7 Tips for Portion Control
A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that over the last several decades, calorie counts per serving in cookbook recipes have increased dramatically—by an average of more than 100 calories per serving between 1936 and 2006 in The Joy of Cookin alone. Causes range from more affordable food to larger plate sizes to a change in cultural perceptions of what a serving size actually is. The real question, though, is this: What can we do to monitor and control portion sizes?
Going Grainless, P90X Style
Most P90Xers rejoice when they arrive at Phase 3 of the program's Nutrition Plan. Not only are they two-thirds of the way through the boot camp from hell, but they know they're about to ramp up their workouts by introducing more carbohydrates, the body's primary energy source, into their diets. However, there are dissenters—those who glance at the P90X Nutrition Plan and blanch. Maybe you suffer from celiac disease, so wheat is a complete no-no. Maybe you follow one of the popular Paleo Diets and subscribe to the belief that our ancestors didn't eat grains, and therefore neither should we. Or maybe you just don't like all that pasta and rice. Either way, the P90X Nutrition Plan was designed to be flexible, so with a little thought, you can easily rework Phase 3 to suit your needs.
Warming Up, Cooling Down: How a Few Extra Minutes Can Change Your Workout
It's a Thursday morning at 6 a.m. You've already hit snooze too many times, and you have a meeting at 7:30. You really want to get your INSANITY® Max Interval Plyo workout in, but you don't have 55 minutes to spare. Well, if you just fast-forward through the warm-up, and skip the cooldown, you can squeeze it in and still get a decent workout, right? Um, I don't think so. Skipping the warm-up and cooldown can decrease your performance level, open you up to injuries, and possibly make your recovery time longer. How so, you ask? Let's find out.
4 Down and Dirty One-Pot Meals
For a lot of us, an elegant sit-down family dinner means serving the chicken without the bucket. Having to work until 5:00 or 6:00 at night and then having to come home and whip up something your children will eat and won't get you reported to Protective Services can be a challenge for anyone.
Success in All Shapes and Sizes
ChosenNews was tipping the scales at 240 pounds. Out of shape and having never really been in shape, he decided to start P90X®. Ninety days later, he's lost 30 pounds (and his beard!) and he's made it through the first stage of his journey to a healthier life.
7 Key Foods to Help You Get the Most Out of Your Workout
At some point in your hooked-in, hard-core Beachbody® experience, or even if you're just getting started, this thought may cross your mind: Wish I could get results even faster. Well, now you can. Here's a list of dynamic foods that bring a lot to the table.
The Five Pillars of Willpower
Congratulations! You've made the decision to turn things around, so you've ordered your Beachbody® exercise program and you're ready to dive in. But that's only half the battle. How does a social butterfly like you find time to squeeze in a workout? And how do you deal with family and friends who might not understand what you're trying to accomplish? Willpower can be tough, but here are five helpful tips.
Tips for Staying Cool: Avoiding Heat Exhaustion
As summer nears, the lure of fun in the sun becomes tempting, especially if you've been working hard at looking good in your bathing suit. But as temperatures soar, so does the threat of hyperthermia, from heat exhaustion to heat stroke. Let's take a look at how you can stay cool, stay healthy, and stay on track . . . even as the mercury rises.
Recipe: Black Bean Salad
Black beans are a delicious staple of Central and South American cuisineâthey fill you up without filling you out. This black bean salad with a decidedly Southwestern flair is quick and easy to make, high in protein and fiber, low in fat and calories, and tasty as all get-out.
Takeout Tips and Traps
In a perfect world, we'd all be able to spend each morning browsing the farmers' market for the ideal seasonal produce, then spend the afternoon making a nutritious meal that would bring a tear to Martha Stewart's eye. But in reality, you might have to resort to the delivery menu.
"How Would You Feel If Someone Else Had to Raise Your Sons?"
That question got Jeremy Y.'s attention. At 33, he weighed 370 pounds. His weight affected his ability to be a good father and husband. He had no energy for his two active young sons, his wife, or anything else. Most nights, he'd do nothing at home after work but watch TV. Making things worse, he had severe ankle arthritis, walked with a limp, and took daily medication for high blood pressure. Jeremy had let himself go, nearly all the way to death's door.
A 10-Point Plan for Holiday Diet Success
Good ol' "holiday cheer" doesn't always leave you feeling cheerful, especially when you can't fit into your little black dress or fancy-occasion suit for New Year's Eve. Here's a simple 10-step plan to help make your New Year's something to celebrate. Let's start with the big picture, then count down toward a healthy New Year.
Sookbook Review:
Chef Heidi Swanson will assuredly convert even the most diehard refined flour user to the ways of natural, whole food with her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking. While this is, technically, a cookbook, it can also be considered a primer in the ways of whole foods divided into five chapters.