Outside Health and Fitness

I am currently one week through a 28 day clean eating program. I have been so surprised within the first seven days, not only about the benefits I'm experiencing but how wrong I was about clean eating before I started. Here are 7 myths I believed about clean eating which just aren't true. Myth 1: I Already Eat Clean Before I started the program, I would have told you "I already eat clean". I think it's common for all of us to feel like we're eating well.  I mean salads for lunch, no dairy (well except for the occasional cheese stick and yogurt), no read meat (well once in awhile) and no processed food (well yeah a sports bar ever once in awhile). Well, for the past seven days I've cut out breads, all dairy, coffee, alcohol and sugar and guess what? I feel incredible. If you feel you're already eating clean you might be fooling yourself. The best way to really be sure is to track yourself for a week and really take a close look at what you...

Olive Warrior Muffins were born from necessity and desire: the need for an easy, quick recipe, and the want for staying on track with healthy portion sizes. Here’s the story: I was just talking to my good friend, Steve Stearns , about how excited I was for warmer weather. This year I’m planning some great hikes in the Garden State. Like the rest of hikers and campers, I’ve already started thinking of a really great staple snack to keep in my backpack. Nothing beats homemade goods, so here is my recipe for Olive Warrior Muffins. You guessed it: the title is a gentle nod to busy weekend warriors who want to eat well while on the go! Olive Warrior Muffins Number of Servings: 8 Calories: 70-80 per muffin Prep Time: About 10 minutes Ingredients: 1/3 cup skim milk ½ cup oats ½ cup whole wheat flour ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp baking soda 1 tbsp onion powder ½ tbsp. garlic powder 4 oz. (or 1 snack pack) unsweetened applesauce 3 oz. pitted black olives, finely di...

Mason Jar Breakfast Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While that's common knowledge it's also the meal that a lot of people seem to skip.  For many people, mornings are hectic with little time for making breakfast. Lately we've been enjoying a Mason Jar Breakfast and they might be just the answer if you're someone who wants a nutritious breakfast but doesn't have a lot of time in the morning. Here's what you need: Almond milk Rolled Oats Chia seeds Frozen fruit Vanilla Cinnamon Greek Yogurt Honey It's really easy to make these up ahead of time and store them in the fridge. Directions First add 1/3 cup dry rolled oats oatmeal Next add just under a tablespoon of chia seeds It's important to mix contents as you go by screwing on the lid and shaking the mason jar. (Good work out too....think shake weight ;) ) Now add 1/4 cup of almond milk Then 1 drop of vanilla A teaspoon of honey Now ad...

Setting goals and milestones are a perfect way to stay motivated when it comes to fitness. They can help you gauge your progress and plot the path to your ultimate goal. They're also opportunities for celebration. Each new milestone represents another step closer. Add a reward at those milestones and you can increase your motivation. However, you need to be careful because the wrong reward can leave you feeling guilty and can end up working against you. When deciding on a reward it's important to select something appropriate and in-line with your objective. For example, a weekend in Vegas would not be a great reward for someone who's working to beat a gambling problem. So why do so many people select food as a reward for achieving weight loss goals? How many times have we heard someone say they're going out for a big dinner to celebrate their weight loss? Why is it so common to use food as a reward? Moods and Foods For many, this idea of food as a reward goes all the wa...

Essential Vitamins, A Healthy Lifestyle Vitamins are among the most vital nutrients needed in the body. Vitamins come in different categories, but not all of them are overly vital in the body. A balanced diet must contain a good supply of protein, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins. What are vitamins? A set of substances and compounds that are needed for appropriate cell growth, function and development. They play a huge role in the body, which is why they are necessary. There are thirteen essential vitamins must be provided in the body for proper functioning. They are called essential because of the fact that your body is unable to create them in sufficient quantities and must get them from external sources. Categories of vitamins The essential vitamins are grouped into two categories; • Fat-soluble vitamins. These are stored in the fatty tissues of the body. There are four types of fat-soluble vitamins, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K. • Water-soluble vitamins. Water-sol...

Powdered Peanut Butter I didn’t enjoy peanut butter until I was in college. One day I happened to try some my mother always kept in the “random stuff” cupboard, and I enjoyed it. In fact I enjoyed an entire jar at one time—on multiple occasions. Where was this creamy delicacy all my life? Then what happened next was inevitable: I had to cut myself off from peanut butter. I was out of control. Years passed after my ill-fated love affair with peanut butter. Suddenly it’s 2015, and I’m changing my diet to make healthy lifestyle changes. Peanut butter is often listed as an ingredient in healthy snacks but I could never bring myself to buy it. I knew what may happen. As much as it’s a healthy option, my lack of self-control would be an issue. I told a friend of mine about my dilemma, and she recommended trying Bell Plantation’s PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter . Now when she said powdered, I was pretty much disgusted. It just sounded gross. I remembered my mother bought a jar of it a few years ag...

Vegan Athletes  Prove the Value of Eliminating Animal Products Many cultures have thrived on vegan diets for millennia, and those for whom veganism is a personal, ethical, or political choice more often than not benefit from improved health in comparison to people who consume animal products. Despite this, many people—including the medical and athletic communities—have been slow to catch on. Concerns about the lesser quality of plant proteins, and adequate intake of B vitamins, have led athletes in particular to avoid choosing a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. That's all changing now: top athletes are adopting vegan diets, with incredible results. Thanks to these successful celebrity athletes, the public is starting to think differently about veganism Murray Rose, Olympian swimmer and holder of four gold medals Carl Lewis, Olympian sprinter, holder of four gold medals and a World Championship win, considers his best year of track competition the year in which he adopted a ve...

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases IBDs (Inflammatory Bowel Diseases) cause gastrointestinal inflammation, and eventually result in several digestive disorders and debilitating symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, and loss of appetite. However, no foods that are being consumed on a daily basis can trigger inflammatory bowel diseases. Yet, doctors recommend the relevance of safer and healthy diet plans, as they help IBD patients boost the chosen treatment process, while averting the risks of flare-ups and relapses. Diet plans can affect IBD signs and underlying gastrointestinal inflammation, the reason why IBD patients are advised to pay attention to their daily dietary regimens. Carefully and promptly implemented foods plans can go a long way towards reducing the symptoms, thereby promoting intestinal healing. That said, a healthy diet plan has to be coupled with the right medications for treatment for inflammatory bowel disease conditions. IBD patients are often prone to weight...

Negative Health Effects of Substance Abuse The negative health effects of substance abuse (be that substance drugs or alcohol) are well documented. However one of effects that many people forget to consider are the negative effects that substance use disorders (SUDs) can have on nutrition. Many individuals suffering from SUDs have very poor diets and may even suffer from malnutrition. When entering recovery for their SUD, many recovery units will focus on emotional and spiritual recovery, rather than on physical and nutritional recovery. However, to do so would be a very grave mistake. Returning to regular meal times and a focus on food can leave addicts in recovery experiencing weight gain that can leave them feeling unhappy and depressed, and could even cause them to relapse as a way of shifting their new weight. However recovery units that employ registered dietary nutritionists tend to have much higher success rates and provide a vital service to the addicts that use them. Rehealth...

College is a transformative period in a person’s life. The better part of four years is dedicated to academic and professional growth, but what happens to your body during that time? Long periods of sitting, studying, and questionable food indulgences can all slow down your activity level. It can even affect your mood. Why not kick start a new chapter in life with your best foot forward? Here are some ways you can stay active while keeping your “gains” academic in nature: Scope Out Campus Perks Most colleges offer free access to their fitness center and athletic resources. Some campus gyms offer group fitness classes like Kickboxing and Yoga. It doesn’t just stop at a gym— it may also include Olympic-sized pools, tennis courts, and even trampolines. Meet Degree Requirements Since electives are free game, make the most of them. Art courses like ballroom dancing or martial arts can make for a pretty action-packed semester. Anthropology class may have intense local excavation digs. In Mar...

While it might not “break the internet” the same way, there’s still a lot of talk about the emerging Paleo community. I started incorporating Paleo recipes into my life about a year ago. Here are the reasons the average person, like me, ought to give it a go: 1. It’s not as expensive as you would think. Recently I went off a long, strong Paleo kick for reasons of convenience due to a hand injury. Even though I didn’t go crazy buying processed food at the grocery store, I still picked up a few items here and there that were easy to make—and easy to open! My weekly grocery bill was about $15 to $20 more expensive than usual.  You’d also be surprised how many meals you can get out of a cart with fruits and vegetables. 2. Short on time? No problem. Paleo eliminates processed foods, but allows a wide variety of wholesome vegetables and fruits (among many, many other things) to choose from. I like to think since you’re “limited” on ingredients, you’re emancipated from a lot of processed easy...

Take Care of Your Body The quality of life is dictated by more factors, yet one of them stands up in the crowd – your physical health. However, this is when real problems occur. When most people are too busy to make money or care for their families, they inevitably fail to take care of themselves. They barely have time to exercise, not to mention about having the right meal. An entrepreneur will see this situation from a different point of view – there is no such thing as not having time. Instead, it is about priorities. If you truly want to take your body to the next level, start with your health. Luckily, these changes do not demand too much work, but just a little attention to small details. So, what should you be careful about? Sleep It is said that sleep is for the weak. On a different principle, sleep is also the reason wherefore so many people feel exhausted, tired, busy and overwhelmed. They have no clue what productivity means. When it comes to your physical health, sleep is e...

Benefits of Celery Juice Celery isn’t a superfood but it really is a great vegetable and when you juice it you can get even more of its nutritive content into your system. Drinking celery juice has a number of great benefits to our health including lowering one’s risks of cancer, protecting one’s cardiovascular system, improving the appearance and feel of one’s skin, cleansing the body and helping the body to recover from stress and exercise and can even help one to get a good night’s sleep. There is an endless list of good that celery juice can do to your body but for today we are going to look at 5 very impressive ones. Reduces Inflammation caused by Inflammatory Diseases The inflammatory Diseases asthma, gout, osteoporosis and arthritis can have a big impact on your body. If you are to add green celery juice to your diet you we will see a reduction in inflammation associated with these conditions. This is due to the polyacetylenes and the luteolin which is found in celery in large a...

5 Healthy Foods You can't hold back the hands on the clock of time. The years are going to continue to fly by and it may feel like they are marching across your body. Fortunately, there is something you can do about it. Put the right kind of fuel into your body and you can make sure all systems are working at optimal levels. Take care of yourself with the carefully selected foods and they can have anti-aging properties , making you feel younger from the inside out. Make conscious decisions about what you eat and be sure to include five, healthy foods that should be at the top of your list. 1. Don’t Forget Your Yogurt Yogurt is an excellent source of protein and calcium. The protein will help you to build muscle and calcium is essential to promote healthy bones. The bacteria contained in yogurt is another bonus because it actually benefits your digestive system. You can have balance when it comes to your intestinal tract, avoiding issues with constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel ...

Prevent The Sumo Wrestler Look In Japanese, the word Sumo means “striking one another”. Sumo wrestling is a competitive, martial art sport in Japan. It requires full body contact, where the wrestler has to force his opponent out of a circular rink or make the opponent touch the ground with any body part, except for the soles of the feet. This sport is regulated by the Japan Sumo Association and has become quite popular in Europe, the U.S., and many other parts of the world. When you think of Sumo Wrestlers, you imagine huge people, weighing in excess of 300 pounds. That is because all Sumo Wrestlers have the same goal, which is to gain weight. The eating strategies they employ help Sumo Wrestlers become heavier and meet their goal weight. What many Americans do not realize is that they employ the eating strategies that of a Sumo Wrestler and expect to lose weight as a result. Give it some thought. Most people wake up early; skip breakfast and sometimes even lunch; go to the gym; work a...

Staying Hydrated In this episode of the Outside Health and Fitness podcast Kathy Kaehler is on the show to talk about the importance of staying hydrated. She shares some creative ways to work more water into your day. On Today’s show you’ll discover... ...an easy way to turn your tap water into a refreshing sparkling water option; ...why staying hydrated is so important for your health; ...several easy strategies for incorporating more water into your day! call the show: 207-370-9797 email: sws0926@gmail.com Listen to The Show [powerpress] Subscribe to the Show     Last Week Last week , we talked  with Happiness Expert Mike Ferry about how to develop habits to increase happiness! If you missed that episode check it out and get all caught up! Join Our FREE Newsletter Get exclusive heath and fitness articles, tips, show notes, resources and more! Also get your FREE morning Tabata guide to get amazingly fit in under 10 minutes a day! [wysija_form id="23"] About Kathy Ka...

Greenbelly Bar In this episode of the Outside Health and Fitness podcast I talk with Chris from Greenbelly Bar. On Today’s show you’ll discover... ...a meal replacement bar for hikers, bikers or any busy person on the go. ...a natural, compact and easy alternative to eating on the trail call the show: 207-370-9797 email: sws0926@gmail.com Listen to The Show [powerpress] Subscribe to the Show     Last Week Last week ,  I talked with Alan Muskat about foraging for wild food.  If you missed that episode check it out and get all caught up! Join Our FREE Newsletter Get exclusive heath and fitness articles, tips, shownotes, resources and more! Also get your FREE morning Tabata guide to get amazingly fit in under 10 minutes a day! [wysija_form id="23"] Greenbelly Bars About Chris Cage Chris is the founder of Greenbelly. It all started back in 2012 when he decided to quit his job as an accountant to pursue the life he wanted to live. He spent the next 2 years teaching English i...