Heart Rate Reserve Formula

The Karvonen Formula

This is a heart rate reserve formula and it’s one of the most effective methods used to calculate training heart rate. The formula factors in your resting heart rate, so you will need to determine your resting heart rate by doing the following:

• Prior to getting out of bed in the morning, take your pulse on your wrist (radial pulse) or on the side of your neck (carotid pulse).
• Count the number of beats, starting with zero, for one minute. If you don’t have a stop watch or a second hand in your bedroom, you can measure the time by watching for the number to change on a digital alarm clock. Find your pulse and start counting when the minute number changes the first time, stop counting when it changes again.
• To help assure accuracy, take your resting heart rate three mornings in a row and average the 3 heart rates together.

The next important element in finding your training heart rate zone is determining the intensity level at which you should exercise. As a general rule, you should exercise at an intensity between 50% - 85% of your heart rate reserve. Your individual level of fitness will ultimately determine where you fall within this range. Use the following table as a guide for determining your intensity level:
   Beginner or low fitness level . . . 50% - 60% Average fitness level . . . . . . . . 60% - 70%
High fitness level . . . . . . . . . . . 75% - 85%

The Karvonen Formula: 220 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate

Maximum Heart Rate - Rest. Heart Rate x Intensity + Rest. Heart Rate = Training Heart Rate

For example, Sally is 33 yrs old, has a resting heart rate of 75 and she’s just beginning her exercise program (her intensity level will be 50% - 60%.) Sally’s training heart rate zone will be 131-142 beats per minute:


Sally's Minimum Training Heart Rate:
220 - 33 (Age) = 187
187 - 75 (Rest. HR) = 112
112 x .50 (Min. Intensity) + 75 (Rest. HR) = 131 Beats/Minute


Sally's Maximum Training Heart Rate:
220 - 33 (Age) = 187
187 - 75 (Rest. HR) = 112
112 x .60 (Max. Intensity) + 75 (Rest. HR) = 142 Beats/Minute

Try to take your pulse, periodically, during your exercise session to gauge your intensity level. Typically, the easiest location for taking a pulse is on the side of your neck, the carotid pulse. Be sure not to press too hard on the carotid artery or you’ll get an inaccurate reading. Count the number of beats, always beginning with zero, for 6 seconds (then multiply by 10), or for 10 seconds (then multiply by 6) to get the number of times your heart is beating per minute. If your pulse is within your training heart rate zone, you’re right on track! If not, adjust your exercise workload until you get into your zone.

BURN CALORIES BY DRINKING WATER

Many diet books recommend drinking plenty of water to cut hunger and create a feeling of fullness. But did you know that , drinking water also increases metabolic rate slightly and burns more calories. German researchers found that drinking 500 milliliters of water (about 1 pint) increased resting metabolism by 25 percent- so about 20 extra calories for 60 minutes. Drinking 50 milliliters of water or 500 milliliters of saline (mildly salty water) had no effect on metabolism.

Water increases calorie burning by diluting the blood going to the liver (portal circulation) and by turning on the sympathetic nervous system (the body's fight-or-flight system). The cells have very sensitive methods for regulating fluids in blood, cells and the space between cells. Water intake activates this system, which increases caloric expenditure. Drinking extra water has little effect on weight control and could be dangerous...just like anything. You must find the right balance that works for you and how water plays into your everyday activities. The 20 calories you expend processing the water is equivalent to jogging for two minutes. But again...don't forget, excessive water intake can cause hyponatremia (water intoxication), which can be deadly.

So remember to stay hydrated each and every day...do not go overboard on your water intake especially if you are not active. Water has and will always be vital to your survival. It participates in almost all the chemical reactions in your body, it helps cool you, and moves vital fuels and hormones to your muscles and tissues. Just be aware that just like anything else...there have been known cases of people drinking too much water and dying from these decisions. BALANCE IS THE KEY TO EVERYTHING IN THIS LIFE! So be ACTIVE and DRINK YOUR WATER!!

Journal Clinical Endocrinolgy Metabolism, 92: 3334-3337, 2007)

Your Body Is Beautiful

I want to start this blog post by using a quote from Helen Keller, that was passed along to me from a very special friend of mine. I want to first thank this person from the bottom of my heart for everything they have done and continue to do for me. They are truly an example of what makes a true friend...someone you can count on and who will do the smallest thing to make you feel so special. There are not very many people in this world that carry this genuine and caring spirit, so it is very uplifting when you have someone like this in your life. I feel very lucky and fortunate to have the opportunity to have a friend like this in my life. Soooooo thank you so much for all of your encouraging words, for believing in me as a person and as a trainer, and most importantly for being my friend. I don't want to put this person on the spot BUT they know who they are! Thanks so much! You are truly the best.

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." -Helen Keller

**I can not touch this quote. It hits everything right on the head. It is amazing to really be inspired by words and really put the things you experience in your life in perspective. An amazing feeling when you can OVERCOME!

There are many problems when tackling the issues of nutrition and society. Most people in our society eat too much food and along with that they tend to eat the wrong foods. Many individuals are undernourished, but we can not forget the flip side to this dilemma. There are also a lot of people in our society that do not eat enough food and the foods that they do eat are not good nutritious ones. They too are undernourished. 

Most of the foods we do eat are added with chemicals and additives and are not natural for human consumption, and many have been shown to cause serious health issues.  I can go on and on about the negative sides and facts about nutrition, but the bottom line is what is "your" solution to the problems you face when it comes to nutrition. 

For one, you must begin by thinking positively and become optimistic with your food choices. You must understand that food is fuel for the body. In order for a car to run it needs gas...same concept goes for your body. In order for your body to function and perform, you must be fueling it and choosing the right foods to help it grow strong and be healthy. 

Below is some basic tips and strategies that you can apply to a lifelong nutritional plan. Your diet must provide an optimal mix of PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATES, FATS, VITAMINS, and MINERALS.

1. Protein is a component of every cell in the body. It is essential in BUILDING, REPAIRING, AND MAINTAINING BONES, MUSCLES, CARTILAGE, SKIN, AND BLOOD.
2. Carbohydrates are the most efficient form of energy for the BODY and BRAIN.
3. Fats are essential for cell membranes, hormones, and prostaglandins. It enables the body to produce HEALTHY HAIR, SKIN, and NAILS. It also serves as a transfer for vitamins A, D, E, and K.
4. Vitamins are an organic chemical compound necessary for growth, metabolism, and health.
5. Minerals are inorganic substances not produced by the body, which are required for proper bodily function.

One rule of thumb from me to you is to not count calories or nutrient ratios. Food consumptions should not become a chore. The best thing you can do is to keep it simple. Try to eat natural, wholesome foods...they will provide you with a perfect blend of essential nutrients. Just like I tell all of my clients, simply eat well-balanced meals and apply commonsense with the choices you make.

Helpful tips to remember:
1. Choose foods in there natural state...come as close to natural as possible.
2. Consume a small meal every couple of hours. By spreading your intake throughout your day, you will maintain a steady supply of energy. You will also keep your METABOLISM working throughout your day.
3. Always listen to your body. Your body will tell you when it needs food, but you must know when to stop eating. Your goal is to not stuff yourself full.
4. Always read food labels. Careful with items that are loaded with chemical ingredients and are impossible to pronounce.
5. Consume water as your primary beverage. Careful with sodas and juices. Fruit juice is high in sugar and often comes from poor quality, highly processed fruit.
6. Avoid all artificial and chemical sweeteners. For example, if you drink coffee, consume it without sweeteners. Sweeteners have been linked to numerous illnesses.
7. Consume natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, organic whole wheat grains, brown rice, nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans), chicken and eggs, and beef.

So make a change if you haven't already and really pay attention to what you put in your body. You truly are what you eat. And 80 percent of any change in the body comes from your nutrition. You can spend 18 hours a week in the gym and never make a change. Treat your body as your temple, the place that holds the key to success in health and in life. Respect your body, it will work hard for you if you do the things that are essential to achieve ultimate success. KEEP MOTIVATED AND TELL YOURSELF EVERY DAY....YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO! YOU ARE IMPORTANT. YOUR BODY IS BEAUTIFUL.

Suspension Of Consciousness

I often here my clients say they are unable to sleep because of the hundred thoughts that are crowding their brain or that they are able to go to sleep just fine, but then wake up some time in the middle of the night- when your brain flashes on like a thousand-watt bulb and can either not go back to sleep or sleep on the our.  Below is a list of helpful tricks you may want to try to help you cope with the loss of sleep. 

1. Turn the clock around so you can't see what time it is. (Knowing only makes you more anxious)
2. Read something boring (this example always makes me smile big), a dense history book filled with dates or a computer manual.
3. Make a list of the thoughts running through your head...so then you can let them go.
4. (My favorite) Leave your thoughts by concentrating on your heartbeat and listening to every breath.

Bottom line: Everyone handles stress differently...everyone sleeps differently. Figure out what works for you and embrace it. That is what life is all about discovering, exploring, understanding, and becoming. So find your way and if one trick doesn't work, then keep trying. Never give up on YOU and YOUR SLEEP!

Your Action Plan To Nutrition Part 2

"Discover what you want most of all in this world, and set yourself to work on it." -John Homer Miller

"If you do the best you can, you will find, nine times out of ten, that you have done as well as or better than anyone else." -William Feather

Please understand that I will be breaking up THE ACTION PLAN TO NUTRITION into parts (1,2,3,4...). I don't want to overwhelm you with so much information that you end up missing something important. I want you to truly grasp the concept of nutrition and how it is important to have an overall outlook on your nutrition action plan. 

In Part 1, I touched on the factors of mental preparation and assessment along with ways to stay motivated. I want to now discuss the reality of food measurement and calorie-counting. I think that this is a personal choice...some may feel that it is necessary to measure and count everything they consume. While others may find it too time-consuming and will eventually lose interest. Remember, you are in control...you want to use the best strategy that is going to give you the results you want. I believe that you can be very successful in your eating regimen without having to measure every ounce of food you eat. 

The approach I have used for most of my life is by eyeballing my portion sizes and aiming for a certain number of portions from each food group. I have never counted calories, BUT I have kept a food journal. I think that keeping a journal of what you eat and what time you eat can be very helpful. You can keep track of your energy levels, performance, recovery, and weight loss/body fat by documenting your eating plan on a daily basis. In the past, if I woke up feeling tighter around my midsection and my energy was high...I would refer to the days prior to my change and try to follow it in the same fashion. I have found that by keeping a journal and being apart of the fitness industry for a long time, I have been able to pinpoint which foods work for me, when they work for me, and what benefits I get from them these foods. Below I am including a chart that shows you how to measure your food groups without a calculator or a food scale.

1 unit of protein= 1 ounce lean protein (4 ounces = your palm); 7 grams of protein per ounce of protein

1 unit of fat= 1 teaspoon oil or 3 walnuts; 5 grams of fat

1 unit of starchy carbs= half a medium potato (1 "medium" potato = your fist); 15 grams of carbs

1 unit of vegetables = 1 cup vegetables (approximately two palmfuls); 5 grams of carbs

1 unit of fruit= 1 cup strawberries (two palmfuls) or half an apple; 15 grams of carbs

When starting an eating plan, you want to shock your body. Some of you may decide to take out foods that you seem to struggle with such as breads, sweets, pastas, and even alcohol. Others will begin their first two weeks on a detox plan, which is mainly comprised of protein and vegetables. This plan helps to flush out toxins and helps to restart your body. You then begin to bring certain foods back into your plan and your body is able to function and shuttle these nutrients to all the right places. The importance here is that your body begins to use nutrients (that may have been non-existent before the detox) in the correct way, which in turn allows your body to perform better and helps you to lose the proper weight necessary. And then you may have others who decide they will eat a high-carb, low-protein, low-fat eating plan for first two weeks. As much as 75% to 80% of their food choices are carbs...then they will begin a six-week plan, which requires higher protein and fat and lower carbs.

Again, understand how your body operates, consider how intense and how often you workout, and what start-up plan best fits your personal needs and goals. I think it is very important that if you are training intensely 6 days a week for an hour and a half to two hours, that a no-carb to low-carb would not be a smart move to make. PLEASE understand that your body needs carbohydrates to function, for energy, and for performance. You may decide to lower your carbs on the days you take off from workout or on your low-to moderate workout days. You would be amazed on how many carbohydrates I take in and how much my body is able to perform or go the distance because of my carb intake. Or, you may choose to take in your oatmeal, sweet potato, and brown rice at the beginning of your day and then taper into more vegetables and fruits after 2:00 p.m. 

This is your action plan, and that is what is so neat about it. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF THAT IS GOING TO BENEFIT YOU IN ALL AREAS OF YOUR WELL-BEING. I think that each person needs to be in control of their own nutrition plan because what may work for me...may not work for you. EVERYONE IS DESIGNED AND BUILT DIFFERENTLY. YOU ARE YOUR OWN PERSONAL MACHINE...BUILD THAT MACHINE STRONG, SO YOU CAN GO ALL THE WAY!

Daily Reminders To Proper Nutrition

It is important to understand that in order to get in the best shape you not only have to work hard in the gym, but you MUST have the proper nutrition to fuel the results you are making. You must feed your body the right way, along with learning and developing the necessary eating habits that will promote the best overall results. As a trainer I have seen many people mistakenly think that losing fat is simply a matter of EXERCISING MORE AND EATING LESS. This conception has led many people to a dead end wall...but all this can be resolved by mastering what works for you body, timing, and balance.

I want to begin by discussing the idea of CLOCKING YOUR CARBS. Understand that too many carbs can give you unwanted weight gain and make you fat, but too few carbs for an extended period of time can slow down your metabolism. So this brings in the idea of TIMING! I want to give you a helpful tip that may be useful for you in your daily regimen.
**Consume a large sum of your daily carbohydrates at BREAKFAST AND AFTER TRAINING! Why?
**Eating at least 50 grams of FAST-DIGESTING CARBS first thing in the morning and immediately post-workout hinders training-induced muscle breakdown and keeps CORTISOL, a stress hormone that destroys muscle and slows metabolism, in check.

The next point I want to bring to the table is to MAKE CARBS WORK FOR YOU. First, you must understand that building MUSCLE is the best way to burn FAT in the long run and in order to do this you must make your workouts intense to get the results you want. Next, think about taking in 20 grams of whey protein and 20-40 grams of SLOW-DIGESTING CARBS (from sources such as fruit, sweet potatoes, or brown rice) 30 minutes before you strength train. This will help you power through you workouts with the required intensity. You want to keep your weight loads up and your rest periods short to burn through the PREWORKOUT FUEL!

Also, try to prioritize your SLOW-BURNING CARBS. Slow-digesting carbs consists of beans, whole-grain breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice and sweet potatoes. These carbs should constitute the bulk of your daily carbohydrate intake...don't forget that the exceptions being first thing in the morning and immediately after you workout. It is crucial that you understand why slow-digesting carbs are so important...they reduce the effect of insulin, the hormone that initiates both hunger and fat storage. Research confirms that athletes who consume slow-digesting carbs BURN MORE FAT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS WELL AS DURING EXERCISE!

So take these three tips and make them part of your daily reminder to proper nutrition, and I believe you will begin to see the first-hand changes you have been looking for. Hopefully, all these tips will continue to help you in your journey to proper nutrition and overall health and fitness.

Muscle and Fitness. 2008. pg.100.

Be Kind To Fruit

The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof." -Barbara Kingsolver

When I was growing up, my mom (a 3rd grade school teacher) made sure that my sister and I were both getting proper nutrition in our daily regimen. She believed in making healthy choices and rewarding us with foods we loved when appropriate. In the morning, she believed in breakfast no matter what (because it gave us energy and it helped with our focus in the classroom)...each breakfast was well-balanced and included some sort of fruit. She packed our lunches and again they were all well-balanced, which also included fruit and a cookie for dessert. Our afterschool snack was always some sort of fruit instead of cookies, candy, or donuts. Or when I would come in from riding my bike, I would say, "Mom, I'm hungry." And she would always answer, "Mija, get a piece of fruit to hold you over until dinner."

I believe that the fruit she had us eat gave us the energy we needed throughout our day, it helped us focus in the classroom, and because fruit has sugar...it tricked our bodies into thinking it was getting the sugar it craved for like a piece of candy or a cookie. I remember after eating my piece of fruit, I didn't have that sugar craving that I had prior to eating the fruit. Moms and especially if they are school teachers always know what is right. She somehow knew that fruit wouldn't give us that crash you experience with candy, cookies, and donuts. Or that hyperness you get when eating too much sugar from twinkies, candy, or cokes.

Now don't get me wrong, I have the sugar tooth in the family and I would always express my feelings of having fruit all the time while my friends were eating ding-dongs. I remember telling my mother it just isn't fair. It didn't matter though because she stuck to her guns and very rarely gave in to me. She knew what she was doing all along, which was building a strong healthy foundation for me and my sister. And that foundation has continued to be strong for both of us as adults. At the time I thought she was being unfair but now I know that she was giving me a special gift. She was having me eat the proper foods that were going to promote a strong, healthy body . She was training the body to be familiar with these foods and to know what to do with these foods, so we would grow up to be healthy.

Many people struggle with their weight as adults because of certain eating habits they had as children BUT I also believe that you can have a healthy foundation later in life. It is never to late to start making the right choices. I am always asked what fruits should I eat or what fruit would be good for me to eat before I workout. Below I have included the right fruits to choose before a workout (preworkout), in the morning, and after a workout (postworkout). I think you will find it very helpful and it will help you make the better choices if you haven't already.

PREWORKOUT
These fruits provide higher fructose than glucose for sustained fuel that won't block fat burning. Eat one or two servings.
1. Pear (1 medium)> Total Sugars-16/Fructose-11/Glucose-5
2. Watermelon (1 wedge)> Total Sugars- 18/Fructose-12/Glucose-6
3. Apple (1 medium)> Total Sugars- 14/Fructose-9/Glucose-5
4. Cantaloupe (1/2 melon)> Total Sugars- 22/Fructose- 12/Glucose-10
5. Grapes (1 cup)> Total Sugars-24/Fructose-13/Glucose-11
6. Strawberries (2 cups)> Total Sugars-14/Fructose-8/Glucose-6
7. Raspberries (2 cups)> Total Sugars-10/Fructose-6/Glucose-4

IN THE MORNING
These fruits provide equal or nearly equal fructose and glucose to restocke liver and muscle glycogen to help halt muscle breakdown. Eat two or three servings.
1. Pineapple (1 cup diced)> Total Sugars-13/Fructose-7/Glucose-6
2. Honeydew melon (1 wedge)> Total Sugars-13/Fructose-7/Glucose-6
3. Orange (1 medium)> Total Sugars-12/Fructose-6/Glucose-6
4. Banana (1 medium)> Total Sugars-18/Fructose-9/Glucose-9
5. Blueberries (1 cup)> Total Sugars-14/Fructose-7/Glucose-7
6. Nectarine (1 medium)> Total Sugars-10/Fructose-5/Glucose-5
7. Kiwi Fruit (2 medium)> Total Sugars-12/Fructose-6/Glucose-6

POSTWORKOUT
These fruits provide more glucose than fructose for restocking muscle glycogen and enhancing muscle growth. The last five fruits from the morning fruit category are also decent choices postworkout, for their ability to fill glycogen stores. Eat one or two servings along with white bread, baked potatoes, or a carb drink.
1. Cherries (1 cup)> Total Sugars-14/Fructose-6/Glucose-8
2. Peach (1 medium)> Total Sugars-8/Fructose-3/Glucose-5

Stop And Eat

We eat for three main reasons...to provide the energy we consume to stay alive, to build and repair the body, and to enable parts of the body to function efficiently. Energy for INTENSE physical effort comes principally from carbohydrate, which is stored in your liver and in your muscles in the form of glycogen. There are three forms of carbohydrates: natural sugars (fruits and their juices), refined sugars (jam, honey, and soft drinks), and starches (complex carbs and found in foods like potatoes, pasta, and bread.

The other major source of energy is the fat that is stored around the body.  Fat has a higher energy density than carbs, which means that per gram it supplies more fuel: it is estimated that if all the energy stored in the fat reserves of a lean, 150-pound bike rider were there as glycogen, they would weigh about 275 pounds. Most people have enough fat in their bodies to fuel many hours of activity, which means there is no need to eat fat in any great quantity, particularly as any excess carbohydrate or protein is converted to fat and stored for future use.

Proteins play the major role in building up and repairing the body: they are found in meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products, in vegetables such as beans, lentils and peas, and also in carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes and bread. In extreme situations, protein is also burned to produce energy.

Vitamins and minerals enable the body's processes to function normally. For example, Vitamin A is important for maintaining healthy skin, helping fight infection and maintaining good eyesight--One source of this vitamin is carrots. Fruits, vegetables, fish, dairy products, meat and eggs are all important sources of various vitamins.

The final element is fluid. The body can function for some time without solid food by running off  stored energy and protein, but without water, a vital part of  all bodily processes, death soon results. A drop in your body water, through sweating, of just two percent will reduce your performance, five percent will cause fatigue and ten percent could be fatal.

Your intake of energy providers is vital if you are not to run out of the "fuel" stored in the muscles and liver. Body repair materials are equally important if you are to rebuild the muscle fibers you break down as you train, and if you are to construct stronger ones, which is the whole point of training.

Fotheringham, W. Cycle Racing. Pg. 52.

Fish Oil To The Rescue

More than 85 percent of the population suffers from back pain at one time or another. The treatment of choice for most people is rest and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Unfortunately, NSAIDs cause gastrointestinal problems in some people and may trigger heart attacks and strokes in others. 

 Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found that fish oil supplements reduced back pain as well as NSAIDs. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory effects on joints and tissues. Other studies found that glucosamine and chondroitin supplements also help relieve joint pain. Taking those supplements with fish oil may have additive effects in treating or preventing back pain.
Journal Surgical Neurology, 65:326-331, 2006.

Tips To A Lean Body

I can not stress enough that it is important to have a variety of methods in your fitness plan to increase strength, performance, weight loss, and decrease in body fat. You can't just pick one method and hope to increase all aspects of proper fitness. By adding new concepts and variety to your foundation, your body will become stronger and faster. You will also accelerate your fat-burning and keep your body from getting used to one particular approach...also known as hitting a plateau.

It is so essential that you make a commitment to fitness. You must treat fitness as a lifestyle...by doing this you will be able to control unwanted pounds and keep your body fat from sky-rocketing into outrageous numbers. You must get your mind right and mentally prepare yourself to do everything to accomplish your goals.

You must make the right decisions to overcome temptations and to stay on track. Below, I am giving you tips and strategies that will help decrease your body fat. Each strategy/tip will be separated in weeks.

Week One- The goal here is to cut your carb intake in half. We all know that when carbohydrate intake is lowered, the body turns to fat for energy. So in order to start shredding some fat, you want to cut your carbs by half. This process not only reduces calories, but it also helps control insulin, the hormone released with carb consumption that can increase your appetite. So for example, you are going to halve your carb portion sizes at each meal. Instead of having 1 cup of brown rice, you are going to have 1/2 cup of brown rice. Instead of having a medium plate of whole-wheat pasta, have a small plate. In this process, you'll burn fat and your desire to eat should also subside. Now remember, following a low-carb diet for too long can backfire for many, decreasing leptin levels and slowing down your metabolism. So cut your carbs in half for five days ONLY, you will then return to your regular portions after five days and will have a new strategy to begin. Introducing carbs back into your eating regimen after this kind of drastic reduction, kicks up leptin levels and metabolism. One of the most important findings is that when the body comes out of a brief, modified lower-carb diet, it becomes more efficient at storing carbohydrates as muscle glycogen. This process is the key for pushing through your workouts with a certain type of intensity you need to elicit strength, power, and endurance. Glycogen not only powers your training but acts as an anabolic stimulus, allowing the body to retain muscle even as you attempt to drop extra pounds. Another purpose is that it pulls water into the muscles with it, keep the muscles hydrated and strong. You also want to drop all carbohydrates from your final meal of the day-every day- to slash calories. When you go to bed with a lower blood sugar-level as a result of avoiding carbs in your last meal, the body is more willing to increase its production of growth hormone, which accelerates fat loss by mildly increasing the metabolism and boosting muscle growth. Muscle & Fitness. 2007. Pg.162.

Stay focused and have a good week one. We CAN DO anything we set our mind to.

BE SURE TO LOVE YOUR EGGS

For a period of time, eggs were considered a big no-no, according to doctors. That's because just two eggs contained enough cholesterol to put you over your daily recommended value. So then it was advised that you could cut out some of your cholesterol by removing all of the yolk and using just the whites.  

More and more research shows that eating an egg or two a day will not raise your cholesterol levels, as once previously believed. Go figure! Also, most of the protein and all the good nutrients are found in the yolk of an egg. I still suggest to my clients to mix it up. For an individual who is going to to have four eggs...I will suggest that they have 2 eggs with yolk and 2 eggs with no yolk. Much of this research shows what has been learned is that most blood cholesterol is made by the body from dietary fat, not dietary cholesterol. 

Take advantage of eggs and their powerful makeup of protein.  The protein found in eggs has the highest "biological value" of protein--a measure of how well it supports your body's protein need--of any food. In other words, the protein in eggs is more effective in building muscle than protein from other sources, even milk and beef. Eggs also contain Vitamin B12 which is necessary for fat breakdown.

SUPERPOWERS: BUILDS MUSCLE AND BURNS FAT
SECRET WEAPONS: PROTEIN, VITAMIN B12, AND VITAMIN A

FIGHTS AGAINST: OBESITY

Zinczenko, David. The Abs Diet. Pg. 38-39.

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients
Orange Honey Dressing (1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup honey, 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, 2 tsp. dijon mustard)
12 cups bite-size pieces of spinach
1 pint strawberries, sliced
2/3 cup sliced green onions
2 cans mandarin orange segments, drained
1/4 cup pine nuts

Directions

*Prepare Orange Honey Dressing by shaking all ingredients in tightly covered container.
*Toss dressing and remaining ingredients except pine nuts. Sprinkle with nuts.