Archive for January, 2010

Is this recipe healthy? Monkey Bread

January 27th, 2010

Monkey Bread

“Hunks and hunks of baking love! This breakfast favourite is meant to be pulled apart. We healthified this recipe by removing the unhealthy ingredients and swinging in some healthier choices instead.” – Quoted from a cooking website.

I grabbed this “healthified” recipe. Trust me its not perfect, but the original was disastrous. Regardless this one still tastes great and is MUCH more healthy.

The point I want to make is watch out for what companies may tell you is “healthy”. If you want pure sugar, then this is the ticket, if you want taste that is over the top, then this recipe is a home run, but remember this snack is bottomline a cheat and treat and not a staple, no matter how a site may call it “healthy”.

Don’t get fooled into thinking the cheats and treats are what makes you thin… its the days of good (dare I say empowered) nutrition and eating that out performs the cheats and treats. Treats should be called REWARD meals and that is how they should be treated.

HEALTHIFIED RECIPE -MONKEY BREAD???

Even the pickiest eaters will love picking at this sweet bread. We used reduced-fat and fat-free ingredients to trim 57% of the fat and 61% of the saturated fat.

2/3 cup sugar > 1/4 cup sugar

large refrigerated buttermilk homestyle biscuits > Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated reduced-fat buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup packed brown sugar plus 3/4 cup butter > 3/4 cup fat-free caramel topping plus 2 teaspoons vanilla

Nutritional Highlights (or not so nutritional highlights):

Calories

370 (before) > 250 (after)

Total Fat

19 g (before) > 8 g (after)

Saturated Fat

9 g (before) > 3 1/2 g (after)

Trans Fat

3.5 g (before) > 0 g (after)

prep time:15 min

start to finish:1 hr 10 min

makes:16 servings

1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated reduced-fat buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup fat-free caramel topping
2 teaspoons vanilla

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with cooking spray.

In 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix sugar and cinnamon. Separate both cans of dough into 16 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters. Add biscuit pieces to sugar mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Layer biscuit pieces and pecans in pan.

In small bowl, mix caramel topping and vanilla. Pour over biscuit pieces.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information (yeah right):

1 serving: Calories 250 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 640mg; Total Carbohydrate 39g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 15g); Protein 3g % Daily Value Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 8% Exchanges 1 Starch, 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate, 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices 2 1/2

ORIGINAL RECIPE – MONKEY BREAD

“Making monkey bread is just as fun as eating it! It’s a staple in my house and I rarely go without it for more than a few days. I’m glad this recipe was chosen—I didn’t even think it could be healthified!” - Britney Irby, Wichita Falls, TX – Quoted from a cooking website.

Britney… Britney… Britney… you poor soul. Are you kidding me?! There is a minor applaud (gold clap) for the less than moderate reduction in carbohydrates… mainly sugar and calories. This is still a trick to get you to make your own sugar and eating this is simply going to add weeks and years onto your timeline to achieving your fat loss goals. Limit the intake and I guarantee you will see results. Use it as a reward at best and enjoy every mouthful.

Ingredients

2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cans (16.3 oz each) large refrigerated buttermilk homestyle biscuits
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter

16 servings

Nutritional Information (or lack there of):

1 serving: Calories 370 (Calories from Fat 170); Total Fat 19g (Saturated Fat 9g, Trans Fat 3.5g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 660mg; Total Carbohydrate 46g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 25g); Protein 4g % Daily Value Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 8% Exchanges 1 Starch, 2 Other Carbohydrate, 3 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices 3

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Best and Worst Nutrition News of 2009: 10 Highlights and Lowlights in Healthy Eating

January 26th, 2010

Best and Worst Nutrition News of 2009: 10 Highlights and Lowlights in Healthy Eating

Well I was reading and scouring the net for great new nutrition news. I came across an article from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Dietician Susan Levin originally posted this in its entirety, but I pulled some more bits and bites for us to think about.

I included a link to the full article and site at the end of the post.

Enjoy these odd balls of nutrition success from 2009 and fire up some comments to get some bickering and bantering going on the state of our current “healthy eating” lifestyles and new directions both personal and corporate.

My personal favorite worst offender the Fifth Third Burger >>

Patrick.

Tomorrow another monkey recipe… this one is more of a sweet dessert you will love… it’s almost like cheating.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Best and Worst Nutrition News

President Obama, Sarah Palin among Worst Health Offenders

WASHINGTON—The year 2009 saw America reaching new nutrition lows with the release of a 4,800-calorie burger, the discovery of carcinogens in KFC’s new and “healthier” grilled chicken, and images of a president and his vice president chomping down on cholesterol-dripping cheeseburgers. But this was also the year first lady Michelle Obama sowed the seeds of healthy eating by planting the White House’s first vegetable garden in decades—a move that inspired thousands of Americans to follow suit.

Here are the highlights and lowlights of healthy eating in the year that was:

Most Unsurprisingly Unhealthy Product
The West Michigan Whitecaps of Grand Rapids, Mich., unveiled its Fifth Third Burger, which holds five one-third pound hamburger patties, chilli, nacho cheese, Fritos, salsa, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream on an 8-inch sesame seed bun, packing more than 4,800 calories, nearly 300 grams of fat, 744 milligrams of cholesterol, and more than 10,000 milligrams of sodium.

Most Paradoxically Unhealthy New Product
KFC’s Kentucky Grilled Chicken aimed to be a healthier version of its signature fatty fried chicken, but turned out to harbour the chemical carcinogen PhIP.

Worst Health Quote
“If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat?”—Sarah Palin

Actually, This Might Be the Worst Quote
“I love meat. I eat pork chops, thick bacon burgers, and the seared fatty edges of a medium-well-done steak. But I especially love moose and caribou. I always remind people from outside our state that there’s plenty of room for all Alaska’s animals—right next to the mashed potatoes.”—Sarah Palin

Worst Lunch Choice
On May 5, the president and vice president dropped in—as much as a presidential motorcade can “drop in”—at Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington, Va. They ordered big, greasy, high-cholesterol cheeseburgers and soda and downed them while cameras whirred all around.

Most Health-Conscious City in Europe
The city of Ghent, Belgium, announced in May that it would go meat-free every Thursday, in a move aimed to fight obesity, global warming, and cruelty to animals, and to show people that meatless food can be totally delicious.

Most Health-Conscious City in America
The Baltimore, Md., public schools announced Meatless Mondays, giving all school children in the city their weekly dose of healthy nutrition.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.

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Tags: 4 800 calories Fifth Third Burger H1N1 Hamburger health-concious city KFC Obama Palin swine flu unhealthy new product unhealthy product worst health quote worst lunch choice

Frozen Chunky Monkey Protein Smoothie Recipe

January 25th, 2010

Frozen Chunky Monkey Protein Smoothie

OK so this is going to be more of a freebie and a suggestion than it is going to be an informative blog post. I want to give you one of my favourite protein shake recipes. I use it to grow and build muscle and cut for fat loss or weight loss.

I use it to replace a meal when late for a meeting and sometimes when I know I am on the road all day with little time to stop for food and don’t want to feel heavy and bloated in the gut while driving; I fire up one of these bad boys and load it up with ice. (I make it a bit thinker than normal so by the time the ice melts its perfect).

So I am going to give you my standard recipe and some tips, then I add in some suggestions to help make it a MASS shake or use it for cutting up the fat.

My Frozen Chunky Monkey Protein Smothie

Ingredients:

Chocolate Protein Powder 28 grams = 28 grams protein (I count protein not weight)
Vanilla Yogurt 1 cup (8 oz)/226g = 10 grams protein, 38 grams carbs, 4 grams fat and lots of good bacterial cultures
Frozen banana ½ (half) = (approximately) 15 grams carbohydrates
Ice Cubes as many as you want… I like lots.. freeze brain is fun
Water, about 4-8ounces is all you really need, but I like mine thick and cold
Flax Seed Oil 1 tea spoon = 5 grams long chain triglycerides and lots of omega fats
Coconut Oil 1 tea spoon = 5 grams medium chain triglycerides and lots of omega fats
Peanut Butter 1 teaspoon natural organic = 5 grams fats

Portions and Grams:

38 grams proteins / 5.4 portions protein = 152 calories
53 grams carbs / 5.8 portions = 212 calories
15 grams fats / 5 portions = 135 calories

Total (approx) Calories: 499 calories

As you can see I would easily drink my lunch in about 60 seconds. So to make it a snack I cut it in half to a 2-3 portion shake or snack. I like to make this and drink half at my mid morning shake and half as my afternoon or post workout shake.

[clearly that one to the right is a few more than 499 calories, but I thought it would get your juices flowing... like it did mine]

Now for the directions: Prep a clean blender, throw in ice cubes, add frozen banana (in chunks), yogurt, and peanut butter. Cover and start blender. Add in protein powder, then flax seed oil, coconut oil and finally water to desired consistency. Serve and enjoy… that’s it, rather simple and simply satisfying.

To make this a bigger shake don’t cut it in half for two shakes, but drink it all for lunch or if you are on a balanced (zone like) eating plan increase or decrease the portion sizes.

Sometimes I like to add oatmeal raw just at the tail end of the blend cycle to give it added slow release carbs and longer energy or just to pump it up and make it a really think and chewy shake (as is the case when I do it for some lunches).

Now to make this a mass shake, well that is obvious and easy. Add oatmeal to give you a higher percentage ratio of carbs and cut the flax seed oil to reduce the fats… like this -

MacroMASS Ratios: 35% protein, 45% carbs and 20% fats.

It’s still a very healthy mass gaining shake by all means.

Now to make a cutting Frozen Monkey Protein Smoothie is quite simple.

Cut the yogurt and DO NOT add Oatmeal. It can’t get any easier than that. When I am in real deal fat loss mode I even bring the banana down to 1/3 instead of half, just for flavour. You can see now that the ratios are more in line with a restricted calorie and reduced carbohydrate program –

Advanced Fat Loss Ratios: 40% protein, 20-30% carbs and the balance being healthy fats and oils.

Sometimes I even opt out the peanut butter for the real thing and less calories. This requires chewing your shake, but that increase digestion and personal satisfaction.

What is Protein Smoothie?

Enjoy. Tomorrow I got a real eye opener on the state of a “healthy” 2009. This is crazy it almost reads like a fiction story, but they are all real. Its inspired by an article I recently read in the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Stay Empowered and Stay Focused on Your Goals.

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Tags: banana Building Muscle chunky fat loss frozen goals lean bodies monkey muscle building nutrition peanut butter protein shake Protein Smoothie recipe shake supplements weight loss yogurt

MOTIVATED & EMPOWERED TO SUCCEED (part 3)

January 21st, 2010

Setting Goals to Stay Motivated

I don’t want to spend too much time harping on goal setting and how important it is to instant and long term success. So let`s get right into it. If you need a moment to visualize take it now. Think of everything you have always wanted in life and what it will look, feel, smell and taste like when you achieve that goal and reward yourself.

This may sound new age and a bit too funky for you, but trust me it helps.

Now lets move into it…

YOUR BIG GOAL

This is the goal that you will achieve over time with dedication and commitment. It’s important that your big goal is realistic. One of the biggest reasons people fail at achieving their goals is because their goals are unrealistic. Gaining 20 pounds of muscle is a realistic goal, but gaining 20 pounds of muscle in a couple of weeks is not! If you are uncertain about what a realistic goal is, a consultation with your personal trainer, a fitness or nutrition professional, or just some research on your own will go a long way. Here are some examples of realistic and attainable goals:

• Losing 50 to 100 pounds this year. Expect to lose one to two pounds per week. One to two pounds per week = 50 to 100 pounds this year.

• Losing three, five, even ten pounds in the first two weeks. Expect to lose the most weight in the first two weeks and continue to lose one to two pounds weekly thereafter.

• Losing ten percent body fat. Expect to lose one to three percent of your body fat each month, depending on your starting body fat percentage.

• Gaining twelve to twenty-four pounds of lean muscle. You can gain one to two pounds of lean body mass per month.

• Increasing your strength by twenty percent. You can increase your strength by two to five per cent each month.

Now it’s time for you to write down your big goal. Your big goal should have a tangible component (like how many pounds you will lose), a timeline (how long it will take you to lose those pounds), an intangible component (how you will feel after losing that much weight), and a big reward when you achieve it. For example, your big goal might be, “I will reduce my body fat percentage to 15 percent and my weight by 35 pounds in one year. I’m going to feel fit, healthy and sexy! My reward will be a Caribbean cruise.”

My goal was to go from 263 pounds to 196 pounds on stage at a body building contest. I came close, in fact I missed my goal by 8 pounds. The good thing was I gained 8 pounds of lean muscle while dieting down. take a look…

YOUR BIG GOAL AND REWARD: (write it down) _________________________________

YOUR SMALL GOALS

Now that you’ve written down your big goal, you can develop your small goals to help keep you on track to success. Typically, small goals will be goals that you accomplish in a month or a week. To develop your small goals, take the timeline from your big goal and divide it into weeks, then work out what you must accomplish each week to achieve your big goal. If your big goal is to lose 50 pounds in one year, divide the year by 52 to get the number of weeks. Now divide the number of pounds you want to lose by 52, which equals 0.96. That means you need to lose less than one pound per week if your big goal is to lose 50 pounds in one year.

Your small goals should include a time component, a tangible component, an intangible component and a small reward. For example, your small goals could be, “Each week, I will lose two pounds and feel a little slimmer and a little stronger. I will treat myself to an ice cream sundae as my reward.”

YOUR SMALL GOALS AND REWARDS: (write it down) _________________________________

You can apply the same techniques for achieving dreams and goals you’ve outlined here to other dreams and goals in your life. Try writing down some of your personal dreams and goals, break them down into small goals, then go achieve them and reward yourself.

You may be surprised by how easy it is when you do it this way!

So get fired up, get excited, visualize your dream, set your goals, plan the work and work the plan, go out and put the effort into Your Best Lean Body ever!

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MOTIVATED & EMPOWERED TO SUCCEED (part 2)

January 20th, 2010

GOAL SETTING AND MOTIVATION

Let’s take a look at motivation and goal setting in order to understand them better. Setting goals motivates you to achieve them. Another way to help you achieve your goals is to visualize the end results.

Ever hear the saying “Build it and they will come”? The key concept here is to visualize the end result and it will happen. Visualizing the achievement of your goals not only makes you reach them faster and easier but also keeps you motivated!

Think of your goal setting like this: DREAM, GOAL, PLAN, EFFORT.

Try answering these questions for yourself:

Mario Lopez sets goals

DREAM – What is your dream? BIGGEST GOAL

GOALS – What steps must you take to reach your dream?

PLANS – What will you need to do to achieve your goals? What are the consequences and requirements of your goals? TIME, MONEY, ACTION

EFFORT – How will you get started? What will you do to achieve your goals and obtain your dream?

Goals can be broken down into big goals, small goals, tangible goals and intangible goals:

Big goals are the big achievement markers, like losing 50 pounds or being able to run a 20 kilometer marathon.

Small goals are big goals broken down into small, manageable chunks. For example, if you want to lose100 pounds in one year, you can break that down into the number of pounds you must lose each week (about 2). That amount of weight loss becomes your small weekly goal.

Tangible goals are goals that can be measured quantifiably, with a weigh scale, tape measure, or stop watch. For example, the amount of weight on a bar is a quantifiable measurement of how much you can lift. Losing 50 pounds is a tangible goal.

Intangible goals are goals that can’t be measured exactly, like “feeling better”, “being healthier”, “looking better”, “being at the top of my game”.

You also need to think about the rewards from achieving your goals. You’ll be rewarded by simply accomplishing your goal, but you should also reward yourself for your achievement. The reward for losing 30 pounds is that you look and feel great, but it also means you need new clothes, so reward yourself and go shopping! Give yourself big rewards for accomplishing big goals (a new bike, a shopping spree, even a vacation) and small rewards for accomplishing small goals (going out for dinner).

Tell everybody about the rewards that you’re going to get when you achieve your goals. By telling people your goals and the rewards attached to them, they too will get excited about your goals and rewards.

Other people may become your greatest motivational tools in staying on track and achieving your rewards!

They may even be inspired to follow your lead and your example and join you.

Let’s start by setting some goals right now. Just fill in the blank spaces with some simple answers, without thinking too much or over-analyzing. We’ll start with your big goal in our next section of Setting Goals to Stay Motivated.

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MOTIVATED & EMPOWERED TO SUCCEED (part 1)

January 18th, 2010

MOTIVATED & EMPOWERED TO SUCCEED

This is a short and easy post for you to work from and help fast track your results. This is part 1 in a 3 part series.

Let’s establish two simple things: first, the reason you are doing this, and second, what the end results will mean to you. To answer those questions, go grab a pen, because you’re going to write your answers down right here in this book. After all, “a book not written in is a book not read”. Don’t think too much, just write down the first thing that pops into your head. This is your emotional reason and the true reason why you’re doing something to change your life.

1. Why are you embarking on a life changing and empowering nutrition and health program?

2. How will you feel when you achieve your Best Lean Body ever, the Ultimate You?

To understand your answers to these questions, we’re going to analyze them a little bit. The reasons for embarking on a journey to create Your Best Lean Body can generally be broken down into three main categories.

They are:

Personal – I want to feel better, be stronger, be leaner and have more endurance (self-enhancement).

Medical – I want to be healthier and live longer (self-preservation).

Cosmetic – I want to look better (self-esteem).

Notice that all of these reasons have one thing in common – they can be summed up with a “self” word – self-enhancement, self-preservation, self-esteem. These reasons are about you. That doesn’t mean you’re being selfish. You probably already spend most of your time doing things for other people, and that means you’ve had to make sacrifices. But those sacrifices shouldn’t have to include your health, self-esteem, well-being, or the opportunity to reach a new level of athletic achievement. After all, if you’re healthier, happier, fit and more energetic you will also be a benefit to everybody around you!

To get you to where you want to be, you’re going to set yourself some goals. That’s what we’re going to tackle in the next section.

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11 Do’s, 1 Don’t and a STOP for Fat Loss Success

January 18th, 2010

Top Tips To Implement A Successful Weight Loss Strategy

I got 11 Do’s, 1 Don’t and a STOP tip to make your weight loss and lean muscle body a success.

Ok so some of these are going to be simple, some obvious, some said before, some new and some just plain blunt and painful. You don’t have to implement all the tips on this check list at once, but you do need to take action and implement a few to achieve your weight loss goals before your resolutions are wasted on yet another diet claim.

1. “DO “- Eat breakfast – this sets you up for the day and is all powerful in terms of weight loss and lean muscle building, especially over the holidays

2. “DO “- Eat smaller meals more often – Try to eat 5-6 times a day. Eat the same calories, just more frequently in smaller portions; call it grazing if you like. I bet you already eat 4-6 times a day, you just don’t count the coke and chocolate bar as a meal

3. “DO “- Eat Fresh – The fresher the better. Fresh fish, meat, fruits and vegetables are best. Get them at their freshest as often as you can. Sometimes shopping at smaller market places are best for this as they get local farmers supporting them with fresh products often times daily

4. “DO “- Eat Treats – yeah you heard it here. Eat treats, but keep it in check. I have worked with some clients that just needed a treat daily, so we counted 31 pieces of chocolate and put them in a box for a daily treat. They had the choice to eat 1 daily or all in one sitting, but that would be it for the month. I think if you are 90-100% compliant to your game plan then a small daily reward can be factored in.

5. “DO “- Eat Fruits and Vegetables – they are packed with nutrients. There is this cool school of thought coming back into research and it is a pretty valid point. Eating lots of variety may be more beneficial in small amounts than eating lots of the same fruit or veggie. It’s sort of like the theories of homeopathy or hormesis, it’s quite compelling.

6. “DO “- Drink plenty of water – increase hydration, fat loss, energy, mental alertness, satiation, digestion

7. “DO “- Portion Control – watch how big your portions can get. Especially at restaurants, bigger plates, mean more foods and bigger bellies

8. “DO “- Reduce Liquid Calories – these are pops, sodas, fruity beverages, beer, wine and spirits. I am not saying cut them out, but control them and limit them so on the occasions you are going to indulge, then you can without hesitation as you will already be ahead of your holiday weight loss strategy

9. “DO “- Keep a Journal – Food Journaling is a huge business. You can get them online, offline, printed, digital, and many more. Hey they even have cool little iPhone and Mobile Apps for this to make it easier. Food Journals, help you track and create a more consistent eating pattern and change the way you think about food. Sure it looks a little OCD but its all about you and your goals, not the weirdo watching you journal your foods

10. “DO “- Read Labels – this is more on the OCD side, but it helps too. If you read a label of two similar soups, cookies, crackers or meals, you will be able to quickly choose the one that has fewer calories and better percentages or ratios of nutrients to support your fat loss goals. Reading = Learning = Result

11. “DO “- Be Active – sure this is obvious, but I don’t just mean go to the gym. Try to go for a walk 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 times a week. Park far and use the stairs to the office. Sure it will take more time, but worth it. Try walking the stairs to and from or during lunch break. Do a simple stretching routine at your desk 2-3 times a day, just 2 minutes will change the way your body looks and feels and your performance at work will benefit too

“DON’T” - Don’t Go Out on Empty – yeah all this positive stuff had to get ruined by one DON’T. Sorry. Don’t go shopping or out to a party on an empty stomach. Eat a balanced nutritious meal pre event and fight off the cravings and subsequent binge eating of junk, sweats and treats.

STOP – There is a rather powerful technique you can use and that is the power of a STOP day. Brad Pilon author of Eat STOP Eat (I have linked to an overview on this site for you) has a powerful theory that I use from time to time, especially before a big EAT day and that is a STOP day. It’s that simple, just Eat STOP Eat for 24 hours and reap the amazing benefits of all the hormones and fat loss induced results of a STOP day. Think of it this way, the average male eats 3700 calories a day. A brick of butter is 1 pound of fat and a pound of fat is roughly 3500 calories. So if you don’t take in 3700 calories for a day and do burn 3700 calories from exercise that day or week, then you have a sure fire way to lose 1-2 pounds of fat a week.

A great way to ensure fat loss success is by having a nutritional game plan and following a meal plan, check out this link to get 2 free sample meal plans
== > www.EmpoweredNutritionMealPlans.com

That’s it, that is a simple steps for successful weight loss and lean body check list you won’t have to make this year.

Patrick McGuire
President, Empowered Nutrition Products Inc.

For more amazing tips, tricks and articles to fight fat during the holiday season and to learn how to SAVE 50% on Your Personalized Nutrition Program…
==> www.EmpoweredNutrition.com/PNPpromo

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Top 5 Tips For A Great Day

January 14th, 2010

Breakfast

Lunch

Smoothie

Dinner

Snack

OK just playing with you…
But seriously those are 5 great reasons to get out of bed each day.

I have lots of other reasons to get out of bed each morning. For instance each day is a BLESSING. A chance to make up for something missed or lost yesterday. That to some is a real grind and to others its a real blessing and CHALLENGE to be and do better than the day before.

You can always count one of the REASONS if you have to jump up and get the KIDS to school, FAMILY counts on you or maybe even your JOB is waiting for you. Yeah I know JOB sucks and its no reason to get out of bed. Let me remind you… you HAVE a job. Many people do not. You could lose it tomorrow, then what will get your butt up out of bed.

OK so I have to say it. FOOD. You get to eat again after a self inflicted 6-8 hour hibernation your body is ready for some good old protein, carbs and fats. Start the day off right and enjoy it to the fullest. For some great ideas on recipes try this link and get 2 free sample fat loss programs:
Done-For-You Fast Fat Loss Meal Plans

ACTION! Yeah action, exercise, activity, anything that makes you move is a good reason to get up and GO! There are some people who would kill for the chance to leap out of bed and run around, exercise or just play with others.

There you have it a few good reasons to get up and get going each and every day. I am sure you can think of many more and better reasons to get out of bed, why not drop a comment and let me know your reasons to JUMP out of bed and start your day…

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Reasons To Have An Apple A Day

January 12th, 2010

Apples are an exceptionally beneficial food for people to eat. They are sweet which makes them not hard to eat and there are enough varieties available that people can find one that fits the size of apple they’re looking for. In addition, they contain a variety of vitamins and nutrients that people need to be healthy.

Apples are good for you. You’ve heard it from the time you were a tiny kid… “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. But how do apples actually benefit your health?They knew about the health benefits of apples centuries ago (where do you think the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” came from) and while many things have changed since then, the benefits of apples have not.

Apples help our bodies fight cancer; studies have shown that there are several components in juicy fruit, such as apples, which help to prevent the growth of cancer cells. Healthy apples are most potent when the fruit is eaten whole, including the skin, and by choosing the darker apples, such as deep Red Delicious, Fuji, Jonathan, Rome Beauty and Red Spartan. Apples are a good source of vitamin C and fiber. Italian researchers found people who ate more than one apple a day lowered their risk for oral, esophageal, colon, breast, ovarian, prostate and other cancers by 9 to 42%.

You know the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. It may well be true that it is time to rethink this, and start eating your apples as a receipe for healthy living.

Here are some of the major benefits of apple cider vinegar alone:

apple cider vinegar and weight loss
apple cider vinegar and acid reflux
apple cider vinegar and acne
apple cider vinegar and wart
apple cider vinegar and heartburn
apple cider vinegar and yeast infection
apple cider vinegar and arthritis
apple cider vinegar for skin
apple cider vinegar and cholesterol
apple cider vinegar for hair
apple cider vinegar and blood pressure
apple cider vinegar for sinus infection

Benefits of apple eating

Apple is also said to be an “airy” fruit as 25 percent of an apple’s volume is air (this is the reason why they float when put in water) but remaining is filled with different vitamins and nutrients. Apples contain both insoluble and soluble fibre which can lower cholesterol, relieve constipation, and protect against cancer (especially breast and colon cancer), heart attack, macular degeneration, menopausal bone loss, asthma, type II diabetes, strokes, increased lung function and weight loss.

* Provide antioxidant protection

* Aid iron absorption

* Help to keep bad LDL cholesterol level in check and can even lower it.

* Help prevent heart disease, heart attacks and stroke.

* Reduce the risk of lung cancer, improve lung function and reduce the severity of asthma. It seems that children who drink apple juice daily have less severe asthma compared to those who drink the juice one a month.

* Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes

* Help regulate blood pressure

There are many more reasons to eat well and enjoy life, but none greater than to increase the quality and quantity of life for yourself and those you love and care for like family and friends and even strangers.

Go ahead share this blog post with someone you love or even someone you hate, just pass it on and give them a reason to think of you every time they eat an apple. I hope its an apple a day.

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Top 5 Easy Lean Body Lifestyle Tips

January 6th, 2010

OK so before you go all cannibal on me for yet another “Top 5 list” of things this year, bear with me…

I want to simply make 5 very simple, very fast, very easy tips to incorporate into your life to make a lean body lifestyle easier to achieve and maintain.

So without wasting any time, here are my…

Top 5 Easy Lean Body Lifestyle Tips

Eat Often

I want you to eat more often. Not more, just more often. Start with eating 3 good meals a day. Have Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Eat them at equal intervals, for instance 8am, 12 noon and 5pm. Work up to 5 “meals” a day (3 meals, 2 snacks). Eat 5 meals as smaller portions (same calories as 3 meals, but over 5) and you will notice the difference within 3-10 days. Same calories, more fat loss, less cravings… WOW! What more could you ask for. Eat your 5 meals at regular intervals 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm, as it will give you greater energy and less fatigue and less fat.

Eat In Moderation

See the plan for eat more (above), eat more often in moderation. If you eat the same calories in 3 meals your portion sizes are greater than if you eat the same calories over 5 meals. So you can see how eating in moderation in fact increases weight loss, more specifically fat loss and at the same time as outlined in Eat More provides the same and great energy benefits. So “Eat In Moderation” in fact is part of eating the same calories more often.

Eat Your Calories

This is more of a DON’T as in don’t drink your calories, eat them. The same calories from a steak dinner with potato and veggies provides a much lower insulin spike than those consumed from an equal serving of a soda pop. The same goes for Fruit Drinks, they are just like the soda pop in terms of fat storage and insulin spikes. The other factor is you can consume more liquid calories faster than solid calories again prolonging and minimizing the insulin and fat storage effects. EAT don’t DRINK your calories.

Be Active

Well this is point blank simple to say. Just be more active, move, walk, run, play… do something different, something more than you do today and do it again and again and enjoy the process, great things will come of it. If you are already active, be more active and you won’t need to adjust your calories, just your activities will increase a lean body lifestyle. Hey even if its just playing the Wii instead of basic sit on your butt video games.

Laugh

This is the best advice of all. LAUGH. Laugh out loud and do it very, very often. Not only does it burn calories, but it releases a huge wave of happy healthy hormones and chemicals all over your body. Also crappy to say but true, lean, active, laughing people are typically happier, then most people. I know personally I am happier and leaner when enjoying life and keeping a leaner body then when I start to increase the girth a little more than comfortable normal. When I add the fat pounds I feel crappy and it consumes my thoughts. When I stay leaner, it never even crosses my mind.

So there you have my TOP 5 Easy Lean Body Lifestyle Tips that you can implement in the next few minutes to days and notice a change in your body. I have included some links for you to help accomplish some of the Top 5 Easy Lean Body Lifestyle Tips below. Hope these help.