Go The Distance

Some of us run for fat burning benefits and others run to train for long distance runs such as marathons.  Fueling our bodies is important for both, but different kinds of fuel work better depending on our goals.

For long distance running, carbohydrates go a long way.  Complex carbohydrates keep a steady flow of energy in our bodies to help us endure throughout the race.  Foods such as pasta, whole grain breads, oatmeal, sweet potatoes and legumes go a long, long way.

But for those of us who run as exercise and to burn fat, fueling our bodies is a little different.  Rather than loading up on carbohydrates, eating more protein is much better.  When we burn fat we do not want to burn muscle.  Muscle keeps our metabolism running at an optimum rate.  To retain muscle, we need protein.  Also, when we eat carbohydrates before a run, we use those carbohydrates for energy as described above.  When we do that we burn those carbohydrates and never get to our fat reserve.

No matter what your goals, remember to maintain a healthy diet at all times.  For more information on healthy eating and more on a healthy lifestyle, check out. . .

Bigg Health

Eating Healthy On A Budget

Eating healthy isn’t as expensive as you think.  In fact, when you consider doctor bills to treat high blood pressure form eating too much salt, high cholesterol from eating too much fat and obesity from eating too much bad food, you are saving more than money when you eat healthy.

When you shop in season for produce, you can get fresh fruits and vegetables at a great cost.  So don’t buy blueberries in the winter, try another berry such as the raspberry.  In fall, try squashes.  And onions, garlic and celery are always in season and cheap.  Did you know that eating celery burns more calories than it adds?  The reason is that celery has little to no calories and is mostly water.  Your needs fuel for digesting it and therefore burns fat reserves.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are flash frozen and retain their nutrients in addition to their taste.  Not the soggy vegetables and fruits of yesteryear, try stocking up on your favorites.  Frozen blueberries pack a huge punch with antioxidants and can be bought frozen year round.

For some great information on eating right, exercise and more healthy info check out. . .

Bigg Health

Interval Training

We are always looking for the best way to burn fat with the least amount of effort.  It is often hard to find hours to go to the gym with work, family, etc.  But we do it so we can look good.   Well with interval training, it is possible to work out a shorter amount of time, and actually burn more fat.

Interval training works on short bursts of high intensity exercise followed by a short rest period, repeated.  There are variations in the length of time for each, but all accomplish more than a steady 40 minute high intensity work out.  There are a few interval training work outs that only require 15 to 18 minutes total time.

You start out with a 5 minute warm up and then interval train with intervals of 2 minutes high intensity, 2 minutes low intensity, or 1 minute high intensity, 30 minutes low intensity or 1 minute high intensity, 2 minutes low intensity and the most dramatic, 20 seconds high intensity, 10 seconds low intensity.

If you notice there are different ratios and there are different theories on each, but one thing is certain, they burn a load more fat than walking on a treadmill for an hour at the gym.

For more info on healthy workouts, foods and more check out. . .

Bigg Health

Changing How You Eat

As you may know, not fueling up with the right
nutrients can affect how well your body performs
and your overall fitness benefits.  Even though
healthy eating is important, there are myths that
hinder your performance if you listen to them.

Below, you’ll find some myth busters on healthy
eating.

1.  Working out on an empty stomach.
If you hear a rumbling noise in your stomach, the
rumbling is trying to tell you something.  Without
listening to them, you are forcing your body to
run without any fuel.  Before you exercise or do
any physical activity, always eat a light snack
such as an apple.

2.  Relying on energy bars and drinks.
Although they are fine every once in a while, they
don’t deliver the antioxidants you need to prevent
cancer.  Fruits and vegetables are your best bets,
as they are loaded in vitamins, minerals, fluid,
and fiber.

3.  Skipping breakfast.
Skipping breakfast is never a good idea, as
breakfast starts the day.  Your body needs fuel
as soon as possible, and without it, you’ll be
hungry throughout the day.

4.  Low carb diets.
Your body needs carbohydrates for your muscles and
the storing of energy.

5.  Eating what you want.
Eating healthy and exercising doesn’t give you an
all access pass to eat anything you want.  Everyone
needs the same nutrients whether they exercise or
not, as well as fruits and vegetables.

6.  Not enough calories
Although losing weight involves calories, losing
it too quickly is never safe.  What you should do,
is aim for 1 - 2 pounds a week.  Always make sure
that you are getting enough calories to keep your
body operating smoothly.  If you start dropping
weight too fast, eat a bit more food.

7.  Skip soda and alcohol.
Water, milk, and juice is the best to drink for
active people.  You should drink often, and not
require on thirst to be an indicator.  By the time
you get thirsty, your body is already running a
bit too low.

Changing how you eat is always a great step
towards healthy eating and it will affect how your
body performs.  The healthier you eat, you better
you’ll feel.  No matter how old you may be, healthy
eating is something you should strive for.  Once
you give it a chance, you’ll see in no time at
all just how much it can change your life - for the
better.

Healthy Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping is something we all have to do, even
though choosing the right foods can be very hard
indeed.  To assist you with your healthy grocery
shopping, the tips below can indeed help make things
easier than ever before:

1.  Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.

2.  Select canned fruits and tuna that are packed in
water, not oil or syrup.

3.  Look at the labels for the words “hydrogenated”
or “partially hydrogenated”.  The earlier you see
them appear on the list, the higher the amount of
unhealthy trans fatty acids the food will contain.

4.  Don’t buy turkey with the skin on it, and if
you plan to buy chicken - buy a chicken breast
meal.

5.  When you select frozen dinners, select those
that are not only low in fat, but low in sodium
and cholesterol as well.

6.  If you aren’t consuming enough dairy products,
go with calcium fortified orange juice instead.

7.  Go for whole grain breads, cereals, and rolls.

8.  Give cantaloupe a try.  With just 95 calories,
half of the melon will provide more than a day’s
supply of Vitamin C and beta carotene.

9.  Don’t be tricked into buying yogurt covered
by nuts or raisins, as the coating is normally
made of sugar and partially hydrogenated oils.

10.  Get some of the low fat treats, such as
pretzels, ginger snaps, and angel food cake.

By following the above tips when grocery shopping,
you’ll avoid the bad foods and get those that you
need.  There are many different healthy foods at
the grocery store, all it takes is the will power
to go past the bad foods and on to the good ones.

Next Page »