Weight loss: How Easily you can Balance your Diet.

Properly balanced diet is extremely important to your goals. Whether you want to lose body fat or gain muscle, it wont happen with training alone. Consuming a well-balanced diet will help give your body the nutrients it needs to recover from training. If your diet is lacking even one macronutrient it will hinder your recovery ability. Try to keep your carbs, protein and fats all balanced. Avoid diets that are extreme, you will find yourself smaller and weaker.

Vegetables and fruits form the foundation of a healthy diet. But you can’t live on produce alone. To get all your essential nutrients, you’ll also need to eat whole grains, lean protein (fish, lean meat, beans or low-fat dairy foods) and healthy fats, including nuts and olive oil. How much do you need? Balance your diet in three easy steps.

1. Divide your plate.

Does your plate look more like A or B?

Whatever you answered, you should aim to model (or keep modeling) your plate after B. Low-calorie—yet satisfying—vegetables fill half the plate. The other half is divided into two equal portions (quarters). One is filled with a lean protein, the other with a whole-grain or starchy vegetable.


2. Calculate your calories.

Eating a balanced diet means not only getting enough of specific nutrients, such as vitamin C and beta carotene, but also eating the right number of calories for your size.

The following equation will help you determine the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.

Your body weight X 12 = __________

Subtract 500 calories from this number to lose 1 pound per week. To lose 2 pounds per week, subtract 1,000. If you calculate a calorie target that’s less than 1,200, set your calorie goal at 1,200. For more help on losing weight healthfully.

3. Eat by the Pyramid.

To get even more accurate about ensuring nutritional balance in your diet, eat by the USDA’s MyPyramid recommended intakes for all the major food groups. Simply follow the guide below that’s closest to the calorie level you calculated in Step 2.

Recommended daily intakes by Pyramid group for a range of calorie levels:

Calorie level1,6001,8002,0002,2002,400
2,600
2,800
3,000Grains*
5 oz.-eq.6 oz.-eq.6 oz.-eq.7 oz.-eq.8 oz.-eq.9 oz.-eq.10 oz.-eq.10 oz.-eq.Vegetables**2 cups2.5 cups2.5 cups3 cups3 cups3.5 cups3.5 cups4 cupsFruits***1.5 cups1.5 cups2 cups2 cups2 cups2 cups2.5 cups2.5 cupsMilk (or dairy)
3 cups3 cups3 cups3 cups3 cups3 cups3 cups3 cupsMeat, Beans†5 oz.-eq.5 oz.-eq.5.5 oz.-eq.6 oz.-eq.6.5 oz.-eq.6.5 oz.-eq.7 oz.-eq.7 oz.-eq.Oils5 tsp.5 tsp.6 tsp.6 tsp.7 tsp.8 tsp.8 tsp.10 tsp.Discretionary calories††132195267290362410426512

Note: These suggested food amounts are calculated to meet USDA recommended nutrient intakes. The contributions from each group are based on the “nutrient-dense” form of the food, without added fats or sugars (for example, lean meats, fat-free dairy products, grains with no added sugars).
*A 1-oz. grain equivalent = 1⁄2 cup of pasta, rice or oatmeal, 1 cup of whole-grain cold cereal, 1 slice of bread, 1⁄2 of an English muffin.
**A 1⁄2 cup of vegetables or 1 cup of raw leafy greens = 1 vegetable serving.
***1 cup of cut fruit or 1 medium whole fruit (orange, apple, banana) = 1 fruit serving.
† A 1-oz. equivalent = 1 oz. lean meat, poultry or fish, 1⁄4 cup cooked beans or tofu.
†† “Discretionary calories” are those remaining in the calorie total when all the food-group portions and nutrients are consumed. You can “spend” them on whatever you want, such as

How to Get Stronger, Fitter & Healthier as You Age.

As people age their body loses its flexibility and tolerances to hardship. If once you could take a beating and survive unscathed, as you get older, you know that you need to start taking precautions and additional care so that you do not find yourself in the middle of nasty medical surprises and left-overs from the era of carelessness. This article contains 8 ways you can actually get stronger, fitter and healthier as you age.

1 – Exercise

Walking, running, weight lifting, yoga, pilates, massage and every other kind of exercise that is moderated and tailor made for your specific body type is an absolute necessity to balance the loss and stiffening of muscle mass and to keep the heart pumping and in good rhythm. Do not overdo it though. The results will be the opposite.

2 – Omega 3 & Multivitamin Supplements


A gram of a marine based food contains enough Omega 3 fatty acids to reduce the heart and brain disease risks. Vitamins B, D and E, antioxidants and calcium supplements help balance a less than optimal diet and avoid further heart and blood pressure problems. However, make sure you do not consume more than what your body requires.

3 – Diet

Avoid chemical foods. You can still eat meat but make sure it’s grass fed and local. Make your diet more balanced with vegetables, fish, low fat, brown rice, nuts and quinoa. These will balance the metabolic changes that occur as you age, and are the main reason for the increase of weight.

4 – Blood Tests

You should check your blood numbers as often as possible. Especially the glucose levels as diabetes is the most insidious of diseases and when you realize you have it, most of the times it’s too late. Regular pressure tests will also establish a regular baseline for comparisons.

5 – Deep Sleep

Do not overlook the necessity of a deep sleep. During the first four hours the necessary growth hormones are released. Do not push past your natural fall asleep cycle. Whenever you feel you cannot keep your eyelids open, go to sleep unless there is a very important reason not to do so.

6 – Sex

People think that sexual drive always declines with age. Wrong. Many people enjoy sex more in their fifties than in their thirties. It can be far more satisfactory and keeps up the psychology which is the major factor of everything. It needs, of course, some pushing – but that will not come from little blue pills. It will come from cutting down on alcohol and sugar.


7 – Smoking

There is no need to point out any more how bad smoking is for the condition of even the healthiest of individuals. But smoking here is not limited to tobacco. It refers to any kind of smoking/substance abuse.

8 – Stress

This is perhaps the most difficult thing to do something about. But it is the one thing that can cancel all the benefits of all other ways to stay healthy, fit and strong. About 90% of all diseases is either created by, or complicated by stress. Learn how to breathe. It will do miracles on your stress level. Use herbs like chamomile and green tea. Anything to reduce your stress levels naturally including a change in diet and exercise should be adapted.

How to Recover From An Injury faster & Stay Fit.

Nobody enjoys getting injured. For athletes, injuries are a part of the game. You give it your all when you play. Your competitive spirit drives you to be the best you can be and go for gold every time. For exercisers, injuries also creep up at inconvenient times. Overuse injuries like tendonitis can pop up. Sore, tight muscles can lead to strains and sprains. And improper form is probably the number one reason for injuries in exercisers.

With the reason for injuries aside, if you become the unfortunate victim of an injury that sidelines you for a number of weeks or even months, your doctor may prescribe rest or physical therapy. Either way you’re going to be recovering from an injury. But how can you stay fit as you heal?

You don’t have to throw in the towel and give up exercise! Obviously it depends on the nature of your injury, and physical therapy will focus on the specific injured area. You will be getting some exercise with physical therapy, but for the most part, the attention will be spent on retraining your neural pathways and teaching the muscles to get strong again. If rest is prescribed for your injury, ask your doctor what you can do, so you have a clear idea of your limitations or freedoms. The worst thing you can do when injured is try to come back too fast or too soon. You risk re-injury or bring the possibility of disallowing the injury to heal properly.

If you have a foot injury and have to wear a boot for a month, don’t stop lifting weights with your upper body. Keep that same mentality if your shoulder is in a sling. Find a recumbent or stationary bicycle and keep those legs moving! The point is, recovering from an injury is zero fun. You want to be back to normal. You’re sick of the pain. It’s completely understandable, but you can stay fit as you heal. Just be careful. Your doctor will tell you what you are allowed to do, but don’t be afraid to ask, for he or she may not just come out and tell you it’s OK to keep exercising the other areas of your body.

Pay attention to your diet as well. Some injuries need a lot of rest, and this rest is going to lead to a more sedentary lifestyle. When you stop moving, it’s going to get tougher for your body to burn calories. Don’t overeat. If at all possible, focus on your core muscles to maintain proper posture and strength.

When you recover from an injury, you can stay fit as you heal. Don’t let the injury get you down or make you feel like you shouldn’t workout. The endorphins released from the exercise can definitely help your mood and help you stay positive as you heal.

Fitness Tips : Sensoria – Smart Socks to Track Your Running.

Fitness Tips : Sensoria – Smart Socks to Track Your Running

Sensoria Smart Socks deliver what other trackers on the market can’t: real-time updates based on dynamic data and statistics. Data is gathered from an electronic anklet that attaches to the special socks with built-in sensors. Going beyond the typical tracking parameters of distance, calories, steps, and the like, Sensoria Smart Socks also analyze your foot landing technique and cadence. Real-time data collection, made possible with Bluetooth, is uploaded directly to the Sensoria phone app. From there, the app will give you real-time audio notifications of how to improve, such as breathing on a certain foot to better utilize energy. You can also use the app after your run to examine your running style in order to improve time, identify injury-prone habits, and even to set and break goals. The Sensoria Smart Socks bring running to the 21st

More info.

5 BEST WAYS TO RECOVER AFTER A TOUGH WORKOUT.

Let's face it, hard workouts equal results. It takes lots of sets and reps to get a great body. All that hard work means nothing if you cant recover from your brutal workouts. The faster you can recover the faster you can get back in the gym.

If you are looking to speed up your recovery so you can get bigger and stronger much faster, then follow these 5 tricks.


1- EMBRACE CARBS:

Eighty percent of what you see in the mirror is based off your nutritional habits. Working out will trigger anabolic responses in your body responsible for muscle growth. Proper post-workout nutrition can accelerate muscle recovery and new muscle growth. After your workout you should be consuming a meal with around 20 to 30 percent of your total carbohydrate intake. Our bodies are primed to absorb carbohydrates after a workout. In addition to having a good amount of carbohydrates, you want to consume 25-50 grams of protein. I prefer this source of protein to come from a whey isolate to help ensure adequate leucine content and faster protein uptake. Your post-workout meal should be under 10 grams of fat. The higher the fat content of a meal the slower the absorption. Keeping this meal under 10 grams will ensure quick uptake by your body.

2-  TAKE BCAAS:

Proper recovery does not just happen after a workout, it needs to occur for hours before and after. Consuming BCAAs in between meals will help your muscles recover. Five grams of BCAAs in between meals will ensure protein synthesis is spiked through out the day. When choosing a BCAA product, make sure it is properly dosed. Your BCAA product should contain around two grams of leucine, one gram of isoleucine and one gram of valine.

3-  TAKE MULTIVITAMINS:

Vitamin C, D, E and ALA are all important for the recovery process. These vitamins help to prevent damage done by free radicals and help strengthen up your immune system. After a workout free radical levels are higher in our muscle cells. These vitamins help to break these free radicals apart. Multivitamins are looked at as an "insurance plan" for your body. Taking a multivitamin will help to prevent any nutritional deficiencies as well.


4- HYDRATE:

Muscle soreness occurs from lactic acid build up in a muscle. Drinking adequate amounts of water will help to flush out toxins from your muscles. Our bodies need water to function; a one percent dehydration will result in a 10 percent reduction in strength.  Proper hydration also helps to keep our joints lubricated. Drinking water will lead to improved gym performance and fuller muscles.

5- BALANCE YOUR DIET:

A properly balanced diet is extremely important to your goals. Whether you want to lose body fat or gain muscle, it wont happen with training alone. Consuming a well-balanced diet will help give your body the nutrients it needs to recover from training. If your diet is lacking even one macronutrient it will hinder your recovery ability. Try to keep your carbs, protein and fats all balanced. Avoid diets that are extreme, you will find yourself smaller and weaker.

The Best Workout to Build a Bigger, Stronger Chest .

Many people think that the chest has zero role in performance, unless you’re a football player.

Why’s that important? Because a lot of people don’t understand how to exercise perhaps the most popular, yet most poorly trained, area of the body: the chest. And the mistakes you’re making can hurt your development of a Hulk-like upper body.

They say the pecs, like the biceps, are all about vanity. While having a big chest and a strong bench press doesn’t mean you’ll be an unstoppable athlete, building “pressing strength” can help you in just about any game you play – and also improve upper-body muscle mass (and by extension, your looks).
But even though so many gym goers dedicate so much exercise time to the chest (does “Monday-Thursday-chest-day” sound familiar?), it often doesn’t translate to better performance—and that makes your pecs an area of the body that can be improved. The program below will change that game, giving you more results in less time.


But for it to work, follow these 5 principles.


÷Balance Push and Pull:

For a balanced look (and to reduce the risk of injury), you need to do as many pulling exercises as you do pushing ones. Not only will increasing your pulling strength lead to more muscle mass, but it will help your pressing strength as well. Use a similar number of reps for both directions. You’ll also want to balance angles of movement - i.e. the vertical pull of a chin-up is not the opposite of a horizontal bench press. So if you’re pushing up, balance by pulling down. Push forward, pull back.


1- Work the Cuff:

Without a strong rotator cuff, your pressing movements will suffer because your cuff helps stabilize your shoulder joint. And you need those strong pressing movements to develop your chest completely. Include cuff exercises in your training.

2- Ring Them Bells – All Of ‘Em:

Besides barbells, use dumbbells and even kettlebells, which change the stability and demand of chest exercises. By varying the equipment you use, your muscles are forced to adapt to constant change.


3-  Vary Your Grips:

By changing the width of your grips, you’re essentially changing the exercise (a wide grip targets different muscles than close grip). When using dumbbells, turn your hands in or out to change the angle of the press and stimulate your chest differently.

4- Stay with the Tempo:

Most people count the reps they perform, but they pay little attention to the speed of those reps. To maximize results, pay attention to the tempo of each repetition. For this workout, the lowering phase of each rep should take two full seconds, then pause for one second at the bottom of a rep, and then press each rep as quickly as possible. By slowing the rep, the muscles spend more time under contraction and ultimately, do more work.

Weight Training: 5 Reasons Why You Should Lift Weights.

If you’re ready to pack on some serious natural muscle while staying lean you’re in the right place!

You might ask yourself :

Why should we lift weights?

Here are the top 5 Reasons:

   1- Strong muscles mean less chance of injury, degenerative disease, ageing, arthritis, and osteoporosis.

2-  Strong muscles mean a better quality of life, for much longer.
  
3- Muscles mean a faster metabolism, faster fat – burning and less chance of getting fat.
  
4- Muscles mean you burn more calories – which means you lose fat quicker.
  
5- A stronger body will help to make all other areas of your life more productive, easier to cope with and easier for you to be more successful!

And remember, always concentrate on form over how much weight you are lifting. If you lift too heavy with poor form it’s the fast track to injury so if you’re not sure and you want to check your form, ask one of your friendly trainers to guide you. Even if you’ve been working out for years it’s a good idea to check because we can fall into bad habits.