Is Corn Sugar Better For Us Than High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Actually it is the same thing. The Corn Refiners Association petitioned for this name change thinking that it would avoid confusion about high fructose corn syrup. Their argument is that HFCS is the same as table sugar.

There are definite proponents to this statement though. HFCS was introduced in the late 1970s and a cheaper form of sweetener than plain sugar. It is true that obesity rates have risen by more than 100% since then. (1) The rise in diabetes since 1980 equaled the increase in HFCS consumption according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2)

There have been various studies conducted comparing HFCS and table sugar. One was a 10 week study that showed after the 10 weeks the HFCS participants had new fat cells surrounding their organs. The table sugar participants showed no new fat cells around their organs. (3)

We already know that HFCS is not good for us and can lead to weight gain and even obesity. We have also seen plenty of studies that show regular sugar can do the same thing. Now does one happen faster than the other. These studies appear to show that, but in the end they are both just as guilty in contributing to weight gain and obesity.

What would be interesting is researching the effects of a long term study with HFCS and table sugar. What happens after 5 years, 10 years and even 20 years. Do you end up with the same result?

Obviously you are probably not going to get many participants sign up for that study because it could easily lead to pre-mature death. I am sure the money paid to the participants won't be anywhere close to the amount for someone to think this is a good idea.

Instead how about we just minimize HFCS and table sugar all together. Minimize your processed foods and look at the labels for the words HFCS, corn syrup, corn sugar and even sugar if it is the main ingredient used for that food.

There are of course many other unhealthy ingredients that can contribute to your weight gain. These are not the only ones.

If you need something sweet lean towards natural foods like real fruit or natural honey as a condiment.

Stick to natural foods when you can and you won't even have to worry about this debate on whether HFCS is worse for you than regular sugar.

References:

1 NIDDK, “Statistics Related to Overweight and Obesity”
2 Bray, G, Nielsen, SJ, Popkin B., “Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2004; Vol. 79, No. 4, 537-543
3 Hofmann S, Tschop M., “Dietary sugars: a fat difference,” The Journal of Clinical Investigation 2009; 119(5):1089-1092

5 Freaky Fat Loss Holiday Helpers.

One of the most dreaded times of year where it is considered the ‘norm’ to gain weight and give into temptation because it is the only socially acceptable thing to do.

Well I’ve been known a little bit as someone who likes to go against the grain, but I’m also realistic. No doubt the holidays are tough but there is no reason why we can’t set reasonable goals but still enjoy the holidays a little bit. Here are five holiday fat loss helpers that will allow you to have your cake and eat it too (pun intended).

1. Set a plan- you know there are going to be social events, and days specifically where you will be challenged. Build your plan around them, and on those days choose two meals where you will use as cheat meals. I suggest working out on those cheat meal days so that the ‘damage’ is minimized by the cheat meals. Make sure you have a plan in effect so that your two cheat meals don’t turn into cheat weekends or weeks. Set a plan and stick to that plan.

2. Perform short workouts with higher intensity and little to no equipment. Using little to no equipment allows you to have diversity in your workout environment. You can train anywhere. And the short workouts are as effective and in many cases, more effective than longer workouts. The shorter workouts allow you to fit them into your busy holiday schedule.

3. Schedule your workouts earlier in the day. Scheduling your workouts earlier in the day allows you to get them done without trying to fit them in later in the day which tends to be taken up with dinner parties, get togethers, and family time. Most people don’t get up early to exercise during the holidays or early for anything (unless its cooking on Thanksgiving, or opening presents on Christmas), but you certainly can fit in a short intense workout before the festivities begin.

4. Hold the starch double the veggie. At meal times, minimizing the starchy carbohydrates and doubling up on veggies as well as having an extra portion of protein will help your nutrition and you won’t feel like depriving yourself. If you hold the starches at dinner, you have an opportunity to indulge in dessert. And won’t be overstepping on your unsupportive calories.

5. Don’t do it alone. There is a good chance that a family member or a friend would also like to minimize the damage the holidays can do to their waistline. So make it known what you are doing and put the offer out to others to join you so you can keep eachother on track and accountable. When your will power is weak and you want to fall off the supportive wagon, your support person may have the will power to say no and help you through the challenge.

The holidays don’t have to spell defeat. If you implement the strategies above, you can minimize the bulge to your waistline and come out of the other side of the holidays ready to kick it into high gear.

ASPRIN FIGHTS COLON CANCER: STUDY

Taking low-dose Aspirin can help reduce deaths caused by colon cancer by more than a third, British researchers have found.

Their report in Friday's online issue of the medical journal The Lancet reviewed the 20-year results of four trials involving more than 14,000 people that were enrolled in a study on use of ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) to prevent stroke and heart attack.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in developed countries, with about one million new cases and 600 000 deaths worldwide each year.

In the study, Prof. Peter Rothwell of University of Oxford in the U.K. and his-co-authors looked at colorectal cancer incidence and mortality among people who were given regular, lower-range European Aspirin doses of between 75 milligrams ("baby Aspirin") and 300 milligrams.

There seemed to be no advantage to taking more than a baby-sized dose.

Previous studies looked at the prevention benefits of a daily dose of high does, at least 500 milligrams of ASA.

"Anyone with any risk factors such as a family history [of colon cancer] or a previous polyp should definitely take Aspirin," said Rothwell said.

The finding also "tips the balance" for anyone considering Aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes, he said.

Help for high-risk patients

The results mean that for every 100 people who take low-dose ASA daily, one case of colorectal cancer was prevented, and 1 in 70 deaths from the disease was avoided.

Those findings are comparable to how statins for cholesterol prevent one heart attack for every 100 people who take them.

The other interesting aspect of the study is that the types of colorectal tumours that were prevented were those higher up in the colon, which are harder to detect with screening tests, said Mark Elwood of the B.C. Cancer Agency in Vancouver, commenting on the study.

Specialists warn, however, that there are risks associated with ASA even at low doses. It is a matter of patients balancing those risks and potential benefits in consultation with their own doctor, Elwood suggested, noting the evidence was based on people age 50 and older.

If taken in high doses over a long period, ASA can irritate the stomach, intestines and bowel, causing lesions and major bleeding.

"This interesting study would incite clinicians to turn to primary prevention of colorectal cancer by Aspirin at least in high risk-populations," Dr. Robert Benamouzig and Dr. Bernard Uzzan of Avicenne Hospital in Bobigny, France, wrote in a journal commentary accompanying the study.

The commentators called for specific guidelines on using ASA for colon cancer prevention.

No funding was provided for the study. Rothwell and some of his co-authors have been paid for work by several drug makers who produce anti-clotting drugs such as ASA.

story was on the CBC NEWS website.... Do your research people....

THANKSGIVING IS HERE

Hey guy's and gal's it's that time of the year again..... Thanksgiving......!
As much as I wanna say, don't go overboard and eat everything you can get your hands on, but let's be honest here.....nothing I say is gonna change the tradition of eating as much turkey as you possibly can. There is only a few times a year that family and friends come over to eat mass amounts of turkey, so "dig-in" you deserve it!

We look forward to seeing all of y0u on the wednesday following the FAT-FILLED weekend....lol Monday is a holiday, so enjoy it and relax.....Wednesday is gonna be torture!

From us at Intrafitt, Happy Thanksgiving guys!!! Have an awesome long weekend, and eat lots,drink some, and be safe!

THE CHOCOLATE MILK ATHLETE?????????

Long considered a treat, chocolate milk is gaining popularity as a post-workout recovery drink.

Research shows that chocolate milk, loaded with carbohydrates and protein, refuels muscles, reduces muscle breakdown and rehydrates the body.

Studies, including at Indiana University and Virginia's George Mason University, suggest drinking low-fat chocolate milk after exercise is just as effective in helping muscles recover as a high-carbohydrate sports drink.

At about 25 cents for an eight-ounce serving, it's a bargain, too.

Cheryl Zonkowski, director of sports nutrition at the University of Florida, said reduced-fat chocolate milk is offered to about 530 student-athletes – as well as Gatorade nutrition and protein recovery shakes and cherry juice – following exercise.

"It contains 170 total calories, with 29 grams of carbohydrates and 8 grams of protein, a 3.6-to-1 ratio. Optimal recovery ratio for carbs to protein is between 3-to-1 and 4-to-1," Zonkowski said. Milk also contains vitamins A, D, B-6 and B-12; plus niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.

Each week, athletes from among the University of Florida's 12 Gator teams drink 12 cases of 50, eight-ounce containers of 1 per cent chocolate milk available in weight rooms and training facilities. Whatever their choice, timing is important since optimal recovery takes place immediately to about 30 minutes following exercise, Zonkowski said.

And some athletes say tart cherry juice, rich in antioxidants, eases muscle pain and soreness.

Other everyday foods are also being touted as fitness fuel. University of Texas researchers found that a bowl of whole-grain cereal, such as corn flakes or bran flakes, and milk are also great for post-exercise recovery.

Florida's dairy industry is pleased with the trend.

"It's a completely new way of looking at refuelling, but it's one that makes a lot of sense. It's definitely gaining lots of traction,'' said Scott Wallin, spokesman for Dairy Farmers Inc.

article from healthzone.ca

WANNA LOOK YOUNGER, AND STAY LOOKINNG YOUNGER WITHOUT USING A CREAM!?!?

This month’s Nutrition Performance is going to give you the breakdown of the latest science on what bodybuilders need to eat and drink for a long life— so they don’t look like the Crypt Keeper.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Tea Have Anti-Aging Effect on Cells

Omega-3s, the fatty acids found primarily in coldwater fish like salmon, have a host of health benefits including protecting against prostate cancer and reducing heart disease. Now there's evidence that Omega-3s may have a profound anti-aging effect, too.

A study using rats found that administration of Omega-3 fatty acids increased their life span by approximately one-third.¹ A more recent study in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the effect of Omega-3 fatty acids on telomere length. Telomeres are structures at the end of chromosomes that are markers of biological aging. Think of a piece of strand that is wrapped up, and every time the strand is unraveled, it shortens your life span. Well, telomeres are at the end of the strand, keeping the strand from unraveling— so every time the telomeres shorten is indicative of the Grim Reaper taking a step closer.

Genetic factors, exposure to certain chemicals and environmental stressors, inflammation, obesity and lack of exercise all shorten the length of telomeres— and are believed to contribute to the aging process. Researchers from the University of California investigated whether Omega-3 fatty acid blood levels were linked to changes in telomere length in a study of 608 people who had stable coronary artery disease. The researchers suspected that Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) may have anti-aging effects. That’s exactly what they found!

The scientists found that research subjects with the least amount of DHA and EPA experienced the most rapid rate of telomere shortening (indicative of a shorter life). However, those with the highest levels of the Omega-3 fatty acids experienced the slowest rate of telomere shortening.² Each one-standard deviation increase in DHA+EPA levels was associated with a 32 percent reduction in the odds of telomere shortening. So the question is, how do Omegas-3 fatty acids provide anti-aging effects?

One of the mechanisms is that Omega-3 fatty acids reduce free radical damage, which shortens telomeres. Taking Omega-3 fatty acids and eating plenty of marine wildlife is a sure “supplement” to extend one’s life.

References:

1. Jolly CA, Muthukumar A, Avula CP, Troyer D, Fernandes G. Life span is prolonged in food-restricted autoimmune-prone (NZB × NZW)F(1) mice fed a diet enriched with (n-3) fatty acids. J Nutr, 2001;131 (10):2753-2760.

2. Farzaneh-Far R, Lin J, Epel ES, Harris WS, Blackburn EH, Whooley MA. Association of marine omega-3 fatty acid levels with telomeric aging in patients with coronary heart disease. JAMA, 2010 Jan 20;303(3):250-7.

Don’t Take Fish Oils Without Antioxidants!

Now that you know Omega-3 fatty acids can prolong one’s life span, you may feel like popping fish oils like they are amino acids! Hold on a second— there are some things that you need to understand about fish oils— for openers, they are susceptible to oxidation. Here is an experiment: take some fish oil gel tabs and poke a hole in them, and let the gel tabs sit on the counter as they are exposed to oxygen— you may notice they smell horrible. Fish oils are especially prone to spoilage. If you take fish oils, you should take them with antioxidants.

Researchers from Appalachian State University reported that taking fish oils without antioxidants before heavy exercise can cause more damage than good. The researchers had trained athletes perform a bout of heavy exercise. Test subjects were randomized for six weeks to receive fish oils (3,000 IUs vitamin A and 200 micrograms selenium), a fish oil and antioxidant combination, or a placebo. The researchers measured several markers of antioxidant markers in the blood. The concerning finding was that the fish oils group had a 53 percent greater value in prostaglandin F2, compared to the placebo group. F2-isoprostanes are bioactive compounds, which are considered to be the gold standard for determination of oxidative stress.

Interestingly, F2-isoprostanes are elevated in obesity and various other disease states associated with elevated oxidative stress or free radical damage. F2-isoprostanes were increased 53 percent by Omega-3 fatty acids alone, but only 32.8 percent when Omega-3 fatty acids were coupled with large doses of antioxidant vitamins (i.e. C, E, A, and selenium). This suggests that co-ingestion of antioxidants with Omega-3 fatty acids offered some protection from lipid oxidation.¹

Another study reported that if you are taking fish oils, they should be consumed with vitamin E. Researchers looked at men who consumed a controlled diet for a total of 28 weeks. For the first 10 weeks, they received placebo oil capsules (15 grams/day), for the next 10 weeks they received fish oil capsules (15 grams/day), and for the last eight weeks they received the fish oil plus 200 mg of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol). The urinary excretion of peroxidation products (malondialdehyde) more than doubled when the fish oil capsules were introduced, but then dropped by a factor of four when vitamin E was added. The vitamin E concentration in the red blood cells dropped significantly when fish oil was ingested, but more than recovered with the vitamin E supplement.²

In conclusion, the negative effects of fish oil consumption can be overcome by taking fish oils with vitamin E. Don’t take fish oils without taking an antioxidant-rich supplement with it; you may be doing more harm than good.

References:

1. McAnulty SR, Nieman DC, Fox-Rabinovich M, Duran V, McAnulty LS, Henson DA, Jin F, Landram MJ. Effect of n-3 Fatty Acids and Antioxidants on Oxidative Stress after Exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2010 Feb 13.

2. Nair, Padmanabhan P., et al. Dietary fish oil-induced changes in the distribution of alpha-tocopherol, retinol, and beta-carotene in plasma, red blood cells, and platelets: modulation by vitamin E. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 58, July 1993, pp. 98-102.

Nutrition discovery: black rice rivals blueberries as source of healthful antioxidants

Nutrition discovery: black rice rivals blueberries as source of healthful antioxidants

by S. L. Baker, features writer

(NaturalNews) In ancient China, nobles commandeered every grain of a variety of black rice known as "Forbidden Rice" for themselves and forbade the common people from eating it. Now 21st century scientists have discovered that black rice truly is a treasure -- at least when it comes to nutrition. In fact, a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, plus the rice bran has less sugar, more fiber and an abundance of vitamin E.

That's the conclusion of Zhimin Xu, Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dr. Xu just announced his research team's findings at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) being held in Boston.

Many fruits are known to be rich sources of anthocyanin antioxidants and these phytochemicals show promise for fighting heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. But according to Dr. Xu and his colleagues, research shows black rice is also rich in these health-protecting phytochemicals -- so adding black rice bran to the diet or the bran extracts to breakfast cereals, beverages, and other foods could help protect and improve health.

"If berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran? Especially, black rice bran would be a unique and economical material to increase consumption of health promoting antioxidants," Dr. Xu said in a statement to the media.

Brown rice is the most widely produced variety of rice in the world. It has a brown color because only the outer husks, or "chaff", are taken off the rice grains during milling. When rice is processed more and the underlying nutrient-dense bran is removed, the result is white rice. If you eat brown rice instead of the white kind, you are making a far healthier diet choice because the bran of brown rice contains higher levels of gamma-tocotrienol, one of the vitamin E compounds, and gamma-oryzanol antioxidants, which are lipid-soluble antioxidants.

A large body of research has concluded these antioxidants can reduce blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol) and potentially lower the risk for heart disease. In fact, as previously reported in NaturalNews, Temple University scientists have found that a specific natural compound in brown rice can reduce high blood pressure and protect blood vessels (http://www.naturalnews.com/028705_b...) and Harvard University research suggests consuming brown rice may prevent type 2 diabetes (http://www.naturalnews.com/029143_b...).

As healthy as brown rice is, however, Dr.Xu and his colleagues think black rice may be even healthier. They analyzed samples of black rice bran from rice grown in the southern United States and found it possesses higher level of anthocyanins antioxidants than brown rice bran. The scientists also discovered that pigments in black rice bran extracts can produce a variety of different colors, ranging from pink to black, and may provide a healthy, natural alternative to the artificial colorings manufacturers often add to some foods and beverages. Several studies have found an association between artificial food coloring and cancer, behavioral problems in children, and other health concerns.

Currently, black rice is used mainly in Asia for food decoration and in sushi, noodles, and puddings. Dr. Xu stated that farmers in Louisiana are interested in growing black rice and he is optimistic Americans may soon embrace this nutrient-rich rice variety.

This article I found on www.musculardevelopment.com

Benefits of Fish oils....

Research studies show fish oil benefits are down right amazing.

And knowing this is the second most important thing you can do for your health. (We'll get to #1 in importance soon.)

Studies are published almost daily as the scientific community discovers more and more of the many extraordinary omega 3 fish oil benefits.

If you haven't already been swept up in the net yet, here are 7 proven omega 3 benefits you should know about.

1. Less Pain and Inflammation. Omega 3 fatty acids, particularly EPA, have a very positive effect on your inflammatory response. Through several mechanisms, they regulate your body's inflammation cycle, which prevents and relieves painful conditions like arthritis, prostatitis, cystitis and anything else ending in "itis."

2. Cardiovascular Health. Omega 3 fatty acids have also been proven to work wonders for your heart and the miles and miles of arteries and veins that make up your cardiovascular system. They help to lower cholesterol, tryglicerides, LDLs and blood pressure, while at the same time increasing good HDL cholesterol. This adds years to your life expectancy.

3. Protection from Stroke and Heart Attack. When plaque builds up on arterial walls and then breaks loose, it causes what's known as a thrombosis, which is a fancy way of saying clot. If a clot gets stuck in the brain, it causes a stroke and when it plugs an artery, it causes a heart attack. Research shows omega 3 fatty acids break up clots before they can cause any damage.

4. Better Brain Function and Higher Intelligence. Pregnant and nursing mothers can have a great impact on the intelligence and happiness of their babies by supplementing with fish oil. For adults, omega 3 improves memory, recall, reasoning and focus. You'll swear you're getting younger and smarter.

5. Less Depression and Psychosis. Making you smarter is not all omega 3 does for your brain. Psychiatry department researchers at the University of Sheffield, along with many other research studies, found that omega 3 fish oil supplements "alleviate" the symptoms of depression, bipolar and psychosis (Journal of Affective Disorder Vol. 48(2-3);149-55).

6. Lower Incidence of Childhood Disorders. Just to show how fish oil fatty acids leave nobody out, studies show that children (and adults) with ADD and ADHD experience a greatly improved quality of life. And those with dyslexia, dyspraxia and compulsive disorders have gotten a new lease on life thanks to omega 3 oils.

7. Reduction of Breast, Colon and Prostate Cancer. And finally, omega 3 fish oil has been shown to help prevent three of the most common forms of cancer - breast, colon and prostate. Science tells us that omega 3s accomplish this in three ways. They stop the alteration from a normal healthy cell to a cancerous mass, inhibiting unwanted cellular growth and causing apoptosis, or cellular death, of cancer cells.

So you can see why knowing these benefits is the second most important thing you can do for your health. Can you guess what number one is?

That's right! Now it's time to put your knowledge to work. Eat more cold water oily fish and start taking good quality pure omega 3 fish oil supplements regularly.

Copyright by Michael Byrd. All Rights Reserved.

INCREASING AND DECREASING WEIGHTS.......?

If you’ve been to the gym on a regular basis, you will eventually see the following behavior. Someone is working out with freeweights, doing some common exercise like bench presses. They do a set and then they change weights, sometimes increasing and sometimes decreasing. They do another set and again they change the weight. In fact, they go on like this for multiple sets, usually four or five, changing the weight each and every time. Is this normal? Is it helpful?

Well, Maybe…

As with many things, the answer isn’t quite as straightforward as you would think. There are reasons for and against both increasing and decreasing weight. However, the difference is rather small. In fact, unless you’re a serious body builder, you probably don’t have much to gain from increasing vs. decreasing weights. However, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the impact of weight altogher.

The Right Weight

The right weight is the one at which, when you do your target number of reps, you can barely do the last rep. For example, if I plan on doing 10 reps, then I should pick a weight where, on the 10th rep, I am barely able to lift the weight. If I can easily do an 11th and a 12th rep, then I’m using a weight that’s too low for me. The same applies to any number of reps. For example, if I want to do 5 reps, then I should pick a weight that will be very difficult on the 5th rep and pretty much impossible on the 6th rep. That’s called “working to failure” or “failure point”. That last rep is the failure point at which you simply cannot complete another full rep. Ideally, every set of exercises you do goes to the failure point.

NOTE - This applies to everyone, not just body builders. And yes, it applies to women too.

What Does This Have To Do With Increasing Or Decreasing Weight?

A lot. Think about the fact that many people do multiple sets. For example, I used to do 4 sets of 10 reps for each exercise. So for example, I would do 10 lunges, rest a few seconds, 10 more, rest, 10 more, rest and then 10 more. That’s 4 sets of 10 reps. Now clearly, as I do more and more of these sets, I’m going to be pretty tired. That means I’m going to have a harder time with the weight.

If I used the same weight for each of these sets, I would have an easy time lifting it on the first set and I might find it impossible to even complete my fourth set. To compensate for that, I would start out with a higher weight and decrease the weight as I progressed in sets. So the first set might be with 120lbs, the second with 110, the third with 100 and the last one with 90.

So Decreasing Weight Is Good?

That’s not what I’m saying. Decreasing weight is just a means to an end. That end is always working each set so that you’re unable to do even one more rep at the end of it. Decreasing the weight was just one way of achieving that. I could have done it in other ways. For example, I can do:

1. Set 1 - 12 reps with 100lbs
2. Set 2 - 10 reps with 100lbs
3. Set 3 - 8 reps with 100lbs
4. Set 4 - 6 reps with 100lbs

This way I can keep the weight the same while still working to failure on each set.

Alternatively, I could do:

1. Set 1 - 20 reps with 60lbs
2. Set 2 - 15 reps with 80 lbs
3. Set 3 - 10 reps with 100lbs
4. Set 4 - 5 reps with 120lbs

This approach is just as valid.

These days I only do one set of exercises per workout. So I’m never doing multiple weights. However, I do change weights per day so that on Monday I might be doing a set of 10 lunges with 100lbs. In Wednesday I do a set of 5 lunges with 160lbs while on Friday I do a set of 20 lunges with 70lbs. Again, it’s not about increasing or decreasing weight, it’s about always working to failure and making sure that last rep is really the last one that you can do.

One Last Point

The only real benefit of decreasing and increasing weight is change. Change is good for your body. Doing the same thing over and over in the exact same way tends to lead people into a rut. They get stuck with one routine and can never improve. Changing weights can be a way of forcing your body to adapt to different conditions and that’s a good thing. So whether you change weights every set or every day, just keep trying new things and always work towards that failur point.

Honestly guys/gals Mikey and I believe in increasing the weight, after each set! The best way to determine if this works for you, is to try it....After all, the best workout is one that works for you!!!

I dont know this guy, but he's right! A large majority, both male and female, increase or decrease the weight after each set...Just something to think about!

How To Get Back On Track

How To Get Back On Track

Looking for a chance, a reason or maybe even the motivation to start over?

If you have fallen behind with your fat loss plan because of summer holidays or had some major set backs, No Worries!

Starting over is a fact of life!
And you are Absolutely NOT alone in this!

It makes no sense whatsoever to beat yourself up over it or hide behind excuses ~ such choices keep you RIGHT where you are.

If you are ready and willing to make a difference to your results, you can actually turn set backs into something Positive that can actually Benefit you!

Consider this cool Set Back Fact:
Each time you overcome a set back, you have the opportunity to learn more about YOU.

Set Backs are Stepping Stones….not anchors.

You can overcome each and every setback - keeping you moving on the path to self-improvement.

New lessons
New insight
New motivation
New appreciation

You can more effectively manage your “restarts” by embracing that this is a Life Long journey. Setbacks and restarts are bound to happen so you can choose to Minimize the effect by:

~ giving up the “all-or-nothing” mentality
~ getting better at forgiving yourself
~ taking time to reflect

This last one is super important!

How can we ever learn from these experiences - learning that will take us down a much more successful path - if we do not take the time to look back at whatever happened and ask ourselves….

“What could I have done differently?”

How To Get Back on Track and FAST

If you can make the effort to engage in negative self talk, choose to not workout, choose to indulge in a few more “cheats” - and yes, this does take effort -then you have the ability and the power to choose differently.

Action Steps:
Just three…so take them today.

1 ~ Goals
Take the time to write our your goal.

Determine what it is you want and most importantly - WHY you want it. If you already have taken this step- Review them and reconnect with the emotions of WHY you are doing all of this in the 1st place.

2 ~ Write About Your Experience
How freeing it is to write your thoughts and feelings about your set backs??!!

There is something VERY powerful in the written word.

3 ~ Forgive Yourself
As mentioned above, you cannot move on if you are holding on to dis-empowering emotions.
Forgive yourself - you are human and take the next best step!

Don’t let life pass you by!
Make the most of where you are right now and take that Next Best Step Forward!

~ “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. ”

Motivation is Key to success in achieving your goals!

Motivation is one of the most important factors which determines how successful we are at what we do. It is the driving force that gives us the will to accomplish tasks and eventually succeed at reaching an ultimate goal. Motivation levels can vary each day depending on how we feel, or how we view certain experiences. For anyone to succeed at slimming motivation will be the most important part to work at, it will provide us with the determination to get up and exercise even if we don't feel up to it. Motivation also drives us to stick to the low fat selections and recipes required to keep our progress moving.

The strength of your motivation will determine how successful you are in your weight loss efforts as the more you progress and lose weight the more difficult it will be to lose more as the body is pushed past its natural set points. Many top conditioning coaching admit that its possible to gain amazing results when an individual's motivation is high, even if the training program is not "scientifically correct".

DEVELOPING WEIGHT LOSS MOTIVATION

Most dieters will have some degree of motivation as they have already decided to take action. The problem for many is keeping the levels high enough to prevent any relapse.

Work through some of the following ideas and see if these can increase your desire for success!

LEARN TO ACCEPT SELF:

The most common reason people lose interest in exercise / dieting is due to unrealistic goals. Some see the images in the media or television and this coveys the message of how we are supposed to look, adverts enforce these images with false promises like "you too can have a body like this!", and we believe it! When the desired goals aren't reached we're made to believe we have failed.

We need to put these images into prospective and realise that most of the population just do not have the genetic predisposition to look like the models in the magazines, plus most images are now adjusted by computers to look better than they actually are.

Learn to love yourself for who you are, not who you wish to be. Acknowledge that you need to improve your health or weight, but believe that you will do what you can to be the best you can possibly be. The constant pressure and stress of trying to turn yourself into someone you physically cannot be will stop, and it'll be an enormous weight off the shoulders, you'll be surprised at how good it will make you feel and how this can help drive your motivation to make realistic improvements. When we understand and appreciate our bodies, we are able to work with them, not against them!

FOCUS ON POSITIVES NOT NEGATIVES:

Many of us have a tendency to look at our bad points, however once you start to accept yourself it will be easier to focus on the positive side more. To make it easier try writing a list of all the good things in what you've done or what you like about your physical self. Practice running these positives through your mind regularly, it may take time but its surprising what you can believe if it is said enough times - remember the past believe that you could look like the models if you obtain the right diet!

• if you don't reach a goal when you want, just focus on the fact that you will get there in time

• remember how far you've got not how far you need to go

• if you miss a workout one day don't worry just go back with more vigour to improve

• remind yourself that a worthwhile pay-off lies ahead in an improved you

• remember the exercise is improving your health and fitness and will help increase longevity

• remember exercise has many psychological benefits including renewed confidence and self esteem

• any type of action always drives motivation

To boost motivation some dieters need to development of a different "mind set". For some people hypnotherapy has work really well to help gain more control over the mind!

SET GOALS:

Setting goals has the advantage of focusing on what you intend to achieve. A goal acts as a form of mental contract with yourself and your degree of motivation will drive you to complete that contract. If the goal is too hard to achieve it can affect your success. The subconscious mind does not distinguish between big or little, it only knows success or failure. If you set a goal of four training sessions each week but only complete three then the mind sees this as a failure. For this reason you must set realistic and easily reachable goals. When you attain each goal it gives momentum to increase the level of motivation further.

Try these tips:

• write down your goals

• set easy goals often so you create a habit of success in the mind

• set measurable goals - I will lose 1 pound each week. This gives you something to go for

• tell friends and family about your goals for motivational support

• make any routine fun and exciting to help maintain interest

• try new challenging goals to stop your normal routine from becoming a chore

• reward your success on reaching a goal

• think positively, replace thoughts like "I can't" with "I can and I will"

• don't set goals that are too much too soon

8 Minutes to Get Rid of Your Upper Body "chubb"

Whether it's the little black dress in winter or, for men, stripping down to your shorts in summer, those wobbly bits around the upper arms, chest and back can easily spoil the look. Here's our 8 minute body toning workout to banish the "chubb"

Equipment Needed

Any exercise aimed at toning your body needs something to provide resistance for your muscles to work against. Most of the exercises below use hand-held weights to provide resistance: these can be as simple as water bottles (or even tins of food) you can grip comfortably, or dumbbells in the range of 1lb-5lb/0.5-2kg.

Timing and Repetitions

10 reps of each exercise should take about 8 minutes. As with all exercise you should warm-up first. Marching or jogging on the spot for a few minutes interspersed with some gentle stretches will do the trick.

Caution

Body toning exercise can be a pretty painful experience if muscles have lain dormant for a while. The problem is, it's not until 24-48hrs after your workout that you'll realise you've overdone it! Body toning exercise should not be painful while you are doing it - if it is you're using too much weight.

If you've not been exercising your muscles recently it's best to start with a weight that feels "very easy" and build up gradually from there.

The Workouts

Exercise 1 - Chest and Shoulders

Lie on your back and grasp your weights with the palms of your hands facing up, and your arms outstretched to the sides. With your elbows slightly bent, lift your arms above your chest until your hands are almost touching. Return to starting position and repeat.

Exercise 2 - Chest and Shoulders

Lie on your back and grasp your weights with the palms of your hands facing up, and your arms outstretched above your head. Grip your weights and bring them over your head and down to your hips, by your sides - a semi-circular motion. Lift back to starting position and repeat.

Exercise 3 - Chest and Back

Sitting with your back straight (preferably supported) and legs straight out in front of you, hold your weights in at your chest with your elbows out to the side (parallel to the floor). Push your arms out straight in front of you then pull them back in. Repeat.

Exercise 4 - Back and Shoulders

Stand with feet shoulder width apart and arms by your sides, gripping the weights with palms facing outwards. Making sure your movements are slow and concentrated, tense your shoulder and upper back muscles, then slowly "shrug" them up and down.

Exercise 5 - Shoulders and Upper Arms

Stand with feet shoulder width apart and arms raised straight up above your head, grip your weights with your palms facing behind you. Slowly bring your arms forward and down, without bending at the elbow, until level with your shoulders. Lift back to starting position and repeat.

Exercise 6 - Upper Arms, Shoulders and Back

Standing with feet slightly apart, grasp your weights and bend at the waist until your torso is parallel to the floor. Extend your arms towards the floor with palms facing outwards. Lift your arms out to the side, keeping them straight, until parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Exercise 7 - Upper Arms, Shoulders and Back

Standing with feet slightly apart, position your arms straight down in front of you almost against your body - with your weights almost touching. Bend your elbows and lift your weights towards your chin, bringing your elbows out to the side, in line with your shoulders. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Exercise 8 - Arms and Chest

The classic push up. With your hands shoulder width apart place your palms on the floor. Stretch out your body with either your knees on the floor, or if you're feeling ambitious, your toes - so you are supporting your body weight. Keeping your back straight and using your arms lower yourself gently toward the floor until you are hovering just over it. Push yourself slowly back to your starting position and repeat. Remember - don't lower yourself to the point where you come into contact with the floor, it'll be much harder to push back up.

Exercise 9 - Arms

In a sitting position with your back straight, relax your arms in line with your body. Grip your weights with your palms facing upwards and curl them up towards your shoulders, then back down again. Repeat. Keep your torso still and back straight, let your arms do the work.

Exercise 10 - Forearms

Holding your weight with your arm outstretched in front of you, tilt your wrist up and down repeatedly. Try doing this with both an overhand and underhand grip on your weight. Do one arm at a time.

Muscle Memory

The question many people weight training ask is how does muscle memory work and how can we capitalize on this in our workouts? Well the answer may be a little more complicated than it seems but this article seeks to demystify the muscle memory phenomenon and provide you with strategies to make the most of your workouts even when you miss a few days or weeks.

What is Muscle Memory?

Physiologically speaking muscle memory is also known as nerromuscular facilitation whereby our muscles memorize movements and through space and time.

To clarify this point lets take a look at someone who has an ankle break and has a cast placed on their ankle. After not using the muscles in the foot and calves for several weeks the person loses ability to completely flex and extend the foot. Although this may seem like a major set back the muscles still remember how to do the movement and that person is able to walk again shortly thereafter.

Now let’s contrast this to learning an exercise for the first time, for example a biceps curl with a dumbbell. When we first learned how to do this our brain wants to do this exercise the easiest way we know how, by involving our shoulders and using our body to swing the weight up.

But we quickly learn from personal trainers (and health blogs such as this!) that we really need to keep our elbows tucked in to our sides and simply use the bicep muscle alone to flex and bring the weight up. After all, doing it this way without any swinging motion is the most effective way of building the biceps muscle.

How Can We Benefit From Muscle Memory?

This one simple point is the basis of all our training. The more we train and understand what exercises our body responds to best the better we can perform and utilize our muscle memory to gain maximum results from weight training. In other words, even if you take some time off or away from the gym, when you come back a few weeks later you can still have that benefits of remembering how to do that exercise and quickly get back on the train of muscle growth.

How Can We Suffer From Muscle Memory?

Of course with every positive is a negative so we can also suffer from muscle memory. By this I mean that our body rapidly adapts to exercises and the immediate results that we see when getting back in the gym eventually slow down…unless…we add variation. This is key, we have to remember to switch up our weight training routine at least once every 6 weeks otherwise we will plateau and lose motivation.

Professional athletes and trainers like Mike are very focused on this. Thats why every routine is different. Mike wants you to maximize your potential! so at 6:00 am when you want to kill him, just know that he wants to see you succeed! Even if the exercise is as simple as bicep curls with a barbell, simply switching it up to dumbbells will be a significant variation to give us results again.

Conclusion

Remember, no matter what gets in your way of maintaining your training schedule it is never too late to go back. Consistency with variation is key, kind of ironic I know, but have fun with your workouts by trying out different routines all the time. Keep your muscles guessing and you will maximize the benefits you see with muscle strength, toning and fat loss.

Should You Mix and Match Exercises?

posted by Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS

The question often arises as to whether you can just pick up a workout out of a magazine or book and add a few of the exercises into your routine, or potentially substitute some the stated exercises with others.

These questions come up out of the need to substitute exercises because you either don't have the equipment specified or you just want to mix and match exercises depending on which moves look interesting. Sometimes you may even want to add in another exercise because it happens to target a particular muscle group you're looking to work.

I ask you to display some caution when it comes to substituting exercises, doubling up on certain body parts, or just choosing an exercise because of how it looks. The reason I say this is that, not all, but many of the programs you see designed in books and some magazines are created as a complete workout. This means that in order to get the maximum effectiveness of that workout you need to complete all the specified movements.

Typically, the sum of all the exercises also brings balance to all body parts and provides a total workout. By mixing and matching you run the risk of creating a muscular imbalance and missing out on a well-balanced workout.

However, there are very specific ways you can substitute exercises with similar movements to still get the same results.

I pulled this off the internet, mostly due to the time I was alotted, at 2:40 in the morning and an hour of researching. Actually my mother asked me this question, and I gave her the same answer. The only difference was the answer I gave. The answer was deffinately not explained as clearly as "Stephen Cabral" None the less had I been given some time, this is the reply that I would have given, if I wasnt half asleep.

"Nobody, At Any Level, Should Be Allowed To Have
Anything To Do With Healthy Weight Loss Until They
Have Read This Page Seven Times"

Imagine that you’re standing around at work or seated in a classroom taking notes. Or, maybe you’re driving to your child’s first t-ball game of the season.

What you’re NOT doing is sweating or gasping for air.

Yet your metabolism is “exercising”: It’s burning more calories than it normally does at rest, and that means more fat loss.

How many more calories is it burning? By the start of the next day, it will be as many as an athlete might burn by running at over 9 miles per hour on a treadmill for nearly 10 minutes straight (~19 calories per minute).

And it's all because of one ingredient tucked inside a natural product that’s available from any supermarket and is said to be second only to water in terms of its worldwide consumption¹.

Here’s another supermarket wonder. This naturally-occurring amino acid has the potential to reduce your caloric intake by as much as 8%. In one study², subjects who took it ate almost 100 fewer calories.

No undesirable side effects.

It simply reduced their appetite for food. Needless to say, avoiding overeating is a critical component of losing body fat and the one many of us find the most difficult to accomplish.

Let’s add a third to the mix. When subjects took a single dose of this popular ingredient, their calorie-burning rate was boosted by as much as 4% for the next two and a half hours, a change that could lead to “substantial” changes in body weight, according to the scientists who conducted the study³.

The weight loss ingredients described above are just three out of the carefully blended collection of twelve found in Prograde’s new METABOLISM dietary supplement, the latest addition to our line of products intended to help you simplify the process of achieving your proudest body.*

Everyone’s Talking About The Same Thing.

“Slim down”, “lean up”, “drop a few pounds” –whichever words you use to talk about losing weight, you’re ultimately describing the same thing: reducing body fat.

Your body can be divided into two tissue compartments: fat mass and lean mass. Fat mass includes body fat, also known as adipose tissue. Lean mass includes skeletal muscle.

Few of us want to lose muscle when we lose weight. If anything, we’re in a constant struggle to hold on to it as we age.

Body fat, in contrast, is something we strive to get rid of.

Besides affecting how you look in a swimsuit and your level of comfort in front of cameras, body fat impacts your so-called “metabolic health” and, in turn, your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

This May Be The Most Important Secret.

Perhaps the most important secret to losing body fat is “exercising” your metabolism. Physical activities like walking, lifting weights, swimming and the like can push your metabolism to work harder and thereby burn more calories.

And increasing your calorie-burning rate (a.k.a. metabolic rate) is the first step towards achieving negative fat balance, a technical term for the state of affairs in which your body is burning more fat than it’s storing.

No matter how hard you work out or how healthy you eat, if you’re not in negative fat balance, then you’re not losing body fat.

Of course, at some point during the day most of us have to stop exercising in the conventional sense of the word and make a living. The moment you do that (or consume a meal), your calorie-burning rate plummets and it becomes far more difficult to achieve negative fat balance.

This presents a problem: Similar to how you gain body fat when you remain in positive fat balance for a long period of time, losing fat requires that you remain in negative fat balance for a long period of time.

For most mortals, working out all day isn’t an option.

Fortunately, there are natural products capable of keeping your metabolism “exercising” at rest, thereby elevating your calorie-burning rate and making it easier to achieve negative fat balance.

Four of the most studied of these products are coffee, hot red pepper, cinnamon and green tea. We’ve all passed by them in the supermarket.

Few of us, however, are aware of the metabolic properties displayed by particular ingredients found inside each, and how these properties may help you simplify the process of losing body fat. Below is just a small sample of what human studies (no furry animals) have reported:

• A single 50-mg dose of caffeine, equivalent to a little over ½ a cup of coffee, was found to increase the calorie-burning rate of healthy male subjects by 6%².*

• Women given a meal containing capsaicin, the compound responsible for the painful experience of eating hot red pepper, experienced an increase in calorie-burning rate of 10% after the meal⁴.*

• Pre-diabetic subjects given a cinnamon extract reduced their body fat by 0.7% and increased their lean mass by 1.1%. No such changes were observed in subjects receiving a placebo⁵.*

• Men and women given a green tea extract increased their calorie-burning rate by 3.5%⁶.*

The figures cited above sound impressive, don’t they? The reality is that they’re not. A closer re-examination shows why:

• Caffeine: The 6% increase in calorie-burning rate only lasted 4 hours, causing subjects to burn an average of 17 more Calories. That’s roughly the caloric content of 3 tablespoons of Coca-Cola.*

• Capsaicin: The women in this study ate a curried rice curry dish containing 3 mg of capsaicin, equivalent to a few grams of hot red pepper, depending on the variety. Their calorie-burning rate increased 10%, but only for 30 minutes.*

As one of the scientists who conducted the study remarked, it would take a year to lose 1 kg (2.2 lb) of body fat at this rate⁷.*

• Cinnamon: Subjects received the cinnamon extract for 12 weeks. The daily dose was equivalent to 10 g of whole cinnamon. While the reduction in body fat experienced by the subjects taking cinnamon was significant, it was also pretty modest.*

For a 190-lb person with 25% body fat, a 0.7% decrease represents a loss of less than half a pound of body fat.* It’s questionable whether you would even notice a change this small, though the fact that the subjects taking cinnamon gained lean mass at the same time as they lost fat does make the results quite a bit more compelling.

Subjects taking cinnamon also experienced a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure.*

• Green tea: The results of this study are more impressive. Subjects who took the extract received a daily dose equivalent to 3-4 cups of brewed green tea⁸.

Their calorie-burning rate rose by 3.5%, not just for an hour or two, but for twenty-four hours.*

This meant they burned anywhere from 63.5-200 additional Calories a day (average 78.3 Calories).

Using the highest figure in this range, this is roughly equivalent to the caloric content of a small piece of pizza, or how many Calories an athlete might burn by running on a treadmill at over 9 miles per hour for almost 10 minutes without stopping.

Remember, however, that the average was 78.3 Calories.

If you did nothing else but ingest green tea and it increased your calorie-burning rate by this amount every single day, it would take you nearly 7 weeks to lose one pound of body fat.*

Burning Calories In The “Real World”

A considerable amount of scientific research suggests that key ingredients in coffee (caffeine), hot red pepper (capsaicin), cinnamon (polyphenols) and green tea (catechins) have a modest ability to increase your calorie-burning rate or in some other way assist with weight loss and protection against obesity.* While taking larger doses may produce stronger weight loss effects, it also increases the risk of undesirable “side” effects.

Here are a couple of examples.

As scientists who have studied capsaicin point out, most Westerners would find it very difficult if not impossible to get enough of his compound from the diet (e.g. as by adding hot red pepper to meals) to achieve a fat-reducing effect⁹. It’s just too painful.

Others have shown that caffeine or coffee only produce increases in 24-hour calorie-burning rate (i.e. as opposed to an increase that only lasts an hour or two) when doses in the range of 600-1000 mg of caffeine are ingested³.

That’s equivalent to drinking 6-12 cups of coffee in a single day, levels known to produce disturbances in mood (e.g. anxiety) and blood pressure in some individuals.

Even the relatively smaller doses found to produce modest benefits (without undesirable side effects) in studies may be impractical to achieve by relying on the diet alone.

Studies on cinnamon, for example, have used the equivalent of anywhere from 1-10 g of cinnamon powder, quantities not ordinarily used in food. While it may be possible to get enough cinnamon from the diet to lose body fat, USDA scientist Dr. Richard Anderson (Ph.D.) explains that cinnamon obtained this way may be “inactivated” by polyphenol-binding proteins secreted by your salivary glands¹⁰.

Others, like Dr. Andrew Blannin (Ph.D.) think that it would be extremely hard to consume enough cinnamon to produce improvements in insulin sensitivity without taking supplements¹¹.*

In light of everything we’ve discussed, it could be argued that the most sensible approach is to take just enough of each ingredient to produce a small calorie-burning effect so that the overall effect is that much greater.

Unfortunately, based on studies like those referred to here, putting such a “team approach” into practice by relying on the diet only could amount to drinking 3-4 cups of green tea, adding hot red peppers to several meals and swallowing 10 g of cinnamon, all followed by at least one, if not 2, 3, 4 or more, cups of black coffee.

If that doesn’t sound delicious, then we don’t know what does. There’s got to be a simpler way.

The Simpler Way: New METABOLISM

Prograde’s new METABOLISM dietary supplement is intended to serve as a simple tool for helping you “exercise” your metabolism, raise your calorie-burning rate and get you into the negative fat balance territory where fat loss actually occurs.*

How simple is METABOLISM to use? For starters, one serving consists of three size “00” capsules, each measuring only 0.75 x 0.25 inches. The small dimensions make the capsules easy to swallow with water.

Yet inside each serving, Prograde’s R&D scientists managed to fit a team of the same four weight loss ingredients discussed in this article:

• Caffeine: We selected a dose of caffeine that’s been proven to increase calorie-burning rate in healthy subjects¹². Importantly, subjects taking this dose experienced no significant changes in blood pressure (no different than subjects receiving a placebo).*

• Capsaicin: Now there’s no need to add hot red peppers to your meals in order to “exercise” your metabolism. We took capsaicin isolated from the pepper plant and inserted it conveniently into each capsule of METABOLISM.

The particular capsaicin we selected came from a location in India, more than 7000 miles away. It has a 40,000 H.U. (heat units) rating that is relatively mild and thus less likely to upset sensitive stomachs.*

• Cinnamon: METABOLISM’s R&D scientists chose to use a concentrated extract of cinnamon bark in a dose equivalent to 1 gram of whole cinnamon.

This is within the range of doses used in studies investigating cinnamon’s beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and blood glucose regulation, both of which may factor into the weight loss equation.*

• Green tea extract: The green tea extract found in each serving of METABOLISM is sourced from China (who knows green tea better?). It contains more than 112% of the dose of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) ingested by the subjects in the study that reported a 3.5% increase in 24-hour calorie-burning rate⁶.

EGCG is the catechin believed to contribute to green tea’s anti-obesity effects.*

In an effort to further intensify METABOLISM’s calorie-burning potential, Prograde’s R&D scientists added:

• L-Tyrosine: Two servings of METABOLISM supplies 175% of the dose of this naturally-occurring amino acid found to reduce food intake in healthy subjects².

In the same study, tyrosine caused subjects to burn a greater proportion of calories from fat.*

• L-Arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG): The amino acid l-arginine has a reputation for increasing levels of growth hormone (GH) and nitric oxide (NO).*

Among other things, GH is involved in the regulation of body composition, i.e. the proportion of fat mass versus lean mass.* NO helps regulate blood flow.*

Taking arginine before exercise may enhance blood flow to your working muscles by supporting the production of NO.*

• DL-Methionine, Inositol and Choline Bitartrate; Vitamins B-6, B-12 and Biotin:

This team of important nutrients was added to METABOLISM to support the movement of fat in the body and its efficient conversion into usable energy (“calories burned”).*

All of METABOLISM’s ingredients are carefully blended together using airtight stainless steal equipment.

Prior to blending, they’re stored in double-lined, fibrous drums in a room that is strictly monitored for both temperature and humidity.

Once the drums are opened, blending takes place quickly, after which the resulting mixture is re-stored in the drums to help keep its precious team of ingredients fresh and ready for metabolic action before being placed in the consumer package that ends up in your hand.*

Keep Your Metabolism In “Exercise Mode”

If METABOLISM were an actual piece of exercise equipment, it would be a high-speed treadmill, one of those commercial kinds with the four-horsepower-plus motor. (Fortunately, it is much smaller than a treadmill.)

Indeed, a team of ingredients like this has the potential to do great things to your metabolism, particularly as it concerns reducing body weight.*

However, if your goal is to swallow a few capsules with water, sit back and watch the pounds drop off without paying attention to your diet or exercise habits, then please don’t buy it.

It wasn’t designed with you in mind.

Who METABOLISM is designed for is for those of us who intend on using it as an effective adjunct to a diet containing an appropriate amount of Calories and a regular program of exercise, the latter preferably including plenty of resistance exercise.*

When used in this manner, the results you experience are likely to be much, much greater.*

Mikey received this article from a friend of his. Mike felt really passionate about this article,and wanted me to post it on the blog today....... WOW it's A LOT to take in....maybe that's why you have to read it 7 times...enjoy

Fast Food Restaurants & Nutrition Facts Compared....SCARY

Fast food is bad food. That's pretty much common knowledge these days. The majority of the foods served at fast food restaurants contain an insane amount of calories, tons of fat (including the very evil trans fat), and are high in pretty much everything else that you'd want your food to be low in. Long story short, it's the kind of food you want to avoid eating.

But, you probably know this already. The funny thing is, most of the world doesn't seem to care. The fast food restaurants continue to do just fine because people continue to eat their unhealthy food. So I figured, if you are still going to eat this junk, you might as well at least know which is the best of the worst, and which is the worst of the worst.

To show this, I've compared the nutrition facts of the most popular foods from over 20 popular fast food restaurants to see how each restaurant's version of the same food stacks up against the others. If this isn't enough to convince you to eat less (or none) of this stuff, it will at least give you the information you need to make the better choice and avoid making the worst one. Enjoy...

*NOTE #1* The tables below are sortable. Clicking a category (calories, fat, trans fat, etc.) will sort the data in that column from lowest to highest. Clicking it again will sort it from highest to lowest.

*NOTE #2* Any questions you may have about anything you see in this fast food comparison is most likely answered at the bottom of this very page or in the "Notes" of each comparison. Be sure to check it out for clarifications on anything that may seem unclear.

French Fries (Large) Compared

Fast Food Restaurant	Type	Serving Size (g)	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)		Carbs (g)	Sodium (mg)
McDonald's	Regular	170	570	30	6		70	330
Burger King	Regular	160	500	28	6		57	820
Burger King	Salt Not Added	160	500	28	6		57	530
Wendy's	Regular	Unknown	540	26	4		69	550
Arby's	Homestyle	213	566	37	7		82	1029
Arby's	Curly	198	631	37	7		73	1476
Hardee's	Regular	193	610	28	6		78	370
Hardee's	Crispy Curls	153	480	23	6		60	1190
A&W	Regular	156	430	18	4.5		61	640
A&W	Chili	170	370	16	4.5		49	780
A&W	Cheese	170	380	19	5		50	870
A&W	Chili Cheese	198	400	19	5		51	990
In-N-Out Burger**	Regular**	125**	400**	18**	5**		54**	245**
Jack In The Box	Natural Cut	236	640	33	8		77	1180
Jack In The Box	Seasoned Curly	170	550	31	6		60	1200
White Castle	Regular	244	700	34	6		89	560
Sonic	Regular	98	280	11	2		42	135
Sonic	Cheese	125	380	19	7		44	600
Sonic	Chili/Cheese	186	450	25	9		48	610
Dairy Queen	Regular	280	730	33	6		100	1530
KFC*	Potato Wedges*	102*	260*	13*	2.5*		33*	740*
Carl's Jr.	Regular	198	620	29	6		80	380
Popeyes**	Regular**	88**	310**	17**	7**		35**	660**
Del Taco	Regular	198	490	32	5		47	380

* KFC does not have any "french fries." They do have "potato wedges" which is somewhat close, so I included this information above for comparison purposes. However, I did not take it into account when showing the best/worst since they are technically not "french fries."

** In-N-Out Burger and Popeyes had one item listed as just "French Fries." No actual size (large, small, etc.) was given. Therefore, they were also not taken into account when showing the best/worst french fries.

• Best: Sonic (regular)
  Sonic's basic french fries are my pick for the best of this comparison. It's not hard to see why either. Due to having the smallest serving size of all of the other fast food restaurants, their large fries ended up being the lowest in every single one of the compared nutrition facts. Not to mention, with 0 grams of trans fat, it was one of just two large french fries that contained 0 grams. The other? Another one from Sonic... this time their cheese fries.
• Worst: Dairy Queen (regular) & White Castle (regular)
  It was hard to pick an official worst choice here, as there was a lot of trans fat being thrown around. In the end, I went with Dairy Queen's basic fries for being the highest in calories (seriously, 730 calorie fries? Yikes.) and sodium. White Castle's basic fries were also picked here not so much for calories (although at 700, it was right up there in second place) but because of it containing more trans fat (11 evil grams) than any of the others. Of all of the items being compared in this entire comparison, french fries are easily one of the worst all around trans fat offenders.
• Notes: For this comparison, I tried to use each fast food restaurant's "Large" french fries. In two cases however, there was no "large" version. So, I instead used whatever that restaurant's largest size was. For White Castle it was "Sack," and for Del Taco it was "Medium."

This article I did not write myself, but it's almost what I was looking for. Last night I gave into temptation, and went for fast food.... :( I wanted to know how much "garbage" I was actually consuming, and after searching a few articles I stumbled across this one. Granted a few restaurants are exclusive to the United States in this article, but I feel it's my job to inform you about these popular restaurants, far and wide...no pun intended.

I hope the next time anyone goes to the states and thinks, "hey maybe i'll try a different restaurant" THINK TWICE PLEASE!

PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR COMMENTS!!!!!