Feel the burn!

Feel the burn!

Many dieters and bodybuilders rely on popular fat burners and thermogenics to achieve their desired figures, but how many fat burners are actually safe? Next, how many really give results? These are the questions that many newcomers ask when they go into GNC, Vitamin World, and other health retailers. Caffeine is the normal ingredient in almost all fat burners. Pharmaceutical drugs are said to be in a lot of fat burners as well.  At the same time a lot of brand fat burners have not been approved by the FDA (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration). This alone can be a scary factor for consumers.

 According to Livestrong.com, The top-selling fat burners once contained ephedra, also known as ephedrine or ma huang. This stimulant was successful in burning fat quickly but also had very serious side effects, including being linked to stroke, heart issues, high blood pressure and death. Ephedra was banned in 2004 and dietary supplements containing this stimulant became illegal. Some newer products contain ingredients such as bitter orange or country mallow. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, these herbs contain chemicals related to those found in ephedra and thus also are potentially dangerous and addicting.

Before using a fat burner it is important to first seek your physician. They can tell you what would be a good choice if any, depending on your medical history. Secondly, do not consume more than what is stated on the package. Thirdly, do not take any fat burner with a combination of other fat burners. This could cause heart problems and even death.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/441878-the-negatives-of-fat-burners/#ixzz1sJDKXQQK

Soda?...Pop?.....NEITHER!!

Soda, Pop, soft drink, Diet and Regular…No matter where your from or where you live there is only one meaning to this high sugary beverage. We all know when dieting or eating healthy pop/soda should be avoided. They are full of sugar and high in calories. Not to mention all those other chemicals and dyes that are in them such as carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar, caramel color, phosphoric acid, artificial and natural flavors, sodium benzoate (preservative), caffeine.  Soda can be addicting and most people drink more than one can or bottle a day. According to the Huff Post “This week, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that drinking just one sugar-sweetened beverage a day was associated with a 20 percent bump in a man's risk of having a heart attack over a 22-year period. What's more, that risk increased along with the amount of sugary drinks consumed -- even after researchers controlled for other factors like family history, tobacco use and BMI”.  Recently studies have found that diet sodas are no good either. In fact,it has a negative effect on heart attack and stroke: a separate study of 2,600 adults found that those who drank diet soda regularly were 40 percent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke according to the Nurses' Health Study.So your best bet would be water. 

Strength Training is for women too!

One thing I noticed about women working out at my local gym is that they don’t lift weights. They only do cardio for 20, 30, and 60 minutes. I asked this lady next to me on the elliptical if she strength trains and she told me “no” because she did not want to bulk up and look like a man. The truth is weight training will not make you look like a bodybuilder. Many women are afraid that strength training or weight training will make you develop large and bulky muscles like those of male and female bodybuilders. Women develop muscle mass in a way that is different from men. Men who engage in weight training develop large muscles because their bodies have the necessary amount of testosterone for building muscle mass. Since you don't have those levels of testosterone, weight training will not give you enormous muscles. Instead, your muscles will get toned and your body will develop a firmer look.

If you’re looking to slim down it takes cardio + strength training to burn calories. If you don't have time to dedicate an hour a day to strength training in addition to your cardio, try giant sets. Giant sets are generally thought to involve four, or more, strength exercises into one arduous set that, if done correctly, will stimulate multiple muscle groups. Pick four or more exercises you want to focus on, do each set to failure and only rest 5-10 seconds between exercises, with 1-2 minutes between giant sets. (For a total of 3 giant sets) Provided enough intensity is applied, a giant sets workout can significantly enhance fat loss while building muscle.

Beware of overtraining. The idea is to stimulate the muscle, not annihilate it. Once a muscle has been thoroughly stimulated, more sets and reps will just retard growth. If you've experienced decreased physical performance, fatigue, loss of motivation, loss of appetite, weight loss, elevated resting heart rate or increased amount of minor injuries, you may be overtraining. 

My Power Fruit Protein Smoothie

This is my favorite protein smoothie. It is really good. I encourage you to try it and tell me what you think. It is great for post or pre –workouts.

What You Need

·         Blender

·         Fresh, pure water

·         Low glycemic fruits

·         Protein powder (whey, hemp or soy)

1.    In a blender, use clean, filtered water as a base and combine the following:

2.    1 to 2 Tbsp omega-3 rich sport oil (flax, chia, fish)

(These are best bought at a health food store as they degrade easily in heat and storage.) GNC should have them.

3.    1 to 2 servings of whey, hemp or soy protein isolate

4.    ½ to 1 cup of organic fresh fruit (berries, cherries, pear, peach or apple, for example)

5.    Blend until desired thickness is obtained.

6.    ENJOY!!!

Dangerous Energy Drinks

As working students and adults our lives can be hectic with school work, work, and spending time with family and other last minute things that come up unexpectedly. We find ourselves needing an extra boost to get us through the day. Many of us turn to as much as 4 cups of coffee a day and others turn to energy drinks.   Last week I was watching Fox News and a segment was about energy drinks and the dangerous risk of drinking them.  Energy Drinks such as Monster, Mountain Dew, and RockStar are very popular in the market with teens and young adults. Those drinks have more caffeine than a single cup of coffee.  Herbal stimulants, sugar, and other antioxidants is said to be harmful. There have been reports and cases of individuals who have consumed these drinks and suffered seizures, cardiac arrest, and mania. These individuals were healthy people engaging in their favorite sports.  Yes, this is scary but true. I use to drink energy drinks because I liked the taste as well. Since I seen this documentary I vowed never to drink another energy drink. I had a similar situation when I tried 5-hour energy. I was at work and so tired so I decided to purchase 5-hour energy.  I took a half of one and soon I started to feel really sick and my heart was racing (I barely ate breakfast that morning). I started to go to the hospital. I was told to drink water. A couple hours later I felt better and my heart beat was back to normal.  I decided that day on that I would get energy the natural way, in my diet and working out. Below is the link to read more.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/health/01brody.html

Weight Loss Infomercials

Every Saturday morning I wake up to so many weight loss commercials on local channels. They all promise that you will lose weight and inches quickly. Usually the commercial host for the newest weight loss trend is a paid celebrity star encouraging the viewers to purchase the new piece of equipment or diet. Also, there are a lot of other celebrity models in the background that gives the impression that they have achieved their perfect body by using that particular product.  The truth is they were already in good shape in the beginning. Their beach body was achieved through the years. Now I have fell in the trap of buying all kinds of equipment advertised knowing that I would look like the model shown. A few months go buy and that same piece of equipment ends up in the basement collecting dust. The truth and reality is that all diet or weight loss fads are not for everyone. We all are different ages, have different body types, and metabolism. We need something we can stick to through life. It is all about lifestyle changes. What I am saying is do not invest anymore money in weight loss products without asking yourself “Can I really commit to this for the long run or will it be just a waste of money?”

"Blended Up"

I was watching an episode of the Montel Williams Show and Montel was advertising his Living Well Health Master Blender. I thought that this would be a great post for this week. This blender stuck out to me because I am familiar with the ordinary blender. In my opinion the regular blender does not blend too well with anything. I have tried to make smoothies & protein shakes, and I have not had much success. So as I was watching how well this Health Master Blended, I thought WOW!! I can take raw fresh fruit and vegetables and make a delicious and nutritious smoothie. I know it is difficult to get your daily servings of fruits and vegetables in, but it seemed easy with the help of this blender. Also on the show, two audience members used the blender for 12 weeks and lost a total of 78 pounds combined. So not only can you benefit from this food wise, but you can actually lose weight. The blender itself is around $200.00 but I believe it is worth the investment and I am going to purchase it next week. I will keep you all posted.

For more information visit:

http://www.myhealthmaster.com/?gclid=CIqP_Yb1zq4CFUdN4AodPDB_Cw

"Let's get personal"

I was in the gym the other day around noon and I couldn’t help but come to the conclusion that a lot of people in the gym are clueless. What I mean is this, people who are overweight especially come in and sign-up for a membership in hopes to reach their weight loss goals and they don’t know where to start. They don’t know what equipments to use, how long they should use it or even how to set them up correctly. This is frustrating for a lot of people, especially for those who never set foot in a gym before. I have seen this happen several times when I worked at a gym that opened in 2010. People would walk in and say they would like to sign-up. I sign them up, go over the contract, and lastly give them a tour of the facility. They seem so happy and excited to get started. Most people start working out right after they join. Then, not even 10 minutes later they come to the front desk and ask one of the employees to show them how to use the machines and they ask for an opinion of how much  cardio they should do or how much they should lift in weights. I have been asked by women on several accounts for advice on workout regimens. I was happy that they asked but I knew I could not help them because I wasn’t a certified trainer or nutritionist. Believe me, I wanted to offer them advice because a lot of the questions I knew the answer to. Anyways, with all this being said the only conclusion to this problem is that it would be helpful for people who are serious about living a healthy lifestyle and becoming successful in the gym is to get a personal trainer. I know people would look at me crazy and say they cannot afford a trainer. However, you do not need a trainer forever maybe for the first week or two, then periodically. This would be a great starting point for those who don’t know the first thing to do. This way they know how to operate and adjust the machines, find out what is comfortable for them, and they could be placed on a plan to follow to reach their goals. I have a personal trainer who I train with every 2-3 months. I have 6 one hour long sessions (2 days a week for an hour for 3 weeks) then after the three weeks I workout by myself until another 2-3 months. That’s 6 one hour long sessions for $175 dollars; not bad at all. My point is this; a personal trainer is a great starting point for anyone. You learn new techniques and styles. Therefore you never get bored and you can switch up your routine.

Healthy Food Options

There are two important components when trying to lose weight. 
1.) Exercise
2.) Nutrition

You cannot achieve weight loss with just exercise and nutrition alone, it takes both. Many people I have talked to struggle with nutrition. The majority of results happen in the kitchen. Once you have finished your workout, your body is still in fat burning mode. So it is important that your body is fueled with healthy foods.  Now, I know we all are busy with school and work so we really do not have time to spend on meals, but that is where dedication and commitment comes in. A good way to prepare your meals is to choose one day out of the week; typically on Sundays and prepare lunch and dinner for that week. Your meals should consist of protein, vegetables, and grains.

Example of meals:

4 oz. grilled chicken breast
1 cup brown rice
1 cup mixed vegetables

This is easy and simple to make and you can eat this for lunch or dinner for the entire week.  This is not a diet but a lifestyle change. Diets are temporary and do not work because after you lose the weight you have to maintain the weight loss. You cannot do that by going back to your old eating habits.

 http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/tc/healthy-eating-preparing-healthy-meals

Continuation of more WATER!!!

We all know that water is extremely important. Many people love water and a lot of us hate it. I’m sure all will agree that we cannot live without it. Despite how we personally feel about it, water can do so much such as help prevent many illnesses and diseases. Something I didn't know either! I asked my Doctor why I and other people urinate so much at night time. Answer from my doctor = Gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright. When you lie down and the lower body (legs and other things) seeks level with the kidneys it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier. This then ties in with the last statement!

I knew you need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body, but this was news to me. Correct time to drink water... Very Important. From A Cardiac Specialist!  Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body: 2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion 1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure 1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack So, I hope this motivates you to drink plenty of  water if your not  and you will see and feel the change in your body.

"Gotta get those 8 glasses of water in"

Ok, I have been getting a lot of questions on what is  the easiest way to incorporate 8 glasses of water into my  daily routine. I'm not a  big water drinker either but I  push myself to drink at least 8 glasses. When I get up in the morning I drink 1 glass before breakfast. This is also good because I am fuller before I eat and so therefore I do not over eat. I went to Wal-Mart and purchased a big water bottle and I fill it up with water and sip on it all day at school until it is gone. Another Idea: Chrystal Light. This is a great alternative if it is really difficult for  you to  not drink plain water. Chrystal Light comes in different flavors and in single packets that you can pour in your water bottle. No sugar and about 10 calories each. Hope this helps!

http://www.kraftbrands.com/crystallight/Pages/default.aspx#/home

Get up and get moving!

Working out at least 3-5 days a week is the surest way to loose and maintain weight. Cardio and strength training plays a big part all together. Yes, even women should lift weights. Not to bulk up, but train each muscle group and it burns more calories than cardio alone. Joining a gym is a good idea but let’s face it, a lot of us don’t have time or the money to do so.  There are several options to choose from such as fitness DVD’s where you can get a nice workout in the comfort of your own home or get out and walk a mile or two on a nice day. Also, there are all sorts of equipment you can use such as dumbbells, resistance bands, and medicine balls. Even on the go you can make choices to fit workouts in. For example, Instead of taking the elevators use the steps. Park farther than you normally would and walk the extra distance.  Every movement counts. Having a workout partner is a great way to stay motivated and hold each other accountable while at the same time having fun. So, GET UP, AND GET MOVING!

Eat This Over That!

As college students, we are exposed to so many different food options on campus. Pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, fries you name it. Now most of us don't really pay attention to what we eat or how much we consume on a daily basis. Let's face it. Fast Food is tasty, convenient, and cheaper. It is actually expensive to eat healthy. Even though there are healthy options to choose from on campus, we go directly to the fast food line. Now, if you stay in the resident hall I know it is a constant struggle everyday especially when you have a meal plan. Commuters have it  rough too. We are tempted to buy something unhealthy on campus or drive to the closest McDonald's or Wendy's for lunch. I am going to share with you some tips to make healthy options. 


1) Eat every 2 to 3 hours


2)Choose one day out of the week to prepare your meals for the week


3)Your meals should include Protein, Carbs, and Veggies.


4)Portion Control


5) Drink plenty of water (8 glasses daily) 


5) Choose healthy snacks in between meals.


I know this is easier said than done, but I can assure you will feel better during the day. You will notice a change in your energy. It is AMAZING how bad we feel when we consume so much food high in fat and chemically processed foods. When I eat better I feel the difference. It is like when you eat a big meal and you want to go straight to sleep afterwards. 


As a senior college student I am making better food choices as well as exercising daily. I really dislike the word "Diet" because it is so temporary. These habits should be a way of life. So I encourage you to take control and start eating healthier. You will feel better . I promise you!