Monday, March 28, 2011
Start Spring Cleaning
Not seeing the upside to household chores? How about this: Even things like vacuuming and washing windows can burn calories and get you closer to your weight loss goal. Lose weight while you clean? Sounds like motivation to us.
Here, the calorie counts of some common spring cleaning tasks¹ (based on a 140 lb person performing the activity for 30 minutes).
Bring Gym Back
Lots of us have dismal memories of gym class—what with the stinky locker rooms and painful dodgeball sessions—but there was a definite upside: We learned tried-and-true exercises that that never go out of style. Here are some old-school moves you can add to your workout routine today¹—they’re great as pre-cardio warm-ups or to keep your heart rate up while circuit training.
Happy Meals
What if you could sit down to the exact same meals you’re used to eating—and lose weight? Well, a new study suggests it might be the way you eat, as much what you eat, that’s keeping you from your goal.
Specifically: A study reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism¹ showed that scarfing your food fast puts the brakes on the release of hormones that make you feel full, and—bang!—this can lead to overeating. To keep those hormones from getting out of whack, you simply need to slow down. Here are some tips on how to avoid speed eating:
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
24 Fun Food Facts
- Fun Food Fact #1: In general, raw vegetables have a much higher nutrient value than cooked, though there are a few exceptions, such as cooked tomatoes. Cooked artichokes are very high in overall antioxidant value.
- Fun Food Fact #2: The smaller the size of a berry, the sweeter its taste.
- Fun Food Fact #3: Those mega-size apples and oranges you’ve been seeing lately at conventional grocers are pumped up due to added water volume, rather than fruit substance. This is a crop-yield technique by farmers designed to produce bigger fruit for more consumer appeal.
- Fun Food Fact #4: A well-done steak, especially if it has “charred” portions, contains much higher levels of carcinogens than a medium-done or rare steak.
Shoo, Old Shoes!
How long have you been wearing your gym shoes? A few months? A few years? Run-down running shoes are bad news—and not just because they smell so bad you have to leave them outside when you come home. They can actually be harmful to your body. Get our tips for when to toss ‘em.
Most running shoes should last you somewhere between 300 and 500 miles (so if you run 10 miles a week, that’s around 8 to 12 months). However, there are a lot of factors that come into play.
What if you’re not a runner? You may be wearing your shoes on the elliptical or during Reaction Cycling® classes. How do you know if your shoes are wearing out?
Green Giant
This St. Patrick’s Day, we have a bit of advice when it comes to artificially green-colored beers: Just say no. (Same goes for the icky green eggs and ham.) Instead, start a new tradition—sipping spinach through a straw.
Smoothies are proof that food for health can also be food for fun. They’re first cousins with milkshakes, right? And while this one might look like a salad in a glass, it has a creamy texture and sweet taste that will make you forget you’re slurping up a day’s worth of vitamins A, C, and K, plus a healthy dose of protein and calcium.
And the color? It’s beautiful, fresh, and festive—perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Cheers!
Running On Empty?
The first thing many of us do in the morning (besides hit the snooze button) is head to the kitchen for coffee and cereal. But a new study says that heading to the gym before you eat breakfast may make it easier to lose weight.
This is noteworthy news about health and the effects of exercise, considering most people think to fuel up before working out. But a Belgian study, recently published in the Journal of Physiology¹, shows that men who exercised on an empty stomach burned fat more efficiently than those who ate a carbohydrate-rich meal pre-workout. They also showed less insulin sensitivity than the breakfast group, which means their bodies could process glucose in the blood stream and burn it as energy.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Men’s X-Action Reloaded
Natural Male Enhancement
For most people, intimacy is an essential part of a meaningful, lasting relationship. But age, stress and other factors can affect intimacy and thereby put strain on an otherwise- healthy relationship.
Men’s X-Action Reloaded contains a powerful blend of herbs and nutrients to support male sexual health and vitality, which may lead to greater intimacy and stronger relationships.
Benefits
- May help increase blood flow, thereby supporting the entire circulatory system.
- Provides powerful support for sexual health.
- May support male glandular function.
- Provides natural, drug-free support.
SmartMeal Nutritional Shake Mix
Delicious Meal Replacement System for Weight Management
Exercise is an important part of staying healthy and fit. It helps increase metabolism and build muscle. But successful weight loss or management requires controlling the calories you consume. Finding a delicious way to do this may seem nearly impossible.
But new SmartMeal Nutritional Shake Mixes—in three great flavors—give you a delicious, healthful drink that’s only 130–140 calories, much less than most breakfasts or lunches. And it’s chock full of nutrients to vitalize your body and give you energy.
Benefits
- Provides 15 grams of protein plus essential amino acids per serving to build muscle and boost metabolism.
- May help contribute to a feeling of fullness.
- Supports cardiovascular health (provides 200 mg essential omega-3 fatty acids per serving).
- Contains nutrients for energy.
- Provides 35% of the recommended Daily Value for 18 vitamins and minerals, plus beneficial levels of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.
