Why It’s Getting Harder to Stay Fit When Cooking at Home

Many people think that cooking meals at home versus eating out is a great way to save money and calories, but a new study shows that may not be the case. Restaurants have long been the target of attacks by nutritionists, who maintain that portion distortion, is creating a nation of unfit super-sized fatties. Well, now it appears the trend of serving up huge helpings is being employed by cookbooks as well. A new study published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine looked at how traditional recipes have changed during the past 70 years. Researchers found a nearly … Continue reading →

How to Eat Chinese Food and Still Stay Fit

I’ve written about my weakness for Chinese food in previous blogs. Given that I am addicted to tasty ab-killing Chinese dishes, I often find myself doing double time in the gym following a take-out meal. If you too enjoy indulging in Chinese food, but you don’t have the time to spend two hours working off that extra helping of Mu Shu, then consider these tips that will help you eat smarter: Chinese 101—-You don’t have to enroll in a college language course, but it does pay to know some of the lingo. Look for the words “steamed” as well as … Continue reading →

Fitness Facts: Fructose and Fasting

The next time you are at the supermarket consider leaving the apple and orange juice on the shelf. New research says that fructose found in fruit juices and other processed foods makes you fat. New studies show that fructose dramatically enhances ipogenesis, the process by which the body converts sugar into fat. One particular study found that people who consumed a breakfast drink, which contained high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), produced double the body fat in the four-hour period that followed than those who consumed a glucose-only beverage. For those of you who have considered fasting to shed unwanted pounds (perhaps … Continue reading →

How “Fit” is Your Child’s Cereal?

Most of us are so concerned about getting our children off the couch and outside to burn off calories that we fail to consider the role proper nutrition plays in weight loss and overall health. You might be surprised by how an item as unassuming as breakfast cereal can contribute to a child’s poor eating habits. The amount of sugar and salt featured in typical kids’ cereals is staggering. To aid parents in their quest to raise healthy, fit kids “Consumer Reports” recently tested and rated 27 popular cereals aimed at children. Some fared well in the nutrition department while … Continue reading →

Big Apple Helping Fitness Fanatics Take a Bite Out of Healthier Living

If you travel around New York City via the subway you may have been pleasantly surprised to see expletive-free reading material posted in select cars this week. The new additions come courtesy of the city Health Department and while they may not make you as sick as the graffiti they help cover up, the posters still have some riders clutching their stomachs. After reading that your burrito lunch (complete with sour cream and guacamole) contained more than half the calories you should eat in a day, you should be feeling ill. The informative posters that now hang in about 1,000 … Continue reading →

Exercise and Nutrition

Now that you know how many calories it takes to swim as well as Michael Phelps you might be tempted to “Be Like Mike” and add an extra 10,000 calories to your diet too. Experts say don’t bother. While nutrition plays a major role in an exercise routine, a person’s diet should be tailored individually. Adequate calories and nutrients are essential for physical performances, but elite athletes generally require higher amounts of calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than amateur fitness buffs. According to fitness experts, carbohydrates are very important because they provide the energy that fuels muscle … Continue reading →

Bones – They Do A Body Good

Regular exercise isn’t about building muscle and staying in shape, it’s also about building strong bones. Our skeletal structure, though buried amidst our muscles and soft tissue, is a critical part about living healthy and healthy living. Bone density is increased with regular exercise. Dense bones are good because they help support our overall body frame and structure. As we age, our bone density lessens unless we maintain our exercise and keep our bones strong. The exercises that are designed to do this are called weight bearing. Weight bearing exercises include golf, walking, jogging, dancing, swimming and stair climbing. These … Continue reading →

Is Fat a Four Letter Word?

Your body requires moderation in all forms, this includes the fact that your body does need fat – healthy fat. Your heart needs healthy fats. Your brain needs healthy fats. Your joints need healthy fats. This is a month where a lot of people cut out their bad habits and strive to fight for their New Year’s resolutions. One of the biggest mistakes they make though is going cold turkey across the board. Cutting Out Fat Totally Cutting the fat out totally sounds like a great option and there are a lot of low-fat and no fat products out there. … Continue reading →

Dehydration = Bad

Every so often, I bring up hydration and dehydration here in the fitness blog. It’s important to talk about it, to keep it forefront in your mind and to know what to do or not do with regards to hydration. Summer time is a particularly important time to focus on this issue because we spend so much time outside and in the heat and doing things that will dehydrate us if we’re not careful. For example, my daughter would stay in the pool all day if I let her, but I also make sure we have plenty of water with … Continue reading →

Do You Get a D in Your Fitness?

Do you get a D? I don’t mean a grade, I mean vitamin D – you know the stuff you find in milk? I’m a bit sensitive about vitamin D because I’m lactose intolerant and I just don’t have a lot of dairy in my diet. Recently, there have been separate studies that reveal that vitamin D is good for a lot more than just helping your bones and muscles absorb calcium. As it turns out – studies show that: Women who consume 1100 IU (international units) of vitamin D per day lowered their risk of cancer by as much … Continue reading →