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Super Bowl! Many pizza delivery businesses see their order numbers double as roughly 60 percent of the take out ordered on Super Bowl Sunday is pizza. Roughly 28,000,000 pounds of chips, 1.25 billion chicken wings, and 8,000,000 pounds (3,600,000 kg) of guacamole are consumed during the Super Bowl.
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/staggering-amounts-food-eaten-super-bowl-sunday/story?id=45217629
Last Week’s Poll:
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All of the Above! The FDA allows certain “defects” to slide by. Have a look at what your food can carry:
• Canned pineapple can pack in up to 20% moldy fruit.
• Berries can harbor up to 4 larvae per 100 grams.
• Oregano can legally contain up to 1,250 insect fragments per 10 grams.
• Cinnamon can carry up to 1 milligram of animal excrement per pound.
• Ocean perch can harbor small numbers of copepods, parasites that create pus pockets.
Last Week’s Poll:
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97%! In a recent analysis by Consumers Reports more than 300 raw chicken breasts purchased at stores across the U.S. found potentially harmful bacteria lurking in almost all of the chicken, including organic brands. That is why it’s so important to prevent cross contamination and to cook your chicken thoroughly.
Source: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/02/the-high-cost-of-cheap-chicken/index.htm
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Evidence suggest they promote cancer growth and its propensity to spread. We know that both of these chemicals are found in many foods and are classified as excitotoxins. This causes neurons in the brain to excite themselves to death. http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/review-excitotoxins-taste-kills
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Strawberries are not really berries, but watermelon, pumpkins, bananas, and avocados are. It’s ok. Take a few deep breaths. We’re right here with you.
While we’ve tended to define berries as any small edible fruit, the official definition of a berry is “a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary.“ By this definition, oranges, kumquats, blueberries, and even tomatoes can be considered part of the berry family.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/foodbeast/just-in-strawberries-are_b_3962931.html
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65 Grams! A 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola has more sugar than a Cinnabon. When you drink a 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola, you are consuming 65g of sugar = 2.43 oz. = 1.77 shot glasses of sugar! (One shot glass = 1.5 oz)
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Citrus Juice! Citrus juice brings out green tea’s antioxidants, making them more available for your body to absorb. Catechins, which prefer the acid environment of the stomach, become degraded in the more alkaline conditions of the small and large intestine, where nutrient absorption takes place. Lemon juice can increase the amount of catechins your body extracts from green tea. http://www.livestrong.com/article/242001-health-benefits-of-green-tea-with-lemon/
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Carbonated Drinks! Carbonation increases pressure in the stomach, which helps to force alcohol into the bloodstream via the stomach lining. So when you feel bloated while drinking your favorite carbonated alcoholic beverage, know that this is your body getting you intoxicated quicker.
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A 2010 study published in the international Journal of Food Microbiology found that 48% of fountain soda drinks contained FECAL BACTERIA; 11% contained E. COLI. Hopefully this is another reason you should avoid fast food.
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Cinnamon! It is true, according to several studies cinnamon is a vital part of our diet. Cinnamon lowers not only blood glucose but also cholesterol levels, it has anti fungal properties, has anti inflammatory properties and has been linked to help with neurological disorders. If you are not using cinnamon in your diet maybe its about time that you start. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003790/
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Planks are the key to flat abs. Although crunches may be the most iconic abdominal exercise around, doing crunches is not actually the best way to slim your midsection. “Since they don’t burn off a lot of calories, they don’t help in a major way with fat loss,” says Wayne Westcott, PhD, professor of exercise science at Quincy College in Quincy, Mass. And while crunches do tone a small portion of your abs, moves involving your distal trunk—which includes your shoulders and butt—more effectively engage your entire core, according to a study from Pennsylvania State University. So you’ll whittle your waist far more dramatically by doing planks and bridges (and more of these 24 Fat-Burning Ab Exercises). If you are doing crunches, make sure to use proper form: Otherwise, they may put your spine in a painful curved position.
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That burning sensation you feel in your muscles during intense exercise, referred to as “acidosis” is not caused by lactic acid build up. In fact, recent research has conclusively shown that lactic acid does not exist as an acid in the body, but exists in another form called “lactate”, which decreases the burning sensation, or acidosis in the muscles. Not only does lactate help decrease the burn in your muscles, but it’s an important fuel that can be converted in the liver to glucose, which is then used as an energy source. For a more information on lactic acid and its role in exercise, check out the “Exercise and Lactate” here: Lactic Acidosis and Exercise: What You Need to Know
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40 to 45 percent of American adults make one or more resolutions each year. The top New Year’s resolutions include weight loss, exercise, quitting smoking, and better money management. By the second week of January, 25 percent of people have abandoned their resolution.
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A 4-oz cup of eggnog contains approximately 350 calories. Spiking the nog with alcohol can add another 300 calories. One reasonable step that can be taken to dilute the considerable caloric impact of this traditional holiday drink is to dilute the store-bought nog with skim milk before drinking.
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3-5%!Sarcopenia is a term which describes muscle loss in adults as they age. Without regular exercise, muscle loss can lead to deterioration in strength and quality of life. Exercise and proper nutrition can help stave off sarcopenia. So if you are exercising consistently, you don’t have too much to worry about; just make sure you are lifting weights!
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There are many reasons to exercise, but for one benefit in particular – reducing anxiety – exercise is shown by research to be as effective as taking anti-anxiety medications. It is believed exercise helps reduce anxiety for a few reasons (1) it causes your body to release endorphins, which are pain-relieving chemicals that can create feelings of well-being, (2) it takes your mind of stress, and (3) gives you a feeling of accomplishment.
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When I first learned this interesting factoid, I was confused as to how the heck this is possible. I mean, if you do pushups, aren’t your muscles pushing? Well, not really. Even during a pressing motion, your muscles contract, which pulls against a lever that ends up pushing. Muscle can contract and relax. That’s about it.
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The mitochondria, which is the “powerhouse” of each cell that helps your body produce energy is the only place where fat is burned in your body (are you getting flashbacks to high school biology?). Assuming you’re following the tips on BuiltLean.com, fatty acids in your body will be transported to your mitochondria to undergo oxidation, which is a process where two-carbon molecules are repeatedly split apart from the fatty acid in a chemical reaction. What if there was a way to increase the number of mitochondria in your cells so your body essentially becomes a larger fat burning furnace that more efficiently burns fat? Well, there is a simple way to increase the size AND number of mitochondria, but I’ll have to save that tidbit for a future post.
If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can check out a very dense primer on fat metabolism, which is the science behind fat loss here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid_metabolism
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Although green peas are loaded with protein, they are considered a starchy vegetable like white potatoes, and we should limit starchy vegetables to five cups each week. Plant-derived protein foods include kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), lima beans, black-eyed peas, split peas, and lentils. We should eat more of these sources of protein (although you should limit peas because of their starchy content).
SOURCE: www.webmd.com
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The typical American eat less than 20% of the amount of vegetables recommended in updated dietary guidelines released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for 2015-2020. The good news is that the goal of 100% is within reach for most of us. The guidelines, which are accompanied by a new food guide icon, say we should focus on more dark green, red, and orange vegetables, beans, and peas.
SOURCE: www.webmd.com
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Adults should do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes each week of aerobic physical activity at a moderate level – such as walking briskly, gardening or bicycling less than 10 miles an hour – or 1 hour and 15 minutes each week of aerobic physical activity at a vigorous level – such as jogging, heavy yard work or bicycling more than 10 miles an hour. Being active 5 or more hours each week can provide even more health benefits. Spreading aerobic activity out over at least 3 days a week is best. Also, each activity should be done for at least 10 minutes at a time. Adults should also do strengthening activities, like push-ups, sit-ups and lifting weights, at least 2 days a week.
Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day, including muscle-strengthening activities, like climbing, at least 3 days a week and bone-strengthening activities, like jumping, at least 3 days a week.
SOURCE: www.choosemyplate.gov
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The Food and Drug Administration standardized serving sizes in 1990. A law called the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act requires all packaged foods to have nutrition labeling using consistent terms defined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The food ingredient panel, serving sizes, and terms such as “low fat” and “light” are standardized.
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Physical activity! Science shows that aerobic exercise may do more to help bolster thinking than thinking itself. Regular exercise stimulates neurogenesis (or the creation of new neurons) in the brain, so much like the rest of your muscles, physical activity can help ‘bulk up’ your brain cells too — a benefit that becomes increasingly crucial as we age and begin to experience the cognitive decline related to underuse and aging.
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Your workout! This one may seem super obvious, but it’s funny how much importance we place on the calorie burn during our workout time over the movement we do (or don’t do) during the rest of our day. Of course we’re not saying regular exercise isn’t important — it’s great for building strength, stamina, fitness and improving your overall health, and yes, it’s going to help you burn calories — but it’s not going to be the largest sum calorie burn of your day!
Instead of hyper focusing on burning as many calories as possible during every sweat session, shift your attention to keeping your calorie burn going during the remaining 23 hours of your day. For example, changing your body composition by adding more lean muscle mass can help you burn calories even while you sleep and stay as active as possible during waking hours — stand up as often as possible and walk for a minimum of at least 5 minutes out of every hour you spend sitting (even more for greater overall health benefits).
As for your workout time, let go of the idea that everything you do must burn major calories and tune into your body, the movements and your muscles. Create fitness goals that make sense for your personal needs preferences and inspire you to live an active lifestyle.
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Feet! Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, ligaments and tendons, with both feet totaling 52 bones, or about 25% of the total bones found in your entire body. We’re often so busy focusing on the key areas (like our abs, arms, thighs) that we don’t really pay much attention to fitness for our feet, but they don’t just contain 25% of your body’s bones, they are also the foundation for every vertical movement you do! Your balance, strength, power and control begins with your feet and they contain muscles that need development too. Working out barefoot can help with this (try our library of free barefoot workouts here) and be sure to check out our upcoming “Walk On: 5 Fat Burning Miles” DVDwhich features our brand new “Strong Feet and Ankles Workout” specifically designed to help you strengthen and stretch these key areas.
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There are 4g of sugar in one teaspoon. While the 2010 Dietary Guidelines do not set a daily recommended intake for sugar, they suggest individuals cut back on calories from solid fats and added sugars.
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Breath! Crazy, huh? Though we like to say that ‘sweat is your fat crying’ it seems that fat is actually released as carbon dioxide when we exhale. Now before you start hyperventilating to try to slim down faster, it’s important to note that you can’t just shed fat by breathing it out — you still have to create the caloric deficit that leads to fat loss in order to exhale it away.
Oh, and some of that “sweat is your fat crying” expression holds a bit of truth — the remainder of the fat not turned into carbon dioxide is released through bodily fluids like sweat, urine, tears, etc.
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Your booty! Well, the gluteus maximus muscle, to be more exact. Good thing we have a ton of great glute-shaping workouts to put it to excellent use (have you tried this Barre Booty routine yet?).
Interestingly, it may not be the ‘strongest’ muscle though — did you know that your calf muscles actually produce the most force, while your jaw muscle exerts the most pressure? For more cool facts about your muscles, check out this article here.
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Kid Gluten Free Chicken Fried Rice. 510 calories, 9 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 1,720 mg sodium, 78 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 26 g protein.
Compared to a 1/2cup (72g) ice cream cone. 145 calories, 7.9g fat, 4.9 g saturated fat, 58mg sodium, 17g carbs, .5g fiber, 15.3g sugar, 2.5g protein.
What do we recommend instead?
The Baby Buddha’s Feast (180 calories, 8 g fat, 6 g protein), which contains stir-fried snap peas, carrots, and broccoli. Skip the rice and pair it with a carb that has less of a chance of being drenched in salt and oil, like the fresh fruit.
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You would need to walk around 10.7 miles to burn off a Chipotle Burrito. Typically, a rule of thumb is 100 calories per mile are burned for a 180 lbs person. Increase that walk by running and it would take you 2.68 hours to burn that burrito.Total Calories Chipoltle Burrito – chicken, brown rice, black beens, crest salsa, sour cream, and cheese —1070 calories.