Pass the Butter Please...

"Pass The Butter ... Please".

This is interesting . .. . I found it on The Alive Academy Facebook Page and wanted to pass it along.

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.

It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow colouring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavourings....

DO YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and butter?

Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.
Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.


Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .

And now, for Margarine..

Very High in Trans fatty acids.

Triples risk of coronary heart disease ...

Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five times..

Lowers quality of breast milk

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT.

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.

Why? Because it is nearly plastic . Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Pass the BUTTER PLEASE"

Sugary Drinks Linked to Heart Disease

My clients will tell you I am constantly harping on them about drinking enough water.  The other thing they hear me talk about is to eliminate sugary drinks from their diet entirely.  


Recently, The New York Times had an article that talked about a recent study that linked sugary drinks to heart disease.  Some really interesting things came out of this study... most of which lines right up with my "no soda" initiative!


Here are just a few tidbits from the article:

Researchers analyzed data from a prospective study of 42,883 male health professionals, ages 40 to 75. The men responded to diet questionnaires every four years, and more than 18,000 of them provided blood samples.

Over 22 years, 3,683 of the men had heart attacks. Even after controlling for factors like smoking, exercise and family history, the scientists found that men who drank the sweetened beverages most often were 20 percent more likely to have had a heart attack than those who drank the least.

They calculated that one serving daily of a sugar-sweetened beverage was linked to a 19 percent increase in the relative risk of cardiovascular disease. The study was published online in the journal Circulation last week.

Sugar-sweetened drinks were linked with adverse changes in levels of HDL, triglycerides and C-reactive protein. Dr. Frank B. Hu, senior author of the analysis and a professor of medicine at Harvard, said that a study a little over two years ago found similar results in women.

Is diet soda a good alternative? No, said Dr. Hu.

“Some studies have found a relationship between diet soda and metabolic disease,” he said.

Give up the sugar!!

~Noah

The Importance of the Post Workout Meal

My clients have heard me harp on them time and time again... the post workout meal is one of THE most important meals they can have. 


Why?


It's science, really.  The body is breaking itself down during a workout.  You need to replenish it, and do it quickly, to ensure that you get the most benefit.  


What does your body need?  You need to eat protein and carbs about 30 minutes after your workout.  While most of the day, you will eat lean protein like chicken or fish, this is the time to go with a protein powder shake using Whey Protein.  This is because this is a liquid protein that is faster and easier for your body to digest.


Your body also needs carbs.  Wait... what???  I know, I know... I try to stay away from too many carbs throughout the day.  But carbs will be used by your body to restore muscle glycogen that was depleted while you worked out. If your post workout meal doesn’t contain them, your body may actually instead break down muscle tissue for this same purpose (which would suck). Carbs also create an insulin spike which helps to move nutrients into your muscle tissue quicker. 


There is a great article on intense-workout.com that I read recently that really speaks well to this subject.  The author talks about good vs bad eating after a workout and how to best accomplish the healing properties of that meal, without spending a bunch of time laboring over what to eat.  


Take a look - and get that post workout meal going!


~Noah

Top 24 Most Effective Exercises for Toning

Let's face it, we want every exercise we do to count as much as possible!  No one likes to work out only to find out that we were doing circuits of things that are ineffective.  I know I want to make every movement count!  I came across a great list of the most deceiving exercises on Shape.com - they may seem like they wouldn't do much, but each one is super effective at toning and tightening.

1. Pistol Squats
2. Turkish Getup
3. Burpees
4. Hula Hooping
5. Kranking (arm biking)
6. Push Ups
7. Barbell Front Squats
8. Wall Sits
9. Double Unders (jump rope)
10. Kettle Bell Swings
11. Plank
12. Ninja Tuck Jumps
13. Pilates Single Leg Lifts
14. Supermans
15. Plies
16. Rowing Machine
17. Stair Climbing
18. Mountain Climbers
19. Sumo Squats
20. Clean and Press
21. Roundhouse Kicks
22. Pallof Press
23. Crab Walks
24. Donkey Kicks

Do a few and see what you think... some you'll feel the effects of immediately, some will take a few reps.  All of them will help you feel the burn!

~Noah

Don't Take Muscle Loss for Granted - Live Longer, Get Stronger with Training

Beginning as early as age 30, your muscle mass begins to decline. 
As years go by, you may begin to look soft or flabby. These changes can start as early as your 30s, but most people see the more differences in their 40s and 50s. Unless you do something about it, you will lose about 1 percent of your lean muscle mass per year after age 40.
It doesn't have to happen. Only 30 percent of muscle loss is due to aging. The other 70 percent is up to you to maintain. Even if loss has begun, this percentage can be regained through strength training.
If you want to start a program, get your doctor's OK first. Consider scheduling time with a certified trainer or physical therapist who can help you design a routine, especially if you are a beginner or have health issues.
At the start, take it slow. The goal is to gradually and consistently improve over time. Always begin with five to 10 minutes of gentle exercise to warm up your muscles.
  You can do strength training at home or in the gym. Consider using:
 * Your body weight to do exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, leg squats, or side and back strengthening exercises.
 * Resistance tubing, which can be found at sporting goods stores and department stores.
 * Free weights, such as barbells or dumbbells. Start with light weights.
 * Weight machines.

Mayo Clinic studies show these to be some of the benefits:
Stronger bones. Strength training increases bone density and reduces your risk of osteoporosis.
Weight control and fat reduction. Muscle burns calories, making it easier to reduce body fat and control your weight.
Fewer injuries. You will have better balance, coordination and agility. Your joints will be more stable and will be able to give muscles a greater role in absorbing stresses on joints. 
Less back pain. Strengthening the lower back muscles is a proven way to ease back pain.
Better brain activity. Studies show that strength training and exercise improve cognitive function. 

The Benefits of Adding Yoga to a Training Routine

Yoga training can be of enormous benefit to anyone persuing a fitness regime. Yoga tones and strengthens your body uniformly, unlike some fitness training regimens that can lead to overdevelopment of particular muscle groups. Yoga excersizes, meditation and postures also improve your balance, strength and overall flexibility, making you more capable of pursuing a weight loss regimen.

The Physical Benefits of Yoga

Performing yoga postures regularly offers a number of physical benefits, including:

• Increased flexibility
• Increased lubrication of joints, ligaments and tendons
• Massaging the body's internal organs
• Detoxifying the body
• Toning the muscles

For more information on the benefits of yoga - as well as the types of yoga practices that are best for weight loss, check out the full article at fitday.com.

~Noah

Upgrade Your Abs Exercises

If your belly refuses to flatten, your workout is probably stale. Upgrade your favorite exercises with these tweaks and revisions. Plan on putting these moves into practice and get ready to experience transformed abs.


Check out the full article on Yahoo! Shine - pretty good ab exercises to try.


~Noah

Starting a Running Program

Running is one of the best things you can do to quickly increase your fitness level.  It provides a great cardio workout, and burns fat faster than just about anything else you can do.  The problem for most of us is... where to start?

Starting with a walk/run program where you are walking more than you are running, then gradually ramping up the ratio to increase the running time is the best way to get started - and the least intimidating.

There is a great article on Runner's World that gives an 8 week program to do this - I highly recommend that you check it out and give it a try.  You may even find that you enjoy running!

~Noah

Painful Hip Flexors

If you’re into to ice sports, cycling, are sitting or driving more, or have been hauling heavy packs, you may be at risk for hip flexor tightness and pain. The biggest and deepest of the hip flexors is the iliopsoas, which begins as one muscle and splits off into two, the psoas major and the iliacus. About 50% of the population also has a psoas minor muscle.

Iliopsoas trigger points can cause pain in the most unusual places, including the mid and low back, upper buttocks, hips, groin, abdomen, and pelvic floor.

Proper stretching, sleeping positions, and exercise can reduce or even eliminate this type of pain.  Short of prevention, the most important thing is that you attack the pain/injury right away and don't let it continue to worsen.

There is a great article on www.calmmindpainfreebody.com that gives some really great strategies for working with this type of injury including a variety of stretches, sleep positioning and trigger points that can really help with long term treatment.

~Noah

New Year, Healthier You!

The boxes and packaging are cleaned up... the tree is on it's way out... you know what that means!  It's almost New Years, the time of year we all make New Years Resolutions.  I know how difficult they can be to keep, but choosing a few that are related to your health makes it a bit easier to stay on track.  After all, if we don't take care of ourselves no one will!

I found a great article on Health.com that gives some great examples of good (and realistic) health resolutions for 2012.  Take a peek and let me know what you think!

~Noah

12 Ways to Survive the Holiday Frenzy

The holidays bring so many things - fun with friends, family, parties, food, shopping... it's a time where it is very easy to get very off track - very fast.  I found a really great article on Better Health USA that gives some good tips to maintain a generally healthy lifestyle this time of year, without denying yourself of the things you enjoy. 

Remaining vigilant during the times you CAN control your food and activity is super important.  You can't dictate your schedule or menu if you're visiting family, but you can before and after your visit.  You can squeeze in a quick run or even a walk with a friend during the holiday craziness without missing out on all of the fun.  Compensating for an anticipated big "cheat day" by having a few super clean healthy days leading up to it can really help keep you from getting hopelessly off track.

Remember, maintaining your current weight or fitness level this time of year is enough... just try not to backslide and you'll jump right back in after New Years!

~Noah

Music can help keep you moving!

I know that when it comes to working out, I can't keep moving without great music. It's tough sometimes to find a good mix of music that keeps you going at a good pace, but I found an article on Women's Health Magazine's website that gives 8 different playlists with a wide variety of music. Even if you don't like any of the lists in it's entirety, you may be able to mix and match some of them together (along with some of your own music) to create a great workout playlist.

 

One of the most important things to consider is a song’s tempo, which should be between 120 and 140 beats-per-minute, or B.P.M. That pace coincides with the range of most commercial dance music, and many rock songs are near that range, which leads people to work out at that sustained pace. It also roughly corresponds to the average person’s heart rate during a routine workout.

Create your own playlist - and share it! Most people are always looking for a great mix for the gym.

~Noah

7 Workout Mistakes

While we all try to get into the gym regularly, if you're not changing things up, getting your nutrition on track, and not taking care in other areas of your life, it's just not going to give you the results you're looking for.

Simple things like not skipping meals, not skipping the basics, getting enough rest... these can make all the difference! 

I'm often asked about cardio - how much is enough?  The reality is that 20 minutes 3 times a week is sufficient for most people.  Unless you are training for longer distance running or some other very specific event that is all that is needed.  If you balance strength training with those 20 minutes, however, you are going to get an overall fitness level much higher than if you did one or the other alone.

Yahoo! Health has a great article about the 7 Workout Mistakes to Avoid - they have some information about cardio and the other things I talk about above.  Read it and see whether you're sabotaging your own workout goals.

~Noah

Post Thanksgiving Workout

If you're anything like me, you tend to indulge when you get all your family together for a "eating" holiday!  I tend to eat really clean most of the time - protein, whole grains, vegetables, etc. - but the holidays definitely make it challenging.  Add to that a bunch of family obligations making it hard to get to the gym (or perhaps you're out of town and not near your gym), and you are left with a loss of momentum by Monday.

This article from The PostGame gives a good example of getting back into the swing of things over the weekend, without even hitting a gym.  Give it a look and get moving!
~Noah

Speed Up Your Fat Burn!

As my clients will tell you, I talk often about eating and training habits when trying to slim down.  Today I found a great article on Yahoo! Health that talks about all six of the things I'm always reminding my clients about:

• Eat breakfast!  According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, those that eat breakfast enjoy a waistline that is on average 2 INCHES smaller than those that don't!
• Eat regularly!  Ideally, you should eat every 3 hours - going more than 5 hours between meals slows your metabolism and causes your body to burn fat slower.
• Ride a bike!  Riding just 6 miles per week helps lower insulin levels by as much as 19%.  Walkers who go the same weekly distance show no reduction in insulin levels.
• Drink green tea!  Drinking just 3 cups per day helps your body burn an extra 30 calories a day according to Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.  Who doesn't want to burn calories for free??   'nuff said.
• Lift Weights!  Strength training speeds metabolism, burns calories and sculpts sexy muscles... yet only 17% of women do it.  Some experts recommend as much as 60% of your workout should be strength training (40% cardio) to get the most out of every minute.  I don't know anyone who doesn't want great arms and abs - this is the way to get them!
• Limit your time between sets!   Exercisers who waited only 35 seconds between sets decreased their body fat by 27 percent more after eight weeks than those who rested three minutes, researchers at San Antonio Catholic University of Murcia say. Shorter rests keep your metabolism humming along and your heart rate up, so they shave minutes off your time at the gym and help your afterburn for hours once you’re done with your workout.

Click here to see the full article.  It's a quick but informative read!

~Noah

Importance of Water!

One of the top things I'm asked by my clients is why I push them to drink so much water.  There are lots of complicated, scientific answers to this, but the reality is that water is THE most important thing you can do for your body!  As written about in this article by Spartafit, being only 15% dehydrated is considered lethal! 

When you are training and working your body in so many new and exciting ways, it is imperative that you hydrate - a lot!  In fact, it is imperative that you hydrate whether you're working out or not.  If you have any questions, let me know.  In the meantime, keep drinking your water!

~Noah