Tips on knowing what foods are actually healthy

Taking a trip to grocery store can be confusing at times, especially when you're trying to eat healthy.

While everything may look good, nutritionists say it’s easy to fall into a food trap if you don’t read the labels carefully.

“It's organic, it's healthy, it's GMO free, all that stuff, but the problem is, it just has way too many calories," nutrition specialist Ken Fujioka explained.

Fujioka said you need to read the labels to know exactly what you're getting these days. You can even get too much of a good thing.

"When you take things like fruit and you grind them up and concentrate them, you're actually making a high fructose syrup," Fujioka said.

Air-popped popcorn is one of the healthiest snacks around, full of fiber and low in calories.

"But the minute you soup it up, with sugar, with salt, with cheese, that's when you run into a problem and you take a healthy snack and you render it unhealthy," said Tod Marks with Consumer Reports.

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5 reasons your workout isn't getting results

WASHINGTON -- Nothing is more frustrating than going to the gym but not seeing any results. But most of us are guilty of running on the treadmill for 30 minutes and expecting to lose weight instantly.

Nardia Norman, a personal trainer and author of "Fat Attack: The Secrets Behind the World's Biggest Loser," spoke with the New York Post about why this doesn't work, and how to change your training sessions to get the most out of your time.

1. Lack of intensity: If you're able to read a book or magazine while doing cardio, you're not working hard enough. The most effective form of training is high- intensity interval training (HIIT).

"This means working at 95 percent of your maximum for between 10 and 30 seconds on the treadmill, bike or rower, then resting for 30 to 60 seconds," Norman tells the Post.

HIIT allows you to get into your workout quickly and causes you to burn calories even after you've stopped working out. This is called "excess post- exercise oxygen consumption or 'afterburn'".

2. Working one muscle at a time: Bicep curls, leg extensions and leg curls might build muscle in specific areas, but overall they're not effective because you are only working one muscle. Exercises such as squats, lunges or push-ups work multiple muscles and joints, which burns more calories and helps gain or tone muscles, Norman says.

3. Quantity-over-quality mindset: It is more beneficial to have high-quality training sessions, with more rest in between, rather than working out so often that the quality of your workouts decreases. Recovery is very important in losing weight and getting the most out of your workouts. Alternate strength and cardio workouts every couple of days so that your muscles have time to relax in between the lifting exercises.

4. You don't have a plan: Just showing up at the gym and running on the treadmill for a set amount of time won't get you results. If you want to lose weight, make a plan with the exercises that will get you there. Norman recommends a personal trainer, since they know how to asses clients and figure out a plan that is suited for them.

5. Lacking a goal Without a goal, you will lack drive and motivation, which will throw you off track. When you're tempted to eat that dessert after dinner, it's when you need your inspiration to be powerful enough to convince you not to. The key to success is wanting it and having a goal you're motivated to reach.

Why Are Pregnant Women Criticized for Exercising?

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Sara Haley, a personal trainer and mom from Santa Monica, California, hits the gym six days a week — and it turns out that's a problem for her fellow gym members, who, Haley says, routinely harass her because she's 35 weeks pregnant.

According to a recent story published in the New York Daily News, Haley, who specializes in pregnancy fitness, incorporates a combination of pull-ups, tricep dips, dead lifts, and lunges into her workout routine. But the constant stares, whispers, and comments (“Wow, your butt is so big!” and “Those stretch marks are the worst I have ever seen!") in the gym make her feel as though she's being ganged up on. “It is an element of bullying,” the 35-year-old told the newspaper. “Some people have no filter all of a sudden when they see a pregnant woman training.”

And while Haley — who in April was named one of 50 hottest fitness trainers by Shape magazine — insists that exercise is encouraged during pregnancy, she doesn’t want to be viewed as herculean. “My favorite reaction in general, throughout my pregnancy, has been the classic eye contact with a big thumbs up,” she said. "I do appreciate the encouragement, but honestly, I'm just pregnant, not trying to save the world."




She's hardly the first pregnant gym-goer to cause controversy. Back in September, Lea-Ann Ellison of Los Angeles made headlines for participating in CrossFit, a high-intensity conditioning and core-strengthening exercise program that includes lifting barbells and dumbbells, tire-flipping, and using medicine balls. Ellison became an international sensation after photos of her lifting weights (She says they were staged for a pregnancy photo shoot.) hit the Internet and went viral.

Yahoo Shine could not reach Haley for comment. However, the benefits of exercise during pregnancy have been well documented. For the mother, staying active promotes energy, sounder sleep, and may even help to prevent gestational diabetes and reduce the length of labor and the odds of requiring medical intervention during birth. And babies reap the benefits too. A University of Montreal study found that pregnant women who exercise for just 20 minutes three days a week boost their newborns' brainpower. And, according to research conducted by Kansas City University, pregnancy exercise improves newborns' heart health too.

And according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), pregnant women can safely walk, swim, cycle, participate in aerobics, and run (provided they were runners before they were pregnant). "The general rule of thumb is, if it's a healthy pregnancy with no complications, we recommend that patients resume their pre-pregnancy exercise routines," Shahin Ghadir, MD, who is board certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility, tells Yahoo Shine. "Otherwise, starting a new exercise routine can be a huge shock to the body."

In fact, taking up a new routine without being monitored by a doctor can lead to injury for both the mother and baby. If a pregnant woman isn't accustomed to exercising, Ghadir advises she start a regular walking routine.

For Haley, she has observed one interesting side effect after exercising throughout her pregnancy with her 3-year-old son, Landon — an appreciation of her workout music. “When Landon was born, the only thing that would stop him from crying was me playing hip-hop music, like Jay Z,” she told the New York Daily News. “I think he heard it in utero and was jamming along with me!”

https://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/pregnant-woman-sara-haley-excerise-174157988.html

Doctors Help Severe Obese Texas girl

Alexis Shapiro's liver was to large and doctors were forced to operate using sleeve gastrectomy. This will hopefully help 200-pound 12-year-old to lose weight. The Texas teen has  a rare  hypothalamic obesity that results for her to gain weight and makes her hungry every time.

Mediterranean diet linked to longer lifespan and better health

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New research suggests that middle-aged women who follow a Mediterranean diet or similar may increase their lifespan and avoid physical or cognitive impairments and chronic illnesses in older age. This is according to study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The Mediterranean diet follows the eating habits of people living in Crete, many parts of Greece and Southern Italy.

Tips for finding your stride

The workout of the day was a 5K. 

After hearing that, I could have had the fastest time running out of the gym.

I’m not a fan of running. A 5K?

Tips for gaining and developing muscle naturally through weights, diet and exercise

Gym rats. We have all seen them. Those people that seem to live in the gym. They are there when you get to the gym and they are still there when you leave to go home. 24 hours a day, seven days a week; these guys are there.

 They are the ones that help you feel like you are not making any gains. Well, here is a little secret; more than likely, they are the ones not making any gains!

Here are six tips (in addition to weight lifting program) to help you keep your head held high when in the gym.


1. Eat, eat and keep on eating!

A common misconception is that in order to lose weight, a person should cut the amount of meals that they eat. This is not only false, but will hurt whatever weight loss you have made or ever hope to make. In fact, a person needs to increase the amount of meals that they eat until they are eating about five to six times a day. The best way to do this is by eating three meals and three snacks each and every day.


How can you eat so much and lose weight?

The answer is simple and logical when you think about it. Our bodies have defense mechanisms. One of these defense mechanisms is to hold onto body fat during times of food shortages or famine. It will also take what you do eat and turn it immediately into fat because it thinks you have limited resources for energy. 

Your metabolism will also slow down in order to save this energy. What you need to do is to increase your metabolism so that you can burn calories. By constantly feeding your body, you are, in fact, providing your body with the very nutrients and energy it needs.

2. Eat less calories, make them count!

This is where people get confused. You are told, “cut your calories” and you hear “cut your meals.” You are actually expected to reduce the number of calories that you eat at each meal, not the number of meals that you eat. Your metabolism should be able to burn more calories than you consume. A good guideline is to eat about 10 times your bodyweight.

 For instance, someone weighing 150 pounds should eat about 1500 calories. You can increase this amount to 12 times or 15 times depending on how active you are and what your body needs. You can also lose weight by eating what you would at your ideal weight. If you are 150 pounds and want to be 130, eat 1300 calories instead of 1500. Your body will burn more calories than you are eating and you will lose weight.

3. Egg whites, oatmeal, chicken….Protein!

Protein is extremely important when it comes to building and repairing muscle. It is recommended that you eat 1 gram of protein for every pound you weigh. For instance, that 150 pound person would eat 150 grams of protein each day.

A good idea is to purchase a protein supplement instead of having to eat poultry and beef all day. It is a quick and easy way to reach your numbers. Protein whey can be added to drinks or yogurt.

4. What about nutritional supplements?

Supplements make it easy to get all the nutrition your body needs in a convenient way. It should not replace all meals, but is a great way to grab a quick “snack.” Supplements help recovering muscles get what they need to build up stronger and work harder. Supplements come in many forms. There are pills, powder, liquid and foods.


5. Rest

To rest or not to rest? 

This applies to two manners of resting. Resting in between sets and resting in between workout days.

Between sets, you should rest about 30-45 seconds. When you work a muscle group, you must allow at least 24 hours before working the same group. For instance, if you just worked your arms today, do not do them again tomorrow. The muscles need time to repair and recover. When you workout, the muscles are torn. During the resting period, the muscle group previously torn recovers and builds stronger.

 Lifting weights is simply a way to tear down muscles and rebuild new stronger ones. The resting period does not apply to calves. Calves are the one muscle group that can be worked every day. They only need 12 hours to recover.

6. Cardio

Cardio is an important part of your training program because you need to burn fat in order to see your gains you have made with weights. It also helps to increase your metabolism by keeping your body active. The more active your body is, the more you burn, and the faster your metabolism.

These tips are the difference between making gains and staying the same. Gaining muscle takes time. It will not happen overnight. It is worth it to pay a personal trainer to help create a training program for you.

 A training partner is also a great way to get you to push yourself where you might normally have stopped. Before you know it, you will have the body you were dreaming about. Let the gym rats wonder how you can look better then they do but are hardly in the gym!
http://www.tele-management.ca/2013/07/health-and-fitness-tips-for-gaining-and-developing-muscle-naturally-through-weights-diet-and-exercise/