it.

So, if you're like me, you may have sworn off soda except for special occasions, and turned the candy bowl into an unsalted-almond bowl. No more sugar, no more problems. Except for this problem—the food industry has cleverly snuck its sugars into products where we never would have thought to look for sugar. It's good for the manufacturer. It jacks up the calorie load, can enhance the product's appearance (high fructose corn syrup gives hamburger buns their golden glow), and can keep our sugar jones simmering at a low boil, in case we ever decide to go back to the real thing. Here are some types of products whose labels could bear more scrutiny.

Spaghetti sauce. A half cup of store-bought sauce can contain as many as three teaspoons of corn syrup or sugar. While some of the naturally occurring sugar in tomatoes and other vegetables will show up on the nutrition label, most of the sugar is added. Look for brands that don't include sugar or its aliases or make your own from fresh or canned tomatoes.
Ketchup. Ketchup can be 20 percent sugar or more. Not to mention that you'll get 7 percent of your daily sodium allowance in one tablespoon. Look for low-salt, no-sugar brands, or make your own, using pureed carrots to add flavor and texture to the tomatoes.
Reduced-fat cookies. Most brands of cookies now offer a reduced-fat version of their product. Nabisco® even offers its own line of low-fat treats, Snackwell's®. But while you're patting yourself on the back for choosing the low-fat option, check the label. The sneaky food manufacturers did take out the fat, but they replaced it with, you guessed it, sugar. Many times, the reduced-fat cookie is only slightly less caloric than the one you want to eat. And because there's no fat to make you feel full, you'll be tempted to eat more "guilt-free" cookies. And just because there's less fat, it doesn't mean you'll be less fat. Fat doesn't make you fat. Calories make you fat.
Low-fat salad dressing. As with low-fat cookies, manufacturers have taken the fat out of the dressing, but they've added extra salt and sugar to make up for it. Check the label to make sure you're not replacing heart-healthy olive oil with diabetes-causing sugar—because that's not really a "healthy choice." Your best bet? Make your own vinaigrettes using a small amount of olive oil, a tasty gourmet vinegar or fresh lemon juice, and some fresh herbs.
Bread. Most processed breads can contain a good bit of sugar or corn syrup. As always, check the ingredient label, and consider getting your bread at a real bakery or a farmers' market—it's the best idea since, well, you know.
Fast food. Needless to say, fast food is generally not good for you. But even if you're staying away from the sodas and the shakes, everything from the burgers to the fries to the salads is a potential place to hide sugar. Check out the ingredients carefully at your favorite restaurant. You may be getting more than you bargained for.