Friday, March 18, 2016

Trending New Superfoods for 2016

 
                            Fitness Kickboxing
SUPERFOODS! Does anyone even know what that term means? It's become very hip over the past few years, hasn't it? It's been a great marketing tactic for many companies. But do you even know WHY superfoods are something you should be adding to your diet?

Usually when  food is high in antioxidants it gets labeled as a "superfood". Simply put, it will provide your body with the antioxidants it needs to help defend your body against harmful chemicals known as free radicals. (Free radicals are produced in response to airborne pollutants such as cigarette smoke, as well as in response to stress, recreational drugs, and food additives.They damage cells and contribute to accelerated aging and heart disease.) Knowing what we know about the qualify of our air, food, and lifestyle in terms of stress these days, you can see why antioxidant are so important to include in our diet.

There are plenty of common foods that are considered superfoods like tomatoes, apples, and avocado. But if you're into checking out the trends of the seasons, you might want to look into these superfoods:

Pitaya (aka Dragon Fruit)
Dragon fruit can be easily spotted in the stores due to it's vibrant skin and out-of-the norm appearance. That bold color indicates that it's full of phytonutrients, some of which studies have shown can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Dragon fruit is also rich in Vitamin C, fiber, and magnesium. A small dragon fruit has only about 60 calories, so it's definitely a great snack! You can even add it to a smoothie for some great flavor!

Freekeh
If you haven't noticed, lately there has been a rise in the popularity of ancient grains like quinoa and farro. Well, the next star of the grain show is freekeh. Freekeh, originating from Northern Africa and the Middle East, is a roasted green wheat with a nutty, chewy texture. A half-cup serving contains 10 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein, which is about 6x the same nutrient count in the same amount of cooked brown rice. The only downside is that unlike quinoa and brown rice, it is wheat, so it's not something that will fit into the diet of someone who is gluten-free.

Tiger Nuts
Tiger nuts are kind of misleading.....they're actually tubers. This is a small root vegetable that was discovered over 4000 years ago. You can sometimes find the nut milk made from this tuber in the popular Mexican drink: Horchata (one of my favorite beverages, by the way). There are about 120 calories in 50 of these as well as 10 grams of fiber and 215mg of potassium. So this is definitely a nutritional powerhouse snack!

Boabab
This is a super fruit hailing from Africa. It almost looks like a skinny watermelon on the outside, but on the inside it contains a powdery pulp that has a pear-like flavor that works well in smoothies, juices, and even baked goods! One of the more impressive facts is that it contains almost 6x the Vitamin C as oranges and twice the calcium of milk! A 10 gram serving also has 4.7 grams of fiber.

Moringa
You might also hear this referred to as the Horseradish Tree or Drumstick Tree. It has edible leaves, seeds, and pods! Some parts of the plant contains as much calcium as milk, more potassium than a banana, and 2.5x the amount of Vitamin C as an orange. Each ounce of the leaves also contains 3 grams of protein!

Turkey Tail Mushroom
Do you think about mushroom powder when you think about adding things to your smoothies? Probably not! But.... you might consider making an exception for this "super fungus". Named for its distinct shape and stripes, turkey tail mushrooms contain polysaccharides, which help to support the immune system.

Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds are probably one of the more widely recognized foods on this list. Chia seeds also made a huge splash in the nutrition world recently, but even chia seeds are find it hard to compete with hemp seeds. Hemp seeds can help boost your protein if you're following a vegan or vegetarian diet as they contain 10 grams of protein  per ounce (compare chia at 4.7 grams). They also contain all 10 amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, as well as some omega-6 fatty acids. They are also rich in magnesium and iron! They're very versatile. You can sprinkle them on salads, blend them into your smoothies, or even make them into a pudding.

Black Rice
This rice is also known as the "forbidden rice" due to its rarity in ancient China. It's rich in phytonutrients and Vitamin E. It also contains a large amount of anthocyanins (as do blueberries), which have been shown to lower the risk of heart attacks and control cholesterol levels. You can use this in any recipe that calls for rice.

Dandelion Greens
Yes, this is the same weed that takes over your garden. But, forget about that... One chopped cup of this stuff contains your entire daily requirement for Vitamin A and nearly as much Vitamin K as kale! The entire plant can be used. From the leaves, to the roots, to the flower itself! The roots can be used for medicinal purposes and can also make coffee and tea. The flowers are used to make wine. And the leaves make an awesome base for a salad. If you find them too bitter, try softening the flavor by blanching them or tossing with lemon juice!


Matcha
This is the powdered version of green tea. You'll find this these days in lattes, cakes, and even in energy balls. It's bitterness balances out the sweetness in a lot of recipes. It contains 137 times the amount of anti-inflammatory EGCG found in regular green tea!

Guayusa
This is an ancient tea that has been part of the culture in Ecuador for centuries. When brewed, one cup contains about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee as well as polyphenols which reportedly help prevent degenerative diseases and chlorogenic acids, which may improve glycemic control  and lower blood pressure (think hypertension and diabetes).

Full Blog  - http://life-faith-fitness.blogspot.com/2016/01/trending-new-superfoods-for-2016.html

New Blog, same pop fitness bashing.

                          Fitness Jobs
If you haven't already, check out my new blog over on wordpress!  I've got a few new posts up already, including:

Bashing new forms of media, like Pinterest
A twitter feed where you can watch me fail miserably at figuring out why Twitter exists!
MORE weight-loss experiments, this time with more failing and less success.

Hope to see you over there!

Credits here - http://modern-fitness.blogspot.com/2013/07/new-blog-same-pop-fitness-bashing.html

Reason #407 to Workout With Fitness Blender: Strength

7 Exercises For A Flat Stomach At Home | Fitness With Namrata Purohit

Health And Fitness!

   
                    Fitness Headbands

As you can see here, I have a detailed video about what I eat and what a normal week to 2 weeks worth of groceries look like for me. I really only cook for myself so if you have more mouths to feed you may need to get more food in terms of quantity. Most of the food information is in the video so I will just give you an example of what a typical day looks like. This is what I eat when I have access to a microwave at lunch and dinner. I am currently in the process of developing a meal plan for when I am on the go. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Breakfast:

4 egg whites
1/4 cup of blue berries

or

Shakeology

or

Raw meal

or

Protein shake with blue berries, baby spinach and rolled oats

Snack 1:

Grapefruit or Protein Scoop

Lunch:

3oz Ground turkey with salad Or an apple and 6-8  Almonds

Snack 2:

Grapefruit or Protein Scoop

Dinner:

4oz of Chicken breast or Fish with any vegetable

Dessert:

Frozen blue berries and mangos.


Others:
Gatorade
Apples for post workout
Trader Joes snacks
Kashi Go lean cereal


And That's it! I will be Back with my On-the-go meal plan.

I will not over complicate this. I will post the detailed video about my weight loss and weight story so you can check that out! I will also Include a few details about what I am currently doing as far as Excercise and what I am eating. You are more than welcome to join me and incorporate some of these things in your daily lives! I will also have Blog posts about different programs I am doing, what they entail and the results I get. Let me know if you have any questions and I will be more than happy to answer them.

Watch the detailed Video on my 40 pound weight loss here

With the help of God, Insanity, My trainer and Nutritionist, Boxing, Strength training, Clean eating, Determination, Will Power, and Self control I was able to lose 40 pounds and gain 10 pounds of muscle in a 4-5 month period of time. I went from a size 10 to a size 4. I am so happy and grateful and I am looking forward to reaching my goal of gaining more muscle, shredding my abs and fitting into size 2 pants!

I hope this serves as good motivation to all of you out there who are in the same boat as I am!! you can achieve these results too!! Stay encouraged and thanks for reading :)

FOOD and NUTRITION

I just decided to repost the info from the november fitness challenge here because nothing has changed in terms of what I do for food and nutrition when I want to lose fat and gain lean muscle. I think everything is clearly written, but if you have any more questions, let me know!!


I know I have not put up any information about my health and fitness story and routine yet but I just wanted to put this challenge up just in case you would like to join me. Health and fitness has become a critical part in my life and I am going to continue to set goals for myself to keep my motivation. I will put all the details of my exercise and food on the bottom. You don't have to use the same exercise program I am using (anything you choose will work.) The most important part is the food. Believe it or not, the quantities and when you eat  play a HUGE role.

Exercise : For 30 days ( or however long you want to do this for) I will be using the Insanity DVDs. I will use the Max program (second half which is more intense ) because I want to push my body a little more. Since the program is an hour long, I will be working out 5 days a week in the afternoon after work and Saturday Morning (6x a week in total) with Sunday as my rest day. I am also going to Sprint on my tread mill in the morning when I wake up for 10-15 minutes (in intervals) just to get my blood flowing. (two workouts a day is OPTIONAL. It just depends on how advanced in your fitness you are.)

There is an Abbreviated version of the Insanity workout on this link if you need some help comming up with high intensity exercises and you don't own Insanity:

http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2012/02/insanity-workout-slideshow#slide=1

Also I like Body Rock TV. It has simular high intensity workouts you can follow for all body parts!

http://www.bodyrock.tv/category/daily-workouts/all-workouts/

PLEASE NOTE: Consult your healthcare professional before starting any diet/workout regime! This is simply what I did and what worked for ME under professional supervision.

Food: As far as food is concerned, I will be eating ONLY these things that I list in the bottom and I will explain how I eat them.

Note* This meal plan is for losing FAT and gaining Lean muscle as you will notice by the Injection of protein several times through the day. Please Keep your portions to the size of your fist for every meal!! :)

Brown rice, Protein (powder for shakes), Egg whites, Plain Shredded Wheat (cereal), Sweet Potatoes, Organic Chicken (breast only) Turkey (breast or ground), Byson (no hormones), Fish,  Soy milk, Raw Almonds, Fruits (more apples, grapefruits and blue berries than the rest)  and Vegetables. I will also by cutting off all artificial sugar (INCLUDING Salad DRESSING!!) and Limiting my salt intake.

The format of food intake is Crucial. Having many small meals a day will keep your metabolism up and you will find that your body will stop holding on to the fat. It is very important that you DO NOT SKIP BREAKFAST. It truly is the most important meal. The sooner you eat in the morning, the sooner your metabolism starts working. Also keep in mind that starving yourself is not an option. You have to eat to lose weight OR gain proper tone. If you starve yourself, your body will hold on to all the fat you are trying to lose and eventually will shut down.

One other Key factor is eating either a half apple, 3 tablespoons of brown rice or 2 oz of sweet potato Immediately after your work out. Either one of those is great for your body's recovery
Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water through the day (DO NOT SKIP THIS!!) and get enough sleep. Take a multivitamin to ensure you are getting all your nutrients and a probiotic to make sure your digestive system is working properly.

Morning:
1/2 apple after workout. Vitamin and Probiotic

Protein shake with blueberries OR 4 egg WHITES with blueberries OR shredded wheat with soy milk and fruit.

Snack: 1/2 Grapefruit (OR Protein shake with no fruit)

Lunch: Salad or veggie or fruit  with a protein- Chicken breast, ground turkey, Fish and 6 amonds

Snack: 1/2 Grapefruit, Protein shake(no fruit,) OR I have 3 tablespoons of brown rice or shredded wheat as a carbohydrate if I am working out after work.

1/2 apple after workout

Dinner: Protein and veggies. No Carbs!! Veggies (spinach, beans, broccli or any other)  and a protein like Chicken breast or fish...


Those are the basic guidelines for the meal plan. If you find yourself hugry i would suggest more water and a blueberry or grapefruit snack.

I hope I made everything clear enough and I am excited to get started. I will post weekly updates at the top of this blog post ( so I should have 4) so check back with me and let me know how you are doing!!

Supplies: Make your own Herbal Capsules

    Fitness Gram

If you're like me and have purchased many different types of supplements over the last several years, you might want to start thinking about more efficient ways to deliver those herbal remedies with a fraction of the cost.  Actually, it's not just about monetary reasons, but more about the quality and the absence of those hidden and unwanted ingredients, binders, etc. Think about it...  Do you really know what all is in those supplements that you commonly buy online or at your local health store?

I'm dividing this subject into two parts.  The first subject, from a previous post, is entitled "Supplies: Make your own Herbal Tinctures."  The second subject, on this post, will involve the supplies that you will need to make your own herbal capsules - which is the method I prefer.

Not only is it fun to start making your own herbal supplements, it gives you a sense of independence and a peace of mind from knowing exactly what is put into those capsules.  My last project involved milk thistle seeds.  I made a fine powder from the healthy organic seeds that I use to mix into juice and to fill my empty capsules.  I plan on making my own ginseng supplements, turmeric, powdered hot pepper capsules, etc., in the future.  There's a broad range of herbal substances you can dry out and create a powder from, so if you have a decent knowledge about herb-related health benefits, your options and combinations are seemingly endless.

Okay, well, let's get down to the small amount of supplies that you will need to do this.  First of all, to make a powder out of dried herbs, some people use different things.  Take a mortar & pestle, for example.  Some folks like to chop 'em up in a traditional blender, as well.  But to me, the instrument that works the best for creating a very fine powder that allows for easy absorption within the body and that pulverizes the herbs within the shortest amount of time, is the coffee/herb grinder.  These little gadgets can turn hard seeds into powder in hardly any time at all.  Plus, they don't take up hardly any room at all.  The one shown below, is the coffee grinder that I recently purchased online, and I am more than satisfied with it.

* To browse through a selection of coffee grinders from Amazon, click the image below:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=kitchen&keywords=coffee%20grinder&linkCode=ur2&tag=establishedca-20&linkId=4LG77UTEG2L2JRDY
Next up on the list of supplies that you will need, is the empty gelatin capsules. I like the '00' size because it allows me to put about 1000 mg. of whole crushed herb into each pill.  Since it will be completely natural and not the "extract" version of one particular chemical compound of an herb, you will generally need to consume more of it.  Personally, I think it is much more bio-available and overall better for the body to consume herbal supplements in their natural state, but that's another subject entirely.

* To browse through a selection of empty gelatin capsules from Amazon, click the image below:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=hpc&keywords=gelatin%20capsules&linkCode=ur2&tag=establishedca-20&linkId=ETKGAPNBLWTD26IS

Even though it hasn't been a problem for me, as of yet, filling the empty capsules by hand may be a bit too tedious and time-consuming for some folks.  If that's the case, you may need additional supplies, such as the capsule filling machine.  It is a simple device that allows you to place the big part of the empty capsules in a "machine" (not really a machine by my standards) and the smaller part into the cover.  From there, you dump your herbal ingredients into the holding plate or whatever, and put the cover on.  Then, you lift up on it and the capsules will all be assembled just like that.  I'm not promoting this overrated and overpriced (for what it is) product, but if you're interested just do a search for "capsule filling machine" or something similar; cheers!

Orginal Author - http://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2015/09/supplies-make-your-own-herbal-capsules.html