The Right Food Choices for Health - Part 3

Grade D food types are definitely bad for your health. They normally contain high amounts of refined sugars or are manufactured primarily from bleached white flour. They also have high total fat and/or saturated fat content, are highly processed and refined and contain flavor enhancers, food preservatives and additives.  None of this stuff is good for you!  If you want to eat your way to health and fitness…avoid these Grade D & Grade F foods as if your life depended on it!  Well, then again, it actually does…

Carbohydrates                                        Protein                          Fats

Sweetened/Flavored Cereals                   Ground Beef                  Whole Fat Cottage Cheese

Cereals/Crackers                                   Ham                             Cream Cheese

Enriched White Bread                              Red Meat                       Sour Cream

White Bread Products                              Roast Beef

Muffins, Pies and other

Baked goods

Grade F foods, as the classification implies are disastrous!  In dieting circles they are more commonly known as cheat foods! While it is alright to eat them once in a while to satisfy your cravings, it is best if you do not make them a regular part of your diet. Grade F foods generally contain all or some of the following unhealthy ingredients which the body stores as excess fat: Trans fats, saturated fats, processed or refined high fat meats and pure refined sugar.

Foods High in Saturated Fats/Trans Fats

*Whole Milk Dairy Products

*Deep Fried Foods

*High Fat Cuts of Red Meats

*Hydrogenated Oils, Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Oil

Foods with White Sugar/Refined Carbohydrates

*Soda

*Candy

*Chocolate

*Cookies

*Sweets

Baked Foods that contain Fats/Sugars

*Cakes

*Cinnabons

*Croissants

*Eclairs

*Pastries

*Pies

Foods High in Refined Carbohydrates/Saturated Fats

*Doughnuts

*Fettuccine Alfredo

*Hamburgers

*Peanut Butter (sweetened)

*Potato Chips

High Fat Content Processed Meats

*Bacon

*Beef Jerky

*Ham

*Hot Dogs

*Salami

*Sausage

What I have just given you, is a straightforward alphabetical guide to choosing and eating healthy food without sacrificing taste. Making the right choice is almost always difficult in the initial stages but as time goes by and you get used to it, it will become a habit which will be the foundation of your new and healthy life!

Begin by eating more food that belong to the A, B and C’s category and learn to do without foods that belong to the D and F group. Before you know it, you will be choosing mostly foods that belong to the A’s and the B’s. Keep in mind that the secret to success lies in maintaining and sustaining the change to a healthier eating habit and in learning your ABC’s….again!  Come on…YOU can do this!  I guarantee you will love the results in a short period of time.  Don’t believe me?  Give it a try and please share with me your accomplishments.

The Right Food Choices for Health - Part 2

Okay, here we are with your “Grade B” and “Grade C” foods.  Your Grade B foods are slightly processed but are generally considered as natural.  However, your Grade C foods; neither poor, but they are not good either, such as breakfast cereals produced from whole grain oats that are sweetened with white sugar fall into this classification.  These Grade C Foods are commonly moderate in fat, processed or cured with flavor enhancers, sodium additives and/or preservatives.  They are not recommended food choices if you are trying to lose weight or body fat.

Grade B Foods

Carbohydrates Breads (100% Whole Grain or Whole Wheat, Rye)		Proteins Non-Fat Cheese and Cream Cheese
Cereals (unsweetened)		Low Fat Chicken Breast
Cream of Rice		1% Low Fat Cottage Cheese
Red Potatoes		Flank Steak
Pasta		Extra Lean Sirloin
White Rice		Low Fat Sour Cream Low Fat Turkey Breast
Fats Canola Oil Olive Oil Peanut Butter Nuts and Seeds Grade C Foods Carbohydrates
Bagels Unsweetened Breakfast Cereal Unsweetened Fruit Juice Low Fat Yogurt Sweetened/Flavor Oatmeal Regular Pasta Raisin Brand Enriched Wheat Bread
Proteins Chicken Thighs 2% Low Fat Cottage Cheese 2% Low Fat Cheese 2% Low Fat Sour Cream Turkey Dark Meat Low Fat Ham Low Fat Sausage

Believe it or not, it gets worst. Next, we’ll cover “Grade D” and “Grade F” foods.  These are foods that everyone should stay away from if you are seriously trying to lose weight or body fat….permanently!

Live Fit Live Strong!!

The Right Food Choices for Health

YOU may not be aware of it but the human body regenerates itself at the rate of 50,000 cells per second automatically! A continuous replacement of the body’s old and dying cells takes place without any interference from us. On its own, the human body continually replaces old cells and gets the raw material for new cell construction from the foods we eat. We are therefore the physical representation of the various types of food we have eaten over the years.

If you eat unhealthy, fatty foods it is only logical that you will also have an unhealthy and fat body! However, if your food choice is more of the lean, high grade food variety you will also surely have a leaner, muscular, stronger, healthier and more energetic body.

Sounds simple right? The problem however lies in the fact that we are not aware of what to choose because of all the different and seemingly healthy choices available. How do we determine which foods fall into the excellent, good, fair, poor and very poor food categories?

This is a simple and straightforward food rating system that you can use as a guide in making the correct food choices so that you can get started on the road to healthy eating and good health – without starving yourself.

You can then compare your current eating habits and make the necessary modifications to your benefit and thereby improve your health and lifestyle.

It does not mean that you have to go without particular types of food rather it means that you should eat more of the good type but less of the not-so-good type in order to achieve equilibrium and health.  Let’s get started with “Grade A+” foods:

Grade A+ Foods

Foods that belong in the Grade A+ category are the best that you can eat! They are natural, extremely dense in nutrients, are full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, carotenoids, phytochemicals, essential fatty acids and fiber that are exceptionally

good for the human body.

The micronutrients of Grade A+ types of foods are released slowly into our bloodstream as glucose, which make them the top carbohydrates choice of athletes, medical experts and fitness gurus.

Carbohydrates Asparagus
Barley
Beans
Black-Eyed Peas
Broccoli
Brown Rice
Brussels Sprouts
Kale
Lentils
Oatmeal
Red Peppers
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Yams Proteins Salmon Trout Herring Fats Fish Fat Flax Seed Oil Grade A Foods The second-best food choice belongs to the Grade A classification.  They are 100% natural, unrefined and unprocessed; they have a fairly high nutrient density and low caloric density.  Like their Grade A+ counterparts, they are equally high in nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, carotenoids, phytochemicals, essential fatty acids and fiber.  They contain all the essential amino acids our body needs and are naturally high in Omega-3 and other healthy essential fatty acids content. Carbohydrates Brown Rice (instant) Carrots Fresh Fruits Red Potatoes White Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Proteins Chicken Breast Fish & Shellfish Top Round Steak (Eye or Round) Turkey Breast Egg Whites Non-Fat Cottage Cheese Whey Protein Next, we’ll talk about your “Grade B” Foods! Live Fit Live Strong!

Here's What You Will Learn From Reading my “Eating Your Way to Fitness E-book”

By Val Russell-Johnson

Eating Your Way to Fitness – Get Fit and Healthy Without the Agony!  Provides all you need to know about:

	The Importance of Proteins and Carbohydrates in your diet!
	How you can eat FATTY foods to help you lose weight!
	How to maximize your water intake for a healthier weight loss program!
	How to permanently lose weight and keep lean for the rest of your life!

Other weight loss and dieting programs make you sacrifice the quantity and quality of foods you eat for short-term weight loss!  After six months or so, you begin to notice that you weigh more than when you started out on their sure-fire weight loss program! 

Why? Because right off the start, the program is not provided for sustainable weight loss! 

Sure, you will lose more than 5 POUNDS within 2 weeks but do you know that those 5 pounds you lost include muscles too? Why? Because other weight and fat loss programs advocate severe carbohydrate restriction which is detrimental and may be dangerous to your health!

On the other hand, “Eating Your Way to Fitness – Get Fit and Healthy Without the Agony!”, provides you with a complete, comprehensive and thorough strategy on how to permanently lose fat WITHOUT the need for diet pills, expensive equipment and unnecessary exercises to keep fit and maintain a healthy body!

By learning the techniques that I’ve listed in my eBook “Eating Your Way to Fitness”, you can lose weight permanently using a scientific approach:

	You will increase your self confidence!
	You will have more time for your family!
	You will become more productive!
	You will look and feel great permanently!
	You can start wearing those designer jeans and clothes everybody loves!

You don't have to join a health club or a gym, however, I always suggest that you get involved in some type of physical activity, not only for a much more quicker return on your efforts and quest for a leaner body, but for overall health.  All you have to do is follow the systematic approach to scientific weight loss by eating as much as you want (within limits of course) of tasty foods that you can choose from one of the accompanying reports and you are well on your way to a leaner and muscular body!

If you want to enhance your looks, then you have a choice of low impact exercises that you can easily perform without the accompanying expense not to mention the muscle aches and pains of intense workouts!

Why make yourself suffer in silence when all you want to have is a lean body and lose weight? You can now lose weight without the agony and frustration other programs offer and keep fat off permanently without sacrificing your taste for good food and jeopardizing your health!

Download Eating Your Way to Fitness Today!

Live Fit Live Strong!!

Healthy Eating Weight Loss Plan

Trying to lose weight is a tricky proposition. There have been countless fad diets in the past, and it seems as though several new ones are thrust onto the market every day and everyone thinks that eating healthy is expensive.  This can make it all too confusing to figure out what makes for a healthy eating weight loss plan. Some diets claim you can shed pounds by eating only one or two "magic" foods; others say you can eat all the fat and protein you want, as long as you don't eat any carbohydrates; still others say you have to eat at certain times and follow strange eating rituals to lose weight. It's enough to confuse anybody.

It is true that some diets really do work, but their ability to get rid of extra weight shouldn't be the only consideration when deciding which one to follow. You also need to consider how healthy they are. Let's face it, you could lose a lot of weight by not eating anything at all--by literally starving yourself--but nobody would say that starvation is healthy.

Something a lot of people seem to forget is that there is no need to go by what somebody else says is the best diet. After all, we are all different, and what works for one person may not work for you. If you have the time and resources, you can develop your own healthy eating weight loss plan. This will take a bit of work, and you will have to have a good idea of what foods you should be eating, and which ones to avoid. Perhaps that's one of the reasons so many people choose to follow a pre-made diet plan. There's nothing wrong with doing it that way, as long as you can be reasonably assured that the diet you want to follow is healthy.

If there is such a thing as a golden rule of weight loss, it's this: you can only lose weight when you burn more calories than you take in. All diets that work simply use some variation of food and exercise to accomplish this goal. You can do the same thing by knowing how many calories are in the foods you eat, and how many calories you burn doing various exercises. To be fair, it's not always easy to keep track of all of this, so following a healthy eating weight loss plan can simplify the process. This way you can follow it, and assume that the calorie calculations have already been made for you.

If you are only a little bit overweight, and in pretty good health, then you may not have to invest in a full-blown diet plan. Instead, you may be able to get away with making a few small adjustments to your current diet. On the other hand, if you are several pounds overweight, or aren't as healthy as you would like to be then a healthy eating weight loss plan that was created by somebody with credentials makes a lot more sense.

Check out this article in Shape Magazine http://www.shape.com/blogs/weight-loss-coach/your-biggest-healthy-eating-barriers-solved for more ideas on eating healthy.

As always, Live Fit Live Strong!!

How to Look Years Younger Using Makeup to Hide Wrinkles

You can find makeup to hide the wrinkles and it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. The products you already have, when applied correctly can help you diminish lines and wrinkles.

 

Most women start out with some sort of foundation. Did you know that HOW you put that foundation on is important to keeping it from caking in the corners of your eyes and making the creases around your mouth look deeper by the end of the day?

I have read that if you use a heavier foundation you should put it on and smooth it out with a damp make up sponge. This thins it out and not only makes it easier to spread evenly but it also goes on smoother so that it does not cake up or cause you to look ten years older by the end of the day instead of ten years younger.

Also, there are shading, highlighting and blending techniques you should learn so you can effectively use your makeup to hide the wrinkles and look and feel younger.

Some other suggestions, besides the one above, I have for you are:

1. Some women, I have found, use their concealer almost as a primer for the eye lid before applying any type of eye color. Concealer apparently can work to keep things looking smooth and even give you a softer eye look along with hiding those dark circles under your eye.

1. While doing your eyes, use earthier tones instead of bright colors and use the lighter of the three colors to highlight on your upper brow bone area. This will make your eyes seem more open and give you an instant eye lift.

2. Use less eyeliner on your lower eye lids and blend the eyeliner you use on your upper eye lids. Or do not use any on your lower eye lids especially for a nice clean day or playful look. Do this step only for when you go out at night.

3. Use the same highlighter color you used on your brow bone to highlight just under your cheek bones and under your neck. Just brush and blend evenly to make it look natural.

4. Stop using powders that can cake in the problem areas, as well.

So, if you are approaching the age of 50, and are noticing more of those fine lines around your eyes and mouth or have noticed that your skin is not as firm as it used to be, you may want to think about making some changes to your morning routine and learn a few new techniques to use when putting on your face every day.

These techniques are not difficult to learn and may even cut your time in front of the mirror down some.  Do a search online and you will be inundated with myriad suggestions, articles, and videos on how to artfully apply your makeup to hide the wrinkles and continue to look years younger.

Live Fit Live Strong!!

Facial Exercises That Tone Neck and Throat Muscles

Neck and throat muscles show age faster!  Exercising them can help. Did you know that over time your facial muscles lose elasticity creating wrinkles and age your appearance? Throat and neck muscles show age faster than the muscles on the face making it more challenging to treat those areas. Many people will have expensive and painful face lift surgeries to reduce these sagging areas. However, for a cheap and pain-free face lift, you can perform regular stretches and facial exercises targeting the areas.

  

Here are the facial exercises to help tone the neck and throat areas of your face:

Sit on the floor with your legs folded comfortably. Keeping your spine straight, tilt your head back slowly. Hold this position for the count of ten. Return your head to the upright position. Repeat this for five sets. You should feel stretching in your jaw line.

While in the same position, relax your shoulders look straight ahead. Slowly turn your head to the right so your chin is even with your shoulder. Hold this for the count of five. Return to facing forward. Slowly turn your head to the left so your chin is even with your left shoulder. Hold for the count of five. Return to facing forward. Repeat this for three sets on both sides.

In the same position, keep your head facing forward and keep your shoulders relaxed. Tilt your neck to the right side. Hold for the count of five. Do this to the left side. Do this for both sides for three sets. You will feel the stretch in the neck areas.

While still on the floor, switch to the position of being on your hands and knees. Drop your head towards the floor keeping your neck, spine, and elbows straight. Inhale slowly. As you exhale slowly, curve your back downward while lifting your head upwards. Repeat these five sets.

Sitting on the floor in a comfortable position face forward, tilt your head back slowly. Move your jaw up and down. Hold this position for the count of ten. Return to facing forward. Do this for three sets.

Use these exercises to tone and tighten the muscles in your neck and throat. Do them every day to build stronger muscles and to create a younger appearance. You will see results with a few weeks when you are dedicated to performing the exercise daily.

To help increase the enjoyment of theses exercises, add soothing music and burn incense or candles. The calming effects of the aroma will add to the calming affects to your mind and spirit. When your body and mind is calm, you receive a higher level of benefits from all exercise. Think of the healthy benefits the exercises and the calmness will provide you. You will feel younger the more you take care of yourself.

No one wants a “rooster neck”!

Live Fit Live Strong!!

Top 5 Benefits of Boot Camp Training

This blog is for everyone!  We all know that working out and living a healthy lifestyle should be a goal for everyone. However, beyond the obvious benefits, I’ve listed the top 5 reasons why you need to get involved in a Boot Camp program to help you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals.

Boot Camp Encourages You to Push Yourself Harder
The majority of people rarely push themselves as hard as an exercise professional will push you. We certainly won’t do anything to cause you physical injury, but we will push you to work harder than you normally would on your own. This helps you build stronger muscles faster, develop better endurance, and accelerate your fitness goals and burn more calories.

Quicker Results
Boot Camps are unique fitness programs that can help you burn up to 1100-1500 calories in just one 45-60 minute class.  We incorporate many different physical activities such as Band training, Ball exercises, Dumbbells, Calisthenics, Plyometrics, Kickboxing routines, and Resistance Training. This combination of exercises boost results much faster than typical exercises and workout classes.

More Affordable than One-on-One Personal Training
At less than half the cost, you get all the benefits of a personal trainer.  Boot Camps are much more cost effective than hiring a personal trainer.  The boot camp is conducted in a small group of 15-20 people per class.   With more participants we can offer much cheaper prices….but still provide you with all the benefits of a personal trainer for less cost.

Group Bonding

Boot Camp form friendships within your group, because when people are all going through the same thing together a common bond is formed.  This helps you stick with your workout program, keeps you dedicated and provides you with instant “accountability” partners.  Everyone helps to motivate each other and provide guidance to the newbies in the group. Everyone works to keep you on target and feeling good about yourself.

Major Fun
Camaraderie and the intensity of each class and the different exercises make boot camp a lot more fun than typical programs at the gym.  Variety is the key to keeping your enthusiasm for working out. Boot Camp keeps you "fired" up about working out and having a great time doing it!

Live Fit Live Strong!!

For a Lean and Tone Body....Plyometrics?

I was in the gym the other day and was approached by another trainer that helps women prepare for Fitness, Figure and Physique competitions (IFBB).  I'm a former fitness competitor who competed years ago when the requirements were much different than what they are today for women.  Years ago, you had to be big and very muscular!  However, at some point it started to get a little out of hand, especially in the women's division.  I personally, was not willing to do what it would take to get me to that size to compete against the women who were packing on the muscle like there was no tomorrow.  I'm a small petite woman, muscular with great symmetry, shape and size for my height of 5'2 at 118 lbs.  Now, it seems that I would fit right into the Figure or Physique division; however, I've been told that I may need to lose just a little bit of my muscle; be just a little leaner... really??

I also learned that a lot of the women are hardly touching the weights; they are getting lean and tone by doing mostly Cardio and Plyometrics; at least those that are competing in the fitness and figure division (picture to the right).  In reading a little more about Plyometrics, I can see where this could be possible and if I do decide to step on stage again, I'm willing to do what it takes!  

Check out the pictures I've posted in this article; the then look (picture to the left); the look I could never and will never achieve; and the now look (picture to the right).  

What do you think?  Which look would you choose?  Just saying......

Live Fit Live Strong!!

Yes, Ladies This is For You Too!

If you're in the gym training hard and you're not using supplements, you'll never see the results that you so desire for a very long time.  I started using these amazing supplements about a month ago and I can't believe my results in that short period of time.  All of High Performance Nutrition products are "All Natural".  I was so tired of buying many different types of supplements, trying to find the "right" one to give me that extra push in the gym, to only again end up with a product that gave me a temporary rush with no lasting evidence of my hard work and more money down the drain.




The "Pure Powder", gives me the endurance and strength to build muscle, while at the same time it's keeping me lean by helping me burn off the fat, and it contains no stimulants; this is the best part.  I actually only take 1/2 of scoop every day before my workout; because this pre-workout formula is so powerful, that's all I need.  I was using another product that had me so "Jacked", that not only did it begin to mess with my sleep, but also my hormone levels and all sorts of weird things were happening to me; then I realized that this product contained NO 1,3 Dimethyl/Geranium!  I immediately stopped taking this product and after about 3-4 weeks I started feeling normal again.  I also use "Formula 1" multivitamin capsules.  I take two a day; one after breakfast and one after either lunch or dinner.  For men, I would suggest 3 capsules a day.  The multivitamin contains the equivalent of multiple fruit and vegetable servings with the Spectra ORAC blend, anti-oxidants,  the potent anti-oxidant and glucose disposal agent R-ALA, a full dose of hormone and fat loss supporting L-Carnitine, the full clinical dosage of Vitamin D3 and a potent array of digestive enzymes.  Now, the "Formula 1" comes in both a capsule and powder form.  There are a few other products on the www.hpnformula1.com website as well for those looking to really increase their strength and size.  Just to let you know about the amazing quality of these products, pro athletes are using High Performance Nutrition products, because they are certified "Safe for Sport", and tested for purity and contaminants at the world renowned "Banned Substance Control Group".

High Performance Nutrition was created for one reason; to provide elite and pro athletes and hard training individuals alike with the means to increase their performance without having to worry about safety or legality of their products. Every HPN product is formulated in accordance within the latest scientific research, and every step from raw material sourcing, to manufacturing, and finally finished product testing is taken with the utmost care to ensure that our customers receive nothing less then the safest and most effective products possible.


HPN's commitment and promise to you is that they will never:

Use artificial: colors, sweeteners, or flavors

Hide inadequate doses of ingredients in a "kitchen sink" formula with 100% proprietary blends;

Release a product that is anything less than the best in class

Loose sight of our mission; To help people world-wide reach their health and fitness goals through INNOVATIVE, EFFECTIVE, and above all else, SAFE supplementation.

All products are produced in a CGMP, ISO-9001:2008, and NSF Certified Manufacturing Facility. HPN makes NO COMPROMISES in producing the world's highest quality supplements.

Live Fit Live Strong!!