Healthy Pea Soup

Ever wonder why you rarely see fresh peas in the produce section of your supermarket? That's because the harvest season for fresh peas is exceptionally short, which is why they're usually found either frozen or canned. But if you hurry now, you can get fresh shelling peas from your local farmers' market before the season ends. Here's a delicious summer recipe for fresh pea soup.








2 lbs. fresh shelling peas (in pods)


4-1/2 cups water


2 bay leaves


4 sprigs fresh thyme


2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil


1 small onion, peeled and minced


1 small carrot, minced


1/2 medium celery stalk, minced


1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves


Salt (to taste)


1 Tbsp. minced chives


Remove peas from pods (you should have about 2-1/4 cups). Place empty pea pods, water, bay leaves, and thyme in large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer briskly for 15 minutes. Strain through sieve, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve broth and discard solids. (You should have at least 3 cups of broth.)






Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and parsley and sauté until vegetables soften, about 6 minutes. Add 3 cups broth (reserve any extra to add later if needed) and simmer for 5 minutes to blend flavors. Add peas and cook just until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.






Puree soup in batches in blender until perfectly smooth, adding extra hot pea broth or hot water to thin if desired. Return to saucepan and add salt to taste. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with chives and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.






Preparation Time: 1 hour

Deep Sea Deliciousness: A Guide to Edible Seaweed

Deep Sea Deliciousness: A Guide to Edible Seaweed


By Jeanine Natale

As another sultry summer shimmies into full swing, why don't we take a look at a refreshing, versatile, and wonderfully low-calorie/fat-free food that's sure to add an interesting new dimension to light and healthy eating? Yes, seaweed! You've probably seen drifts of this common sea algae floating in the ocean waves, or in tangled clumps along the beach, but did you know it's actually a delicious, nutritious, and surprisingly popular food? If you've had sushi, miso soup—even salad dressing, pudding, or ice cream—odds are, you've eaten seaweed. Heck, you've probably even brushed your teeth with it.

Naturally high in essential nutrients like iodine, potassium, and magnesium, seaweed is becoming more and more available not only in health food or international stores, but also at your local market, and there are different kinds of seaweed used in all kinds of yummy dishes. It's been a staple in the diets of many coastal cultures from Japan to Scotland for centuries, and now the rest of the world is learning how good it really is for you. Five of the varieties you're most likely to encounter are nori, wakame, kombu, hijiki, and carrageenan, also known as Irish moss.



Contrary to many beliefs, seaweed is not fishy or even overly salty in taste or odor. Some varieties, like carrageenan, are nearly flavorless, and can be a versatile ingredient in many kinds of sweet and savory recipes. Each type of seaweed, whether crunchy, salty, chewy, sweet, crispy, or slippery, has its own nutritional fingerprint, but all varieties of this remarkable sea algae offer the health-conscious eater a fat-free, low-to-no-calorie superbundle of essential vitamins and minerals—most notably iodine.



Iodine is perhaps best known as an ingredient added to table salt (ironically, sea salt does not contain iodine naturally). But because many of us would do well to lower our salt intake, seaweed offers an excellent low-sodium delivery system for iodine. Numerous international studies have shown that iodine plays an important role in regulating the thyroid, which helps to keep your metabolism on an even keel. More importantly, according to a 2007 study by the World Health Organization, iodine deficiency is one of the world's most preventable causes of mental retardation, and seaweed is one of the most accessible and easily digested sources of this essential mineral. Indeed, seaweed is vegan and gluten-free, and it poses much less danger of causing an allergic reaction than fish or shellfish—two other good sources of iodine—might (although you should keep in mind that seafood is often processed in the same facility as both fish and shellfish). Also gaining much worldwide attention is evidence that a diet supplemented with iodine, as well as vitamins B and E, may help in preventing or lessening the effects of fibrocystic breast disease.



Generally, you'll find your different types of seaweeds available as dried sheets, flakes, or leaves, in prepared packages that usually weigh a couple of ounces each. (Single-serving sizes are typically between 1 and 3 grams, depending on the recipe.) After you moisten, steep, or soak your seaweed in water according to package or recipe directions, it's easy to use, and it retains its nutritional value even when cooked. Here's a quick look at how the various seaweeds add up.

Nori. The most recognizable of the seaweeds, nori comes in crunchy, paper-thin black sheets most familiarly used to wrap sushi. Nori can also be sprinkled in flake form as a yummy topping for soups and salads. A 2.5-gram serving of nori supplies 70 percent of the recommended daily allowance* (RDA) of iodine, 10 percent of the RDA of vitamin C, 8 percent of the RDA of vitamin A, and 1 gram each of protein and dietary fiber, along with trace amounts (6 percent of the RDA or less) of potassium, magnesium, riboflavin, and omegas 3, 6, and 9—and each serving has just 10 calories and only 5 milligrams of sodium.

Wakame. Generally eaten in larger amounts, wakame is a versatile seaweed most often featured as bite-sized bits in miso soup or thin slices in a salad. Usually sold as dried black flakes, wakame quickly turns a beautiful jade green color when soaked in warm or hot water, with a soft, slippery, easy-to-chew texture. Wakame will add a bit more sodium to your dish than nori does (28 percent of the RDA or 660 milligrams in a 10-gram serving), but you'll benefit from its more than 100 percent of the RDA of iodine, 30 percent of the RDA of magnesium, 17 percent of the RDA of dietary fiber, 14 percent of the RDA of potassium, 8 percent of the RDA each of vitamin A, iron, and calcium, and trace amounts of riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, phosphorus, and omegas 3, 6, and 9—and it has just 25 calories.



Kombu. Not quite as visible but essential to many delicious soups or noodle broths, kombu is a seaweed that usually comes in large dried leaves up to a foot long and a few inches wide. Typically, a cook will boil it in soups or stews, then remove it as you would a bay leaf, imparting to a hearty flavor and a decent dose of nutrients. A 3.3-gram serving of kombu has just 5 calories and 4 percent of the RDA of sodium, while also providing more than 100 percent of the RDA for iodine, and trace amounts of magnesium, calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, and omegas 3, 6, and 9.

Hijiki. If you're an avid fan of seaweed salads, the squeaky crunch of twig-like hijiki is already a favorite. Hijiki segments look like little dried black twigs about 1 or 2 inches in length, and soaking them in water will make them expand to about twice their size. Eaten hot or cold, hijiki has a springy, snappy crunch that is quite distinctive. A 2-gram serving of hijiki is calorie-free and supplies you with 20 percent of the RDA of calcium and trace amounts of vitamin B, magnesium, and dietary fiber, along with approximately 50 percent of the RDA of iodine.

Carrageenan. The seaweed you hardly ever see but have probably consumed most often is known as Irish moss, listed as carrageenan on that tub of mocha marshmallow ice cream you've been eyeballing. (Alas, it's not there in sufficient amounts to justify your getting to eat ice cream every day. Harrumph.) Carrageenan is mainly added to prepared foods and other products, including pudding, salad dressing, and toothpaste, to make them thick and smooth. Carrageenan can also be found at any health food store in the form of dried flakes or powder that dissolve completely in liquid, for use as a thickening agent for soups and stews, or to make nutritious teas and broths. A 6-gram serving has only 25 calories, and contains approximately 15 percent of the RDA of both protein and iodine, and trace amounts of vitamins A, C, and B12, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and sodium.

If you're new to the wide world of edible seaweed, it's fun—and not too expensive—to experiment with this versatile and nutritious food. Most small packages of seaweed cost anywhere from $5.00 to $9.00 for a few ounces, with larger (1-pound) bulk quantities costing anywhere from $25.00 or $30.00 up to $60.00 for rare or extra-fine-quality varieties. (The smaller-sized packages will provide more than enough product for your culinary needs and/or adventures.)



There are more than a few different brands out there, so read the labels carefully and go for any brand that clearly states organic origins and farming methods of the product. Most companies that sell seaweed products offer pristine, high-quality growing conditions and ecologically friendly harvests. Again, seaweeds, by nature, are vegan and gluten-free, and are widely used in raw-food and macrobiotic diets.



Here's one of my favorite salad recipes—perfect for summertime when chilled, and bursting with a crunchy refreshing zing when you add slivers of fresh ginger and a touch of rice wine vinegar!



Wakame and Cucumber Salad



For salad:

2 Tbsp. dry wakame seaweed (soak and drain according to package after measuring)

1/2 cucumber, sliced (scrub peel free of wax and leave on)

1 tsp. grated or slivered fresh ginger



For dressing:



1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

A few drops of agave nectar (or 1/2 tsp. sugar)



Stir dressing ingredients together until well mixed, especially if using granulated sugar. Place all ingredients in bowl and toss with dressing. Chill in tightly covered bowl. Yum! Makes 1 serving.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Say Goodbye to the Food Pyramid!

Say Goodbye to the Food Pyramid!

By Denis Faye In their continued quest to be a relevant source of information regarding the American diet, the USDA retired their food pyramid earlier this month, replacing it with MyPlate, the new, improved—not to mention circular—representation of how they think the general public should eat. The recommendations really didn't change from the 2010 food pyramid revamp, but it's progress nonetheless, I suppose. It may have taken them 19 years, but the government has finally figured out that average Americans tend to eat on round plates, as opposed to triangular ones.



The new graphic features a plate filled with equal portions of veggies and grains, smaller but still substantial portions of fruits and proteins, and a small(ish) serving of dairy. While these portion sizes haven't changed, MyPlate is an improvement on the old recommendations based primarily on the plain, clear language featured front and center on the main page of the Web site, right below the graphic:
Balancing Calories

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
• Make at least half your grains whole grains.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce

• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals—and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

For you Beachbody^® types, this is all no-brainer intel, but if you walk down to your local mega-box store and have a look at all the folks pulling elastic-waisted pants off the plus-size racks, you'll see visual evidence that Americans just don't know how to eat. So good for the USDA for using simple, basic language to point out universal truths.

In defense of the USDA

If you spend much time in the food blogosphere, you know that the USDA's latest educational effort has many detractors. Complaints are probably best summed up by the blog Fooducate:
"With all due respect, the USDA should not be the government body dishing out (pun intended) nutrition advice . . . It's not a good idea to have the same organization that promotes agricultural and food production and sales be the one telling us what's healthy to eat."
While this is a valid point, I think we should save the conspiracy theories for Elvis, JFK, and the UFOs. Big Agra might have played a role in making MyPlate closer to McPlate, but I think a far more oppressive special interest group at play here is the American people in general. For example, let's look at the USDA's continued insistence that we need up to 8 servings of grains a day. In truth, while grains are a perfectly acceptable source of carbs, fiber, and other nutrients for 90 percent of the population, they pale nutritionally when compared to vegetables. However, if the government came out and told consumers they'd be better off with more salads and fewer sandwiches, Americans just wouldn't have it. We love our bread, so my guess is that the USDA keeps the grain numbers up in order to keep us from ignoring the recommendations completely. A telling sign of this is the bright red italic, large-font message plastered all over the MyPlate Web site: "Key Consumer Message: Make at least half your grains whole grains."
Half? Really? I haven't had a refined grain in about 2 weeks. There's no need for refined grain in a healthy diet—and I don't think the USDA put this plea in there to appease Big Agra, which profits from grain sales whether consumers eat the bran and husk or not. This "Key Consumer Message" has the distinct ring of a negotiation you have with a 6-year-old when you're trying to get him to eat his broccoli. It was put in there to appease those Americans who refuse to accept that Pop-Tarts^® aren't a complete nutritional source.
Another complaint a lot of people have is the continued importance placed on dairy in the recommendations. I'm prone to agree, but in defense of the USDA, the site does plainly feature the section, "For those who choose not to consume milk products."

Where they screwed up

Warm fuzzies aside, I do think the USDA could have done a few things differently. As I mentioned earlier, their treatment of grains was a little off. Also, their handling of protein leaves a lot to be desired. It assumes that consumers eat meat. While there is an informative section on the vegetarian diet, I'd rather see a more integrated approach to plant-based nutrition. For people who regularly eat meat and just want a few nonmeat protein options, MyPlate offhandedly recommends beans and nuts, and that's about it. In a way, this is decent advice, because combining these two foods with all the grain you're supposed to eat will give you all the amino acids you need to have complete proteins, but a more effective path would have been to create a whole separate nut-and-bean portion equal to the grain portion. With the guaranteed complete proteins this approach would introduce into the user's diet, he or she could reduce the meat protein portion to a healthier level.
Another notable absence from MyPlate is education on healthy fats vs. unhealthy fats, save a vague message stating, "Oils are NOT a food group, but they provide essential nutrients. Therefore, oils are included in USDA food patterns." Given the vast amount of research that indicates the health benefits of good fats, not to mention the fact that some fatty acids are ESSENTIAL to human health, the USDA might want to think about giving fat its own food group. Under this umbrella, they could stress the importance of foods like olive oil, avocados, and, most of all, super-nutritious nuts and seeds.
Some of you might note that I've just suggested adding two additional food groups to MyPlate, thus further complicating an already complex topic to educate people on. I concede that I understand why the USDA sugar-coats (literally!) their nutritional advice, with a little refined flour here and a little ham there, but that doesn't mean they need to dumb down their message. As long as information is presented clearly to them, humans are capable of understanding remarkably complex issues, be they delivered via circle or triangle.
Case in point? The University of Michigan's Healing Foods Pyramid (http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/food-pyramid/index.htm), which offers the nut/bean and fat portion changes I suggested, plus several others, in a concise, understandable way. It breaks down food choices into weekly and daily needs; stresses the importance of hydration; and even includes space for "accompaniments," a euphemism for "junk food."
The USDA could learn a thing or two from these college kids. They should certainly spend a little time on the Healing Foods Pyramid before coming out with their next round of nutritional suggestions. I applaud the USDA for trying to do the right thing by the American public, but maybe it's time to step up the game a little and assume we can handle a little tough nutritional love. Next time, let's spend a little less time worrying about the shape of the plate and a little more time figuring out what should go on it.

which melon do you prefer?

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Make Mine Melon!

By Denis Faye There's nothing bad about melons. They're yummy, they're super good for you, and they're one of the most social foods around. No self-respecting summer picnic would be complete without a big ol' watermelon. In fact, Americans purchase 3 billion pounds of the big green yum-balls annually. Everything else on the checkered tablecloth might be a nutritional nightmare, but nestled between the ambrosia and the macaroni salad you'll always find those big slices of sweet pink vitamin C-packed goodness, secretly supplying hungry partygoers with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.

In truth, I probably don't need to explain why you should be eating everyone's favorite summer fruit, 'cause you're gonna eat it either way, but we're all food nerds here, right? So let's take moment and learn a little more about melons.
Melonology 101You can buy melons in the grocery store year-round, but they're in season in America in the summer, so save your consumption for that season, and make sure you buy local. There are a couple of reasons to do this. First, once a piece of fruit is picked, it starts to lose nutrients, so not only do melons shipped from Central America tend to be mealier in texture, they're also less nutritious. Second, imported melons are more expensive.
You can store a melon at room temperature for a few days. Refrigerating it will help the nutrients last longer, but you lose flavor, particularly with cantaloupes. Once you've cut it open, all bets are off. Seal that melon and store it in the fridge. It should last about a week.
And even though you're probably not going to eat the rind, give your melon a good washing before cutting it up, so you can avoid any dirt, residues, or pesticides (if it's not organic) that might get into the flesh when you cut it.
While the watermelon is arguably the rock star of the melon world, having recently been rated the second healthiest fruit around by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (behind guava), it's just one of dozens of melon varieties. Let's discuss a few.
WatermelonActually, the watermelon is the only melon that's not a member of the Cucumis genus. It's a member of the genus Citrullus, which totally matters, right? Anyway, why did the CSPI go nuts for watermelons? They're loaded with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, A, B6, and B1, as well as potassium and magnesium. More importantly, they're loaded with carotenoids, pigments existing in plants that give them their vibrant colors. Carotenoids also have beneficial effects on those who eat them, including protecting cell walls from free radicals, improving your immune system, and helping to maintain reproductive health.
One of the most prominent carotenoids in watermelon is cardiovascular-system-enhancing lycopene, which is usually associated with tomatoes, even though watermelon contains a much higher concentration by volume.
Haters sometimes criticize the watermelon for its lack of fiber. While this is true, it's fairly irrelevant. This fruit is incredibly water- and nutrient-dense, meaning you get a lot of vitamins and minerals for very few calories. One cup, which works out to about a pound of fruit, is only 49 calories.
Furthermore, I defy you to show me anyone who's ever gotten fat from eating watermelon.
Picking a good watermelon is easy. As is the case with all melons, once it's been plucked from the vine, it stops ripening, so don't buy it hoping it'll improve. According to The World's Healthiest Foods by George Mateljan, there are two tricks to identifying a ripe watermelon. First, the "ground spot," where it rested in the dirt, should be yellow. If it's green or white, it's probably not ready. Seedless watermelons sometimes don't have ground spots, so this doesn't apply to them. Second, give it a thump. If it responds with a dull thud, that's good. It if sounds hollow, put it back.
On a final note, if you're concerned about the genetic modification factor when it comes to seedless watermelon varieties, don't be. They're hybrids, meaning they're a cross between two types of melon. No genes are manipulated in the making of this summer treat.
Cantaloupe My grandmother used to say, "Cantaloupe—'cause we're already married!"
Bwahahahahaha! [Wipes tear from eye.]
Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's talk about the fruit the CSPI ranked as the eighth healthiest fruit. The cantaloupe, as we know it, is actually a muskmelon. Real cantaloupes are grown in France and rarely make it to the states. Whatever you want to call them, they're packed with vitamins C, A, B3, B6, and B9, as well as potassium. Unlike watermelons, they have a little fiber, a little over 1 gram for a 56-calorie, 1-cup serving.
They're also a good source of carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, which you'll also find in carrots. Are you seeing the pattern here? Remember how I said carotenoids are pigments? Cantaloupes and carrots are both orange. Watermelons and tomatoes, with their lycopene, are both red.
Cool, huh?
Cantaloupes stop ripening when picked, but unlike watermelons, the tap test should sound hollow. They should have a subtle, fruity smell. If a cantaloupe smells too strong, it's probably overripe. Also, the side opposite the stem should be slightly soft. Other than that, there should be no bruises or odd spots.
The only real downside to cantaloupe—and it's a weird one—is that people with latex allergies sometimes react poorly to them, so look out for that. Who knew?
Honeydew Although they're still yummy, honeydew melons fare poorly from a nutritional standpoint when compared to their pink and orange brethren. That 1 cup of cubes has 61 calories and 1 gram of fiber, but the vitamin C is only about half that of cantaloupe, and there are also much lower amounts of other micronutrients, although there's still a pretty good amount of potassium.
The carotenoid that gives honeydew its green hue is zeaxanthin, which promotes eye health. You'll find even more impressive amounts of zeaxanthin in almost all leafy greens.
You determine whether a honeydew's ripe the same way you find a good cantaloupe. Hollow tap, fruity smell, and no soft spots.
Casaba Although it's less well known, I thought I'd mention the casaba, because of the special role it plays in the melon world. While nowhere near as nutritionally dense as the melons we've discussed previously, the casaba still features a nice little hit of vitamins C and B6, plus some potassium. Casabas also tend to have slightly more protein and fiber and less sugar than other melons, which gives them less of a glycemic load. In other words, they might be considered a "low-carb" fruit.
Though not as flavorful as some other melons, casabas have a long shelf life, which is convenient. The ripeness smell test doesn't really apply here, as they have no aroma, so look for color instead. The outer skin on a ripe casaba will be bright yellow.
Which melon is right for you? The answer? Any of them. However, if after reading all this, you're stuck as to which melon to pick for your next BBQ, I have an idea: Buy one of each! Chop them up, mix them up, and you have a colorful, nutrient-rich fruit salad that'll kick that picnic into overdrive. With any luck, Cousin Millie and Grandma Bertie will finally get the message that you don't need mayo and refined sugar to make food delicious.

Avoid Summer Weight Gain

8 Ways to Avoid Summer Weight Gain

By G.D. Rossen As the summer vacation season approaches and millions of people start planning trips, among the most popular ways the recreation-starved choose to spend their hard-earned vacation time and harder-earned cash is on cruise ships or at all-inclusive tropical resorts. The cruise industry alone saw more than 10 million passengers depart from U.S. ports last year, while tropical über-resorts with names like Sandals^®, Breezes, and Couples beckon with enticing promises of warm sands and days of leisure. (We won't touch on what Hedonism Resorts^® beckons with.) What these vacation destinations all have in common is cocoon-like protection in a safe, microcosmic version of the locale you're visiting, committed to relaxation and fun. But they share something else too. As all-inclusive vacations, they offer near-continuous access to all the food you can eat, which makes them appeal to instincts honed by our famine-fearing ancestors—instincts that tell us that if there's food available, it's time to chow down. Cruise ships in particular have gained notoriety as being fat factories on the seas. Like the average American waistline, every year, the ships grow larger and larger, adding more and more dining rooms and buffets, each enticing travelers to gorge as they lounge in the tropical sunshine.

And while in this era of shrinking paychecks and cost-conscious consuming the idea of all-inclusive vacations sounds like a smart vacation shopper's dream come true, this all-you-can-consume kind of vacation carries with it risks for the health-minded vacationer. So if your goal is to keep from overindulging while at an all-inclusive resort or on a cruise, and you can't depend solely on your willpower to keep you on the straight and narrow, here are eight ways you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest without derailing your healthy eating and exercise plan.

1. The opposite of mountain climbing (or beware the buffet). Mountain climbers have been known to explain their passionate need to tackle a given peak by saying "because it's there"; vacationers at an all-inclusive often defend their face-first dives into mountainous buffets with the same motto. Just because something is there doesn't mean you have to have it. That said, we're all human, and something that seems "free" or "paid for" is enticing and alluring . . . especially when it's bathed in cream, salt, sugar, cheese, etc. So when mealtime rolls around and a buffet sprawls before you like pirate booty waiting to be plundered, make sure you start with the salad. That's right, a simple green salad, and while you're at it, try light dressing or no dressing at all. Salad fills up space in your stomach while it provides you with vitamins and roughage, the latter of which is noticeably lacking in many buffet-style foods. Just remember, the more salad you eat (at, say, 50 calories for a cup and a half of salad without dressing, or 100 calories for a cup and a half with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette), the less room you'll have for starchy, fatty, salty Fettuccine Alfredo (which can weigh in at 700 calories per serving and up—often way up). The result is that in addition to keeping your arteries clearer, you're gonna feel a lot better in your swimsuit when you're lounging on the Lido deck.

2. Be the captain of your table. While cruise ships and all-inclusive resorts have embraced the "more is better" philosophy, offering sometimes a dozen restaurant options to their captive diners, the tourism industry has also been among the most responsive to working "heart-healthy" and lower-calorie options into their menus. You just have to use them. Vegetarian choices are usually available at every meal, as are sugar-free desserts and low-salt options. On cruises in particular, many ship kitchens pride themselves on accommodating guests' special dietary requests. And since both cruise ships and beachside resorts boast waterfront settings and nautical themes, fish dishes are virtually always available on the menu, which can make for healthier dining choices, especially when grilled.
3. Beware the pink parasols. Okay, let's not go overboard. If you drink alcohol, your vacation most likely won't be the time you choose to cut it out of your diet. But the amount of calories in some alcoholic drinks can be truly astounding. Daiquiris, margaritas, mai tais—resort favorites all—generally carry high-calorie loads, and basically any drink sweetened with syrups or sugar is getting into Candyland as far as calorie count goes. Also, alcohol has that special ability to lower your resistance, impeding your better judgment. The bottom line is that drinking can make you consume a surplus of empty calories, both directly (the alcohol itself) and indirectly (the poolside French fries or grande platter of nachos you order when the alcohol obliterates your resolve). So before you find yourself paddling over toward the swim-up bar (because hey, how cool is that, having a swim-up bar?), have a strategy in place. Maybe your strategy will involve using low-cal mixers (i.e., rum and Diet Coke^®) or alternating between an alcoholic drink and a nonalcoholic low-cal or no-cal drink (i.e., sparkling water on ice with some lemon or lime). Or if a cold beer is more to your liking, enjoy a light beer instead.

4. Then again, it is vacation! So eat . . . then hit the gym. Sure there's temptation on vacation. That's why it's a vacation. And you don't want to be so mindful of your menu that you don't have fun. (After all, would you go to Switzerland and not try the chocolate, or visit New Orleans and not have beignets?) So if you embrace the dining options to their fullest, or feel you're deserving of your vacation drinks (especially since someone else is driving [the ship]), you should also embrace the many, many exercise options that are available. Fully outfitted gyms are de rigueur in all major resorts and ships, and the hour you spend on an elliptical machine could see you burn off 600 calories. The hardest part is incorporating the workout regimen you embrace at home to this new environment where hedonism is encouraged and rewarded. (Few gyms are emptier than those on cruise ships.) So here are a few exercise options.
5. Exercise easy . . . Opportunities for easy, "I've got a hangover and can't get too out of breath"-type exercise are plentiful at resorts and on cruise ships. Sure, they may not be challenging enough to be featured on the cover of an outdoorsy-lifestyle magazine, but remember that embracing the many slower-paced vacation-style exercise options around you is better than not moving at all. For instance, you might want to take a morning walk before camping out on the nearest chaise lounge for the day. Walking on an even surface at 3 miles per hour will consume around 220 calories an hour, and even a modest (or stumbling) 2-mile-per-hour walk burns around 170 calories. So the paths around the resort, or even off-property if that's both safe and viable, provide for strolls that let you enjoy the warmth, soak in the atmosphere, and not atrophy on a poolside lounge chair. Likewise, most cruise ships boast tracks around the upper decks where passengers can walk or jog to their heart's delight (jogging can burn 360 calories and up an hour). Even the much-maligned game of shuffleboard can burn 150 or 200 calories an hour. Yes, it's a ridiculous pastime. Yes, it is associated with Miami Beach in the 1970s. But the idea is to move, rather than only bake in the sun while downing nachos and beers.

6. Or exercise hard core . . . Rock-climbing walls are now present on many ships and at some resorts, and provide an extremely calorie-intensive workout due to the intense physical demands of clinging to a faux-rock face with feet and fingers (burning as much as 100 calories in a brief 10-minute climb). Never rappelled down a climbing wall before? No problem. Whether you have or not, if your resort has a rock wall, they have staff on hand to teach you how to use it, generally offering courses geared for climbers of different experience levels. Climbing walls involve intense use of muscles and balance, and you'll certainly feel it the next day. Likewise, many cruise ships, when they pull into port, offer challenging onshore athletic activities, like kayaking, which can burn 340 or more calories per hour.
7. Sleep with the fish—or just exercise with them. Nowhere are water sports more readily available than at beachside resorts and on cruise ships. Snorkeling burns around 350 calories an hour, and provides a calming view of the world you may not normally get. Surfing is another activity that's perfect to try on your resort-bound vacation (some megaships also offer surf pools or surf parks to let passengers surf while still on board), and surfing can burn 200 calories an hour. Of course, swimming is one of the most effective exercises around, and swimming around ocean or pool for an hour could easily burn 400 calories or more.

8. Dancing (does the limbo count)? Yes, cruise ships and resorts are romantic places where music fills the warm night air, so embrace the music and dance! Dancing is one of the best forms of cardio exercise, so whether you prefer to slow dance in the moonlight (a gentle waltz burns 120 calories or more an hour) or party down to some disco (while burning more than 270 calories an hour), rest assured that what you're doing is good for you. Dancing also has the distinction of being one of the more enjoyable forms of exercise—just one of the reasons that Hip Hop Abs^® and Turbo Jam^® have helped so many people improve their health and conditioning. The point with all these exercise options is to move, and whenever possible, to embrace the concept of Muscle Confusion^™, which forms the basis of the P90X^® fitness regimen. Keeping your body moving in a variety of ways, continually forcing it to adapt, results in effective muscle toning and fat-burning.

5 Day Inferno Starting Monday May 23 2011

Yep thats whats going down here in Manhattan Kansas.  I am still on orders from the doctor to not workout till next week so Monday I will be starting the inferno.  TurboFire Inferno that is.  I have got all planned out.  Well Chalene Johnson creator has it all planned out.  She includes it all in the Turbofire workout package. So here is what i will be doing for five days:

Can only drink water, Shakeology, and Results and Recovery drink.

Day 1:

Classes---Fire 55 EZ class/ Stretch 10 Class

Breakfast--Turkey bacon breakfast sandwich

snack--1/2 medium sized banana, 7 walnut halves

lunch--tuna salad

snack-- shakeology

dinner--honey dijon chicken w/steamed garlic-parmesan broccoli

Day 2:

classes--Fire 45/HIIT 20/stretch 10

breakfast--melon and yogurt

snack--shakeology

lunch--turkey avacodo wrap

snack--peanut butter spread and celery sticks

dinner--grilled teriyaki salmon w/ginger rice and bok choy

Day 3:

classes--Fire 55 EZ/Stretch 10

breakfast--pineapple and cottage cheese

snack--veggies 'n ranch

lunch--loaded baked potato

snack--berry protien shake

dinner--chicken tacos w/beans adn quinoa

Day 4:

classes--Fire 45/HIIT 20/Stretch 10

breakfast--PB & Banana Shakeology

snack--nutty apple

lunch--egg salad wrap

snack--10 raw almonds, med orange

dinner--steak z/sinach and baked potato

Day 5:

classes--Fire 55 EZ/Stretch 10

breakfast--strawberry waffle and sausage

snack--banana protien smoothie

lunch--chicken and hummus pita

snack--crudites and cheese

dinner--rosemary pork chop w/peas and wild rice

Want to get your Turbofire and do the Infterno with me?  Get yours today!!!!

                                       www.fitandflashy.com

The Good the Bad and the Oily

By Jeanine Natale

The notion of extracting the oil from food has been around for thousands of years. Long before it even occurred to anyone that oil and vinegar are two great tastes that taste great together, people began pressing oil from fruit, seeds, legumes, and grains. What we've learned since then is that certain oils allow us to augment our diets in ways that are both healthy and delicious. The specific oils we're looking at in this article are olive, avocado, canola, sunflower, grapeseed, sesame, coconut (really!), peanut, and corn oils.

Each of these nine oils contains both mono- and polyunsaturated fats. In addition to helping to lower cholesterol and possibly helping prevent medical conditions like heart disease, they contain beneficial ingredients like vitamin E and some omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, and also help other essential vitamins get to where they can do the most good for your body. Furthermore, both mono- and polyunsaturated fats have been shown to lower disease risk in general.1



Some of these oils are becoming increasingly more available in a variety of different forms. You've probably heard of virgin or extra-virgin olive oil, and if you like to frequent tiny gourmet-type boutiques that offer indulgences for your tastebuds, it's likely that you've seen the words "cold-pressed" on many a fancy label. This refers to oils that have been pressed very carefully at low temperatures to ensure the most taste and the highest nutritional content. Conversely, refined versions of these oils have been derived from second or third pressings, then usually processed at a higher temperature—these will have lighter, more neutral flavors, a slightly longer shelf life, and just generally a lot less good stuff.



Here are some ways to get the best use of whichever oil you choose. Don't forget, the cold-pressed and extra-virgin varieties will be more expensive and are offered in smaller bottles, as they have shorter shelf lives. Also, lower cooking temperatures ensure more retention of the very things that make these oils good for you when used wisely. You should always avoid the smoke point, or temperature at which all oils begin to burn. When oils reach the smoke point, this means most if not all of the beneficial elements have been burned away. Besides, it'll probably make whatever you're cooking taste terrible, not to mention how bad all that smoke is for your lungs.



As for serving sizes and/or RDAs of these oils, remember that they are all fat. Always use them sparingly—a tablespoon of any of these oils is approximately 100 to 120 calories, with about 14 grams of fat.



Presenting Our Natural Nine

1.Olive oil. High in oleic acid, olive oil has long been touted for its beneficial properties, with many studies showing that it can help to lower bad cholesterol levels and even aid in the prevention of heart disease. Use extra-virgin or cold-pressed varieties for drizzling on salads, bruschetta, or even a cool, freshly tossed tomato and basil pasta—the distinctly dramatic taste of a fine-quality olive oil pairs well with, oh, just about everything. In a "proper" Italian restaurant, it's what you'll be treated to when you're first seated, served with fresh bread and sweet balsamic vinegar. The lighter, more refined varieties are good for stir-frying, sautéing, and baking.

2.Grapeseed oil. This light, much thinner oil is high in linoleic acid—an antioxidant that helps promote healthy skin and aids in lowering bad cholesterol levels. Easily found in any health food store, grapeseed oil has been used in Middle Eastern cooking for centuries. If your local market has a decent international foods aisle, you should be able to find grapeseed oil there. Use grapeseed oil in just about anything you want, as it takes to being heated very well; stir-frying, sautéing, and searing are all quick, easy, and delicious with grapeseed oil. However, the delicate nutty flavor of the extra-virgin and cold-pressed varieties are exquisite for dipping, drizzling over cold salads like hummus or baba ganoush, or accenting all kinds of dressings.

3.Avocado oil. Vitamin E is spoken here. Avocado oil tends to be a bit more expensive than the other oils on this list, as it's still somewhat of a newcomer to the food scene, and you can find it mostly in those specialty/gourmet stores we mentioned earlier. Extra-virgin avocado oil has a delicious fruity, nutty flavor, perfect for dipping, drizzling, and accenting all kinds of dishes. It also happens to have, hands-down, the highest smoke point, topping out at 520° for the most refined variety. Searing, stir-frying, sautéing, baking—a touch of this light, flavorful, versatile oil will definitely do you good.

4.Sesame oil. High in antioxidants and vitamin E, sesame oil has been studied for its role in helping to reduce high blood pressure and lower bad cholesterol levels.2 There are a wide variety of sesame oils made from toasted (dark brown oil) and untoasted (light yellow oil) seeds. All varieties take very well to high heat, which is great for searing, and (of course) excellent for stir-frying! However, it's got a very distinctive smell and flavor, so you should use it sparingly, almost as an accent flavor in any type of cooking or in uncooked dishes. Be warned: Most of the sesame oils used for stir-frying is actually soybean oil blends. Read the label carefully if you decide to explore this flavorful oil.

5.Coconut oil. Another vitamin E powerhouse, coconut oil might just be put to better use outside your body than in it. It's the ideal oil to use in making chocolate candy, since it's solid at room temperature, but melts in the mouth.3 That being said, it's also much higher in saturated fat than any of the others we've mentioned, something many experts feel your arteries might prefer to avoid. Like sesame oil, coconut oil does have a very distinctive taste and a relatively high smoke point, which makes it great for stir-frying, searing, sautéing, and baking. Do some research, then use it wisely!

6.Peanut oil. A common item in any food store, peanut oil has long been used for everything from salad dressings to deep-frying. It's naturally high in the antioxidants that help keep your cells functioning properly and some commonly available varieties are fortified with vitamin E. Peanut oil is generally more highly processed and has a light taste, although there are currently some finer-quality cold-pressed peanut oils on the market. One caveat: If you're allergic to peanuts, it's best to avoid this oil.

7.Corn oil. Similar to peanut oil in taste and versatility, you can find corn oil pretty much anywhere, and it's a good option for those with peanut allergies. It's naturally high in omega-6 fatty acids, but there's some controversy surrounding corn oil due to the ongoing GMO (genetically modified organism) issue. There are a few specialty stores that offer a virgin corn oil made with non-GMO corn, but it's difficult to verify this claim, as regulations and quality controls vary rather widely both in the U.S. and abroad. That being said, you can use a fine-quality corn oil for anything from salad dressing to deep-frying.

8.Sunflower oil. Vitamin E and good-for-you antioxidants are in abundance in sunflower oil. A lighter, thinner oil, sunflower oil has become increasingly popular, a choice motivated by the trend toward eliminating trans fat from use in restaurants and manufactured food products. The typical refined varieties are available anywhere, but there are also raw and cold-pressed sunflower oils available at health food stores and online.

9.Canola oil. Naturally rich in antioxidants, specifically oleic acid, canola oil is made from the rapeseed plant, which is found mainly in Canada. Hence the name "canola"—a take on "Canadian oil, low acid" that sounds smoother and has a better ring to it than "rapeseed." This light, versatile, nearly flavorless oil has gained increasing popularity over the last decade due to its health benefits, but also because of the controversy over GMOs. Because of all this publicity, there has been considerable transparency regarding the regulation of canola oil sources and products. While canola oil is highly processed (like your basic-variety peanut, corn, and sunflower oils), it does retain its high monounsaturated fat content. Just be sure you read the labels carefully, and always go for the finer quality products

How to Trick Yourself into Eating Healthy Food

How to Trick Yourself into Eating Healthy Food


By Denis Faye

In a perfect world, countries would stop fighting, cars would emit rose-scented oxygen, and broccoli would taste like chocolate cake. Sadly, that's not the case. But there's always hope. Beachbody® may not be able to stop wars or global warming (yet), but we can certainly give you a few tips on getting your veggies to taste better. It's easier than you think.

There are a number of books on the subject of sneaking healthy foods into kids' meals, including a few The Sneaky Chef titles and Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food. Basically, the same principles you'll find in these books apply to grown-ups. The only difference is your mind-set. Given that you're the one who'll be doing the cooking, you won't really be sneaking healthy foods into meals—you'll just be altering healthy foods to suit your tastes.



There are other easy ways to make sure you get your veggies, including taking green nutritional supplements and drinking everyone's favorite prebiotic, micronutrient-packed nutritional shake, Shakeology®, but remember that most healthy diets are supposed to be made up primarily of fruits and veggies. If you can drink your Shakeology and sneak a couple of servings of cauliflower into your Texas chili, you'll be in great shape.



The goop

The gist of the Sneaky Chef and Jessica Seinfeld cookbooks is simply to steam veggies for 10 to 15 minutes, throw them in a blender or food processor with a couple of tablespoons of water, and puree them into a fine goop. Then you introduce the goop into foods that overwhelm its veggie-goop flavor. It's that easy.



Although the books offer a near-infinite variety of goops, I'm going to boil it down (so to speak) to two goops.



•White goop. Most of the time, this is cauliflower, although some people throw a little zucchini in there. It's the most flavorless of the goops, and it's ideal to mix into anything with a cream- or cheese-based sauce, like pasta Alfredo or mac 'n' cheese.

•Green goop. Anything green can go into green goop, but I find that broccoli and spinach work best. Green goop works well with red (or reddish) sauces, like chili, marinara, or pizza sauce. You can also throw a massive layer of green goop into lasagna or manicotti and have your dinner guests be none the wiser, yet all the healthier. I've never tried it in enchiladas, but I'm guessing it'll work there too.

•Bonus pesto goop recipe! Pesto is incredibly easy to make from scratch and impresses the pants off of anyone who doesn't know how to make it. And the best thing about it is that its rich, complex flavor makes it easy to tweak, so you can sneak a little healthiness in the form of iron-packed spinach onto your unsuspecting dinner guests' plates.

•1-1/2 cups packed basil

•1-1/2 cups packed spinach

•1/3 cup grated or shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese

•1/3 cup olive oil

•1/3 cup pine nuts

•3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

Directions: Mix ingredients into a paste with a food processor or blender. Done!



The split

If you've eaten enriched flour pasta and white rice your whole life, it's understandable that brown rice and whole wheat pasta would taste weird. After all, brown rice and whole wheat pastas have flavor!



The solution is simple. Make a 50/50 mix. It's half as healthy, but it also tastes half as different. Once you're used to that, cut the white out and go 100 percent brown. You'll never look back.



Bonus Split Tip! Next time you make mashed potatoes, go half potato/half yam or sweet potato. You'll be adding flavor, which means less need for salt and butter. Also, you'll be adding the fiber you're probably not getting enough of, especially if you don't like veggies.



Miscellaneous strategies

While all the stuff I've mentioned works great for fussy eaters young and old, keep in mind that at your age, techniques for sneaking healthy food into anyone's daily diet shouldn't always have to be so covert. Here are a few ideas that are slightly less sneaky but effective nonetheless. Do any or all of these and you'll be adding a very subtle taste to a strong, rich food.



•Carrot juice in your apple juice. The former doesn't taste nearly as strong as the latter, but it packs a nutritional wallop that includes vitamins A and C, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

•Broccoli in your burger. Shred the broccoli florets and mix them into the meat. Yeah, you might still see them floating around, but after piling on the lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle, mustard, or whatever else you add, you're just not going to taste them.

•Whole wheat French toast. Yes, this might change the texture, but who eats French toast for the toast part? Your taste buds will be so busy dancing with the fresh fruit and syrup you put on top, they won't have time to notice the nutritious, fiber-rich whole grains you're sneaking in.

No, we don't live in a perfect world. Pollution is a bummer, and there will probably always be countries that just can't seem to coexist on the same planet. But there's no reason why—with a little effort and a few tricks—nutritious and delicious can't live together happily on the same plate.

9 Appetite-Suppressing Foods

9 Appetite-Suppressing Foods


By Whitney Provost



If you're like most people, conquering your appetite is one of the biggest challenges you face in your fitness and weight loss journey. As soon as the word "diet" crosses your lips, you may find yourself craving all the junk you know you're not supposed to eat. The secret is eating the right foods to help calm the cravings for the wrong ones. Adding these 9 easy-to-find, tasty foods to your meal plan can help you rein in your appetite before it gets out of control!

1.Oatmeal. This hot cereal is high in fiber and low on the glycemic index, which means it fills you up and takes a long time to digest. Research has shown that diets high in slow-burning carbohydrates like oatmeal suppress the hunger hormone grehlin more effectively than diets high in fat do. In fact, when you eat oatmeal for breakfast, you may find that your appetite is lower at lunchtime. Steel-cut or rolled oats digest more slowly than the "instant" variety do, so it's worth taking a few extra minutes in the morning to prepare your breakfast the old-fashioned way.

2.Apples. Not only are apples nutritious, but what sets them apart from other fruits is pectin, a soluble fiber that helps regulate blood sugar, keeps you full, and sustains your energy. One medium apple with skin contains 4 grams of fiber, which is more than you'd get in an average slice of whole wheat bread. Add an apple and some cinnamon to your morning oatmeal for an appetite-suppressing breakfast.

3.Pine nuts. These edible pine-tree seeds contain more protein than any other nut or seed, and their oil stimulates two appetite-suppressing hormones (cholecystokinin [CCK] and glucagon-like peptide-1) that tell your brain you're not hungry. Blend pine nuts with basil, garlic, and a little olive oil to make pesto, or sprinkle them on your salad or oatmeal for a delicious, nutty crunch.

4.Salad. The fiber in typical salad vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, spinach, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, and peppers is very filling and helps slow the release of glucose into your bloodstream. Studies have shown that when people start a meal with a small salad, they eat significantly fewer calories in the meal itself. Just watch out for the high-fat dressings (or worse, fat-free dressings that are high in sugar). Try having the dressing on the side and dipping your fork into it for easy portion control, or simply add a dash of balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice for a tasty, super-low-calorie option. Bonus tip: Try to eat a vegetable at every meal to keep your appetite at bay all day long.

5.Olive oil and other unsaturated fats. Researchers at the University of California at Irvine found that unsaturated fat causes the intestines to release a compound (oleoylethanolamide) that has been shown to reduce appetite and stimulate weight loss. Some great unsaturated fat choices include avocados, olives and olive oil, almonds, salmon, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, macadamia nuts, and sesame seeds. These foods are high in calories, so enjoy them in moderation while regulating your appetite.

6.Flaxseeds. Flax is one of the best plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. The seeds are also very high in protein and fiber, making them excellent for appetite control. Sprinkle ground flaxseeds over oatmeal, salads, or yogurt, or add them to smoothies to help stabilize your blood sugar and turn off the hunger hormones.

7.Beans. The fiber in beans increases CCK, a digestive hormone that's a natural appetite suppressant. A research study at the University of California at Davis found that men who ate a high-fiber meal containing beans had CCK levels that were two times higher than when they ate a low-fiber meal. Beans also keep your blood sugar steady, which helps stave off hunger.

8.Whey protein. New studies suggest that whey protein stimulates the hormones that increase the feeling of being full. In one study, researchers at the University of Surrey in England found that people who consumed whey protein felt fuller and more satisfied with less food. Whey also stabilizes blood sugar, and that can help control food urges. Make a drink with Beachbody's Whey Protein Powder to calm your appetite any time of the day.

9.Spicy foods. Capsaicin, the ingredient that gives peppers their heat, can also help control your raging appetite. A recent study published in Clinical Nutrition suggests that capsaicin-rich foods may help you consume fewer calories, plus they help support weight loss by suppressing your appetite and making you feel fuller. You can add hot pepper sauce to tomato juice, stir-fry some Anaheim or Serrano peppers with other vegetables, or cook up some jalapeño or poblano peppers in your omelet. Other spicy ingredients may have similar effects, so try adding spices like hot mustard and curry to your salads and meats.

Just Eat This: A Diet for Weight Loss

Just Eat This: A Diet for Weight Loss
Steve Edwards
The initial stages of a weight loss program are the most difficult. Since I eat fairly healthy most of the time, my first step is to enact a few rules that still allow me to eat but that point my eating in the direction I want it to be going. As long as you're exercising, you don't need to vastly reduce your calories unless you're on some type of time-induced crash program. Slow and steady is generally more doable, more fun, and healthier.

For all of my diet programs I follow the same general guidelines, so make sure to read Just Eat This to learn about them.

Steve's diet for weight loss in the initial stages

In my world, it's always easier to add exercise than to take food away, so when I need to shed some weight I begin each day with a 30-minute to three-hour cardio workout. It's usually biking or running but can be something like yoga. The point is to enhance fat mobilization—your body's ability to burn stored fat. I always do this workout on an empty stomach, but for anything over an hour and a half, I'll begin consuming a sports drink that is mainly carbs along with some protein (4:1 ratio) after 30 minutes of exercise. I make sure to drink water all day long. I drink a glass when I wake up and keep going. Most people are chronically dehydrated.

My supplement regimen varies depending on the type of training I'm doing. The harder I train, the more supplements I take. The only constants are vitamins, like ActiVit®, and an omega supplement, usually fish oil. Beyond that, it varies from nothing when I'm in a maintenance cycle to packs of stuff every few hours when I'm doing ultra stuff.

I also don't eat the same things every day. This is just an example of the types of foods and the timing.

Morning: Post-workout snack—this is approximately 4 parts carbs to 1 part protein with a little fat. I tend to try making this more natural, like a protein shake, but P90X® Peak Recovery Formula would also work well. However, if I'm not working out too hard and don't need maximum glycogen replenishment, I'll opt for a more traditional breakfast that follows an approximate 4:1 ratio. This is generally a bowl of whole grain cereal with a piece of fruit. It will absorb slower than the recovery drink, but if my glycogen stores aren't completely drained, that's okay.

A little while later: Coffee, black.

Morning snack: Nothing, but I usually advise eating a snack in this slot, like a piece of fruit or a protein shake. More on this later.

Lunch: Whole-bean and rice burrito with loads of salsa made from all-natural ingredients. I use a lot of salsa, probably 4 ounces for a 12 to 16-ounce burrito.

Note: Lunch might be late. I go for long periods in the morning without eating. As a writer, I work on momentum and don't like to be interrupted when I'm in the zone. My body works well for long periods without food, a tactic that certainly doesn't work for many people.

Afternoon snack: I do my hard training in the afternoon when I can. If it's long training, then I'll eat during it (a bar of some kind). If it's short, I'll just eat afterward. That meal is another post-exercise drink. I tend to use Recovery Formula after the harder workout because it has sugar and works faster.

An hour or two later, dinner: Some type of lean meat, fish, or high-protein veggie thing (like a burrito), with some veggies and a salad. When I'm trying to lose weight and training, I give myself what I call "all-you-can-eat veggies." No dressing, just veggies. But I can use balsamic vinaigrette on my salad and dip the veggies in whole-grain mustard.

Dessert: A beer or glass of red wine. I'm not much of a dessert person but I will eat it on occasion. While trying to lose weight, I'd rather have a drink, which helps me relax, which isn't always easy when you are undereating and training hard.

Late night snack: Herbal tea.

Questions you might be asking yourself

Is this enough calories? I didn't give amounts of food, but that varies based on feeling. Especially when training, my body tells me when it's hungry. I'll feed it, but when losing weight I try never feeling full. I try following a "leave the table when you're 80 percent full" rule.

Is it too many calories? The only time I get very tight with regards to calories is when I have a fair amount of weight to lose. Usually, I'm within 10 pounds of my goal. If it's more, I'll start on feeling and then restrict calories for up to three or four weeks. I don't like to restrict calories longer than this because it can hinder my metabolism. And I always zigzag my calories so that I don't go into "starvation mode."

Is it too many carbs? It's actually low on carbs for the amount of exercise I'm doing. When I'm really cranking along, I'll eat triple the carbs and triple the calories. This is my version of a low-carb diet.

Do you drink with your meals? I try not to. Maybe a few sips of water or wine. But drinking with food interferes with the digestive process and should be minimized. I'll often drink a glass of water a bit before a meal. This helps fill my stomach so that I'm less hungry and I rarely feel the need to "wash down" my meal.

How long do you do it? Like I said, I'm usually within that last hurrah or my target weight. This means that I usually don't have to stay strict for more than a few weeks at a time. More than a month on a diet like this and my body fat percentage begins to get dangerously low.

P90X is to hard for me!!!!

Isn't that the point... If you are heavy or overwieght or obese and you feel nasty and ugly do you expect it to be easy to loose all the weight?  I mean come on.  Think about it.  If it were easy then everyone would be smoking hot... not just the ones that workout every day and eat right...that woud be nice wouldn't it?

Here is some advice from a great individual.. Tony Horton. 

You Are Going To Die!

The title of this blog is much more than a means to grab your attention. With the start of a new year it's typical for many people to establish new disciplines (temporarily), but the new year is also a reminder that time is flying at light speed, literally. With every passing nanosecond we all get a little closer to death. You know, that thing that happens to everyone. Your final day on earth, rigermortous sets in, the end. It seems to me that quite a lot of people meander through life as if death isn't coming. We act as if we have all the time in the world. We wait, hesitate, procrastinate and blow-off life altering opportunities all the time. Our goals, ideas and aspirations are put on hold for some ideal moment in the distant future. We dillydally and waist our precious time on a mishmash of nonsensical meaningless crap that consumes years of our lives. Why and for what? Most often it's because we're scared. Scared to live at our full potential. Why take the risk when you think we're going to live forever? I'm here to tell you that your life on this earth is precious and shorter than you think. Turning 50 this year proved that to me. I swear it feels like I was in high school ten minutes ago. Turns out that was over 30 years ago! As we get older change can become more daunting with every passing day. You don't have to be at midlife for this to be true. Teenagers get just as stuck as people in their 50s and 60s. I've seen people give up and thrown in the towel at all ages. We've all been an eyewitness to the tragedies of misguided lives. The hope and optimism of childhood gives way to despair and disappointment with one bad experience after another. It's the saddest thing in the world. Maybe you know what I'm talking about.



Is there hope for the fallen? Can we turn it around after years of wasting time, procrastinating, plenty of hardship and waiting for the right moment that never comes? Hell yes! The good news is that you can have the life you dreamed of as a kid without meds and therapy. Step one is moving. Turns out that it doesn't really matter how you move. What matters is that you do. Step two involves eating healthy food. Whole food that feeds the body, spirit and especially the mind. The garbage this country eats most of the time is killing us. Junk food and fast food (AKA food porn) does NOT fuel our desire to grow, learn and change. It keeps us in a state of flux and despair. If you have problems, procrastinate and feel stuck in general, odds are you're overweight, out of shape and eat junk. The deck is stacked against you if you're overweight and out of shape. Your brain can't function to solve problems properly if your feeding your mouth tons of sugar and grease. If you like a life of quite desperation then continue to spend endless hours sitting and laying around. If procrastination, sadness, depression, low self esteem and a state of malaise fits your lifestyle then continue to eat candy, cupcakes, high fructose corn syrup, fried food, saturated fats, soda pop, processed carbs, hot dogs and tons of cheese on your pepperoni pizza. Nobody gets away with making lame choices in this world. Sooner or later (turns out later comes sooner than you thought) your bad behavior will ruin your life.



Good behavior can and will save your life. Good behavior will give you the opportunity to turn misery into joy and happiness. In the end it's joy and happiness we seek. Authentic joy and happiness comes from treating ourselves and others with respect and civility. Adult toys (cars, homes, jewelry, etc), prestige, money and looks are usually a means to short term pleasures. These things feed the ego. The ego isn't real. It's your desire to create a false you to present to the world. Nothing but smoke and mirrors to make you feel better than someone else. Yuck! What is good behavior? You know exactly what it is by now. It's a matter of whether you want to practice it consistently or not. The more disciplined you are the less problems you'll have. Honestly! For real! Life will still come at you at a million miles an hour and the issues in your life will still exist, but when you exercise and eat right you create the brain chemistry of a person who can deal with issues, problems and challenges productively and happily. Other variables like proper sleep and stress management skills play a roll as well, but the foundation of "the good life" comes from the two things that make you a joyous happy human being. Exercise and healthy food. Period. The clock is ticking and your death is inevitable, so while your here why not take the first steps toward a better life. Get off the fence, ask for help, start moving, eat your veggies, enjoy the journey, enjoy the power of right now, push play and experience the life you desire and deserve.