What Makes Fitness Nutrition Different?

j0403546We all have different nutritional needs. Okay, we are all human and must eat. We must eat healthy foods. But just how much of each particular type of food can differ from person to person. Everything from food sensitivities to activity levels an genetics can dictate the perfect diet for an individual. One thing that plays a big role in proper nutrition is your fitness level. Fitness nutrition is different than the regular nutrition of someone who is satisfied with a sedentary lifestyle.

 

If you don’t like working out and have determined that this dislike is more important than your health, you may decide to be comfortable with a sedentary lifestyle. Although I wouldn’t recommend it, many people choose this lifestyle both consciously and out of comfort. In order to maintain a healthy weight while sitting on the couch all day you will have to adjust your diet, consuming fewer calories. This is definitely not fitness nutrition; this is weight maintenance for people burning very few calories per day.

 

Maybe you consider yourself active. You get a lot done during the day and are constantly busy. You may burn more than the person on the couch we talked about above, but you still don’t need the extra nutrient boosts found in a fitness nutrition diet.

 

Fitness nutrition is for people really working to get the most out of their body. These are the folks you see running in your neighborhood, hitting the gym, and just looking fabulous in a bathing suit. This includes bodybuilders, fitness professionals, and definitely P90X participators. These people tend to burn some serious calories on a daily basis. Even on their days off they are burning more than others simply due to their body composition (muscle burns more calories).

 

These folks may supplement with whey protein and workout recovery formulas. They are likely to eat more protein to encourage muscle repair and growth and they are far less likely to be snacking on refined carbohydrates. Some people who practice fitness nutrition eat far more than the average person. They eat as if they are fueling a machine and it is exactly this concept that keeps them on track.

 

Using food for fuel, fitness nutrition focuses on how the body reacts to each piece of nutrition that passes your lips. High quality “clean” foods are a staple and empty calories are a thing of the past when you get serious about fitness nutrition.

General Health and Fitness, NUTRITION 3

Healthy Snacks for Healthy Living

j0409624Making good food choices doesn’t have to be difficult. Many people struggle with reigning in their wild eating habits out of habit, emotional eating, or hunger, plain and simple. If you are cutting back on calories or trying to change what you eat to healthier fare, you shouldn’t have to feel hungry all the time. Knowing some high quality healthy snacks can make a huge difference in just how manageable your new eating style will be.

 

Healthy snacks can take many forms. Simple choices like fresh fruit or cut up veggies can be some of the healthiest snacks and the easiest to prepare. Keeping a bunch of grapes in the frig at work or a bag of mini carrots can be a great tool when the vending machine starts calling your name around 2pm. Keeping these types of healthy snacks handy are a great way to fudge proof your diet.

 

Nutritious protein bars also make healthy snacks. If you are trying to change your eating style while simultaneously upping your protein intake, a chicken breast probably doesn’t sound like much of a snack. But, good protein bars like those sold here provide excellent nutrition and a craving busting taste. They can satisfy a sugar craving while giving you the added protein needed for your workouts.

 

Keeping healthy snacks in the home and unhealthy ones out is a good way to lessen the chance that you will “cheat” on your diet. Look for snacks that contain veggies, fruits, whole grains, or lean proteins. Limit sugar, sodium, and fat. Things like yogurt can satisfy a sweet tooth while snap peas or celery might give you that crunch you are craving.

 

Healthy snacks are all around us; it’s just sometimes hard to make the switch. For additional healthy snack ideas, check out your P90X Nutrition Guide. It is packed with meal and snack ideas for those getting serious about their nutrition and their fitness level.

General Health and Fitness, NUTRITION 0

Healthy Snacks for Healthy Living

j0409624Making good food choices doesn’t have to be difficult. Many people struggle with reigning in their wild eating habits out of habit, emotional eating, or hunger, plain and simple. If you are cutting back on calories or trying to change what you eat to healthier fare, you shouldn’t have to feel hungry all the time. Knowing some high quality healthy snacks can make a huge difference in just how manageable your new eating style will be.

 

Healthy snacks can take many forms. Simple choices like fresh fruit or cut up veggies can be some of the healthiest snacks and the easiest to prepare. Keeping a bunch of grapes in the frig at work or a bag of mini carrots can be a great tool when the vending machine starts calling your name around 2pm. Keeping these types of healthy snacks handy are a great way to fudge proof your diet.

 

Nutritious protein bars also make healthy snacks. If you are trying to change your eating style while simultaneously upping your protein intake, a chicken breast probably doesn’t sound like much of a snack. But, good protein bars like those sold here provide excellent nutrition and a craving busting taste. They can satisfy a sugar craving while giving you the added protein needed for your workouts.

 

Keeping healthy snacks in the home and unhealthy ones out is a good way to lessen the chance that you will “cheat” on your diet. Look for snacks that contain veggies, fruits, whole grains, or lean proteins. Limit sugar, sodium, and fat. Things like yogurt can satisfy a sweet tooth while snap peas or celery might give you that crunch you are craving.

 

Healthy snacks are all around us; it’s just sometimes hard to make the switch. For additional healthy snack ideas, check out your P90X Nutrition Guide. It is packed with meal and snack ideas for those getting serious about their nutrition and their fitness level.

General Health and Fitness, NUTRITION 0

Simple 10 Minute Recipes

j0401424In today’s world the thing most adults wish they had more of (other than money), is time. We keep ourselves overscheduled and constantly busy. This time management, or lack thereof, can make a healthy diet quite difficult. Finding ways to make your own food at home with simple ingredients and time saving techniques can be invaluable as you keep your diet and health on the right track. 10 minute recipes are not at all impossible and help to shatter your “I don’t have time to cook” excuse.

 

Ten minutes out of your day doesn’t seem like a lot and when you factor in the benefits of a home cooked meal, it is ten minutes that are well spent. 10 minute recipes are obviously very simple ones that use limited ingredients. Added spices help make the 10 minute recipes just as interesting as those you spent an hour preparing.

 

One way to cut down on cooking time is to have ingredients already prepared. Over the weekend take some time to grill chicken breasts and perhaps some fish. Store these in the frig for quick additions to simple recipes. Meat that was prepared ahead of time can be added to stir fried veggies for an Asian 10 minute recipe. They can also be rolled up in a whole grain tortilla with green peppers and onions for a fast fajita.

 

Consider using grains that are “fast cooking” for our 10 minute recipes. “Minute” brown rice is a great staple to keep around and cooks up quickly in the microwave. Oatmeal at breakfast time doesn’t have to involve a packet. Quick cooking oats have far less sugar and preservatives and they cook up nearly as fast as the packet varieties. Simply stir in some peanut butter for a protein punch and a little flavor.

 

Be creative when it comes to making 10 minute recipes. Type “recipes” into the search bar to the right to come up with some more ideas. Also, remember, Tony Horton’s Ten Minute Trainer comes with some great 10 minute recipes to keep your diet in full force.

NUTRITION 0

Natural Omega 3 Sources

j0409531By now you should know the multiple benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids. If you don’t, I am fairly confident you have at least heard about the fats and that they can have positive effects. Omega 3 fatty acids are readily available in several food sources. For people who don’t want to supplement if they don’t have to, these food sources provide a great natural omega 3 source.

 

Omega 3 fatty acids are a group of essential fats. This means they are not produced by the body and must be taken in through diet or supplementation. While all of the benefits of these fats are not completely understood, there are several benefits that are known.

 

Omega 3 fatty acids provide benefits like reduced inflammation, decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety, increased brain performance, improved cardiovascular function, and potentially decreasing the risk of several types of cancer. It is no wonder, then, that many people are interested in finding the best natural omega 3 sources to add to their diet.

 

Natural Omega 3 fats are found in several food sources. People commonly think of fish when considering adding more Omega 3 to their diet. These fats are present in many kinds of fish, some more than others, however. This webpage from the Cleveland Clinic details just how much natural Omega 3 fats can be found in different types of fish. The chart located about halfway down the page shows that Atlantic Salmon has the most Omega 3s with Blue Fin Tuna and Sardines coming in a close second.

 

Nuts and seeds are another great source of natural Omega 3 fatty acids. Here on Anne Collins diet website you can find several charts marking the estimated amounts of omega 3 fatty acids in seeds, nuts, and oils. These charts also list Omega 6 fatty acids, also important but typically in overabundance in the American diet.

 

Getting natural omega 3 sources in your diet does not have to be difficult. If you find eating fish frequently to be less than appetizing, consider a high quality fish oil supplement like Core Omega 3 instead.

NUTRITION 0

What You Get In a Turbo Jam Workout

turbojam_womanAny worthwhile workout will deliver a good calorie burn. A truly superior quality workout, however, will deliver toning moves, high energy, and a serious calorie torching cardio workout. A Turbo Jam workout is this type of routine. With the Turbo Jam series, you get what every fitness series should have and you get the added bonus of Chalene Johnson’s expertise and fun.

 

The Trubo Jam workout program is more than an aerobics DVD and more than a weight loss workout. This system can truly transform the way you look and the way you feel. Not only will you lose fat when doing the Turbo Jam workouts, you will build muscle.

 

Don’t worry; I’m not talking about big time bodybuilder muscle ladies, I mean a tight toned body. Arms with definition not sag. Legs that look sleek and sexy, not too fragile and not like cottage cheese. When you see a sexy body, one that you aspire to have, pay attention. Chances are that body has great muscle definition.

 

The Turbo Jam workout can give you this kind of definition and help burn the fat so you can actually see it!

 

Muscle is all good but it doesn’t do much good buried under a thick layer of fat. Your increased muscle mass will light up your metabolism. That increase along with the high cardio impact of the Turbo Jam workout will ensure you have fat melting off your body in no time.

 

The Turbo Jam workout series works because it is fun.

 

There’s no sense in starting a program you don’t enjoy because if you don’t like it, you aren’t likely going to stick with it. High energy dance moves, kickboxing, music, and the ridiculously positive attitude of Chalene Johnson makes this system truly enjoyable.

 

Turbo Jam is an easy, progressive, butt-kicking workout. When I say easy, I simply mean you don’t have to be a fitness expert or a dancer to get in there and reap the benefits. Turbo Jam is just one of the many popular and effective Beachbody series’ offered here to ensure you get the body you want.

Turbo Jam Fitness 0

The Many Benefits of Protein Shakes

j0422258Protein shakes are everywhere. They are, perhaps, the most widely used nutritional supplement currently on the market. There are literally hundreds of them, ranging in quality and price. But, why should you bother with protein shakes? Well, there are several benefits of protein shakes. They are simply an additional tool to add to your health and fitness arsenal.

 

The benefits of protein shakes are numerous. Whether you are trying to lose weight or put on muscle, which protein shake you use and exactly how you use it will determine the benefits it has for you.

 

If you are seeking an additional tool in your weight loss goals, the benefits of protein shakes are that they offer convenient meal replacement that is high in protein and high in nutritional content. One of the reasons many people fall off of the diet wagon is because their busy lifestyles aren’t always conducive to eating healthy.

 

A healthy diet, however, doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. When time is running out at meal time, a protein shake can be an excellent and quick meal replacement. One of the many benefits of protein shakes is that they are quick and they are portable. Breakfast on the commute has never been easier than when you have your protein shake in a to-go cup!

 

Another of the many benefits of protein shakes is they offer a change from all of your normal protein sources when you are trying to gain muscle. Increasing protein consumption isn’t difficult for some people. For others, trying to eat multiple servings of meat, dairy, and eggs can be a little difficult to tolerate. Protein shakes allow you to get a good amount of protein in an unsuspecting, good tasting drink.

 

Protein shakes like the Beachbody protein shakes are nutrient dense and tasty. Offering many of the same benefits of protein shakes are protein bars. P90X protein bars come in a variety of flavors and add another option to your nutritional choices.

NUTRITION 1

What's The Purpose of Push Up Bars?

power-stands-iPush up bars are becoming more and more popular. You can now see some of them featured in infomercials and even popular superstores carry some brands of push up bars. But, like all other fitness equipment, not all push up bars are created equally. So, are these fitness gadgets really useful or just another waste of your hard earned cash?

 

Let’s first discuss the push up. This is a classic exercise that has been around for decades if not centuries. It has stood the test of time because, like the pull up, it is seriously effective. The pushup requires you to lift your own body weight. When done properly it engages all of your muscles, from your neck to your feet. It is a personal favorite of mine and should be one of yours as well.

 

There are many variations on the classic pushup. How it works your body varies depending on how you place your hands and feet, among other things. For those of us who have done the P90X workouts, we have a good idea of just how punishing a total pushup workout can be.

 

But, do you have to use a push up bar to get the best results?

One of the best parts about a pushup is it requires no equipment. Having said that, using a tool like a push up bar can only intensify the workout and bring about more dramatic results. High quality push up bars are designed to help ensure you have proper form during the push up. They reduce wrist strain and give you a few additional inches to dip in to.

 

The best push up bars and stands, like the PowerStands are ergonomically designed and made of high quality materials to ensure the safest and most productive pushup workout.

 

Push up bars are not necessary. However, if you are serious about getting fit and you understand just how effective a correct push up can be, they are a extremely useful tool to have around. Along with a chin up bar, the right push up bars are an inexpensive and worthwhile addition to any home gym.

P90X Accessories 0

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