Diet & Nutrition article by Ben on Thursday, October 15, 2009 6:27:46 PM EST
Here is a list of 10 simple and easy food swaps that you can make to clean up your diet and help you shed some of those stubborn pounds!
1. Drink Water instead of Pop or Other Sugary Drinks
- You would be amazed at how many calories you can cut out of your day by cutting out unnecessary sugary beverages.
2. Whole Grains instead of Refined
- White flours, rice, sugar and pasta are high in calories and low in nutrients. With whole grains you'll get more nutrients and anti-oxidants and it's also more filling because there is more fiber.
3. Fresh Foods instead of Processed
- Quality is more important that quantity. Fresh foods contain nutrients, fiber and anti-oxidants where most processed foods are filled with empty calories.
4. Organic instead of Non-Organic
- Organic is simply better for you and it is best to avoid as many chemicals and preservatives as possible.
5. Low Fat instead of Fat Free
- With some fat free products, the manufacturer will replace the fat with salt or sugar which kicks up the calorie count.
6. Squash instead of Spaghetti
- You can replace spaghetti noodles with spaghetti squash cooked and prepared in a pasta like, stringy style.
7. Portobello instead of Pizza Dough
- Using a portobello mushroom cap as a pizza dough instead of a mini pizza will save you hundreds of calories.
8. Greek Style Yogurt instead of American Style Yogurt
- Greek style yogurt is strained longer which makes it lower in carbs, higher in protein, much thicker and a lot tastier!
9. Avocado instead of Mayonnaise
- Avocado is a good source of fat, contains Vitamin E and is a very tasty alternative on a sandwich.
10. Breadsticks instead of Dinner Rolls
- If you're out at a restaurant, try to avoid the breadbasket all together but if you can't.. try eating bread sticks or whole grain rolls in place of white flour dinner rolls.
These are a few small changes that you can make each and every day that will result in long, lasting changes to your health, improved body composition and increased energy levels!
General Fitness article by Ben on Tuesday, October 06, 2009 6:51:02 PM EST
I just found out today that Jillian Michaels, one of the trainers from the NBC show "The Biggest Loser" is now promoting her own line of fat burning pills called Extreme Maximum Strength Fat Burner. Until now I have always thought quite highly of Jillian Michaels and assumed she had a lot of integrity. I've been a fan of the Biggest Loser for a few years now and really enjoy watching how she connects and interacts with her clients. She seems to be a great motivator and really knows how to push people to their full potential.
This is why I was shocked and had trouble understanding how she could put her name and face behind such a crappy fat burner. It seems like such hypocrisy! How can she sit on that show and tell people to eat well, train hard, stay focused on their goals and never give up but then turn around and promote a quick fix, weight loss product that is absolute garbage! There is no scientific proof that backs up any of the claims made by Jillian Michaels Extreme Maximum Strength Fat Burner, it's not recognized by the FDA and many of the ingredients are caffeine based. I don't know how she can endorse this product but I imagine a lots and lots of money had something to do with it.
