Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Make the Most of Summer Foods

Before the sun goes down on the hot days of summer, be sure to soak up all the warm-weather foods you can.
During the summer, you have a lot of things to do. You've got to stay well hydrated, soak up some sun to get all that precious vitamin D, build a few sandcastles, and catch some waves. However, if you don't take advantage of the many great foods that grow in abundance during the warmer months, you're missing out.

What should you know about summer foods, and how can you incorporate them into your diet with greater ease? You're about to find out.

What to Know
Before you'll go off and buy all sorts of summer foods, you may need some convincing. So why should you take advantage of the foods that are so prevalent during the warmest days of summer? Try out these reasons to see how they taste.

They're Colorful: Nothing says summer like bright, fun colors! With that in mind, this is the time to add some spunk and beauty to your diet without having to add food coloring.

They're Healthy: In addition to being full of wonderful color, the fruits and vegetables that grow in such great abundance during the summer are also incredibly healthy. In fact, if you want to boost your diet's health rating, look for a wide variety of colors, and as mentioned above, there are never more colorful foods available than in the summer!

Want to read the rest go to:
http://healthymindhealthybody.fitpromag.com/Article.aspx?article=06fea046-8ad1-42d8-b18d-9dc10122aabe


Monday, August 2, 2010

Mean & Clean Burrito

Picture (Metafile)
Here's a healthy burrito recipe to sink your teeth into. Whole grains, lean protein and crunchy veggies make this a recipe that you'll come back to time and again. Serve with a side of your favorite salsa.
Servings: 1

Here's what you need...

    • 1 sprouted grain, flourless tortilla
    • 1 Tablespoon hummus
    • 1/3 cup cooked brown rice
    • 1/4 cup cooked black beans
    • 1/2 cup cooked chicken, chopped (or baked tofu)
    • 2 Tablespoons fresh corn kernels
    • 2 Tablespoons chopped cucumber
    • 1/4 cup shredded arugula
    • 3 cherry tomatoes, chopped
    1. Warm the tortilla in a dry skillet. Spread the hummus evenly over the tortilla.
    2. Top the tortilla with rice, beans, chicken and veggies.
    3. Fold the two sides of the tortilla in over the filling, then flip up the bottom edge and roll tightly.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 380 calories, 7.8g fat, 45g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, and 31g protein.

Lies You Believe about Exercise

The truth will set you free…to exercise better!
Everyone falls prey to lies and myths on occasion. But if you buy into one of these and your exercise routine is affected by it, you could be in a world of danger. What lies may be affecting your ability to work out safely and with maximum results? Read on to find out.

Lie 1: Big Size = Big Strength
Okay, so the big guys are often rather strong (you won't see a lot of skinny folks lifting cars), but you don't have to be super beefy to be strong. Actually, too much muscle mass can make it difficult to perform certain activities. Instead of focusing on getting bigger, bigger, bigger, go for exercises that help you get in good shape, have good muscle definition, and retain your ability to move quickly.

Lie 2: Muscle Becomes Fat
Ever wished you could transform all of the fat around your midsection into rock-hard muscle? Of course you have. Unfortunately, you know you have to burn off the fat in order to make room for muscle. Likewise, the muscle you build up won't turn into fat when you stop working out. You just think it did, because any time you stop working out, you see unwanted pounds show up with such speed.

Lie 3: You'll Get His or Her Results
At every gym there are people with great bodies. Everything is where it should be and every muscle is well defined and shapely. To get the same results, you ask one of these model-looking individuals for the secrets to their picture-perfect bodies. You take careful notes and then attempt to mimic their every move in the gym. Unfortunately, what works for one person may not work for you. Every body is different and responds differently to various exercises. Since there is no one-size-fits-all approach to exercise, try plenty of different workouts to find out what works best for you.

Lie 4: Tons of Gym Time, Awesome Results
If spending an hour or two in the gym five days a week is good for you, then spending five hours every day pushing your body to the max is even better - right? Wrong. Overtraining your muscles and not giving them any chance to rest can actually cause your muscles to begin breaking down and going away. On top of this, you also put your muscles at risk for some serious injuries if you spend too much time exercising - especially if you're doing the same movements over and over again.

Read the rest at…
http://healthymindhealthybody.fitpromag.com/Article.aspx?article=3a077fd5-e730-4eae-88e9-9dc10122aabe