WE HAVE MOVED

For all of the same great information and more in an easier to read format, go to http://www.delveintohealth.com/

If you're new to health and fitness related topics, try this link: http://www.delveintohealth.com/getting-started/

For all nutrition related topics, go here: http://www.delveintohealth.com/category/nutrition/

For all fitness related topics, go here: http://www.delveintohealth.com/category/fitness/

To learn more, go to my about page: http://www.delveintohealth.com/about/

Avoiding Temptation: Healthy Snacking

It’s most common to be tempted to cheat on our diets when we get hungry between meals.  Many dieters eliminate between-meal snacks from their diets in an effort to cut calories consumed throughout the day, but this can result in a frustrating 4 o’clock feeling because it’s been a while since lunch but dinner is still a few hours away.  If this sounds like you, you have the right idea but you’re making it harder on yourself than it has to be.  Spreading your calories throughout the day by eating a variety of healthful snacks can help ward off cravings and will keep your metabolism running strong all day.

Eat Every 3 Hours

3 hours is a guideline, not a law, but going for long periods of time without food may actually be detrimental to your diet plan.  This is especially true if you’re on a low calorie diet because your metabolism will be more inclined to slow down during the day because it isn’t getting as much food as it’s used to.  Eating every 3 hours or so will force your metabolism to continue to burn calories throughout the entire day and will provide your body with the steady supply of nutrients you need to perform at your best and avoid temptations.

Try this: Eat a hearty breakfast around 8, lunch at 12, an afternoon snack at about 3:30, dinner around 7 and a high protein snack before bed around 10.

Have Healthy Snacks with You

If you work a 9-5, make sure to pack at least one healthful snack every day and have a back-up stash somewhere in your desk.  Same idea goes if you’re attending school – those vending machine temptations won’t be very forgiving to your waistline or wallet.  It’s also important to have snacks with you on vacations so you have something to hold you over until you find a restaurant with healthy options.  I would recommend always having an emergency stash somewhere in your car so you’re not tempted to hit a lot of fast food joints when you’re on the road.

Choose Balanced Snacks

A balanced snack will have complex carbohydrates (found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables), protein, and fat.

For example, try these healthy options:

Nuts (great for stashing in your car or desk)

Low-fat string cheese with whole wheat crackers

Low-sugar Greek yogurt (add dried fruit and nuts for more flavor)

Peanut butter on whole wheat bread

Apples, grapes, bananas and other fresh fruit

Vegetables (carrots and broccoli travel well)

Dark chocolate with a glass of reduced-fat milk

These and other options that are high in fiber, protein and healthy fats will help you stay full throughout the day and ward off temptations as you pass the local donut shop.  Remember, spreading your calories out throughout the day is always better than eating them all in a few sittings.

Get a Total Body Workout in 15 Minutes

We all know there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything we want to, but if you truly feel like you just don't have enough time to exercise, try to rethink how you exercise. Hitting the gym doesn't always have to be a 2 hour ordeal; in fact sometimes you can stay home (which eliminates commuting time) and get a great workout in as little as 15 minutes! To pull off an effective workout in such a short amount of time, efficiency is important. You'll want to work multiple muscle groups at the same time with compound exercises and you can eliminate time between exercises by performing circuit training.

Compound Exercises

Some exercises are intended to only target a very specific muscle group, while compound exercises engage multiple muscle groups at the same time. Although exercises that target specific muscles can be effective and should be a part of your regular weight lifting routine, when you're strapped for time, rely on compound exercises to get a total body workout quickly.

Push-Ups

The push-up is one of my favorite exercises. It engages basically your entire upper-body: your chest, biceps, triceps, core, and even deltoids. For a standard push-up your arms should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart. To focus on your triceps, move your hands closer together. To really challenge your pectorals, move your hands further apart.

Squats

Squats are able to engage the two largest muscles in your body: your quads and glutes. Working larger muscles requires more energy, which means you'll burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Speed squats or jump squats will really make your heart rate jump, helping you reap some of the benefits of cardiovascular exercise in a short amount of time.

Chin-Ups

A chin-up bar that goes over your door is a fairly inexpensive home gym accessory, but you can also see if a nearby park has chin-up bars or even monkey bars. To target your biceps, grip the bar underhanded. To target your triceps, grip the bar overhanded.

Lunges

Lunges are another great lower body workout that will engage your quads, glutes and inner-thighs. Increase the difficulty by starting in an ordinary lunge position and jumping up and switching legs in the air.

Circuit Training

Circuit training is easiest to explain with an example: 24 jump squats followed immediately by 20 push-ups followed by 24 alternating leg lunges followed up by 10 chin-ups or 20 wide push-ups. Rest for 1 minute and repeat the sequence until you've reached the 15 minute mark.

The squats work your lower body so these muscles need rest before being used again. However, instead of wasting time while resting, you work completely different muscles with the push-ups. Then, while the muscles you work by doing push-ups are resting, you return to working your leg muscles. This intense sequence will get your heart racing just as if you were doing cardiovascular exercise, you'll save time by eliminating down time between exercises, and you can work out at home! Continue to challenge your body by mixing in different compound exercises from time to time and enjoy the benefits of long gym workouts in only a few minutes!

The Importance of Sleep

Did you know that sleep can actually help you lose weight and gain muscle mass?  When your body gets enough sleep, it partially suppresses the hormone ghrelin, which regulates your metabolism and appetite.  However, when you're deprived of sleep, this hormone goes through the roof, taking your appetite with it.

Speaking of hormones, your body releases its largest amount of growth hormone while you're asleep, which is essential for repairing the damage you did to your muscle tissue while you were working out.  If you're not getting enough sleep, your body won't be able to repair its muscles and it will take you longer to gain lean muscle mass.

Aim for between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night.  Your weight loss and muscle building goals will thank you.

Surviving McDonald's and Fast Food Restaurants

I don't think there will ever come a time when nutrition authors will be able to give you the complete go-ahead on fast food chains, but these chains may get a slightly worse reputation than they actually deserve. McDonald's especially has made a recent push towards offering healthier options, so if you're picky and follow these rules, the occasional fast food visit won't throw you off your diet.

No Meals

If you're planning on ordering a burger or sandwich, buy it à la carte. Ordering a medium drink and filling it up with Coke will add 150 junk calories and 40 grams of sugar that will cause your blood sugar to spike and leave you feeling hungry in an hour. The medium fries that come with your meal will add nearly 400 calories, 19 grams of fat, and more than 10% of your daily value of sodium. Trust me, it's not worth it.

Hold the Mayonnaise

Did you know that the mayonnaise at Burger King adds 160 calories to your meal with its whopping 17 grams of fat? That's more calories and fat than the cheese adds! As a general rule, opt for darker colored condiments, like Ketchup and barbecue sauce.

Be Careful of Salads

Salad is not necessarily code for healthy - you have to be picky here too. Does the Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken really sound healthy? It has more than 20 grams of fat and 450 calories, and that's if you don't add any dressing. With numbers like those you might as well go for a big juicy burger! Plus remember what I was saying about choosing dark-colored condiments? That means light-colored salad dressings are probably high in fat. If you're going to get a salad, opt for grilled chicken (McDonald's offers that same Southwest salad with grilled chicken) and dip each bite into a little bit of dressing instead of drenching your entire salad with it - you'll be able to taste the dressing without consuming more than you need.

Order from the Under 400 Calories Menu

The number of calories a meal has is by no means the only factor you should consider when picking what to eat (the medium fries managed to sneak onto this list after all), but this section of the menu is a good place to start searching for selections. You can request a further breakdown of nutritional information, look it up online, or use your best judgment. It's not always easy at a lot of fast food joints, but try to get the highest percentage of your calories from protein or at least choose options that move in that direction. Remember, protein is essential for weight loss and muscle gain, so you should make it a priority even when you're eating out.

A Beginner's Guide to the Gym: 5 Things You Must Know

When I was new to going to the gym I thought it was a pretty intimidating place. I didn't know what some of the machines did, I always felt lost, and it took me a while to figure out some of the vocabulary. Now that I've learned the ins and outs, I've compiled this list of information every new gym-goer should know.

1. No One is Paying Attention to You

The people at the gym are there to do the same thing you are: to get a good workout. That's what they're focused on, not the people around them. So if you're a little confused or a little lost, you're the only one who knows it - the people around you are completely oblivious to what you're doing.

2. No One Is Judging You

This is the same concept - people at the gym are focused on what they're doing, not what you're doing. If you're not lifting very much weight or if you had to slow down on the treadmill, no one else cares. In fact, I've always respected people who obviously aren't in great shape just for getting to the gym - we all started somewhere.

3. The Gym Staff is There to Help

You know those people who just kind of stand around at the front of the weight room and don't really do anything? Don't be afraid to ask them for help if you have a question, they're there for a reason. Besides, if you were confused at the airport wouldn't you ask a worker for help? It's the same concept.

4. The Labels are Useful

I know that we are all a little averse to reading directions, but those stickers on the weight lifting machines can be really useful if you're new to the gym. They'll show you how to do the exercise, which muscle groups you'll be using and how to set up the machine based on your height.

5. Know This Gym Vocabulary

How many sets do you have left?

This is the polite way of asking if you're almost done with a particular machine. Do not rush your workout just because someone is waiting, but don't dilly-dally around on your phone either.

Can I work in with you?

This is the common follow-up question if the answer to the previous question is more than one set - you're basically being asked if they can do a set while you're resting, and then you'll do your next set when they're resting. Unless you're doing some kind of timed circuit training, always say yes. And of course, you can always ask to work in too, just make sure they're resting when you ask and try to avoid messing with the height adjustments too much.

Can you spot me?

You're basically being asked to help someone do an exercise at a weight they're not sure they can do. It's unlikely you'll get asked this if you're not really fit yet, but if you do, make sure you know exactly what the person wants you to do. If it sounds manageable, you could make a friend. If it doesn't, tell them so. They're looking to prevent an injury when they ask for a spot, so if you don't think you can help them, they'll want to know.

Reveal Your Abs: 6 Things to Know About That Elusive Six-Pack

Striving for that perfectly chiseled six-pack you see on magazines?  Besides some friendly lighting, airbrushing and photo-shopping, there are some things you need to know about revealing your abs that can help you achieve that beach body you’ve always wanted.

Everyone Has Six-Pack Muscles

They’re just hidden – under fat – which means that to truly begin revealing your six-pack, you need to cut body fat.  This is the unfortunate reality of this article because cutting body fat is a slow process.  Deep down I’m sure you knew this was true though, so you can expect to start seeing your abs when you’re at a healthy body fat percentage.

You Cannot Spot Burn Fat

End of story.  You can’t only lose fat in your stomach area while remaining chubby elsewhere.  It can’t be done.  Don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise.

Crunches Won’t Reveal Your Abs

Abdominal crunches have got to be the most over-hyped exercise around.  Our core is made up of a combination of very small muscles that help to keep us upright and allow us to rotate our torsos.  They are a complex network that stretch from the front of your abs (the six-pack area), around to your obliques and even into your back.  Crunches will only work a very small percentage of these muscles, so any muscle definition you gain from sit-ups is likely to be minimal.  Also, because your ab muscles are so small, working them in isolation will burn only a negligible number of calories, which will not help to remove that layer of fat between your abs and your skin.

Focus on Big Muscles and Cardio

If you ever need some extra motivation to stay on the cardio machine for those last 5 minutes or to do your final set of squats, think of it as an indirect ab workout.  We all know that cardiovascular exercise is important to weight loss, and working large muscles, such as your quads and glutes, burns far more calories per repetition than working your much smaller abdominal muscles (in fact, squats burn more calories per rep than any other exercise).

The Best Ab Exercises

The most effective ab exercises involve more of your core than just the front part.  Stabilization exercises, such as planks, engage both the front and back areas of your core.  Try doing them on your sides with your elbow on the ground to engage your obliques.  Also, exercises that focus on trunk rotation will engage the front, sides and even back of your core.

Sit Up Straight

Even if you were to somehow do an hour of ab work every single day, your abs are still resting for the other 23 hours of the day.  One of the most basic functions of your abs is to keep you upright, so make them do their job!  If you’re working your abs basically whenever you’re awake by sitting up straight, you’ll be a lot more pleased with the results in a lot less time.

A Weight-Lifting Must

It can be very tempting to hold our breath while we struggle to get through the last few reps of our exercise and then pant when we finally finish it, but your muscles need a steady supply of oxygen to perform at their peak.  It's much better to establish a steady breathing rhythm while we lift: exhale when you're straining your muscles and inhale again when they're relaxing.  Still having trouble remembering to breathe?  Try whispering the count out loud each time you perform a repetition.

The Truth about Health Food Buzzwords

Marketers have responded to the recent pushes to eat better and lead healthier lives with buzzwords that make their products sound healthy.  Words and phrases like “all natural,” “organic,” “made with real fruit juice,” and “made with whole grain” dominate the packages in the aisles of your local grocery store.  Be careful though, these words may not mean what you think they do and they certainly aren’t the only factor you should consider when you’re filling your pantry.

All Natural

This one is probably the most misleading health food buzzword out there because “natural” likely doesn’t mean what you think it means.  In fact, according to the FDA, it doesn’t mean anything at all – the FDA does not define or regulate the term on food products.  The USDA loosely defines what natural means for meat products as not having artificial preservatives (which doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any preservatives – salt is found naturally in the earth after all), coloring ingredients, and it should be minimally processed.  Here’s the problem: meat from animals treated with strange hormones while they were alive can still technically be considered natural.  Also, the enforcement of companies who make “all natural” claims isn’t very stringent, so it’s largely up to the producer to define what natural is.  My recommendation: ignore any advertisement that says “all natural” and investigate the product on your own by taking a look at the ingredients list.

Organic

Food labeled as organic is much more stringently regulated than food labeled as all natural; and the “Certified USDA Organic” seal can only be used after a company undergoes an approval process and frequent inspections by USDA inspectors.  There’s a lot to the definition of what is and is not organic, but basically produce cannot be grown with synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, etc. and the pest control process cannot use certain chemicals.  Meat must be fed with organic feed, have access to the great outdoors, and they cannot be given growth hormones or antibiotics.  Again, that’s a very brief definition, but organic food is more what you think of when you think of food being made naturally.  If this is important to you, then you should spend the extra money on organic foods and visit Farmer’s Markets, but realize that organic is not synonymous with healthy.  You can make organic cookies or other organic foods that we would usually consider to be “junk food,” and although it may have been made naturally, it is not necessarily good for you.

Made with Real Fruit Juice

This one actually means what it sounds like, but it’s usually not as healthy as it sounds.  I have yet to find a label that says “made with real fruit juice” without having added sugar on the ingredients list.  Here’s the other problem with this label: when you’re only getting the fruit juice, you tend to lose all the other nutritional benefits of fruit.  Take an apple as an example.  An apple with the peel has about 5 grams of fiber (depending on the size of the apple), but if you only have a little apple fruit juice, you’re not getting any fiber.  You’re better off with real fruit, not real fruit juice.

Made with Whole Grain

I’m a big proponent of eating whole grains, but that doesn’t mean everything with whole grains is healthy.  Look for labels that say 100% whole grain – you should still check for sugar, fat and sodium content, but 100% whole grain is a good start.  If the label doesn’t say anything about what percentage of the product is whole grain, check to see how many grams of whole grain the label says a product is made with (which should be posted) and compare that to the number of grams of carbohydrates on the nutritional label.  Finally, you can check the ingredients list to see if the first ingredient listed says something about whole grains (note: an ingredient’s list is always listed from the most abundant ingredient to the least abundant ingredient).

The Bottom Line

Always check the nutritional label and ingredient’s list.  Marketers can’t try to deceive you here – they’re required by law to post this information and that is well regulated.

Simple Substitution #5: Almonds

Almonds are loaded in healthy omega-3 fats that will keep you full for hours.  It also packs a good dose of protein and Vitamin E, which is essential for protein absorption.  I especially like to take my protein shake with almond milk, which has nearly your entire daily value's worth of Vitamin E in just one serving, to make sure my muscles absorb as much as possible and for a thicker texture than water (discover if a protein supplement is right for you).  Carry around a package of almonds with you wherever you go for a natural snack full of nutritional benefits.

The Ugly Reality of Counting Calories

I’ve never really been a fan of counting calories for a number of reasons.  First, it’s kind of tedious and it’s honestly hard to tell how much milk you just poured into your bowl of cereal, so your results are often inaccurate.  Second, and most importantly, it oversimplifies the concepts behind eating well.  For example, even if you’re only eating 1200 calories a day (which is less than I’d recommend) of nothing but sugar, you’re not doing your health or your waistline any favors.

What is a calorie?

There are a number of ways to define a calorie, but when we’re talking about diet and exercise, think of calories as energy.  Your body needs a certain number of calories (energy) to keep your organs and bodily functions operating correctly, though this number varies greatly depending on age, size, muscle mass, activity level and more.  When you eat, you are consuming calories, which provides your body with energy; and when you exercise, you are burning calories because your body is using its available energy.

A Breakdown of Calories

There are 3 basic sources from which our body gets energy: fat, carbohydrates, and protein.

For each 1 gram of fat you eat, you are consuming 9 calories.

For each 1 gram of carbohydrates you eat, you are consuming 4 calories.

For each 1 gram of protein you eat, you are consuming 4 calories.

The Problem with Only Counting Calories

Counting calories may be a decent place to start, but the weight loss formula is far more complex than calories alone.  To stay healthy, feeling full, and energized, your body needs a combination of fat, carbs and protein.  If you’re only counting calories, you may not be getting a good balance of these macronutrients and your body will essentially be starving.  When your body doesn’t have the nutrients it needs, it will respond by letting your brain know that you’re hungry, making it more difficult to stick to your diet even if you’re eating a safe number of calories.

The Solution

Unfortunately, there is no simple way to explain what you should and should not eat, and you’ll need to do more research than just reading this section to effectively control your diet.  However, there are a few simple principles to follow that I’ll touch on briefly.

First, fat is not bad for you.  Limit saturated fat when possible and always avoid anything that has trans-fat, but monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat are very good for you and can actually help your weight loss routine gain momentum.  These healthy fats are readily found in nuts and fish.

Second, you do need to eat a lot of carbohydrates (somewhere in the ballpark of 300 grams) daily to stay energized.  When you eat carbs, opt for whole grain options like whole wheat bread or crackers.  Also, fruits and vegetables are considered complex carbohydrates, meaning they break down slowly to provide you with sustained energy.  These are always good options.

Third, high quality protein is absolutely essential for weight loss.  Unlike carbs or fats, your body can’t store protein for later, so you need to eat it every single day.  Aim for at least 75 grams of protein daily, more if you’re exercising frequently. 

5 Keys to Muscle Building

There’s more to muscle building than just getting to the gym and lifting weights.  Your body can only respond to the intense pressure you’re putting on your muscles if you treat it right, which means doing a lot of things right outside of the gym.  Follow these tips and watch your muscle building efforts finally achieve the results you've been looking for.

1. Eat Protein…Lots of Protein

This one is obvious but still worth mentioning.  To gain serious muscle mass, you should be eating as many grams of protein daily as your target body weight in pounds, so someone looking to weigh 150 pounds should be eating 150 grams of protein (check out The Truth about Protein to make sure you're getting the highest quality protein out there).

2. Eat Protein before Bed

A lot of the biological processes that contribute to muscle gain occur while you’re asleep.  Therefore, it is absolutely vital that your body has some protein to work with throughout the night.  A casein protein supplement would work well because this high quality protein can stay in your bloodstream for up to 8 hours (learn more about protein supplements).  Drinking a glass of milk is also a good option because 80% of milk protein is casein.  Personally, I opt for a low fat cheese stick right before bed, which packs about 7 grams of casein protein.

3. Implement Rest Days

When I first started lifting weights, I would hit the gym 7 days a week.  Little did I know, this was actually sabotaging my muscle building efforts.  When you lift weights, the stress you put on your muscles creates extremely small micro-tears that your body needs to repair through protein synthesis.  If you work those muscles again before your body has had the chance to completely repair them, you’re only going to do more damage and it won’t help you build muscle.  Have at least one full rest day a week – I actually recommend two.  No cardio, no weight lifting, no crazy yoga, no abs, nothing.  Just rest.

4. Get Back to Basics

Sometimes weight lifters get so caught up in doing exercises that only work one specific muscle at a time that they forget what got them there.  Fundamental exercises like push-ups, chin-ups, and squats work a lot of muscles at the same time and shouldn't be abandoned.  They’re great exercises to warm up with and should continue to be a staple for your muscle building routine.

5. Mix it Up

It’s important to challenge your muscles in new ways, even if you’re doing it with the same exercises (learn how to torch off calories with interval training).  One week, decrease your weight and increase your reps; another week increase your weight and decrease your reps.  Implement a different challenge at least one week a month so your muscles don’t get stuck in the same old routine.

The Truth About Sports Drinks

There’s a huge market for hydration beverages like Gatorade and Powerade, but do you know what you’re actually getting when you chug one down?  Be careful when you drink a sports beverage – if you’re not doing it right it may be contributing to weight gain!

Are sports drinks healthy?

The Good

Sports rehydration beverages do have their advantages.  There is some truth to the commercials that say something along the lines of, “he/she has lost a lot, and water won’t put it back.”  Sports drinks have electrolytes, which are basically salts, specifically ions.  When you sweat, you sweat out both water and these ions, which is why it burns to have sweat in your eyes and it tastes terrible.  Drinking water alone will not put this salt back into your body, so sports drinks can effectively rehydrate you.

The Gatorade label I’m looking at also shows that there is some potassium in the bottle, which is good for preventing muscle cramps.

The Bad

The bad is pretty simple: there’s a ton of sugar in these little drinks.  The 12oz bottle I’m looking at has 21 grams of sugar and 80 calories, which won’t be particularly friendly on your waistline.  Plus this bottle is smaller than average – frequently a full bottle will be 1.5-2 servings, but really, who saves the rest for later?

Should you drink rehydration beverages?

This depends entirely on what you’re using them for.  If you’re just looking for a sweet alternative to water, you’ll be much better off with a 100% fruit juice.  However, there are times and places for sports drinks.

Before Exercise

If you’re doing a long endurance activity, something that will take you more than an hour to complete, you may benefit both from the electrolytes, potassium and sugar in a sports drink.  Just don’t drink too much – it may upset your stomach.

During Exercise

Again, if you’re performing an endurance activity and you’re sweating a lot, a sports drink may be your best option (Looking for an intense workout? Try interval training).  In fact, if you’re running a marathon or performing in a triathlon, your body will need some kind of fuel, whether it comes from Gatorade, gels, or something else.

After Exercise

Immediately after exercise is one of the only times I would recommend fast absorbing sugars (for all those other times, learn about a smart-carb diet).  When you put your muscles under stress, they will need energy to recover, so you actually have a short “window” through which to consume sugary snacks or beverages that your body will be able to use.

Do you need a sports beverage?

Usually, you don’t need a sports drink.  You can very easily get salt through the foods you eat and milk actually has a good dose of electrolytes (plus you’ll benefit from the high quality protein found in milk).  Unfortunately, you can’t exactly run a 3 hour marathon while carrying milk around, so during endurance activities make sure that you’re either getting a sports drink or some other snack to rehydrate and refuel your body.

The Best Way to Use Sports Drink

Gatorade or Powerade are not replacements for water, so make sure you’re drinking both (learn how water can help you burn calories).  Some people water down their Gatorade, though I’ve never much liked how that tastes.  Instead, take a sip of Gatorade or Powerade followed by two sips of water.