Top 10 Supplements You Can’t Live Without

As a personal trainer I am always being asked what supplements would I recommend. As a former Store Manager for GNC my customers were always asking me this questions as well. It doesn’t matter how old they are, or what shape they are in, or whether they are working out or not, and to them and you I say …HOW DO I KNOW… ha ha ha. Sorry readers I couldn’t resist. Seriously though there are different supplements for different things in your life.

But here is a general Real Gainz Top 10 Supplement List:

1. Multivitamin

2. Vitamin C

3. B-Complex

4. Calcium with Vitamin D

5. Omega 3 Fatty Acid

6. Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM

7. Co-Q10

8. A SuperFood Product

9. Ginko Biloba

10. Green Tea Complex

Ok now lets dive right into each one so you could understand as to why I’ve chosen these 10 items.

1. Multivitamin: No matter what you do a good Multivitamin is a good start to a healthy lifestyle. There is scientific research that shows everyone could use a daily MultiVitamin. We only get about 10% of our daily vitamins and minerals from food. After Cleaning them, processing it, cooking it we loose almost all of the foods key nutrients.

2. Vitamin C: This Vitamin helps support natural resistance against free radicals. Free radicals come from over exposure to the elements.

For instance:
A. Pollution
B. Smoking
C. Sunlight.

Vitamin C helps the body absorb Iron, and important for collagen, healthy Bones, Teeth and our blood vessels.

3. B-Complex: Essential for energy production and has different B vitamins in it.

Here is a break down of some of the B-vitamins and what they do:
I. Niacin (B-3): Supports a healthy blood lipid profile.
II. Folic Acid: May reduce a women’s risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect.
III. B-6: Critical to nervous system function.
IV. B-12: Essential for energy Production.
Folic Acid, B-6, & B-12 all help maintain a healthy homocysteine level.

4. Calcium with Vit. D: After your mid-30’s everyone slowly loses bone mass. However, woman lose bone mass faster than men. But guys don’t be fooled or stupid we lose bone mass as well. Taking Calcium with Vit. D helps in preventing this. The Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium.

The National Academy of Sciences recommends the following for taking Calcium:
Age 1-3: 500mg/day
4-8: 800mg/day
9-18: 1,300mg/day
19-50: 1,000mg/day
51 & Older: 1,200mg/day
Pregnant and Nursing women: 1,300mg/day
Menopausal women: 1,500mg/day

5. Omega 3 fatty acid: Also known as: Fish oil is a natural anti-inflammatory, it helps lower cholesterol, lubricates the joints. And the cardiovascular system. Helps support a healthy blood pressure, as well as, healthy skin and brain functions.

6. Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM: May help reduce osteoarthritis pain. It helps to rebuild cartilage and lubricates joints. The msm helps as an anti inflammatory.

7: Co-Q10: Also Known as Coenzyme Q-10 and is an antioxidant for the heart. It support heart and blood vessel functions.

8. Superfood Complex: A SuperFoods Complex contains a powerful blend of nutrient and antioxidants that help to support good health. Each serving should supply more antioxidant capacity than 13 servings of fruits and vegetables. As stated in the multivitamin section above: Free radicals can break down healthy cells and potentially lead to a variety of health problems. Air pollution, chemicals, food additives, physical stress and our body’s normal use of oxygen contribute to the production of these harmful compounds. Antioxidants help to fight cell-damaging free radicals.

9. Ginko Biloba: Is an herb that has been found to help support mental sharpness, Helps support blood flow to the brain and extremities.

10. Green Tea Complex: Women who drink five or more 3.4-ounce cups of green tea every day cut their risk of heart disease by 31% compared with women who drink one or fewer 3.4-ounce cups. Men who drink this much green tea cut their heart disease risk by 22%. A good Green Tea Complex should have 125mg of EGCG to support metabolism. It is also a good Antioxidant.

Well that’s it the Top 10 Supplements you can not live without.

**BE HEALTHY**STAY HEALTHY**LIVE HEALTHY**

Original written as an article in the second issue of Real Gainz Fitness Magazine.

Keith has a plethora of fitness information and knowledge that can help you. Come contact him and take advantage of all he has to offer.

http://fittron.com/keith_fitness_trainer

Don’t be another gym horror story…

As a college student set to graduate next month, I can tell you all about the “Freshmen 15″ (or worse) and the health horrors you encounter over the course of college. With the never-ending piles of fried food in the dining hall and steady flow of beer on the weekends, paired with a full schedule that doesn’t leave much down time- and really, who wants to spend it at the gym? – it’s easy to let a few pounds creep on.

Senior year hit and I realized it was time to shape up my life, including my body. Who wants to hit adulthood with a gut? You face the fact you’re going to go home after college and see high school friends, and you don’t want to be the one they whisper about, “Wow she really gained weight…” After a trip down memory lane and a glance through a photo album from prom, I knew it was time to hit the gym.

So, I joined a local gym, or “health club” if you want to get technical. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a total slob, I was a semi-regular at my college’s gym. The fact I’m now paying to belong to a gym is extra motivation, and knowing I can work out unbothered by frat guys and “meatheads” is worth it. I’ve always hated running, like run a quarter mile and convince myself I pulled a muscle and jump on the elliptical kind of hatred. But, I was making big changes, and decided to make running my goal.

It’s been a few months, and would you believe it I’m up to running about five miles a day. I love the new muscles in my legs, but not as much as I love knowing I could probably outrun someone if I were followed or in danger. It’s also great knowing that I’m improving my cardiovascular health, as heart disease runs in my family. This sudden empowerment motivated me to do more, and get a personal trainer.

My gym offers a free personal training session a month included in my membership fees, so I saw the front desk and set up an appointment based around my availability. They told me, “ok you have an appointment with Ted next Tuesday at 10.” I didn’t know what else to ask so just showed up for my appointment the following week. What a mistake. I didn’t know anything about the trainer, and he didn’t know anything about me. Not only that, when I went for my appointment they told me they had to switch, and I didn’t have Ted, I now had Kyle. Kyle was apparently confused, and kept calling me the wrong name. He didn’t ask me what I wanted to target, instead we rushed into an upper body work out. Maybe he had spoken to the other girl who’s name he kept calling me, because he referred to a phone call we had- only I had never spoken to him. He went on to tell me about his family, his girlfriend, his kids, asked me how old I was and commented that he was almost twice as old as I was. He told me I had a nice smile and if I were his daughter he wouldn’t let me out of the house. He briefly told me about the exercises I was doing. He DIDN’T ask me about my health history, my normal routine, or what my goals were. I felt like because one set was “easy” for me, he would quadruple the weight and my arms turned to jello. I’ve worked with a trainer before, and he always said he wanted to challenge me and not kill me, so I would feel it but still want to keep training. I didn’t get that feeling from this guy, at all. I wanted him to give me advice on what to target, show me a routine that I could do on my own, and not talk about his kids. I didn’t know what I was getting into.

If I had used Fittron, I wouldn’t have encountered any of those problems. With Fittron I could have searched for a personal trainer in my area, and saw their pictures, bio, certifications, and referrals. I could have spoken to them before the session so my goals would be clear and I would know who they were. I could have read articles they posted on Fittron’s Pro Page, and I could have been confident that they are serious professionals who know what they’re doing. I don’t have tons of money to throw around, I am a poor college student after all- so I could’ve posted on Fittron’s solicitation board stating, “Young adult seeking PT for fitness advice in Central NJ. Will pay 60 for session.” The professionals could’ve came to me. That’s a lot of “could haves,” and instead I ended up disappointed and unable to lift my arms to shampoo my hair for a week. To top it off, using Fittron is FREE. So let’s add dumb to the the list of disappointed and in pain.

Don’t end up the next the next fitness horror story like me. Take advantage of all the great features Fittron has to offer. You have nothing to lose and a great body and trainer to gain.

http://fittron.com

Need a diet plan?

There are four essential elements that are needed to transform your body. One is exercise, two is commitment and dedication, three is knowledge(knowing what you’re doing) and the most overlooked, and often most important, is diet. Too many people fail to realize that what we put in our system has more of an effect on our bodies than any form of exercise that we do. You can workout like a madman but if you ruin your gains with a horrible diet then all your work is for naught. You need to understand what you’re putting in your system, and you need to know what you should and should not eat. We recommend enlisting the help of a Fittron professional to help put you on the right path.

You might be familiar with the cliché “abs aren’t made in the gym, they’re made in the kitchen.” Indeed this catchy slogan, so often circulated, and it’s true; entirely true. How many times have you found yourself doing hundreds of sit ups a week, or trying every new ab fad on the market in hopes of obtaining that elusive six pack. You’ve seen the commercials; 8 minute abs, the perfect sit up, the flat-tummy machine; you’ve done them all. So what gives?

First, let’s just let it be known that there is nothing wrong with any of the above mentioned products. Indeed they all have their merits and each can help you trim that waistline; so long as you follow up with a proper diet. Exercise alone isn’t going to do it. There is no miracle machine, no miracle exercise; your body is going to be sculpted by the fuel you put into it.

Since we’ve established just how important diet is we now need to discuss how you go about gaining the necessary knowledge on what you should and should not eat. Just think of the diet fads over your lifetime. Growing up we were all taught that carbohydrates should form the base of our “food triangle pyramid”(remember that?) and we should be consuming 5-6 servings of bread and wheat a day. Now carbs are the enemy, shunned like a leper. New diet fads sweep the nation on what seems like a monthly basis and names like Nutrisystem, the South Beach Diet, Atkins diet, flood our televisions and supermarket aisles. It’s a jungle out there. You need someone to help you find your way.

Finding a nutritionist isn’t exactly the easiest task. Your local gym won’t usually employ one, and asking them for a blind referral probably isn’t the best way to go either. Nutritionists are highly skilled, specialized professionals. Make sure you get one who has a RD(Registered Dietician) and has gone to school to acquire the necessary knowledge needed to “prescribe” food to you. They might not be giving you a prescription, but in telling you what to put in your body, when, how much, and why, they are in effect giving you medical advice(hence the RD). Make sure you discuss your goals with your nutritionist, tell them what you’re looking to weigh, how often your exercises, and what food you generally have access to.

Diet is an integral part of health and wellness. You can’t eat a bag of potato chips just because you did 20 minutes on the treadmill. And how much pasta should you eat? What about red meat? To get the answers to these questions you need to talk to a professional. At Fittron our directory is stacked with RDs and nutritionists to help you learn about how to change your eating habits. Just look at some of the meal plans and recipes posted on our Pro Page. Our professionals are eager to share their knowledge with you. Come visit our site and find that nutritionist that you’ve needed for so long.

http://fittron.com

6 meal plan {Get Ripped Fast}

Women take half of each portion size shown

meal #1
7am

Whey Protein isolate – 40 grams
Oatmeal – 3/4 cup

meal #2
10am

Orange Roughy or White Fish – 60 oz.
Mixed Vegetables – 1 cup
Brown Rice (long Grain, cooked) – 3/4 cup

meal #3
1pm

Tuna – 4.5 oz.
Spinach – 1 cup
Salsa – 3/4 cup
Flax Seed Oil – 1TBSP

meal #4
3pm

Turkey Breast – 4.5 oz.
Squash – 1 1/2 cup
Salad – 1 1/2 cup
Salad dressing oil and vinager – 2 TBSP

meal #5
6pm

Salmon – 4.5 oz.
Olive Oil – 1 TBSP
Almonds – 24 nuts

meal #6
8pm

Chicken Breast – 5 oz.
White Rice – 3/4 cup
Green Beans – 1 cup

Nutrution and the proper training= You will lose and tone and firm

sidneywilson
easyday…

Eating right is the first step in achieving the body you want. Next you need a solid workout plan. Visit Sidney Wilson at Fittron.com and see how he can help you reach your goals.

http://fittron.com/sidney_wilson

All-Natural, Gluten-Free Date Soy Cups

Elemental Nutrtition Vanilla Soy Protein
3 Tbsp unsweetened soy milk
2 ½ Tbsp regular Molasses
1 large egg
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
½ tsp ginger
1 tsp natural vanilla flavor
juice from 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 F

Instructions
1. Toast pumpkin seeds for 3-5 minutes, until light golden brown (if raw)
2. Process next ten ingredients in a food processor
3. Pour batter into equal parts into 8 muffin container* spaces
4. Top each with one Tbsp of toasted pumpkin seeds
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until completely set

Nutrition
235 Calories, 11 g protein, 7 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 36 g carbs, 5 g fiber

*I used silicone containers because they do not have to be greased. If using a aluminum container, spray with cooking spray or use paper holders.

Jean is available to supply meal plans, nutritional information and more.

Come enlist her services at fittron.com

http://fittron.com/jean_jitomir_ms_rd

Healthy Eating to Support Strength Training

 

I promised a simple menu for a client that continues to work hard taking two steps forward at training but falls back three steps – thru her eating habits – and finds no gain is accomplished.

In fact, most of us struggle with the same issue. I encourage people to make a selection and commit to a nutritional support program that you can live with – daily – for at least two months and then stand back and see the results of your work. For example, my website provides a link to eDiets which provides an array of diet and nutrition choices. Pick one, sign up and work with it.

Alternatively, you can use my simple menu below. Simple, because it is void of a lot of choices; easy to remember and very basic.

Weigh yourself and mark the calendar. Follow this menu every day for two months. Email me and let me know how many pounds you lost as a result by sticking to the plan. If you incorporate a strength training and cardio/interval circuit workout, I will guarantee you will see a change in your body weight, a gain of muscle tone and loss of body fat.

Remember! This is an EVERY DAY Plan

Morning Meal -Small Bowl of Oatmeal - use cinnamon, cloves, raisins, etc to spice it up and keep it interesting. Do not use the instant pre-sweetened, sugary packets. Make it yourself from scratch! Coffee, Tea or Juice or your choice.

Yes, its a carb. Yes, you need the energy. Yes, it has fiber and will help keep your body regular and remove the cholesterol. My favorite is Quaker Oats 1-Minute Quick Oats with 4-5 slices of Turkey Bacon and a large cup of coffee.

Mid-Morning Meal – Egg Whites - whether scrambled, an omelet or boiled. Plan to eat 3-4 egg whites before 10am every morning. Whole wheat or grain toast or muffin is great. Make it interesting with peppers, onions, spinach, broccoli, feta cheese, whatever will help you to eat the clean protein. If you miss the oatmeal you better not miss this one. I eat some sort of Egg White Omelet every morning. An alternative would be an egg white smoothie! Yeech you say? Ok, then use a Ready-to-Drink Meal like, Muscle Milk Ready-to-Drink Meals (11 ounces = 220 caloriesp; 9g carb, 11g fat, 21g protein packed) . These can be found at TheVitaminShoppe.

Lunch – Healthy Protein (fish, chicken or beef) grilled or broiled (never fried) with colorful vegetables (green, orange, yellow, red, purple, get the picture, salad, broccoli, yams, carrots, corn, beets, squash, eggplant, etc.) No pasta, no rice, no potatoe, no bread. Have the veggies cooked, steamed, broiled or raw. Just eat them with the protein before 1:00pm.

Mid-Afternoon Meal – Protein Snack – No not a candy bar or cake or a cookie. Celery with Peanut Butter, Tuna with Celery, Apple with Peanut Butter, a Muscle Milk RTD, handful of nuts with a piece of fruit. Combine a Complex Carb with a protein and fat for a small snack. Because I am on the go, I tend to use the Muscle Milk drink or I grab an apple with a couple of spoons of peanut butter. Try it for 2 months and watch what happens. Let me hear from you!

Dinner – Healthy Protein with colorful vegetables. Same as lunch, just pick something different. No wine, no beer and no soda. Try Crystal Light or Green Tea flavored water. Dinner is best if it can happen between 5-7:00pm.

Evening Snack – Protein Snack – You guessed it, and RTD or a smoothie, a piece of cheese and a pear or apple. Keep it light and simple. You do not want a lot on your stomach while you are trying to let the body rest and recover for the evening. This shouldn’t be any later than 10:00pm.

Then get up in the morning and start all over again!

Come visit Gina at Fittron.com and enlist her services to help you on your journey towards a healthier and happier lifestyle.

http://fittron.com/gina_jackson_personal_fitness

Worried About Wheat? Celiac and Giving up Gluten

Hi Jean,

I wanted to ask you if you had any experience with the “making” of food. I know that you are a nutritionist and are in a PhD program, but have you ever made specific food before?

I’m inquiring because I’m looking into “wheat and gluten free” products. My mother and sister cannot eat wheat, they have celiac disease, and are on a wheat free diet. They are doing fine, and there are a number of products available for them to eat.

I think that the whole “wheat free” diet could be a fast catching and healthy fad. It seems to me that it eliminates most carbs. Not sure where “wheat” stands on the healthy scale, or what the real health value of the food that they replace it with (rice based, gluten free products) is. But I wanted to ask if you knew anything about this.

-PJ

I actually worked as a healthy cooking instructor for a little over a year while I lived in Buffalo, NY. Though I didn’t have a lot of cooking experience when I started, the cooking school was required to have an RD (registered dietitian) to teach their general health and fitness cooking class. Since the manager already knew me, I got the job, though I floundered a lot in the beginning. Let me just say, it’s hard to cook four-five courses for 30 people in two hours! In any case, I’m certainly not a chef, but I do develop recipes that fit clear nutritional considerations– my recipes are generally low-processed, high-protein, low-fat, and rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals.

Celiac disease (CD) is a autoimmune condition (the mounts and inflammatory response against itself); the disease may be “triggered” by stressful or traumatic event, including surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, or severe infections. A person dealing with CD has a body responds very badly to the gluten protein found in wheat and some other grains, specifically: rye barley, and oats (to some extent). Gluten is created in foods when two proteins, glutenin and gliadin, are processed together to make the gluten product. For example, when kneading homemade bread-the gluten forms gives the dough elasticity and allows the bread to rise and hold a shape. Thus, it is very hard to produce gluten-free breads, because it is difficult to find a good substitute with the same shape-holding ability of gluten. Furthermore, CD is distinct from a gluten allergy.

A food allergy generally results when a whole food protein or peptide is absorbed and the body mounts a immune response to protein, which the body see as an “invader.” The body’s response to the food is a lot more damaging the the actual food protein, but that’s how allergies work! Celiac disease, on the other hand, just completely screws up the small intestine and makes it nearly impossible for the person with CD to absorb nutrients, vitamins, or minerals. CD individuals also experience, bloating and other stomach problems, unexplained rashes, loss of energy, joint pain or may have no symptoms at all. If a CD patient continues to eat wheat, and other gluten containing foods, he or she will be at increased risk of malnutrition and other diseases over time.

For people who do not have a wheat allergy, gluten allergy, or Celiac disease, wheat is NOT unhealthy. I think the primary problem with wheat is that is such a dominant grain in our diet that dietary “variety” for many is defined as: wheat bagel for breakfast, wheat crackers for a snack, whole wheat bread at lunch, and whole wheat pasta at dinner– catch my drift? It’s all wheat and your body is continually exposed to the same irritant over and over if you have an intolerance!

There are many other good sources of carbohydrates in the Americans diet that are wheat-free for instance: rice, corn, all fruits, starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes), and legumes (including lentils and beans). Carbohydrates are a NEEDED part of the diet and should not be considered unhealthy, especially by athletes. My own carbohydrate intake ranges typically from 40-50% of my total calorie intake and my body fat has not been above 17.5% on the DXA in the last three years, this is despite an “off-season” where I do limited cardio and eat a lot more overall calories. Carbs are not bad. The wrong carbs (added sugars, corn/rice syrups, white flour, including rice flour!), over-representation of wheat in the general diet, and high intake of highly processed foods are unhealthy.

There are many gluten-free processed products out there. Except for the case of CD, I would not consider gluten-free processed products inherently healthier than regular highly-processed wheat products. On the other hand, an individual can make a healthy and varied gluten-free diet by focusing on whole foods. In fact, eating too many processed products that claim to be gluten-free may place individuals who have the problem at greater risk, since many factories may manufacture both kind of products, which presents a risk of cross-contamination!

If someone wanted to make a fad out of wheat/gluten-free, I think it’s possible; however, it already been a fad for years in the bodybuilding world and in some health circles. It would also be unethical to manipulative advertising to convince the general population that they should be on a gluten-free diet. About 1% of the American population has CD; however, the number of people currently diagnosed with CD about 0.25%; so, for every person found to have CD, there are 3 to 10 more who are ignorantly living with the disease, symptoms, and chronic health risks. Personally, I would love to see population-wide Celiac testing– a number of serious genetic condition are tested for at birth in the US, which have much lower prevalence (though more immediate detrimental effects). Though CD cannot be tested for until the age of two, the implications are serious and the incidence, 1 in 100, is high enough that early screening could improve the health of Americans and reduce long-term health care costs resulting from CD-associated chronic diseases.

-Jean Jitomir

Come visit Jean on Fittron.com

http://fittron.com/jean_jitomir_ms_rd

The Hardest Part is Eating Right!

The hardest part of training the body for every client I work with on a daily basis is what and how to eat on a regular basis. I get more questions on this topic, see more puzzled faces, find more hidden secrets about what they are really doing from every good intentioned person on this topic. It is a puzzle for most people. The what, the how, the when and the nagging argument if the choices made were the right ones.

Most of us are actively in pursuit of the loss of a few pounds, the cinch of the waistline and the tightening of those legs and glutes. My clients work hard in their hours with me – on the floor in Pilates, in the gym or the park Strength Training, on the treadmill or the track running circles for miles of Cardio calorie burn. Consistency in the area of activity is key. But if you come home and chow down on the wrong foods because you “don’t have time,” “don’t know what to eat,” “get tired of the same old thing,” then you have probably given into failing the true lesson of living a fit and healthy lifestyle.

It is not about how much weight you can press, push or pull. It is not about how many reps you put into a set. It is not about how many perfect rollups or Teasers you can make happen. If you take the time and energy to spend hours a week sweating to burn the calories, you may as well take the time and energy to feed the muscle you are trying to shape, tone and build.

The work is the same for everybody. Fitness consultants, yoga or Pilates teachers, athletes, coaches and you! You need energy to fuel a good workout and you need to honestly and effectively replenish the fuel with the right food after the workout.

Here is an example of Summer Time eating that I have been using regularly to stay on point and ready to deliver all my energy for the next client session – while still maintaining my body in its shape and form.

My morning starts at 5:00am when I get up and make a great strong (french expresso roast) cup of coffee. I never seem to finish the oversized cup, but I keep making a large one anyway! I generally have 4-5 slices of Louis Rich Turkey Bacon (I don’t eat pork and the turkey is a leaner protein source).

Whether summer, winter, spring or fall, I always have a large bowl of Quaker Oats oatmeal; add teaspoon of Olivio olive oil for the good fat it provides and a half-teaspoon of maple syrup. I am out the door for a 6:00am client session.

Today I taught a 9:00am Pilates class of 12 men and women, following the two early morning client sessions. My breakfast held me until the end of the hour. But by 10:00am, on most days, I am hungry again! Before I start my own workout, I drank a whole container of a Muscle Milk Ready-to-Drink shake. I needed the extra fuel at that point, to support my 1.5 hour gym workout; cardio for 45 minutes, using the treadmill (15 minutes), recumbent bike (10 minutes), vertical bike (10 minutes), elliptical (10 minutes). Then a combo upper/lower body routine consisting of balance (single-leg) squats, deadlifts, cable abduction/adduction followed by frontal/lateral planks to pushups using the Bosu Trainer, followed by abdominals.

By 11:30, I left the gym and was famished. Now here is the good part. I got home at 12:00pm and I don’t want to sound at all like Martha Stewart (she is surely not my style) but the last thing I wanted to do was wait a long time in preparation of a meal. Just like you, I needed it to be quick, simple and easy!

Easy Healthy Meal – For Lunch or Dinner

So, I pulled out a bag of frozen vegetables (medley of broccolli, cauliflower, carrots, summer squash) poured a little olive oil (splurged on flavor by using White Truffle, Extra Virgin – so deliciously decadent!) in my wok, sliced up one clove of garlic and sauteed it with the veggies till the edges were brown. Added a little water to fully steam them. Simultaneously, I warmed a chicken breast (from the day before) in the microwave and by 12:20, I was eating the lunch of great protein and colorful vegetables and decided to blog about it as encouragement for you!

Any healthy protein (fish, chicken, beef or legumes) combined with brightly colored complex carbs (vegetables and low-sugar fruits) are the recommended ingredients to fuel your body and your workouts for the summer, winter, spring and fall.

The same quick preparation of veggies with a piece of salmon, halibut or even a grilled steak would be a great meal in the evening.

Hope this helps as another way to close the loop in the fitness puzzle for you.

http://fittron.com/

Love Your Caffeine? Love it a Little Less.

Many of my clients are Wall Street types and attorneys that combine early days and late nights in their attempts to keep up and compete. If you’re like them, you could be fighting a losing battle with heavy caffeine doses in the morning, followed by pill popping at night. This cycle can land you in the doctor’s office with dehydration or heart palpitations. Too much caffeine can also:

1. Dehydrate your body and skin

2. Deprive you of calcium

3. Be psychologically and physically addicting.

4. Increase your body’s adrenaline, hear rate and blood pressure.

If these reasons for kicking the caffeine habit don’t catch your attention, let me appeal to your vanity: Caffeine dehydrates your body, which in turn encourages you to reach for foods high in sodium, causing you to retain water – which adds to water weight gain. When my clients come to the gym, I work them really hard. I hate to see them dilute the benefits of their hard work in the gym — with what they do outside the gym.

So let’s liberate you from caffeine. Here’s what Professor X suggests: Cold Turkey Solutions Rarely Work. If you think you can just wake up one day and stop, more power to you. But be aware that this could also cause you to join a group of esteemed people that claim to be experts in kicking addictions, because after all, “they’ve done it at least 15 times.” Conduct your withdrawal in steps. Get a friend to do it with you if you think you can’t do it alone. 1. If you drink four cups per day, drop to three cups for one week, then to two until you’re at one cup of coffee per day. Follow your coffee with a glass of water. 2. Substitute that a cup of morning joe with a tall glass of water to initiate the hydrating process. The more water you drink, the less you will be dependent on coffee for that morning boost. 3. Try green tea. It has less caffeine and is high in anti-oxidants. Chase it with a glass of water. Stay away from the type with the corn syrup that you find in the refrigerated section of your deli or store. 4. Unhealthy, irregular diets cause us to seek quick energy fixes. By cleaning up your diet, you’ll maintain consistent energy levels all day long.

Combine healthy diet with smaller doses of stimulants, and you’ll sleep like a baby. If you’re competitive, that extra rest will give you the strength and mental prowess you need to compete to win. How Long Will it Take? If you’re motivated, it will take approximately 21 days – the typical amount of time it takes to break any habit. Is There an Alternative? No. Substituting one stimulant for another (like Red Bull or another type of energy drink) will only aggravate the problem. Give Yourself a Break. You only get one body, so respect it by giving it the proper fuel (and rest) it needs to function and get you to the top of that corporate ladder (if that’s where you indeed want to be). Take Control. We all want to take control of our careers, so start with taking control of your drinking and eating habits, a prerequisite to any plan for happy living, whether you’re an artist with unstructured hours or a Wall Street analyst that is driven by the structure and demands of markets you’ll never control. But you can control the amount of stimulants you put in your body which will keep you out of the doctor’s office. And besides, who has time for that?

Easy Day. Sidney Wilson.

http://fittron.com

Online Fitness Tips and Videos

The internet is saturated with information; some good, and some bad. You need to take some time sorting through different content so you can be sure what you’re reading is actually worthwhile. Finding online fitness help is no different. There are a bevy of sites that offer nutritional advice, training help, meal plans, and other tips for healthy living. But not all of them are very good.

Often times these sites are rather complicated. Sometimes you have to create a user profile and some of the posters are just that; users, and not professionals. Many sites have done their best to copy the social networking craze that is sweeping the nation, and allow everyday web visitors to join their site and produce content. While this might be beneficial for users looking to meet up with and support other individuals, it doesn’t do much for you if you’re looking for advice from a professional. You don’t get advice on your financial portfolio from a social networking site, do you? And if you do, we’re not so sure that’s the best way to go about it. You should be getting professional advice from a certified financial expert. At Fittron, we felt you should be getting the same type of advice for your health.

Fittron.com is a directory of fitness professionals. We allow our professionals to upload videos, articles, nutritional tips and more. Only registered Fittron professionals can do this. All our professionals are certified and most are leaders in their field. We challenge you to find a roster of more qualified professionals anywhere online. But don’t waste your time looking; you won’t find a site that even compares.

There are no user profiles on Fittron. We’re not a social networking site, we’re not a fitness encouragement site, we provide you access to the top professionals in the country. Recognizing the forum that they are a part of, our professionals post articles and videos that you need to be viewing. They offer everything from recipes, to instructional videos, to targeted advice for working different body parts. All posts are linked back to the profile page. No longer should you have to read articles from “jackedguy21” and wonder what credentials “jackedguy” really has. By clicking on our professional’s profile link, you will be taken to their profile where you can view their bio, certifications, specializations, and much more. Now you can see just who is behind the information that you’re reading.

Our information is easily accessible. Just click on the yellow sunburst tab on our main page and read articles and videos that we’ve featured. You won’t have to sort through endless content, and there is no username and password required. It’s just simple, transparent advice from experts.

Simplicity backed with credibility is the best formula for success. Our information is certified. Just click on the author’s profile for verification. Come to Fittron.com and get the advice and fitness help that you’ve been looking for.

http://fittron.com/pro_page