Best Fitness Blog

You are busy, and when you are busy you exercise less and don’t eat as well as you should. But the key to weight loss is burning more calories than you take in, but also eating healthy. You may think you eat fine, but if you take a few minutes to evaluate what you eat, you may start to notice some unhealthy habits. The first question that you should ask yourself is: What types of processed foods do you eat?

Processed foods have added fats and sugars to make them taste better, last longer and cook faster. This hidden extras add on the calories more quickly than most of us realize. Because of this, the typical American diet is loaded with sugar, fat, and sodium, often leading to high blood pressure, low energy, and poor digestion. The best way to reduce your risk for many diseases and health issues is to choose natural and minimally processed foods. Often called “eating clean”.

If you want to eat clean, you need to eat the least processed food with the most nutrients. How? No more fast foods, no more frozen food aisle at the grocery store, choose fresh vegetables and fruits over canned or frozen.

Choose foods that are low in fat, high in fiber, with essential vitamins and minerals. This will control blood sugar, give you more energy for exercise and give you the fiber that you need for better and healthy digestion.

Eating a less processed, healthy diet along with increased exercise can boost your metabolism and help you lose weight. Replacing fast foods and processed foods can help you eat less calories overall and increase the amount of fiber you eat. Additionally, high-fiber whole grains, vegetables, and fruits will help you feel fuller longer causing you to eat less. Did you know that people who eat an additional 14 grams of fiber a day eat 10% less throughout the day.?

...By Karli Tayor

If you are a woman over 40 who wants to lose weight, you may have realized that it is a totally different ball game than it was when you were in your 20’s.

Not only do you have a slower metabolism; you may also be experiencing a hormone imbalance which can cause fluid retention, bloating, poor thyroid functions and weight gain. Though these things may seem like you are beginning a losing battle, all hope should not be lost! Weight loss is still possible, the process is just a bit different.

Over 40, dieting may no longer provide the best results. As you age, your body will not respond to quick fixes and short term plans like it may have at one time. When you are over 40, rather than dieting, you need to change your lifestyle to make it healthier. An over 40 diet needs to be different than your diet was when you were younger. Choose foods with higher nutrient value that provide more of the things you need for energy with fewer calories while avoiding eating out and pre-packaged meals which are common to the lifestyle of woman today.

Keep in mind that labels can be deceiving. Many foods labeled low-sugar often contain extra fat or salt instead of sugar to help the taste and texture. Similarly, many “low-fat” foods are loaded with excess sugar for the same reasons. Though life may get hectic, taking the time to prepare fresh foods will not only help keep your weight in check, but will also help keep you healthy.

"No time to exercise” is often a mantra of women over 40. But middle aged women must incorporate physical activity into their schedule. In fact, if you want it to fit in, you can fit exercise into your schedule. But you can add little things to your daily routine, such as parking farther away, take the stairs rather than the elevator and walking on your lunch hour. Increasing physical activity in your daily routine can have a large impact on your weight loss goals.

Believe it or not, a good night's sleep is essential for weight loss. Unfortunately, many women don’t get an adequate amount of sleep because of their busy lifestyle. It is important to get 6-8 hours of sleep a night, so if you want to lose weight, learn techniques to relax so you can sleep at night.

Lastly, don’t forget about the power of drinking enough water. Make a habit of keeping a water bottle with you at all times. Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your health and it help your kidneys, helps your body detox, and it improves bowel movements. Keep a water bottle on your desk at work.

If you are a woman over 40 and you want to lose weight, contact Best Fitness in your area for help.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Taylor

Growing up I was made to understand the importance of eating my greens. As I have gotten older, I still think about fitting green things in every single day. The more I read, however, the more I realize that this obsession with all things green has actually inhibited my nutritional IQ! A few years ago, with talks of lycopene and antioxidants, red was the new green. Today, it’s all about purple!

How many times in the past week did one of your meals or snacks include a naturally purple food? According to a recent government report nearly 90 percent of Americans don't eat enough produce from this color family, which is linked to a slew of health benefits, from protecting memory and slowing the aging process to warding off Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Can you think of a purple food?

My personal favorite is eggplant. It is low in calories (about 30 per cup cubed), and while it’s not particularly high in vitamins and minerals it's an antioxidant powerhouse. In a recent study when animals with high cholesterol were fed eggplant juice, their cholesterol levels significantly dropped, their circulation improved and blood flow increased reducing stress on the heart.

The next time you reach for grapes in the produce aisle, look past the green and red varieties and reach for the Concords. If you can’t get fresh Concord, go for 100 percent juice. A recent study found that regular consumption of this juice boosted immunity in healthy middle-aged adults. It's a good source of potassium, a mineral that reduces blood pressure, helps prevent muscle cramping and de-bloats by counteracting the effects of sodium.

Last but not least, don’t forget about plums. This stone fruit is in season during the early summer months. They’re a great source of several key nutrients, including vitamins A and C, and are loaded with crucial minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. Don’t worry about missing out on this powerhouse during the winter months- prunes, yes prunes, are actually dried plums!

Trying to think of other purple foods? How about figs, blackberries, and purple varieties of carrots, cabbage, asparagus, cauliflower, potatoes, peppers, onions and kale.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

... Karli Taylor

Maybe it’s bad business for me to make the statement that I’m about to make, but here I go. Regardless of how hard you work in the gym, you will never get the results you desire if you are not mindful about what you are eating. Though we could spend days discussing nutrition, let’s start with a few easily fixed mistakes that may interfere with getting the most out of your training time.

• Drinking a Protein Shake Before a Workout. Protein is digested much more slowly than carbohydrates, so too much pre-workout can give you stomach cramps and prevent the carbs you need for fuel from getting absorbed and becoming available to your working muscles. Instead of a high protein shake, reach for a meal replacement drink with more carbohydrates than protein before you hit the gym.
• Exercising on an Empty Stomach. It's physiologically impossible to burn pure body fat during exercise. No matter what you eat (or don’t eat), you burn a combo of carbs and fat. When carbs aren't readily available, your body is forced to break down its own muscle mass and convert it into blood sugar. That means by skipping a meal, you may end up eating away at your own muscle instead of building it! If you don’t like the feeling of exercising with food in your system, try that meal replacement shake next time.
• Overusing Energy Bars. Too many of these can cause you to consume all of the calories you burned exercising, preventing you from seeing results. Though someone competing at a pro-athlete intensity may be able to grab a bar post workout and eat a meal a few hours later, that may be overload for the average exerciser when you consider that many bars are the equivalent of a turkey sandwich — and most people wouldn't eat a turkey sandwich, then sit down to chicken stir fry a few hours later.
• Not Eating Enough Good Fat. Every cell in the human body is partially made out of fat, including muscle, so "good" fat, or unsaturated fat, is needed to heal and repair post workout. Without it you may not only stay sore and fail to see an improvement in strength and muscle tone, but you will have a hard time losing body fat. Try to include small portions of foods like extra virgin olive oil, avocado and almonds at every meal and you will see a difference very quickly.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

... By Karli Taylor

It seems as though as soon as I stock my kitchen with the new “it” foods, a new batch of superfoods is in the news. Does anyone else feel that way? Move over acai berries and greek yogurt, here comes a whole new crop of superfoods bound to become the next big thing.

Have you heard of Skry? Iceland’s answer to Greek yogurt is technically a soft cheese, but its texture and nutrients are similar and it includes the same basic ingredients as yogurt. Skyr is made using a centuries-old straining process that removes the whey (liquid), which makes it creamy and thick without providing any fat. A single serve 6 oz container of plain, nonfat sykr packs 17 g of protein compared to about 15 g in Greek and 8 g in traditional yogurt.

How about Teff? Ancient grains like quinoa and spelt have been trendy over the past few years, and now the ancient African grain called teff has joined the clique. It’s known for its sweet, molasses-like flavor and its versatility. It can be cooked as an oatmeal alternative, added to baked goods or made into "teff polenta." It packs twice the iron of other grains and three times the calcium with comparable amounts of fiber.

Finding the next obscure fruit with a high nutrient value has become big business. Some such as dragonfruit, goji berry and açai are still power players, but the list is growing quickly. Experts predict that cupuaçu will be the next to compete for the championship. This creamy-fleshed, distinctly flavored fruit related to cacao grows in the Amazon and is known for its high levels of antioxidants. Its juice tastes like pear with a hint of banana.

Last but certainly not least is the chia seed. When most people hear the word chia, the first thing that comes to mind are the tabletop potted plants in the likeness of a dog, a sheep and even President Barack Obama. These small oval seeds pack more heart- and brain-saving omega-3 fatty acids than flax seeds, don’t go bad as quickly, and have been shown in research to lower blood pressure and inflammation, a known trigger of premature aging and disease. Just one tbsp provides 5 g of fiber, about twice as much as golden flaxseed. Whip some into a smoothie — just be prepared for gel-ish result since these gems soak up about 12 times their weight in fluid.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

... By Karli Taylor

By now, everyone knows that acai berries, red wine and almonds are “superfoods”, but did you know that there are hundreds of other foods that offer many of the same benefits? Let’s look at a few that I’m willing to bet you have underestimated!

Mushrooms: When we think anti-oxidants, we tend to think berries right? Would you be surprised if I told you that not only do mushrooms rate very highly on the anti-oxidant meter, but they are also a great source of vitamin D? Throw some fungi into your next pasta sauce instead of meat- your family will get the texture they are used to without the fat and calories that comes with ground beef and will get an extra nutrient punch.

Cauliflower: You hear a lot about the value of brightly colored veggies, but what about cauliflower? One cup of broccoli's colorless cruciferous cousin supplies about three-quarters of your daily value of vitamin C. Cauliflower also contains anti-oxidants linked to the prevention of melanoma, but boiling or microwaving will diminishes the antioxidants so try roasting, steaming or grilling to reap the most benefits.

Beer: Beer drinkers rejoice. You no longer have to give up your brew for a glass of vino in the name of heart health. Studies show that people who consume one glass of red wine or one beer each night have a lower risk of developing high blood pressure than nondrinkers. Beer has also been linked to greater bone density in postmenopausal women because of the mineral silicon, an ingredient found most in india pale ales. Remember to limit yourself to one alcoholic drink a day, however, as research shows that more than that may have the opposite effect on your health.