Diet & Nutrition article by Ben on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 12:51:06 AM EST
I came across this list of a few simple things you can do to make your red meat a little leaner. It seems like a lot of common sense to me but it might come in handy to those carnivores out there who enjoy eating a big, fat juicy steak once in awhile!
1. Choose packages labeled "lean" or "extra lean" whenever possible. Lean means the meat has fewer than 8.5 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving; extra lean, fewer than 4 grams per serving.
2. Try to buy meat labeled "grass-fed" or "pasture-raised." It may have 25% to 50% less fat, fewer calories, and more heart-healthy omega-3s than regular grain-fed meat. (It also suggests the animal was raised humanely.)
3. Trim external fat before cooking and use that well-sharpened knife to remove any that's still there once it's on your plate. You can slash fat intake by as much as half this way.
4. Broil, grill, or roast meat on grills or pans that drain away fat.
5. Blot meatballs and burgers with paper towels after cooking to remove both grease and calories.
6. Minimize meat-centric meals. RealAge recommends no more than one serving of red meat a week.
General Fitness article by Ben on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 6:37:28 PM EST
Have you ever suffered from tennis elbow? I've had it a few times over the years and I can tell you that it is absolutely brutal! It is one of the most painful, debilitating and nagging sports injuries that I have ever experienced and apparently it is also one of the most common.
Tennis elbow is the inflammation or degeneration of the wrist-extensor tendon that connects to the elbow. It is most often an overuse injury and not only affects tennis players but golfers, plumbers, mechanics, painters and anyone else that uses their wrists and forearms extensively. Tennis elbow causes the tendon to weaken, it can be very painful and is quite easy to re-aggravate because the average person flexes and extends their forearms many times throughout the day.
Treatments for tennis elbow include acupuncture, deep tissue massage, corticosteroid shots and even surgery but all have had limited success in the past. Researchers at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City have recently announced that they have developed an easy, effective and very inexpensive treatment for chronic tennis elbow. The scientists put together a group of test subjects who all suffered from tennis elbow and had them try a choreographed routine using a ribbed, 8 inch rubber bar called the Thera-Band Flexbar.
The simple routine focuses on eccentric contractions all along the forearm which causes the damaged tendon to become less thick and helps to relieve the painful symptoms associated with ailment. I've attached a video below so you can see how easy the movement pattern is and is it really does work as well as they claim it does, it would be well worth the investment.
Exercise & Workout article by Ben on Wednesday, September 02, 2009 4:20:08 PM EST
I just finished reading an interesting article about adding walking to your long distance running program to not only help reduce your risk of injury and make running a little less grueling on the body, but to also help improve your overall running/racing times. The article is from the NY Times Heath section and describes a training method first introduced by former Olympian Jeff Galloway. Here's is an excerpt from his website:
TRAINING PROGRAMS
Jeff's quest for the injury-free marathon training program led him to develop group training programs in 1978, and to author Runner's World articles which have been used by hundreds of thousands of runners of all abilities. His training schedules have inspired the second wave of marathoners who follow the Galloway run-walk, low mileage, three-day, suggestions to an over 98% success rate.
In his walk/run method of training you take short walking breaks at different scheduled times throughout your run whether it is a 5 mile charity event or a 26 mile marathon. These walking breaks can vary in length and frequency with some people walking for a minute then running for a minute while others may take a short walking break after every mile. These short breaks give your muscles and joints a chance to recover during your run which will help you pace yourself better, recover between runs faster and make your finishes stronger.
This method might sound a bit out there for any die hard runners but it makes a lot of sense. By taking short walking breaks you will decrease the amount of stress on your joints, allow your muscles recovery time and extend your running career for many more years!
General Fitness article by Ben on Monday, August 24, 2009 7:49:56 PM EST
I just got home from a weekend road trip through the Okanagon Valley in British Columbia, Canada. It was absolutely beautiful! We spent a few days driving through the country side and stayed in a couple of little towns along the way. Both of the towns we stayed in were beside lakes so we stayed in nice motels overlooking the lakes in each town. We spent the first night in Osoyoos and went swimming in the lake the following day. It was so spectacular! The water wasn't too cold, the weather wasn't too hot and the water was crystal clear! And there's something about swimming in a lake that is so refreshing!
The Okanagon is also the Napa Valley of Western Canada so we had to stop at a winery while we were up there. I'm not kidding, there were dozens and dozens of vineyards along the highway but we settled for a place a few kilometers off the highway up the side of a mountain called See Ya Later Ranch. The place was really cool and we were able to sit out on the patio overlooking the valley and share a bottle of chilled Unleashed Riesling.
My favorite part of the whole trip though was being able to enjoy and stock up on some great locally grown produce. The Okanagon valley is very warm and perfect for growing cherries, grapes, peppers, tomatoes, pears, apples, apricots and especially peaches. I absolutely LOVE Okanagon peaches! They are the sweetest, juiciest peaches you will ever taste! There's even a town that we drove through on the trip that was named Peachland. It looked like a pretty nice town too!
We also bought some locally grown blueberries and they look so delicious! Blueberries are loaded full of anti-oxidants and I'll definitely be having them with my Kashi cereal in the mornings for the next few days!
Anyways that's by far one of my favorite things about Summer.. fresh locally grown produce! I find myself very fortunate to live in a part of the world where I can have such a wide variety of tasty fruits and vegetables available to me. So if you have a chance before the end of Summer, try to get out there and support your local farmer's market. (man I can't wait till I can sink my teeth into some peaches and cream corn on the cob!)
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