Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
By Derek Howes on Jan 26th, 2010 in Articles, Health, Tips | Permalink | Leave a comment
Since we all eat out every once in awhile (some more than others), I’ve decided to write up a list of tips you can take into consideration when eating out.
- Get the dressing/sauces (such as gravy) on the side – Most restaurants overdo the dressing/sauces. Having it on the side lets you control how much you are or are not eating (obviously).
- Go for a lighter/fat free dressing – Most places now carry light or fat free versions of the dressings, all you have to do is ask. As for the healthiest dressing? Anything oil and vinegar. Balsamic vinaigrette is a great choice.
- Just because you are getting a salad doesn’t mean it’s going to be healthy – A typical side caesar salad could have up to ~1,000+ calories in it. For example: 99 Restaurants Chicken Caesar Salad has 900 Calories – 57grams of fat, 51 grams of carbs, and 55 grams of protein…not so “healthy”.
- Look up what you’re going to get before you go – Most restaurants now post calorie information on the website. Figuring out what you want before hand may be easier for you and the person you are out to eat with.
- Go grilled, steamed, broiled, dry-sauteed, baked, poached, or roasted instead of fried, crispy, pan-fried, stuffed, sauteed, au gratin, or escalloped.
- Trim the fat – Either do this yourself or ask your server that you would like the skin and fat removed.
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By Derek Howes on Jan 25th, 2010 in Articles, Dieting, Health, Nutrition | Permalink | 2 comments
I think it’s safe to say everyone at some point has complained about trying to lose weight, how they can’t lose weight, or that they just don’t know how to lose it. We’ve all heard about the latest and greatest diets popping up every other month that claim to do what most people have trouble doing…losing that unwanted weight. Well the thing with all these “latest and greatest” diets is that (and I’m not saying they are all bad) 99% of the time it’s a waste of money and/or extremely unhealthy. Losing weight is only as hard as you make it. Really, if you want to lose weight, it’s not even as close to as hard as most people think it is. Use the K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid) way of thinking when it comes to weight loss. I will try and make you understand how simple it is to lose weight. If you do not somewhat understand how to lose weight after reading this article, I will do my best to create a time machine and refund your time.
There are two parts to losing weight (diet and exercise). The first and most important part of losing weight is diet. You can live in the gym, but if you’re diet is not in check you aren’t going to make much progress. This is by far the hardest part of losing weight, and by hard, I mean easy. The concept is simple: Continue reading…
By Derek Howes on Jan 23rd, 2010 in Articles, Health, Nutrition | Permalink | Leave a comment
1. Avocados - besides having a variety of benefits for your health (including helping people with problems in the bedroom). Avocados are great source of healthy fats and fiber.
2. Sweet Potatoes – one of the best vegetables you can eat. Loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. A great source of carbohydrates.
3. Blueberries – a low-calorie source of fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. They are also known to help short-term memory and reduce cell damage that comes with aging.
4. Lean Ground Turkey – usually lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol while being higher in protein than beef. Tastes like a burger while having more health benefits.
5. Olive Oil – a wide variety of health benefits and a great source of healthy fat.
By Derek Howes on Jan 20th, 2010 in Articles, Health | Permalink | 2 comments
Caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, soda, pre-workout supplements, pill form, energy drinks, and various other forms now is a drug that can have a wide range of effects depending on your sensitivity to it. Some and most people will feel alert and wide awake, you may get the jitters, your heart might race, or you may race to the bathroom (caffeine is a diuretic). Most people know caffeine as something that gives you a boost or keeps you awake, well here are Continue reading…
By Derek Howes on Nov 4th, 2009 in Articles, Health | Permalink | Leave a comment
Ever hear someone say they are addicted to junk food? Well chances are, they probably are addicted. I’ve always been a firm believer that unhealthy food was addictive. Why do some of us desire these foods? The mental aspect of eating unhealthy is simply that, it’s programmed into our minds. When you are not suppose to do something you want to do, you usually do it anyways. The taste and smell of a pizza, freshly cooked donuts, ice cream, etc. Why do these taste and smell so much better than a healthy alternative? Is it because we know they are unhealthy for us? I believe so. I also believe it goes further than that and that the “ingredients” in these foods carry addictive properties that need to be studied.
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By Derek Howes on Oct 21st, 2009 in Articles, Health | Permalink | 1 comment
The one thing a lot of people forget about is how important water is for our bodies. Obviously living a bodybuilder lifestyle, or even just a healthy lifestyle at that, you are most likely going through some physical activity to keep in shape. This exposes you to water loss, which leads to dehydration, and dehydration leads to decrease in strength and endurance.
One myth regarding water intake is “only drink when you’re thirsty”. This is a big mistake. Upon the onset of thirst you are usually more than 2-3% dehydrated. That may not seem like a lot, but in regards to your strength and endurance, it will decrease both by up to 15%. Say you’re running a marathon and with 10 miles left you are at the 3% dehydration point, this means you are decreasing your endurance by up to 15%. On average, lets say you are running 6:00 minute miles at the 3% dehydration stage for the last 10 miles. If you weren’t at that dehydration stage you would have cut off 90 seconds on your total time, saving 9 seconds a mile. That’s a lot.
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