Fiber: The Diet Workhorse

If you're trying to diet and finding it too tough to restrict calories because you're always starving, fiber may be just what you're lacking. "It keeps you feeling fuller for longer," says Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, a nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Ky. "You don't get as hungry as quickly, so it helps when somebody's trying to cut back on calories." Fiber is a carbohydrate, but unlike other carbohydrates,...

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Choosing Protein Wisely

Our bodies need protein to build strong bones, muscles, skin, and cells. Because we can’t store protein in our bodies the way we can store carbohydrates, we need to make sure we eat enough protein every day. But is all protein created equal? Alexa Schmitt, RD, a clinical nutritionist at Massachusetts General Hospital, says that what makes a protein “good” or “bad” is its saturated fat content. Proteins that are high in saturated...

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Good Fats, Bad Fats

The general wisdom for many years was that all fat should be avoided. Trans fat, saturated fat, unsaturated fat — just stay away from them all. But now scientists realize that fat — and how our bodies process it — is much more complex. Our bodies need some fat for optimal functioning. But we need the right kinds of fat, and we need to practice moderation. Some fats are actually good for you, and others should be avoided at...

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Measuring Body Fat

Many people who are watching their weight — or trying to lose some pounds — turn to their bathroom scale. But that old familiar standby is not the only way to measure one’s size. Another possibility to consider is your body fat percentage. Body Fat: What Are the Dangers? When most of us hear the words "body fat" they have immediate negative connotations. However, in the right proportion, fat is actually critical to our diet and...

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10K Training Guides for the Gym

The gym is the perfect place to train for a race, whether you're training for a 3K, 5K, 8K or 10K run, especially during rainy and cold months. Following a training program and sticking to it will boost your performance during race day. If you've never raced before, start with a 3K or 5K training program. Always get the okay from your doctor before you begin training. Completing a 3K race means you'll be running or walking 1.86 miles. Most 3K...

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What Is Serum Cholesterol?

Often there exists some confusion about cholesterol, especially since you find some in your body and others in food. There are two types of cholesterol, dietary cholesterol which comes from food, and serum or blood cholesterol which is found in the bloodstream. It is a fatlike substance, but has a different structure from fat and performs different functions in the body. Cholesterol cannot be broken down so the body does not derive any energy...

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My Butt Is Doing What? Squats and Butt Wink

As with any other dysfunctional movement pattern we see, there are many factors that contribute to this compensation. I’ll just state for the record that not everyoneshould be squatting to full depth from the start. It is far more important to groove proper motor patterns and develop joint mobility and stability in a progressive manner than to be able to brag that you squat to full depth.  I like to quote Senior Strong First Instructor...

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Secrets to Mastering the Squat:

1. Check your stance!  Most average women (i.e. women who aren’t powerlifters wearing gear) don’t need to be squatting much wider than just beyond shoulder width, with their toes pointed out between ~15-30 degrees. Squatting very wide is harder on the hips, and once you get extremely wide, it can be even harder to drive your knees out, which, as you’ll see below, is very important.  2. Brace your core!  Again,...

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What Your Squat Says About You

By now every lifter knows what A2G means. Ass to Grass baby! Getting low in your squat is crucial if you want to fully engage your glutes and grow that booty you’ve always wanted. It’s also important if you want to get super strong, you know, that extra thing that comes from working out besides just looking good. The squat can be tough for people to master though and once a squatter realizes they can’t increase their weight, they start to wonder...

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Counting Calories? Add In Fiber

Fiber: The Health Benefits If you’re like the average American, you probably only get 11 grams of fiber a day, despite the national recommendation for between 20 and 30 grams daily. Eating more fiber can make you more “regular,” but it has other health benefits as well: A fiber-rich diet protects a woman’s heart. An analysis of health information from 72,000 women who participated in the 18-year long Nurses’ Health Study showed that women...

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Burning Calories at the Gym

You finish your workout on the treadmill and the machine reads 300 calories. But how do you know if that number is truly accurate? Experts say there's a good chance it's not. Burning Calories at the Gym: Crunching the Numbers At the end of your workout, most cardio machines provide you with the number of calories you burned. Keep in mind though that this reading is an estimate — and often coffee an overestimate — and should not be taken...

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