I bet you've seen the film and wondered, "How on earth do they get so ripped!?" Check out this workout for how to get that "Spartan" body:
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
50 Healthy Snacks
Snacks can be a dieter's best friend, if you choose the right ones. The list below offers 50 between-meal bites that will help you stay slim and satisfied. Those marked with an * contain a protein, fiber, calcium or antioxidants to keep your body at its best. The rest will help fend off a craving without a lot of added fat, sugar or calories. No matter what you choose, you'll lose (weight, that is).
Sate a salt craving
- 23 almonds (162 calories)*
- This is our top savory super snack because it offers fiber, heart-healthy fats and vitamin E, which may help your body bounce back post-workout. The nuts also pack alpha-linolenic acid, which revs your body's fat-burning ability.
- 5 olives (any kind) (45 calories)
- 1 small Martin's pretzel (50 calories)
- 2 oz Applegate Honey and Maple Turkey Breast wrapped around 2 bread-and-butter pickles (80 calories)*
- 1/4 cup hummus, 3 carrot sticks (80 calories)*
- 1 Wasa Multigrain Crispbread topped with 1 tbsp avocado and 1 tbsp hummus (80 calories)*
- 6 steamed medium asparagus spears topped with 1 tablespoon toasted almond slivers (80 calories)*
- 1/3 cup 1/2-inch-thick potato slices tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a pinch of finely chopped rosemary, baked at 450 for 30 minutes (80 calories)*
- 1/4 cup black beans combined with 1 tbsp salsa, 1 tbsp cottage cheese and 1/2 tbsp guacamole; savor with 4 celery stalks (80 calories)*
- 1/4 cup 1/4-inch-thick cucumber slices, tossed with 3 oz nonfat plain yogurt, 2 tsp chopped cashews, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp finely chopped fresh dill (80 calories)*
- 1/2 slice whole-wheat toast brushed with 1/2 tsp olive oil, topped with 1 tbsp Greek yogurt and a mixture of 3 tbsp diced tomatoes with a pinch of chopped garlic and basil (80 calories)*
- 1 Laughing Cow Light Swiss Original wedge, 3 pieces Kavli Crispy Thin (85 calories)*
- One 1-oz package tuna jerky (90 calories)*
- 1 oz buffalo mozzarella, 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (94 calories)*
- 1 bag Baked! Cheetos 100 Calorie Mini Bites (100 calories)
- 15 Eden's Nori Maki Crackers rice crackers (110 calories)
- 1 cup unshelled edamame (120 calories)*
- 25 Eden's Vegetable Chips (140 calories)
- 1/4 cup Trader Joe's Chili con Queso, 18 baked tortilla chips (140 calories)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds in shell (143 calories)*
- 2 pieces (30 grams) prosciutto, 4 dried figs (154 calories)*
- 9 cashews (180 calories)*
- 1 Subway Turkey Breast Wrap (190 calories)*
Satisfy a sweet tooth
- 8 oz plain yogurt (110 calories, 0 g fat)*
- This get-skinny staple is the ultimate sweet snack. The mix of carbs and protein in lowfat yogurt keep blood sugar level, stave off hunger and helps your body store less fat. Add fresh berries for flavor and a punch of antioxidants.
- 1 Fla-Vor-Ice Lite Sugar-Free (5 calories)
- 10 frozen grapes (20 calories)*
- 1 package Original Apple Nature Valley Fruit Crisps (50 calories)
- 10 strawberries rolled in confectioners' sugar (71 calories)*
- 1 packet O'Coco's Mocha cookies (90 calories)
- 1 Strawberry Froz Fruit bar (90 calories)*
- 1 Jelly Belly 100-calorie pack (100 calories)
- One 100-calorie pack Trader Joe's Chocolate Graham Toucan Cookies (100 calories)
- One 100-calorie Balance Bar (100 calories)*
- 2 Raspberry Newtons (100 calories)*
- 1 Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino bar (120 calories)
- 1 package Back to Nature Honey Graham Sticks (120 calories)
- 1/2 banana rolled in 1 tbsp frozen semisweet chocolate chips (123 calories)*
- 2 tbsp Better 'n Peanut Butter, 4 stalks celery (124 calories)*
- 1 bag Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Butter Mini Bags topped with a spritz of butter spray and 1 tsp sugar (126 calories)*
- 1 candy apple with coconut shavings (130 calories)*
- 1/2 cup sliced pears with marshmallow cream topping (139 calories)*
- 24 Annie's Chocolate Chip Bunny Graham cookies (140 calories)
- Half of a 1.08-oz container of M&M's Minis mixed with 1/3 cup lowfat granola (145 calories)
- 3/4 cup Cocoa Pebbles with 1/2 cup skim milk (157 calories)*
- 1 cup apple slices dipped in 2 tbsp caramel topping (160 calories)*
- 4 Entenmann's chocolate chip cookies (160 calories)
- 1 McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (160 calories)*
- 1 vanilla-almond shake: Blend 1/2 cup skim milk with 1/2 cup frozen yogurt and 1 drop almond extract (165 calories)*
- 3/4 cup warm apple sauce (165 calories)*
- 1 cup lowfat chocolate milk*
Friday, March 9, 2012
Lactose Intolerance: A Diagnostic Fad?
Just as clothing styles come in and out of fashion, diagnoses go through fads as well. While this is rarely true of diagnoses issued by traditional healthcare practitioners, health-related Internet sites (particularly those promoting alternative medicine) and some practitioners of alternative medicine may be susceptible to these diagnostic trends. One such fad diagnosis is lactose intolerance, which is sometimes blamed for everything from hyperactivity to joint pain.
In reality, the prevalence of lactose intolerance in the U.S. is difficult to assess accurately. Still, it is likely much lower than suggested based upon self-report, according to the National Institutes of Health [1]. In part, this is because individuals have a tendency to misinterpret any gastrointestinal upset following a dairy-containing meal as evidence of lactose intolerance [2]. Most people, however — even those with lower-than-normal lactase levels — do not report gastrointestinal upset after being exposed to lactose in a blind challenge, explains the NIH.
Lactose intolerance results from insufficient production of the enzyme lactase (LCT), which the small intestine uses to help break down lactose, or milk sugar. Lactose is a disaccharide, meaning it’s made up of two smaller sugar units called monosaccharides. The small intestine can absorb monosaccharides, but disaccharides (and larger combinations of monosaccharides, called polysaccharides) have to be digested into their monosaccharide building blocks before they can be absorbed. The digestive tract uses a wide variety of enzymes to accomplish this task. Digestive enzymes are very specific in their function; the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose, for instance, can’t digest sucrose (table sugar). Sucrase, the enzyme that breaks down sucrose, is similarly incapable of digesting lactose. As such, a person must produce lactase in order to digest lactose.
In those individuals with true lactose intolerance, the absence of appropriate quantities of lactase means that lactose passes undigested into the large intestine. There, native flora (naturally-occurring bacterial species) of the gut break down the lactose to provide for their own energy needs. This results in the accumulation of a large amount of gas, which is a waste product of bacterial lactose digestion. The gas leads to the sensations of bloating and cramping, and can result in flatulence. Undigested lactose in the large intestine can also cause diarrhea.
Most people make lactase in appropriate amounts early in life; without lactase, babies would be incapable of digesting breast milk (which is actually higher in lactose than cow’s milk). Some ethnic groups produce less lactase after the age of weaning, leading to lactose intolerance that begins in childhood. This lactose intolerance persists throughout adulthood, and is most common in individuals of African, Hispanic (non-European), Native American, and Asian descent. Europeans are much less likely to develop lactose intolerance post-babyhood. Further, there’s some evidence to suggest that lactose intolerance increases with advancing age [3], though there isn’t a significant body of data supporting this.
Despite the trend among alternative health practitioners to diagnose patients with lactose intolerance (and to blame that lactose intolerance for a variety of other physical symptoms) [4], lactose intolerance isn’t the sort of malady that underlies other health problems. Those with lactose intolerance have one specific set of symptoms (bloating, cramping, diarrhea, and flatulence after consuming dairy), and the symptoms can be avoided entirely by taking lactase supplements (available over-the-counter) along with dairy-containing food.
The NIH points out that increased education regarding the nature of lactose intolerance and the relatively narrow scope of its symptoms — as well as the fact that it’s a benign and easily alleviated digestive malfunction — could help to prevent needless avoidance of dairy by those who incorrectly assume they are lactose intolerant. While dairy isn’t essential to the human diet, it’s nevertheless an excellent source of calcium, which can otherwise be difficult to incorporate into the diet apart from supplementation. Further, most dairy in the U.S. is fortified with vitamin D, in which many Americans are deficient, and which is required for the uptake of calcium from the gut.
In reality, the prevalence of lactose intolerance in the U.S. is difficult to assess accurately. Still, it is likely much lower than suggested based upon self-report, according to the National Institutes of Health [1]. In part, this is because individuals have a tendency to misinterpret any gastrointestinal upset following a dairy-containing meal as evidence of lactose intolerance [2]. Most people, however — even those with lower-than-normal lactase levels — do not report gastrointestinal upset after being exposed to lactose in a blind challenge, explains the NIH.
Lactose intolerance results from insufficient production of the enzyme lactase (LCT), which the small intestine uses to help break down lactose, or milk sugar. Lactose is a disaccharide, meaning it’s made up of two smaller sugar units called monosaccharides. The small intestine can absorb monosaccharides, but disaccharides (and larger combinations of monosaccharides, called polysaccharides) have to be digested into their monosaccharide building blocks before they can be absorbed. The digestive tract uses a wide variety of enzymes to accomplish this task. Digestive enzymes are very specific in their function; the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose, for instance, can’t digest sucrose (table sugar). Sucrase, the enzyme that breaks down sucrose, is similarly incapable of digesting lactose. As such, a person must produce lactase in order to digest lactose.
In those individuals with true lactose intolerance, the absence of appropriate quantities of lactase means that lactose passes undigested into the large intestine. There, native flora (naturally-occurring bacterial species) of the gut break down the lactose to provide for their own energy needs. This results in the accumulation of a large amount of gas, which is a waste product of bacterial lactose digestion. The gas leads to the sensations of bloating and cramping, and can result in flatulence. Undigested lactose in the large intestine can also cause diarrhea.
Most people make lactase in appropriate amounts early in life; without lactase, babies would be incapable of digesting breast milk (which is actually higher in lactose than cow’s milk). Some ethnic groups produce less lactase after the age of weaning, leading to lactose intolerance that begins in childhood. This lactose intolerance persists throughout adulthood, and is most common in individuals of African, Hispanic (non-European), Native American, and Asian descent. Europeans are much less likely to develop lactose intolerance post-babyhood. Further, there’s some evidence to suggest that lactose intolerance increases with advancing age [3], though there isn’t a significant body of data supporting this.
Despite the trend among alternative health practitioners to diagnose patients with lactose intolerance (and to blame that lactose intolerance for a variety of other physical symptoms) [4], lactose intolerance isn’t the sort of malady that underlies other health problems. Those with lactose intolerance have one specific set of symptoms (bloating, cramping, diarrhea, and flatulence after consuming dairy), and the symptoms can be avoided entirely by taking lactase supplements (available over-the-counter) along with dairy-containing food.
The NIH points out that increased education regarding the nature of lactose intolerance and the relatively narrow scope of its symptoms — as well as the fact that it’s a benign and easily alleviated digestive malfunction — could help to prevent needless avoidance of dairy by those who incorrectly assume they are lactose intolerant. While dairy isn’t essential to the human diet, it’s nevertheless an excellent source of calcium, which can otherwise be difficult to incorporate into the diet apart from supplementation. Further, most dairy in the U.S. is fortified with vitamin D, in which many Americans are deficient, and which is required for the uptake of calcium from the gut.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Jump Rope Benefits
While more and more people are starting to join gyms in an effort to lose weight and get in shape, this isn't always necessary--you can get a great workout just using your jump rope! This article discusses three ways that you jump rope can be used to improve both your health and the quality of your life. You'll be so happy with the results, you won't want to put the jump rope down!
Weight Loss
One of the most important ways that jumping rope can be used is as a means to achieve weight loss. Before we begin to discover how jumping rope can help you lose weight, it is important to learn how weight loss works. There are 3500 calories in one pound--and therefore, in order to lose one pound of weight per week, you must eliminate 700 calories each day. This can be done in a variety of ways. A person can either try to cut all of these calories out from their diet, they can try to burn off all of the calories through exercise, or they can use some combination of both of these methods. Research has found that people who lose weight and keep it off typically use diet and exercise in order to reach their weight loss goals. Jumping rope for 30 minutes will produce a caloric burn of approximately 300 calories--and therefore, in order to lose one pound per week, you must jump rope for thirty minutes every day and cut out 400 calories from your diet. While this may seem intimidating, it will promote the greatest amount of weight loss in the healthiest manner possible.
One of the most important ways that jumping rope can be used is as a means to achieve weight loss. Before we begin to discover how jumping rope can help you lose weight, it is important to learn how weight loss works. There are 3500 calories in one pound--and therefore, in order to lose one pound of weight per week, you must eliminate 700 calories each day. This can be done in a variety of ways. A person can either try to cut all of these calories out from their diet, they can try to burn off all of the calories through exercise, or they can use some combination of both of these methods. Research has found that people who lose weight and keep it off typically use diet and exercise in order to reach their weight loss goals. Jumping rope for 30 minutes will produce a caloric burn of approximately 300 calories--and therefore, in order to lose one pound per week, you must jump rope for thirty minutes every day and cut out 400 calories from your diet. While this may seem intimidating, it will promote the greatest amount of weight loss in the healthiest manner possible.
Increased Cardiovascular Fitness
Another great benefit of using a jump rope during exercise is increased cardiovascular fitness. Your cardiovascular system involves your heart and the arteries and veins that bring blood and oxygen to and from the heart and the rest of the body--and therefore, by improving the ability of this system to work, you will not only have a greater ability to perform your daily tasks, but you will become less breathless during exercise as well. While strength training can increase muscle tone, it has been found that low to moderate, sustainable exercises such as walking, biking, or jumping rope are the best way to improve the quality of your cardiovascular system. Be sure to consult with your doctor, nurse, or health care provider to make sure that you heart is healthy enough to begin this type of exercise routine.
Another great benefit of using a jump rope during exercise is increased cardiovascular fitness. Your cardiovascular system involves your heart and the arteries and veins that bring blood and oxygen to and from the heart and the rest of the body--and therefore, by improving the ability of this system to work, you will not only have a greater ability to perform your daily tasks, but you will become less breathless during exercise as well. While strength training can increase muscle tone, it has been found that low to moderate, sustainable exercises such as walking, biking, or jumping rope are the best way to improve the quality of your cardiovascular system. Be sure to consult with your doctor, nurse, or health care provider to make sure that you heart is healthy enough to begin this type of exercise routine.
Muscle Tone
Finally, exercising with a jump rope is a great way to improve the muscle tone in your legs and lower body. After the first day of jumping rope, you may experience some soreness in your legs--this is because the muscles have been working hard enough to cause microtears. These microtears will eventually heal themselves in a few days--and because of this damage and repair, your muscles will be stronger, larger, and more toned than when you started the exercise.
Finally, exercising with a jump rope is a great way to improve the muscle tone in your legs and lower body. After the first day of jumping rope, you may experience some soreness in your legs--this is because the muscles have been working hard enough to cause microtears. These microtears will eventually heal themselves in a few days--and because of this damage and repair, your muscles will be stronger, larger, and more toned than when you started the exercise.
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