New evidence concerning nuts and seeds

I came across this video the other day and I thought it was worth a share:

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/nuts-and-obesity-the-weight-of-evidence/

This is what I love about science; it is always evolving. I was taught to follow Canada's Food Guide (CFG) in all of my nutrition classes. For adults, the CFG recommends 2-3 servings of meat and alternatives per day - 2 for women and 3 for men. One serving of nuts or seeds is equivalent to 1/4 cup (60ml). So, if one did not eat any meat, beans, lentils, or eggs, then 1/2 - 3/4 cup of nuts and seeds would fill the daily requirement for meats and alternatives. I don't know about you, but I can eat a lot more than that!

I was also taught in school that one needs to be careful with nuts and seeds as they are high in fat and calories. While this is true, new evidence - as shown in the video above - clearly opposes the idea that we need to concern ourselves with measuring these foods. We no longer need to feel guilty if we overdo it a bit on the nuts and seeds. What a relief!

I am curious to hear your opinions on this matter so please feel free to leave a comment.


Image source: rawfoodrecipes

ZCUT Power Cardio Series Review

I have been following Zuzana Light, or Zuzka, for the past year and I absolutely love her workouts! The thing that I appreciate most about Zuzka is that she posts free workouts that are available to anyone with internet access. Her workouts are called ZWOW's which stand for Zuzanna's Workout Of the Week. They can be found on YouTube or on her webpage, zuzkalight.com.

Recently, she came out with a 90 day DVD program called ZCUT Power Cardio Series. The best thing about this program is that she has made it very affordable by pricing it at $15.95 USD. When I heard about this program I knew I had to do it. The program consists of: 12 workouts plus a warm-up, cool-down, and bonus abs workout. The workouts are all 10-15 minutes long. I know what you're thinking, how can I get great results from only 10-15 minutes of exercise each day? Well, Zuzka uses a method known as high intensity interval training (HIIT) in her workouts. I explained one form of HIIT workouts in a previous posting called Tabata Training. Basically, it's an all out maximum effort workout that has you working as hard as physically possible during those 10-15 minutes. Because the intensity is so high, you will likely see more benefit from these short HIIT workouts than you would in an hour long gym session.

So, as I'm sure you have already guessed, I will be reviewing this ZCUT program for the next 3 months and updating you guys on how it goes. I know this program is going to be tough. In fact, I am looking forward to it! At the end of this 3 month period, I will post my results so you can see the difference of the before and after. I will try to update every couple weeks on my progress as I go through the program.

I will be starting this Sunday (Feb 24).
Here goes :)


Image Source: zuzkalight

Body Revolution: Final Update

Hi guys,

So I realize that I never finished my Body Revolution review and I am very sorry. I did finish the program, but I switched things up a bit because the way the program was laid out was not quite my cup of tea. I appreciate the fact that we have 2 weeks to do the same workouts in the same order - the first week is to introduce your body to the workouts and the second week is to get your body accustomed to the workouts - but I found that I did not "feel the burn" during the second week. So, I decided to run through the program doing every other week. This way, I got to do new workouts every time and it stayed challenging for me. As a result, I finished the program in half the time (well at least the last 2 months of the program).

I thought the program was a well-rounded and challenging regime that definitely kicks your butt into gear. I did see results in my fitness level as I found that my endurance and ability to keep up with the pace felt easier as I went through the program. At the end, I also went back and did the first workout just for fun and I thought it was really really easy! In terms of "body revolution," I did see some new definition in my arms, legs and abdomen, but my body wasn't drastically changed. That said, I already do workout on a regular basis and I have done Jillian's "Making the Cut" program several times over so I am very familiar with her workouts. In fact, since my body is so accustomed to her exercises, it is likely that I would not see as drastic of a change as someone who has never done her style of training.

Overall, I think it's a great program that anyone could do and I would recommend it to others.


Image Source: iOffer

How to Perform a Sit-Up

The sit-up is a convenient exercise that tones and develops your abdominal muscles. The muscles that are utilized during this exercise include the transverse and rectus abdominus muscles, the hip flexors, and the rectus femoris (a muscle of the quadriceps). Defining the rectus abdominus muscle group is what largely contributes to the much desired "six pack abs,” but one must keep in mind that simply performing sit-ups will not result in a six pack. There are a lot of other factors at play when it comes to achieving visible abs. That said, sit-ups are a great exercise for developing core strength.

Everyone has done a sit-up at some point in their lives. Most people regularly incorporate sit-ups or crunches into their workout routine. But, have you ever actually been taught how to do a sit-up correctly? Form is very important when performing this exercise. If you do not have proper form, you could be working muscles that you don’t intend to use. For example, your back muscles could easily take over the whole exercise without you even realizing it. This is not a good thing as we do not want to injure our back unintentionally.

Here is a step-by-step guide to performing a correct sit-up:

1)  Lay down on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your feet heels about 1-1.5 feet in front of your tailbone. Place your hands behind your head or cross them over your chest.

2)  As you start the movement, make sure to squeeze your shoulder blades together. As you raise your torso up using your abdomen, make sure your neck is relaxed. Exhale as you raise yourself up. Tilt your chin slightly so that your neck and head are in line with your spine. Make sure to focus on tightening the abdomen (it may help to squeeze your pee muscles as you raise your torso upwards towards your knees).

3) Throughout the entire exercise, make sure to keep the bottom of your feet, your lower back and your tailbone flat against the floor.  The bottom of your shoulder blades should rise off the floor at the top of the movement. Pause for a count of two at this point.

4) As you start moving back down towards the floor, exhale first, and then slowly and with control, lower your torso until your upper back is in contact with the floor. At this point of the exercise, your abdomen should still be contracted – your abdomen should be tight throughout the entire movement.

5) Repeat until you feel a burning sensation in your abdominal muscles. Note: you should feel no pain in your back.

Now you have completed a proper sit-up!

Image Source: bcliving

Body Revolution: Week 3 & 4 Update

Weeks 3 & 4 of the Body Revolution workout is a small step up from weeks 1 & 2. I did feel sore after the first 2 days, but my muscles adapted quickly after that. Overall, I think it was a great transition. I can see how it would be difficult for those who are not accustomed to regular exercise. Jillian incorporates a lot more balancing exercises and she throws in a few exercises where you are performing upper and lower body movements simultaneously. This is great as it utilizes more of the body and thus, it burns more calories.

Jillian still incorporates small bursts of cardio throughout the workout to keep your heart rate elevated. I enjoy these as they are a break from the weight exercises. There is still minimal equipment required which I love. I believe this will be the case for the entire program. I also like that Jillian gives different variations of an exercise to make it harder or easier.

The cardio workout is still the same one from weeks 1 & 2 so not much to say there (refer to my previous posts for more information). I am excited to move on to weeks 4 & 5 because I will get a new cardio workout. I am a little bored of this one to be honest.

In fact, that would be the only down side I can think of at this moment. I find the cardio routine boring after the first couple weeks. I also find that I feel a little bored doing the same workouts during the second week of each phase. The way the program is scheduled has you doing the same 2 workouts 4 times (within 2 weeks) and by the second week, I am wishing I could do something different. That said, I understand why it is organized this way; to allow beginners and less fit people adjust and build strength so that they are prepared for the next phase. To combat my boredom, I do the harder variations of each exercise during the second week.

On to weeks 4 & 5!

Image Source: myfitnesspal