March 26, 2012

The Leanest Cut of All

delicous!

Is it possible to eat beef on a regular basis and not get beefy in the process? Absolutely, says an article that appeared in a supplement to the October 2005 issue of Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. The trick is to select the right cut of beef and to exercise portion control.

Here’s a look at 10 of the leanest cuts, which, according to the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, contain on average only 1 more gram (g) of saturated fat than a skinless chicken breast per 3-ounce serving:

1. eye round (1.4 g saturated fat, 4 g total fat)

2. top round steak (1.6 g saturated fat, 4.6 g total fat)

3. chuck mock tender steak (1.6 g saturated fat, 4.7 g total fat)

4. bottom round (1.7 g saturated fat, 4.9 g total fat)

5. top sirloin (1.9 g saturated fat, 4.9 g total fat)

6. round tip (1.8 g saturated fat, 5.0 g total fat)

7. 95% lean ground beef (2.4 g saturated fat, 5.0 g total fat)

8. brisket (flat half) (1.9 g saturated fat, 5.1 g total fat)

9. shank crosscuts (1.9 g saturated fat, 5.4 g total fat)

10. chuck shoulder roast (1.8 g saturated fat, 5.7 g total fat)

—
original article from IDEA Fitness

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March 23, 2012

Low-Fat Beats Low-Carb For Heart Health

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image courtesy from bannerhealth.com

For people at risk for hypertension, reducing fat intake may be key to protecting the heart. According to a study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension, a low-fat diet is more effective than a low-carbohydrate diet in reducing the risk of developing hypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular problems such as atherosclerosis.

When the two types of diets were compared in apparently healthy participants, the low-fat diet was the winner at improving blood pressure markers, such as blood flow in the arteries. This led the researchers to conclude that low-fat diets “may confer greater cardiovascular protection” than low-carb diets.

—
source: IDEA Fitness

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March 22, 2012

Hot Salsa Tip

Hot Salsa!

Did you know that salsa has surpassed ketchup as America’s favorite condiment? Salsa can spice up all kinds of bland meals. Stir in a jar of your favorite salsa to add some zing to a pot of kidney, white, pinto, red or black beans; then top with a dollop of sour cream for a unique, high-fiber side dish.

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March 21, 2012

How to Stop Yourself Eating from Boredom

People who struggle with their weight are often prone to “emotional eating”, consuming food as a response to mental triggers rather than physical hunger. Often, dieters fail to lose weight not because their diet plan itself is flawed, but because they are knocked off course by feeling stressed, tired, upset or bored.

The last of these is an especially common cue for many people to eat. For some, it’s a habit learned in childhood (“I’m bored, mum!” – “Run down to the shop and buy yourself a candy bar, then.”) For others, it’s a reaction to the dull parts of adult life: munching on biscuits while rocking the baby to sleep, or getting yet another handful of chocolates because the afternoon is really dragging at work.

Avoid Snacking When You’re Bored

When you find yourself thinking, “I’m bored, maybe I’ll have a cookie,” then get straight out of that mindset:

If you’re genuinely hungry, have some fruit or a small sandwich.
Cravings can be beaten, just by sitting them out. Force yourself to wait 20 minutes before getting that snack, and nine times out of ten, you’ll no longer want it.
Find something to do – ideally, an activity that makes it hard to eat at the same time.

Understanding Your Danger Points

Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, and write down not only what you ate and when, but why you ate. (Hunger, because friends were eating, because it was lunch-time, boredom, stress..?)

When are you most likely to eat from boredom? Maybe it’s when you have to hang around at home, waiting for a delivery. Or perhaps it’s when you get in from work and you’re waiting for your partner to come home. Once you’ve figured out the pattern, work out how to change it!

Find a hobby or interest to occupy you, if you’ve got too much time on your hands
Use those “hanging around” moments, to blitz through all the little jobs you keep putting off (cleaning the oven, anyone?)
If you’re regularly twiddling your thumbs at work, see if there’s a stressed colleague who could use your help.

What are your tips for avoiding boredom-induced snacking?

—

Article courtesy of: diet-blog
Image courtesy from: Tony Jalicea

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March 20, 2012

Fuel Up!

Wow, this is great!

Fuel Up!

This one simple step alone will not only lengthen your workout, but it will also increase your performance, which is the key when training and exercising. That step? Fill ‘er up! If you don’t eat before exercise, you will likely feel light-headed, fatigue and nausea. Your body is then forced to turn to muscle protein for fuel because it doesn’t have enough carbohydrates to perform.

By starting your workout well-fueled, your body will burn a combination of the carbohydrates and stored fat. So fill ‘er up…and here are the food and beverage tips from your coach Max: Eat 1 hour before a workout or event. Choose a high carbohydrate, low fat, moderate protein meal or snack. And don’t forget to hydrate. Drink at least 10 ounces of water to help offset perspiration loss during your workout.

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June 3, 2011

Copy your Cat!

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Are you flexible?

Some people are just naturally more flexible. Flexibility or the lack of it can be due to your genetics, gender, age, body shape, and level of physical activity.
As people grow older, they may get wiser but they also tend to lose flexibility. Sometimes the loss of flexibility is the result of inactivity, but it is also because of the aging process itself. The less active you are, the less flexible you are likely to be. And like most everything, including cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength, flexibility will improve with regular training too.

So make like cat-woman…or Katmandu… as the case may be. You need to work it like a cat; stretch and bend at least twice a day. You’ll have the flexibility to keep you purring right along. If you need a good example of how to stretch click on Zeke.

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June 1, 2011

Got culture?

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Got culture? Museums, theaters and concert halls may be the ticket to a happy, healthy life

People who attended concerts, went to museums, and engaged in cultural activities in general were happier and healthier in a recent study. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

The secret to a healthy, happy life may be found at an art gallery, movie theater or concert hall. (It might even be in church, a baseball stadium or gym.) At least if you live in Norway.
A study of more than 50,000 Norwegian men and women found that those involved in cultural activities — either “receptive” activities like attending a concert or a baseball game or “creative” ones like playing in a band or working out — were more likely to be satisfied with their lives and to say they were in good health. They were also less likely to experience anxiety or depression.

The particular activities that made a difference were a little different for men and women. For instance, women who attended sporting events were more likely to report being in “good” or “very good” health. For men, involvement with anyreceptive cultural activity, including visiting a museum or going to the theater, was linked with “good” or “very good” perceived health.

With regard to depression, both men and women had lower scores if they participated in clubs, outdoor activites or worked out. Women also had lower scores if they went dancing, and men also had lower scores if they were involved in music, singing or theater.

Generally speaking, the more people engaged in various cultural activities, the better their scores:

“In both women and men, a dose-response effect was indicated,” the researchers wrote. “The frequency of cultural particpation and the number of different activities were positively associated with good health, SWL (satisfaction with life), a lower anxiety score and a lower depression score.”

Of course, people who earn more money were more likely to take part in both receptive and creative cultural activities. And it’s well known that people with higher incomes are also more likely to be healthy. But the researchers found that a link between cultural partipation and health that was independent of socioeconomic status.

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April 30, 2011

Tall, obese men at higher risk for blood clots

Tall men, especially if they are obese, are at a greater risk for blood clots than shorter, normal-weight men, suggests a new study. (AFP / Getty Images / April 29, 2011)

Tall and obese men appear more likely to develop venous thromboemoblism, which can lead to a potentially lethal blood clot in the lungs, according to a study published Thursday.

Researchers from the University of Tromso in Norway analyzed height and weight data from 26,714 people and assessed the incidence of venous thromboembolism over 12-1/2 years. In that time, 461 people developed the condition, in which a blood clot (or thrombosis) forms in a deep vein, usually in the thigh, and can move into an artery in the lung. Here’s a basic explanation of the condition fromPatient Health International and a detailed look, including risk factors, from Cleveland Clinic.

In the lung, the clot (called a pulmonary embolism) blocks blood supply and can lead to death. The American Heart Assn. offers this look at venous thromboembolism incidence and fatality statistics.

It begins: “Venous thromboembolism occurs for the first time in about 100 per 100,000 persons each year in the United States. About one third of patients with symptomatic VTE manifest pulmonary embolism, whereas two thirds manifest deep-vein thrombosis alone.”

The new research suggests that being either obese or tall, or the combination, puts men at greater risk for the condition compared to short (5 feet 7.7 inches or shorter), normal-weight men. Men who were obese and taller than 5 feet 11.7 inches were at fivefold greater risk of a blood clot, and men who were tall but of normal weight had a 2.6 times greater risk. Short, obese men had a 2.1 greater risk than short normal-weight men for a blood clot.

Yes, women too: Obese women, short or tall, had a slightly greater risk of a blood clot, scientists reported in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. Tall normal-weight women didn’t have increased risk.

Obesity is already a well-known risk factor for deep-vein thrombosis, but researchers aren’t sure why tall people would be more prone to such clots. The lead author of the study, Sigrid Braekkan, offers an explanation in a press release:

“In tall people the blood must be pumped a longer distance by the calf-muscle pump, which may cause reduced flow in the legs and thereby raise the risk of clotting,” Braekkan said.

There’s nothing a man can do about his height, so researchers say big men – and short ones, of course — should try to stay slim.

In the meantime, here are a few tips for preventing blood clots from the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality:

— Don’t remain sedentary for more than an hour.

— On plane trips, get up from your seat and move around.

— Try not to cross your legs

— Wear loose-fitting clothing

— Reduce salt in your diet

And here are some tips from the same agency on preventing venous thromboembolsim in the hospital. There, it’s the most common cause of preventable death.

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April 15, 2011

7 Breakfast Foods to Swap In, Not Out

Is breakfast really the “most important” meal of the day? Maybe, at least that’s what they told us in health class.

So if breakfast is the first meal of the day and you’re trying to lose weight, it’s probably a smart idea to make your first meal a good one.

And since most dieters judge food by two simple factors: fat and calories. Here are seven foods you should ditch and seven foods you should switch to if you’re looking for a better breakfast.

English Muffin or Bagel?

Sorry, but a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese just isn’t Kosher – at least not for dieting. You’re better off switching to toasted nooks and crannies dripping with melted butter.

*English Muffin, with butter
5.8g total fat
189 calories

Bagel, with cream cheese
8g total fat
436 calories

Apple or Banana?

Let’s face it, both apples and bananas are awesome – probably the healthiest foods on this list – but, if you’re looking to cut calories, go with the apple.

*Apple
0.17g total fat
50 calories

Banana
0.33g total fat
100 calories

Blueberry Yogurt or Oatmeal?

Even without the “probiotics,” eating a light yogurt is smarter than a bowl of old fashioned oatmeal.

*Dannon Light’n Fit Blueberry Yogurt (6oz)
0g total fat
80 calories

Old Fashioned Quaker Oats, with water (1/2 cup)
3g total fat
150 calories

Coffee with Skim Milk or 2% Milk?

For most people, missing their morning coffee is grounds for murder. So please, drink up! But make sure you stick with non-fat milk, not 2%

*Starbucks Coffee, with non-fat milk (short)
0g total fat
35 calories

Starbucks Coffee, with 2% milk (short)
2g total fat
50 calories

Wheaties or Raisin Bran?

One cereal uses professional athletes to push product. Another is peddled by the sun. The sports stars win, go with a bowl of Wheaties.

*Wheaties (1 cup)
1g total fat
110 calories

Raisin Bran (1 cup)
1.3g total fat
190 calories

Turkey Bacon or Pork?

It isn’t real bacon – it might not even taste like it – but the fat and calories don’t lie. Spare a pig, eat a turkey!

*Butterball Bacon-Style Turkey (1 slice, 18g)
3g total fat
40 calories

Pork Bacon (3 slices, 19g)
7.9g total fat
103 calories

Grapefruit Juice or Orange Juice?

Grapefruit juice might not taste as sweet, but choke it down. It’s better than orange juice. And when you drink grapefruit juice, it’s less likely to squirt in your eye.

*Tropicana Grapefruit Juice (8 fl oz)
0g total fat
90 calories

Tropicana Orange Juice (8 fl oz)
0g total fat
110 calories

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April 12, 2011

Does Dieting Make You Angry And Stressed?

The idea of reaching for a stick of celery when all you really want is a big slice of chocolate cake, would probably make most people a little grumpy.

And, according to results published in the Journal of Consumer Research, exerting self-control while dieting can in fact make people feel angry and irritable.

The researchers set up four experiments to compare the attitudes of volunteers who were on a diet, with those who ate what they wanted. They found that:

Participants who choose an apple over a bar of chocolate were more likely to choose movies which had angry, revenge-filled plots.
Those who choose a gift certificate for groceries rather than one for a spa service, showed more interest in looking at angry faces as opposed to more fearful ones.
And, in an other experiment, people who chose a healthy snack instead of a less healthy one were more irritated by a public service advert promoting exercise.

Interestingly, the researchers have linked these feelings of irritation, stress, and anger to the act of exerting self-control while dieting, rather than the “dieting” itself.

The researchers point out that public policy makers should be more aware of the potential negative emotions, which can result when the public are encouraged to exert more self control over their daily choices.

What about you — does being on a diet make you feel more irritated or angry? How do you make healthy food choices without feeling like you’re denying yourself?
—
Article Courtesy from: diet-blog
Image courtesy by: Kreutziana

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Older Posts »

The Encore Fitness Blog Resources and information from top Las Vegas personal trainers, fitness and dietary experts. Carol Strom.

March 26, 2012

March 23, 2012

March 22, 2012

March 21, 2012

Avoid Snacking When You’re Bored

Understanding Your Danger Points

March 20, 2012

June 3, 2011

June 1, 2011

Got culture? Museums, theaters and concert halls may be the ticket to a happy, healthy life

April 30, 2011

April 15, 2011

April 12, 2011