Friday, October 31, 2008

Another advocation of bison meat


And I thought I was the only one who loved this stuff. While I do try to limit my red meat consumption, I do love a nice bison burger once in a while. Bison is a fantastic alternative to ground beef, containing comparable protein levels and FAR less saturated fat. Give bison meat a try and let me know what you think. I'll admit, I was skeptical at first but now I'm hooked :-)

A recent article in New England Sports Magazine talked about bison: http://www.newenglandsportsmag.com/nutrition/a-healthier-meat.html

Happy Halloween

So of course we think about pumpkins when it comes to Halloween, but did you know that they are actually good for you? The meat of the pumpkin is high in "carotenoids," the substance that gives pumpkins their orange color. Pumpkins are also high in lutein, which has shown some signs of preventing macular degeneration- a serious eye problem which can lead to blindness.

Trader Joe's sells organic canned pumpkin which admittedly is an acquired taste. There are many recipes available online for which you can add pumpkin as a means of increasing fiber intake.

You can also take it a step further and hit up Cambridge Brewing Company for their Pumpkin Ale Festival: http://www.boston.com/ae/events/articles/2008/10/31/smashing_pumpkins/ I had some Pumpkin Ale recently at Sunset Grille & Tap that was pretty good: http://www.allstonsfinest.com/allstonsfinest/sunsetgrillandtap/sunsetgrill&tap.swf


Lastly, I always think of this song on Halloween. It brings me back to the Ghostbuster days. Happy Halloween everyone!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Trying a new whole grain


I had the opportunity to try a new whole grain today at a workshop I consulted at. Bulgur, admittedly a tad bland, can be used in pilafs, soups, or as stuffing. It is best known as a main ingredient in tabbouleh. Its higher nutritional value makes it a good substitute for rice or couscous.


1 cup cooked has ~8 grams of fiber, although only ~2 grams of it being soluble (cholesterol-lowering) fiber. Remember, LDL is your "bad" cholesterol so shoot for foods high in fiber and omega 3 fats. Pair that with quality exercise and you're well on your way to better health!


1 down, 81 more in the regular season to go

Nothing wrong with showing a little emotion once in a while:


Monday, October 27, 2008

Arm Candy?!?!


I was reading The Boston Globe Magazine this past Sunday and came across this ridiculous ad for a pair of hand weights. A whole kilogram (2.2 pounds) for the bargain price of...$180!!! What will they think of next. I'd rather work out with 2 bricks that dont cost me a dime than these stupid things. Even in this economy, people really do have money to burn.


Sunday, October 26, 2008

Food labels moving to the front of packages


Recently unveiled at the American Dietetic Association's Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, a program has now been put in place to put labels on the front of packages. While I didn't know turning something over to review the nutritional facts was so difficult, I like the idea. Theoretically, it will make people more conscience of the choices they are making when food shopping. Only time will tell.


Saturday, October 25, 2008

Winning is one thing- defending is another


How gorgeous are the C's rings?!?!?!?!?!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Best Things (Music) in Life ARE Free!


If you know me personally, you know how passionate I am about music and that it's my favorite thing in life. It constantly surrounds me- at work, in the car, in my office, etc... Anyway, for those who aren't aware, iTunes (free to download @ http://itunes.com/) has free satellite radio with hundreds of channels from a wide variety of genres. As a means of tightening up my budget recently, I cancelled Sirius satellite radio ($155.40 for the year) and now listen to the free iTunes radio every day. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Food allergies on the rise


Interesting piece from The Boston Globe today on the increased prevalence of food allergies in kids. Check out the story here: http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/10/22/food_allergies_increasing_in_us_kids_study_says/

Book Recommendation

Had to recommend one more. It's a rainy day so I'm catching up on my reading of course :-)

Book Recommendation



If you've checked out the above, let me know what you think. I have it on order, along with a couple others.

"Cardio Only" Does Not Work!

One goal most exercise enthusiasts have is optimal body composition. That is, we want to keep our % of body fat low and our % of lean muscle/fat-free mass high. While I encounter it more with females, there are still way too many people who want to lose weight only doing "cardio." They'll hop on the elliptical for hours and leave the gym a sweaty mess thinking they have done a good thing.

The best way to burn fat and increase lean muscle is a comprehensive program of strength training, interval conditioning, and a nutrition plan that contains plenty of good fat, lean protein, and complex, fibrous carbohydrates.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

What's In Your Food?


Curious about what those mysterious ingredients listed on the nutrition label of the food you're eating are? Sure, some of the names sound familiar but do you know what the others mean? We know what sugar is but do we really know what Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is where it's found? That's only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the preservatives added to so much of what we eat.
If you're as curious as I was, check out the following link from the International Food Information Council Foundation: http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/foodingredandcolorsbroch.cfm


Thursday, October 16, 2008

America Wants YOU to Exercise


Care to challenge your friends, clients, colleagues, etc...? If so, check out the return of The President's Fitness Test. Established by The President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sport, the test examines all major components of fitness including muscular strength, endurance, and body composition. Go to the following web site to download a form and track your results: http://www.adultfitnesstest.org/). I'm currently in the process of engaging all my clients in it now and we'll be comparing numbers with those across the country.


Additionally, it's a good idea to track your progress so test yourself now, and then reassess in the spring to ensure you are on the right path towards optimum fitness. Remember, it's important to have healthy and realistic goals, but don't forget to keep them specific when possible. For example, get away from saying statements like "I just want to be healthy." Rather, engage in something specific such as trying to maintain an optimum BMI score.


Let me know how you do not only now, but in the spring. E-mail me if you need some assistance in meeting your goals or simply need a tip or two with your fitness and nutrition habits. I'll be glad to help!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Getting Away from Everything


When you work 7 days most weeks, you forget what a day off feels like. After having worked 1 month straight without a day off, I was overdue for some "me time." I took off and headed North and basically had the beach to myself, minus a few people walking their dogs. I relished the noise of the water as I got caught up on some reading and a few podcasts on the iPod. Good stuff.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Micro Tetrasocks


Saw these came out a while back and still haven't had a chance to try 'em out yet. Let me know if you have. Essentially, it's a glove for your foot- an expensive one at that. I'm curious how they feel, react to the washing machine, cool your feet, etc... Email me if you've tried them.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Recommended Product

Just finished up my 12th book of the year (nerd alert). Check it out here:

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Catching Z's


I STILL continue to tell clients, friends, etc... that sleep is the most overlooked variable when it comes to optimum health. People will exercise, eat right, yet fail to get consistent quality sleep. It's been proven people who get consistent quality sleep have more optimum body weight and report feeling less stressed.


The Boston Globe had a great story that echoed these thoughts: