Sweet, sweeter and sweetest.
Today, more and more companies are packaging and inducing consumers to buy their dried fruit products. And more and more dried foods are showing up on food logs.
Just about any fruit can be dried, but some are more commonly eaten in their dried form than others. There are many advantages to dried food. Read the rest of this entry »
If there was be one food that could protect you from disease, enhance your detoxification process as well as improve your metabolism. Then wouldn’t you like to know what it is?
You might have guessed blueberries. Nope. Read the rest of this entry »
It is obvious from the get-go that clean eating is not a scientific term. What means clean eating for one person means something else for somebody else. In today’s environment, we have many individuals who are focused on eating clean foods. Yet, what it means to eat clean foods has to be determined on an individual basis.
Still, there are general rules that apply when it comes to eating clean foods. Here are some myths and facts when it comes to clean eating: Read the rest of this entry »
In a weight loss program calories are important. But a calorie is not a calorie. For example, let’s compare calories from white bread vs. oatmeal, both of which are starchy carbohydrates and contain 4 calories per gram respectively.
However, when you eat white bread, which is stripped of its nutrients such as fiber, minerals and vitamins, you are not taking in essential ingredients that help your body run its metabolic system efficiently. Conversely, quality calories, from foods like oatmeal, that are not processed, and are not taxing to your system, help you to maintain your metabolism and to then lose excess weight.
What prompted me to share an e-mail with you today was a question I recently received in my mailbox from Vikki, who has lost 20 pounds since starting the program January 2010. Read the rest of this entry »
Remember January when the motivation to lose weight was high? It is clear that you could succeed as you lost the first 10 to 15 lbs. Then you get comfortable and you start gaining slowly all back. Frustrating isn’t it? And the stats prove this phenomenon relapse and weight gain. Just consider:
80 percent of all individuals who lose weight gained the pounds lost and even a little more within 3 to 5 years, according to a study from Oxford University published in the International Journal of Obesity. Read the rest of this entry »
I had to use this wording. I couldn’t resist. Because this is really what it is.
This might be you. You are priding yourself on going running every single day. You love it. Yet, you meet me and you ask me how you can lose weight. That has happened so many times that I want to share with you the basics of what I explain to those individuals like you. Read the rest of this entry »
Today I have tips for you. Tips that you can use right now to get started in moving in the direction of better health, less weight, a toned and in-shape body, and a positive attitude.
Tip one:
Create an Read the rest of this entry »
Sometimes, we all need a kick in the butt to get things done. In my 15-plus years working with individuals on body shaping and weight loss, I have heard amazing things that individuals do when gaining weight. But also have I seen amazing results when strategies were implemented and followed.
The past week was one of those weeks where clients had to be forced into taking measurements. Alright, yes, I know, I am terrible because I require taking measurements every 4 weeks.
The two measurements that I take: 1) Read the rest of this entry »
Once again, Thanksgiving was a feast. Each year, over a hundred thousand Americans overeat during the holiday time. The next day, food is the last thing that many think about. But then there are the leftovers. How about a little pie for breakfast? It is too good to go to waste. And the feast continues.
Weight loss is on many on our minds during this time. But the call to the dinner table wins out over the call to the gym. There we have a dilemma: Too stuffed to workout. Leftovers linger for days. And relaxation and catching up with friends and family is priority number one.
What to do? Start small. Make an effort Read the rest of this entry »
The extra mile is what counts!
Now, I have you thinking about running when you read this line. But there is more to it then just finishing strong during the last meters of a run. How about finishing strong at the end of ANY workout? Even a full body strength workout?
Finishing strong at the end of a workout makes all the difference in building a leaner, toner body and seeing weight loss. Recognize that the end of your workout is the time when you are warmed up and are ready to be pushed. The last minutes of your workout are the minutes where you can burn additional calories. Even when your workout is 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes or longer.
Here are exercises that I recommend to do to go the extra mile (assuming that you are conditioned and given the ok from your Doctor to exercise):
Medicine ball throws
Take a medicine ball (10 lbs +). Position it in front of your chest, holding it with both hands. Bend your knees slightly. Push the ball in the air explosively, tossing it up while straightening your legs and arms. Let the ball drop; do not catch the ball, rather let it land on the floor. Repeat up to 100 times. Great overall condition for your body.
Run the stairs
This is of the best endurance programs after a leg workout. Take eight flights down and run up the stairs two at a time up. Repeat 8 times. If you don’t have stairs, use the Stairmaster machine. If you don’t have either, find a box or a chair, place your left leg on it and step up. Step down (while the leg stays on the chair) and immediately repeat 30 times without rest. Change to the other side. Repeat with each leg 4 times.
Squats
Open your feet shoulder width apart. Lower your hips to knee level. Stand up and repeat in a continuous motion. Repeat 20 times, rest 10 seconds. Repeat 8 times to add additional 4 efficient minutes to your workout. (Place your hands on your hips or behind you head if you can maintain your form.)
Jump pull-ups
After a full body workout, add this movement into the mix. Stand below a pull-up bar. Jump up, pull yourself up and lower yourself to the floor. Once you’re back in the standing position, move immediately into a push up position: Place your hands on the floor and then jump your feet back. Perform one push up and stand up again by jumping your legs to your hands. Repeat this motion 10 times. Repeat 4 times or until you fatigue. Make it your goal to increase the number of pull-ups from one month to the next. Can’t pull yourself up? Solution: position yourself horizontally under a low body bar. Place your hands on the bar and pull yourself up (like a backward pushup!). Start first just with the upper body (letting the floor support the rest of your body). Eventually, try to have only your heels resting on the floor as you pull yourself up.
Those simple strategies are for you to get it going and achieve your goals of a toner, slimmer and lighter body. What else has worked for you? Leave a comment below.
Stay focused.
Stefan
Stefan Aschan is a leading expert on lifestyle, health and fitness who has helped more than 30,000 people get fit through advice on nutrition, fitness and lifestyle changes. For your free “How to live 100 years in perfect health” report and the must read “updates and solution” newsletter on how to have 10 times more success, stay on top of your goals, and accomplish the change of body and appearance,” visit http://www.theaustrianadvantage.com/e-book1001.htm
