FitHouse - Blog

Diet soda: Good or Bad?

1/12/2019

There are lots of popular diet soft drinks out there.

We all probably have a co-worker that has ordered a large value meal from the local burger joint, they super-sized it and ordered a diet coke. LOL

We believe folks really want to lose weight but the research does not show that these beverages are helping America with the obesity issue. In some cases the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages has been directly related to the increase in type 2 diabetes.

There are other articles that link other health issues to the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26199070

What's the fastest way to lose belly FAT for good?

1/9/2019

To do it slowly.

Did this answer disappoint you?

One of the most popular Google searches is a variation on the theme of "lose belly fat fast". While understandable that people want to lose 10 pounds of flab overnight, the weight took a while to pile on, and it will take a while to disappear. This is a harsh truth, and we hate to be the ones to break it to you.

Before we explain how to lose belly fat, a brief explanation on what it actually is. Scientifically known as visceral fat, belly fat is wrapped around organs in the belly such as the liver and intestines. We all have some visceral fat, but when your belly starts protruding, it's too much. Beyond a visual nuisance, excess visceral fat increases the chances of contracting diabetes and heart disease.

Unfortunately, belly-fat cannot be burned off simply through ab crunches or other core exercises. These workouts help to tone the muscle layer above the fat, which won't disappear.

So how does one remove belly fat?

As always, focus on a slow and deliberate weight reduction that can be sustained for years. Yes, we're talking about a lifestyle change, not a quick fad diet that may show some short term success, but will ultimately fail. Here's what you need to work on:

More home cooked meals
Portion control (21 Day Fix is great)
More lean protein and less refined carbs
More healthy fats from nuts and seeds
Reduction in soft drink / fruit juice consumption
Lots and lots of leafy greens (Kale and Spinach are great)
Fruits, not smoothies
Fiber rich foods such as whole grains and legumes
Less alcohol
More sleep (Quality sleep)
Exercise

How many of the above items listed above can you improve on?

Quick 10 Minute Watermelon Fruit Pizza

8/2/2016

This is a great idea from the Team Beachbody Blog that we felt you guys should definitely try out!

Total Time: 10 Mins
Prep Time: 10 Mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1½-inch thick slice fresh watermelon, cut into 4 wedges (quarters)
4 Tbsp. reduced fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt
4 medium strawberries, sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh blueberries
¼ cup fresh blackberries
1 kiwi fruit, cut into 4 slices
4 fresh mint leaves

Instructions

Spread each watermelon wedge with 1 Tbsp. yogurt. Top evenly with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and a kiwi slice.
Garnish with mint leaves; serve immediately.

Nutritional Info: (per serving) calories 53, total fat 1 g, saturated fat 0 g, cholesterol 1 mg, sodium 6 mg, total carbohydrate 11 g, dietary fiber 2 g, sugars 8 g, protein 2 g.

How Regular Exercise Can Also Boost Creativity!

8/2/2016

Adding to the list of awesome benefits that people who exercise regularly have, is added creativity!

There endorphins that help you to feel better that get released during your exercising sessions. These endorphins also aid you in better concentration and being more mentally sharp for whatever the day may bring your way.

Additionally, constant and regular exercise will help to regulate your sleep patterns, which in turn allows for more dreaming to take place and for a more well rested you.

If you’ve ever watched a creative person in the moment, they will often times use varying physical gestures to overcome different mental blocks they may face.

Here is a study done by The Frontiers in Human Neuroscience going more in depth on the matter for those who like to read the article in its entirety.

But here is the cliff notes version of everything.

The study goes on to talk about the association that exercise seemed to have in correlation with a person’s convergent and divergent thinking.

Convergent thinking is the process of thinking of one single solution for a problem. The name suggests as such though, converging into one solution for a particular issue or problem.

Divergent thinking is the process of thinking of multiple solutions for one single problem. Similarly, the name suggests as such...diverging to different solutions for a problem or issue that has come about.

A researcher in the study stated that exercise on a regular basis may act as a cognitive enhancer promoting creativity in expensive and healthy ways.

In order to test the theory of this connection between exercise and creativity, what the researchers did was to have 96 participants (48 who exercised regularly and 48 who did not, half female and half male of the lots) to all take part in a creativity test. The first part of the test was to test their divergent thinking by asking the participants to think of as many uses for a pen as they could possibly could and write them all down. The second part of the test was to check out their convergent thought process, by asking them to figure out what word linked together to 3 other words. (the word “long” links together “time”, “hair”, and “stretch”).

The results that they found were that the half of the participants who performed exercises on a more regular basis did better on the second task scored higher than those who did not regularly exercise.

Simple 5 Step Pan-Seared Salmon with Kale and Apple Salad

7/29/2016

Makes: 4 servings
Level: Easy

Total Time: 40 Mins
Prep Time: 20 mins
Inactive: 10 Mins
Cook: 10 Mins

Ingredients

Four 5-ounce center-cut salmon fillets (about 1-inch thick)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
1 bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves very thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup dates
1 Honeycrisp apple
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino
3 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds
Freshly ground black pepper
4 whole wheat dinner rolls

Directions

Bring the salmon to room temperature 10 minutes before cooking.
Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the kale, toss to coat and let stand 10 minutes.
While the kale stands, cut the dates into thin slivers and the apple into matchsticks. Add the dates, apples, cheese and almonds to the kale. Season with pepper, toss well and set aside.
Sprinkle the salmon all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Raise the heat to medium-high. Place the salmon, skin-side up in the pan. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn the fish over with a spatula, and cook until it feels firm to the touch, about 3 minutes more.
Divide the salmon, salad and rolls evenly among four plates.

Nutritional Value:
Per serving (1 fish fillet, about 2 cups of salad and 1 dinner roll): Calories 620; Fat 36 g (Saturated 8 g); Cholesterol 85 mg; Sodium 730 mg; Carbohydrate 40 g; Protein 39 g; Fiber 7 g; Sugars 14 g

See original article and recipe here

Little Known Secret Anxiety Treatment (Doctors Won’t Tell You This!)

7/29/2016

Stress and anxiety could be said to be a normal part of everyday life.

Anxiety is defined as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome”.....I don’t know about you guys but I experience that a time or two at least throughout my day.

In today’s world we experience anxiety on a regular it may seem, and the only way that a person can seemingly alleviate the situation if it becomes a more serious problem is to take some form a prescribed medicine from a doctor.

Well that is not entirely true…

According to some studies done by the AADA (Anxiety And Depression Association), regular exercise works as well as medication for some people to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the effects can be long lasting.

One vigorous exercise session can help alleviate symptoms for hours, and a regular schedule may significantly reduce them over time.

Exercise is a natural way of treating your anxiety.

We are well aware that are endorphins that get released during exercise in your brain.

These endorphins also are great for helping with anxiety or worrying.

What happens is they act as a sort of natural feel-good chemical that is produced by our brains, which in turn can help ease anxiety.

When exercising, if you are focused more on say the rhythm of your breathing, of the constant thud of your feet hitting the ground, not only do these promote more overall calmness, you will also notice your worries just seem to drift away to the back of your mind as well.

You will be able to interrupt the flow of worries running through your mind if you physically get moving.

Exercise also reduces immune system chemicals, which can worsen anxiety and depression as well if they are allowed to go unchecked.

Additionally, exercising increases the body’s temperature, which has been shown to have an overall calming sensation on a person’s mood.

The Secret Doctors Won't Tell You About How To Increase Energy and Motivation

7/29/2016

How To Increase Your Energy And Motivation

Have you ever had one of those awfully sluggish days where you just aren’t motivated and lack the energy to even complain about being that way?

Well there is a little known secret to dealing with this that not too many of us tend to pay much attention to these days.

So what is this secret? Exercise.

It may almost come across as hypocritical to say that exercise, the thing that may leave us so winded and tired afterwards, can actually be what is need for more energy and motivation throughout our day.

But that would only be the opinion of someone who doesn't know the full benefits that exercise truly provides.

Sure, exercise has its obvious benefits of things along the lines of a slimmer waist, toned abs, improved sex life, and even the possibility of adding a couple of years to your life.

But something that isn’t focused on quite as much is its mental benefits as well.

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG ON 5 BENEFITS OF EXERCISE.

People who engage in regular day to day exercises generally also have more energy and motivation than those who don’t.

By keeping their bodies active, they also in turn keep themselves alert and energetic.

Performing exercises is known to increase the circulation of blood flow, which directly ties in with higher energy levels.

And by having more energy, higher motivation tends to follow along because the person does not suffer from feeling as sluggish or tired as they would had been had they not exercised.

When your body is engaged and more active, it in turn increases other things like your metabolism and releases endorphins to your brain.

In effect, you are waking up internally as well as externally as well.

Because once your body is awakened internally, your metabolism gets sped up.

This leads to you needing to eat more healthier foods that will be stored and converted directly into energy.

While addressing oxygen, you will also note that when exercising you consume more oxygen because you breathing more as well, which helps to increase your lung capacity.

This over time is what will allow you provide more and more oxygen to your brain and blood stream as well.

This increased oxygen flow to your brain and blood stream leads to increased functionality in your body and more productivity mentally as well.

More physical and mental power equals more energy and motivation as well.

Exercising also releases endorphins into the brain as well.

Endorphins are chemicals that are produced at the base of your brain whose purpose is to provide you with feelings of pain relief and pleasure.

This is why you may have heard the term “runner’s high”, because they are being exposed to such a high amount of this feel good endorphin due to the high level of exercise.

But even a moderate amount of exercise can be enough to produce endorphins.

This in turn will lead you to feeling better and more motivated throughout the rest of your day as well.

5 Reasons Why We Love Exercise (And You Should, Too!)

7/20/2016

Exercise. To some the mere mentioning of the words causing pain and fear, yet for others the word brings about certain excitement and joy.

Why exercise may carry a negative vibe, that’s a blog for another day.

Today we will focus on how you can become one of those people who jump for joy at the thought of exercise.

(Okay, maybe not literally, but you get the idea.)

Exercise has many benefits, but we will focus on the following:

1) Boosted confidence/better self-image
2) More energy and motivation
3) Elevated moods
5) Increased creativity
6) Decreased anxieties and worries

1) Boosted confidence/better self-image

People who regularly exercise often times experience boosted confidence through a sense of achievement, an improved physical appearance, increased sexual performance, and many other perks that regular exercise tends to carry along with it.

2) More energy and motivation

People who engage in regular day to day exercises generally also have more energy and motivation than those who don’t.

By keeping their bodies active, they also in turn keep themselves alert and energetic.

Performing exercises is known to increase the circulation of blood flow, which directly ties in with higher energy levels.

And by having more energy, higher motivation tends to follow along because the person does not suffer from feeling as sluggish or tired as they would had been had they not exercised.

3) Elevated moods

So we all know the positive effects that exercise can have our body, but what about our minds?

When we exercise, certain endorphins are released in our brains, as physical activity has been shown to help relieve tension and stress throughout the body.

It only makes sense though, as our bodies and minds are so closely linked together.

When one is up and feeling great, the other will usually follow suit.

4) Increased Creativity

The same endorphins that help you to feel better during exercising also help you to concentrate more and be more mentally sharp for whatever tasks the day may bring your way.

The exercising will also help you to regulate your sleep patterns more, which allows for more dreaming as well as a more rested take on things throughout the day.

5) Decreased anxieties and worries

Exercise is a natural way of treating your anxiety. Going back to the various endorphins that get released during exercise in your brain, these endorphins also are great for helping with anxiety or worrying.

When exercising, if you are focused more on say the rhythm of your breathing, of the constant thud of your feet hitting the ground, not only do these promote more overall calmness, you will also notice your worries just seem to drift away to the back of your mind as well.

You will be able to interrupt the flow of worries running through your mind if you physically get moving.

Top 6 Tips For Staying Motivated to Workout

6/12/2016

Ever started a workout, only to fall off a few days later? Have difficulties sticking through a workout program? Wasting money with your gym membership? Here are some tips on how to stay better motivated.

#1) Set Goals
When starting out in fitness you will want to start with goals that you can accomplish, otherwise you will get discouraged and quit. For example, if you are just getting started, you might want to aim for a set of 10 push ups. An intermediate goal might be to work up to a 5 sets of 10. And then the advanced one might be 100 push ups, or maybe a set of 1 arm push ups.

#2) Find a Workout Buddy
Who really knows whether or not you woke and got in your workout? But when you invite a friend or co-worker to be your workout buddy, it adds accountability. And if you happen to be lifting weights, it gives you a person to help spot you and rotate out your sets. And a little friendly competition never hurts either right?

#3) Keep it Fun
If you are not enjoying your workouts and you dread doing them, that will only last for so long. Find a routine or program that you enjoy, that will help you work towards accomplishing whatever your goal may be. exercising does not have to be a dreaded part of your day, and you're way more likely to stick with it if you enjoy it.

#4) Accountability Group
An accountability group can serve a similar niche as a workout buddy. You can post your insights, tips, and goals to the group, and others will do the same. It's a place to brainstorm, get ideas, network, and keep each other motivated. After you post your goals, you have a whole group of people that are also working towards their goals to help keep you motivated and help hold you accountable.

#5) Track Your Progress
Generally speaking, people only take two progress pictures. One picture of their before, followed by the end result picture. Why not take one monthly? Keep up with and visualize your progress. That way, if last weeks picture looks better than this weeks, you know you need to get back after it. You can also keep track of the weight you lift as it increases, the reps you do of different exercises as well. You will be amazed to watch your progression week from week.

#6) Schedule It Into Your Life
The time you spend dreaming about going to the gym or working out throughout the day could be planned out blocks to exercise. You can block out 30 minutes, an hour, you could even block out several 10 minute blocks throughout your day to squeeze in your busy day. Whatever time you want to workout, set it up and plan it out. Then it's not a guessing game of when you can go, you already have the time set aside. Well guys, hope you enjoyed. Be sure to subscribe and like to keep up with thelatest content.

Can't Do 1 Push-up? Try this!

5/22/2016

The pushup. When you mention that exercise, many different thoughts can come to mind. One can think of the military, where pushups are used for testing and conditioning.

Or maybe a gym or martial arts class, where pushups are used as discipline. Then there are those people who seem to not know gravity exists, doing unreal looking pushup variations.

Well that’s all fine and dandy, but what about the people who haven’t gotten to the point where they can complete 1 full push up yet?

Well, you needn’t fret. There is still hope. You will be surprised how quickly you progress through pushups below and you’ll be on your way to doing things such as 1 ARM PUSHUPS in no time!

So starting off, you’ll want to progressively build up your strength by doing push up variations that are not quite as taxing on the body as a regular push up.

So we’ll start off: Pushup Tips

The wider your feet are apart, the easier the move becomes, so you can adjust as needed. But the goal is to have your feet close together

A lot of people seem to think that if they touch the ground with their chin, they are going down low. This is not necessarily true, you should aim to lower your chest, not your head. Keep your head straight and eyes forward

You need to be sure to tighten your glutes and abs to maximize your results (and added difficulty!)

You want to bend until your arms are at a 90 degree angle at least, and if you can, try and get your chest to the floor (the lower you drop your chest the more difficult the move becomes)

Your back and body should be as straight as possible as well
Correct and incorrect ways of doing it

BUILDING UP TO THE PUSHUP

Wall Pushups

You’ll want to stand about arm’s length from your wall of choice.

Feet should be close together, and hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.

In this variation, you are pushing less weight (no gravity to fight, your legs are also holding up a good bit of your body weight) so it allows you get into the rhythm of performing the move without that extra strain

To start, bend your elbows to allow your body to get closer to the wall.

Once your body is a few inches away, straighten out your arms to “push up” your body, and then repeat.

You’ll want to aim for around 3-5 sets of 10 (you can do more less, that’s just the number I’m using), once you can easily complete those reps, move on to your next progression.

Incline Pushup

Next up, we have incline push-ups. Or if you do not have anything available for an incline, you can just use your knees (illustrated below)

You can use a couch, chair, low table, just something sturdy that can support your weight.

TIP: the lower your surface, the more challenging this move will be

You’ll want to ensure that your body is straight, and then proceed to lowering your chest just a few inches above your surface, and then straighten your arms and push up, and repeat.

Again, once you can easily complete 3-5 sets of 10, you should be ready to move on.

Regular Pushup

Now you are ready. If not, go back through the other variations and increase your reps.

Now you should be able to do a regular pushup. You’ll want to be sure and use proper form.

Your feet should be together, and your back should be straight.

You should be able to draw a line from your shoulders to your heels.

Now, lower your body until chest is only a few inches off the ground, and then push your body back up by straightening out your arms. Now you repeat.

Once you get to 3-5 sets of 10 on this pushup, check out more challenging variations.

Which pushup variation did you start on and how many reps did you do? Tell us below!

FitHouse

FitHouse offers premiere fitness training, circuit training, and certified P90X & Insanity training.
Get Your FIX at FitHouse!

Our FitHouse Trainers, Michael Harris & Mike Thompson contribute to the blog page.

Archives

January 2019
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
February 2016
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014

Categories